Beauty Routines Part Three

Morning

This is part three of my Beauty routine posts. You can read about some of the products I use here and here.

This is my current morning routine.

• I cleanse with Clinque Take the Day Off cleanser and remove with a flannel and warm running water. 
• I tone with Ren's Clarifying Toner using a cotton wool pad. 
• I follow this with Hydraluron and Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream. 
• I let these soak in for a few minutes then apply suncream. 
• I allow these products to sink into my skin whilst I make caffeine coffee. 
• I then  apply my make up.

This may seem a lot to do each morning, but it is like any routine, the more you do it, the quicker it is. I am struggling to find a serum, apart from the hydraluron to use that I am happy with in the morning. The 7 day trial I did with the Clarins serum I found it to be too heavy on my skin.

 I get up a little earlier in the morning to give myself time before the children get up to exercise, shower and do my make up. It is important to me so that is what I choose to do. 

I am also a morning person which helps . It is probably the only time of day in our house that there is quiet - before the children, husband and builders all descend. 

It keeps me sane.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

Beauty Routines

Part One

When I was younger my routine of cleansing my skin was a lot more simple than it is now. I didn't wear much make up, so a flannel,water and moisturiser was all that was used for years.

Unfortunately I also come from that era of people whose parents didn't apply much suncream as a child and my skin has definitely suffered because of it. My Mum used to apply olive oil to her skin and sit in the sun - the equivalent of roasting a turkey. 

However, through my 20's I realised how important it was to protect and treat my skin with care and since then have always cleansed, toned, and moisturised  my skin. I enjoy it. It is a bit of me time at the beginning and end of each day.

A number of people have asked and e.mailed about what I use on my face and what my daily routine is .

So, I thought I would share my routines with you over a series of posts called, would you believe it.......

"Beauty Routines". 

To address the elephant in the room before I start .

I do use a lot of products. 

I know. 

My skin is important to me. 

If I spend money on any area it will be skin care. 

The end.

I follow Caroline Hirrons blog and advice on skin care . I love her no nonsense approach to products, routines and brands. A lot of what I do comes from advice I have picked up along the way from her. 

I will do 6 posts:

1. Cleansers and Toners
2. Moisturisers and Serums
3. Morning Routine
4. Evening Routine
5. Masks
6. Wishlist and Favourite No Nonsense Beauty Blogs

Part One - Cleansers and Toners.

I do change my cleansers depending on how my skin is doing, the season and what I have discovered on various blogs. I find it is good to have a few cleansers on the go in rotation. Each cleanser  does something different for my skin. 

Don't be afraid to ask for samples from brands to try out.

At the moment these are the ones I am using. 

Cleansers - Ritessens, Clinique, L'Oreal, Priori

• Ritessens Milk Cleanser 
• Clinque Take the Day Off Balm
• Clinque Take the Day Off Milk Cleanser
• L'Oreal Micellar Water 
• Piori cleanser 

I am coming to the end of my L'oreal Micellar Water and my Ritessens cleanser( which I got free in a Birch box) and have replaced them with a Clinique "Take the Day Off duo" - a balm and a cleansing milk. I will repurchase a micellar water as I find it useful for tidying up make up mistakes.

Clinque Take the Take Off Cleanser and Balm

Clinque Take the Day Off Balm - a rich balm - you only need a tiny amount.

Morning

In the morning I cleanse just once with the Ritessens creme cleanser or the Clinque Take  the Day Off creme cleanser. These are  moisture based gentle milk cleansers that I remove with a flannel and water. I then apply Ren's clarifying toner with cotton wool. It prepares my skin better for make up. 

Evening

In the evening I double cleanse. I start with the Take the Day Off Balm to remove all my make up. This balm is amazing. You only need a tiny amount and it removes everything! I will do a full review when I have used this for a few weeks. It has no alcohol or perfume so is not drying either. My skin is then ready to be cleansed. I then use the Clinque Milk cleanser and remove this with warm water and a flannel. If I feel my skin needs a really deep clean I use my Pirioi cleanser.  This is a deeper cleanse cleanser and I really see a big difference when I use this cleanser over  a period of time. However, this range starts at £36 so it is a bit too expensive for every day use for me. I believe the moisturiser is over £80.

The L'oreal Micellar water is also useful for a first cleanse or for removing make up mistakes gently. There are a lot of Cleansing Waters on the market now to try. Most brands are bringing one out as part of their ranges. Bioderma , of course is a big favourite, but I would give some drugstore variants a chance too if you are in the market for one.  However, for me, I don't find it to be that effective at removing waterproof mascara.

I have also reverted to using a flannel. Muslin cloths just don't do it for me. They aren't big enough, strong enough or absorbent enough to do the job I want them to. A traditional flannel is fine thank you. I use Christy flannels - they last for ages. I also find Cath Kidston flannels are thick and absorbent and last wash after wash. This is one of those times when I feel I prefer to spend a bit more on a product that will last the many washes it will get! I use a fresh flannel each time I was my face. As Caroline Hirrons says - same as knickers, don't wash your face with a dirty cloth, clean one every day please. 

I have one toner on the go at the moment.

Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion

I use the Ren clarifying toner. Gone are the days when toners were there to try and remove what was left of your make up and tighten up your skin unnaturally with a splash of alcohol! Now toners can be exfoliating and clarifying. They exfoliate, decongest and smooth the skin as well as giving it a wake up jolt with all the natural based acids they contain . This prepares your skin to take in all the moisture and products you then put on and makes the full use of them. Since using this my skin has really improved in it's texture. I plan to add a rosewater in to hydrate my skin after toning, but it is difficult to find a reasonably priced rosewater that does not have alcohol or perfume in! Any suggestions?

I am also tempted to try the Liz Earle instant boost skin tonic since reading about it on Jen's blog. She uses it in her morning routine that you can read about here.

I was also using the Botanics toner from Boots until I realised that the second ingredient on the list was alcohol denat.  Aways check your product for contents . I try and avoid as many products as I can that have alcohol and perfume in . My skin just does not need it.

 Why do so many products have alcohol denat in? There are alternatives and it  can be so drying on the skin, especially when used in high quantities. The higher up the list the ingredient is, the greater the quantity. If alcohol is second on the list you can bet  that product has a high alcohol content. 

Botanics Rosewater Spritzing Spray

I stopped using Alcohol based products when I read what denatured alcohol actually is and to be honest I don't fancy applying it to my skin. What are your thoughts?

Here is a brief excerpt:

Denatured Alcohol is : "Ethyl alcohol to which a poisonous substance such as acetone or methanol has been added to make it unfit for consumption." 

However, as with all things of course I know it is not as simple as that. Alcohol in the forms it is used in cosmetics and the small amounts in which it may be used, affect the purpose and the effect it may have on your skin. In some cases it is just used in small amounts to emulsify or to thicken or simply being used to bind other ingredients together. Different types of alcohol have different purposes and they are not all the "poisonous ethanol alcohol" that we associate with it. Cetyl alcohol for example, is actually conditioning .

Here are some links if you want to read more.

Denatured Alcohol


Beauty Myths

I still have chosen to avoid alcohol in my skin care products when I can. It is personal preference . If I can find products that have alternative ingredients in that do the job I need, then I'll choose that. Thank you.

I always check the contents of products if my skin is misbehaving. I react to too much cocoa butter or Vitamin E in products, although a small amount is beneficial.

So the first part of my routine is:

Cleanse, cleanse again , tone.

Once my skin has been cleansed and toned throughly morning and night it is then ready to receive the products I have to apply - serums, oils, moisturisers, suncreams etc. 

My next Beauty Routine post will be on the moisturisers and serums that I use.

Do you use products that have alcohol denat in?

Do you think it is important to avoid it or would you be discounting amazing products if you did so? 

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

What's on my bathroom shelf?

Here is another in my series of  'Whats in my...... '    This week is

What's on my Bathroom shelf?

We have a lovely, albeit small ensuite to our bedroom that we created out of the back of an airing cupboard a few years ago. It is amazing what you can do with a small amount of space! I was given free rein with design and colours for this little room . I had the little vanity unit made up by a couple of local firms. One made the cupboard, one the small piece of marble. I got the taps and basin myself and my lovely builder put it all together. It cost half the price doing it this way than it would have done buying one similar that I had seen! I painted it myself in Farrow and Balls Plumbago. The blind is made by Laura Ashley and tiles are all tumbled marble by a seconds tiles shop. Here are some pictures of the finished room!

Anyway thats all a bit of an aside! So what is on my bathroom shelf? Well I do get the luxury of this window shelf to myself as my husband uses the main bathroom ( he prefers the larger sink!). So..

My products are......

I have a couple of pots from Tesco that look pretty but keep cotton wool and cotton buds to hand. 

These are my cleansers:

Demalogica pre cleanse - a lovely oily pre cleanse that dissolves make up and grime easily and quickly and smells divine. It emulsifies with water and washes off easily. It prepares the skin for cleansing.

Priori Idebenone cleanser - This is an amazing cleanser in a range that you have to introduce to your skin gradually . I have noticed a big difference since using this range, but it is expensive and I do have regular facials with these products too.

Dermalogica daily microfoliant - a sentitive daily scrub - see my review here

These are the ones I use for moisturising:

1. Idebenome daily moisturising cream

2. Dermalogica daily smoothing cream

3. Dermalogica hydrating booster

4.Dermalogica barrier cream

5. Ren eye gel ( free sample)

6. Roc winkle correction with retin ox ( not to be used at the same time at the Idebenome products though!)

7.L'oreal factor 50 suncream for face

I don't use these all every day - my definite every day ones are the idebenome at night and the dermalogica smoothing cream and sun cream in the morning . I add in what else I feel my skin needs.

The rest are self explanatory!

1. Sudocrem - wonderful healing cream

2. Bath House body wash

3. Etat Pur face mask ( from beauty box)

So there you have Whats on my Bathroom Shelf? I do have lots more bits and pieces in my bathroom cabinet of course that I don't use everyday and of course it is always in need of a good tidy out !