Skincare… the daily routine to help combination skin

I really envy people who have beautiful flawless skin, especially when I make a conscious effort to always take my makeup off on an evening, exfoliate each night and apply a weekly face mask. I have always battled with open pores, dry and oily patches, spots, you name it! I know my hormones have a lot to do with it but I really feel I have come to a stage now where I have control over it… most of the time.

I thought it would be useful to post about my daily routine, mainly because since using natural and sensitive products, my skin has improved massively. If anyone out there has combination skin then these products may work for you too!

Morning Routine

Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) – £11.49 for 60 tablets

Great for people who suffer with a hormone imbalance. This has not been diagnosed by my doctor but I know my own body. Since taking these tablets twice a day for roughly three years, I have noticed a massive difference in my mood and skin…. great! They can take a month or so to get into your system so if you don’t see a change straight away, keep going and give it at least a month. Holland and Barrett always have EPO in the penny sale!

Nivea Soothing Cleansing Mousse for Dry and Sensitive Skin – £4.49, 150ml

For a while now I have been using a face wash that is for sensitive skin. Even though I have combination skin and suffer from the occasional spot, I find that products for spot prone skin are just too harsh and have far too many ingredients in them, resulting in my skin feeling worse.

This cleansing foam is really good and great for cleaning my face on a morning. It has a nice scent to it and feels really nice on my skin. It lasts a long time too!

Lacura Caviar Illumination Day Cream SPF 15 – £6.99, 100ml

I love this face cream! I have been using it for a few months now and it feels so luxurious and thick on my skin. You can only buy this product from Aldi, at a price of £6.99 for 100ml it is really worth giving it a go. It has been compared to a very high-end face cream costing a staggering £300!

It really helps with my dry skin and I love that it has a sun protection factor of 15, perfect for all year round.

Olay Total Effects Anti-Ageing Eye Cream – £14.99

I have used anti-ageing eye products for my eyes for a long time now. I’m really hoping this will keep me looking young for as long as possible! I do suffer with dark circles under my eyes so this definitely helps, lots of sleep is essential too and a balanced diet.

Evening Routine

St Ives Apricot Scrub – Blemish Fighting – £3.99, 150ml

I use this scrub each night and have done for years now. I find it is the perfect product to clean out my pores and leave my skin feeling nice and smooth. Roughly twice a week I will use Bicarbonate of Sofa on an evening too, this really helps to unclog my pores and helps to keep my makeup looking nice where I have open pores. It is really gentle on my skin, I have never had any form of irritation since using it.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – £6.99, 946ml

I came across this product whilst researching on the internet. Apparently it has amazing health benefits when taken as a drink, although I have tried this quite a few times and as you can imagine the taste is not great!

Instead I use this as a toner on an evening. Yes you smell of vinegar but this doesn’t last. I really feel it helps to tighten my pores and since using this product my skin has definitely been less oily during the day. You have to purchase an ACV product with the ‘mother’ as this has all of the goodness. Amazon sell it or if you are local to Leeds, Millies health food shop sell it too!

Lacura Q10 Renew Night Cream – £1.69, 100ml

I have been using this cream for about six months now but before that I never used to understand why night creams were so essential to your daily skincare routine.

For a long time I suffered with dry skin on my t-zone, which made it very difficult to apply foundation. I’d read good reviews about this cream so thought I’d give it a try. Within a few days my dry skin had completely cleared up and applying foundation to my nose and chin was so much easier! A little goes a long way so it really does last you a long time.

Aloe Vera Gel – £7.49, 200ml

Lastly, if I have any spots I apply aloe vera gel before bed. This stuff is so good and can be used for sunburn, cuts, rashes etc. Applying this gel to my spots really helps to take any swelling down and start the healing process.

You can buy this in the penny sale from Holland and Barrett, one tube will last ages so its well worth the money!

So that’s my current skincare routine! If anyone has any other products that they would recommend for combination skin then please comment below, I always like to try new products.

For anyone trying out the products, I hope they work just as well as they have for me!