Night time cleansing in LND

Keeping my skin spot free and soft has been a challenge living down in London for a month. I travel constantly on the tubes which coats our skin in all sorts of dirt, which can be detrimental when we are on our way to work etc. and don’t have time to clean our skin in-between commutes. The other factor which has affected my skin in London is the water! So many people seem to overlook this idea, but it is so much harsher than the water up north (what I’m used to). This also makes my hair feel dry and more brittle, despite my sulphate and paraben free shampoos. 

I have found a NEW skin care regime which has kept my skin hydrated and protected in this new-found London life. This is something I would trial, but do what is best for your skin. I feel like everyone tries to push their ‘skin rescue’ ideas onto everyone… Which is never going to work because we are all completely different. For me, however, this regime has worked wonders.

1.) For the first time in history, I have used face wipes. If you know me, you know I am anti wipes. They just smear bacteria, dirt, and oils around the face... Removing absolutely nothing. However, I feel to thoroughly ‘clean’ my face in London, they have helped. I initially use one wipe from Botanics: All Bright Cleansing range. These are more sensitive than others. I simply wipe my face in a downwards motion.

2.) After removing a layer of makeup (not dirt!) I take one cotton pad and fill it with Nivea’s eye makeup remover. This is a dream product, which everyone should have. It is oil based, so sensitive around the eyes and lashes; yet removes all traces of mascara. I know this is not the best idea for someone with my skin type... It contains phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative used in a lot of skin care products. Preservatives have to be used in products, since it is the only way to give them shelf life. Places like Lush use minimal preservatives, which is great, but their face masks etc have used by dates, which you need to be sticking by: Otherwise they can do more damage than good.

3.) Once this is done I wash my face. I use only a small amount of Kiehl’s face wash, ultra-facial cleanser. I use warm water to wipe any residue off after massaging it into my skin till I’m satisfied. When taking the cleanser off, I find it so important to use a flannel! Otherwise I just don’t feel clean at all. 

4.) Next, I take Nip and Fab’s dragon blood cleansing pads. I only use one as I find them heavily infused with product. They contain alcohol preservatives, which are not great for our skin. Many products use alcohol as a preservative, as they can claim their product is ‘natural.’ The pads are also fragranced, which is not the best for sensitive skin like mine. Therefore, I avoid all contact with my eyes, since that is where my eczema is prone. I would 100% skip this step if I was at home in Manchester, but for the atmosphere of London I feel a penetrating cleanse is needed each night. My face by this time feels extremely clean and appears dewy.

5.) I wash my face again! This time more gently and without a flannel. I simple massage my face wash over my face and wash off the acid from the previous step. I hate to aggravate my skin because of my eczema. Nip and Fab do not suggest that their product should be washed off after use, but I feel compelled to. Otherwise all you have done is created a seal and barrier over your face? 

6.) I apply child’s farm all over my face. I use their body moisturiser... This stage will not be for everyone, but my skin drinks the stuff and needs this stage. Unless you have eczema or extremely dry skin, I would not recommend. Just use your normal moisturiser!

7.) I then apply bio oil. The amount of skin specialist which wince at this stage is crazy. All I can say is... Anyone I have forced to use this product multiple times has noticed a huge difference in the appearance of their skin. Bio oil does not penetrate the skin and simply tackles your first few layers (the epidermis), if that. But it’s an amazing everyday product which is low in price and it works! I’m bored of expensive products which have no real benefit, just false promises. This is worth trying. Trust me.

8.) Kiehl’s midnight recover oil is the ONE. It is simply amazing. I would not do this on top of my bio oil, but instead of. This oil is really expensive, hence why I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone for daily use. Even I can’t commit to that that kind of luxury, but it’s great if you’re suffering with your skin... it’s worth the buy. 

THEN I AM DONE. My skin is silky soft till I wake up! My morning routine is more gentle towards my skin. I just simply wash my face and re-apply all the serums before my makeup. (I love a dewy makeup look.)

My skin looks great in fact, so I might trial it back home too. I’m touching wood, but so far, I have had zero problems! 

These, as always, are my tips and what works wonders for me: Hopefully they will help you too🌼

Tamara x