| Skincare routine | by P

Hey everyone,

When it comes to skincare I have one rule - 'keep it simple'. When I was 16 years old I started struggling with acne. It covered all of my cheeks and forehead, pretty much all the places where you normally put on bronzer. I wanted to get rid of it by trying out every single anti-acne product that exists, so for at least 3 years my skincare was in constant change. I was hoping to find some miraculous product that would cure it in one night, but as we all know there is no such thing. I went to dermatologists who gave me medicines, I had treatments and it all helped... for a moment. Then I went abroad for 3 months and it got me really lazy with skincare, meaning I stopped using so many products. When I came back to Poland I noticed a difference in the state of my skin, most of the acne was gone, although I still got some blemishes. I also kept using "minimum" in terms of products. It worked (and still works ) perfectly for my skin. It may not work for everyone as we all have different skint types and needs, so here is what I do every single day (PS. my skincare didn't change for more than a year).

STEP 1: Cleansing. This is an olive cleanser from a polish brand called Ziaja for dry to normal skin. I use it every night not only to clean my face but also to remove my makeup. It is extremely gentle (which is very important when you have acne, what I learned through my experience is not to use anything with alcohol because it dries out your skin and doesn't solve the problem). I know those of you who live in the US don't have access to this brand, but I can also recommend Cetaphil cleansers. I also used them for quite some time, but this one works better for me and is much cheaper (Ziaja products are around 3-5 $).

STEP 2: Toner. This one you all probably heard about. It is the Bioderma micelle solution for combination/oily skin. There is also another version for sensitive skin, but as I have oily skin this one is much better for me. The single bad thing about this product is the price, but fortunately there is often a discount 2 for 1 or you can alway find it cheaper online. It is a perfect toner that cleans your skin and you really feel that. You can also use it as a makeup remover (though I prefer the gel from Ziaja) and one bottle lasts in my case for about a year. I use it every single day in the morning, as well as in the evening because it really gives that feeling of clean skin.

STEP 3: Moisturizer. This is a very important step in my skincare routine. I used to think that since I have oily skin I don't have to moisturize, oh my, how I was wrong. Everyone should remember to use a moisturizer, twice a day and drink a lot of water. It helps to stabilize your pH and minimize the production of oil. The one that I use is again from Ziaja and it is meant to also matify your skin (which it does really well). It doesn't break me out, nor cause any more acne and is my favourite face cream that I have used so far.

STEP 4: Eye cream. Unfortunately this one is a must for me. If I don't use eye cream the skin on my eyelids starts to dry out and looks very ugly and I can't use any eyeshadow because it would only highlight it. Doesn't matter which one you use, currently I have this Ziaja one, only because it's the cheapest.

STEP 5: Night cream. I use two different products in the morning and in the evening, because since the one in step 3 is a mattifying product I don't need that during the night. So I use something more thick to make sure my skin is well moisturized. This is a product from Ziaja again (I'm sorry there is so much of it, but I really do love those products) and it is meant for oily to combination skin and it is with white tea, which is supposed to prevent acne. I don't know if it actually does, but it doesn't break me out and I like it.

STEP 6: Products I use once in a while. The one on the left is simply a face cream with SPF factor for oily skin and it is from Bioderma. You can use whatever you like as long as you remember to protect your skin from the sun. I use it mostly during the summer, because from fall to spring there is not so much sun and I spent time indoors. The product on the right is also from Bioderma and it is something that I use only if I remember to do so and on my chin and my nose. It is called pore refiner and is supposed to make your  pores look smaller (something similar to Porefessional from Benefit) but is a skincare, not a makeup product. The last thing that I use and it is usually 1-2 times a week is an exfoliating scrub. I change it all the time as I haven't found the product that would be perfect.

This is it for my skincare, I'm sorry this post was a bit long, but I wanted to explain why and for what are all the products. Hope you've enjoyed :)

PS. Apparently there is an online store that sells Ziaja products in the US if you are interested in trying them out, I strongly reccomend :)

P, xoxo