| Skincare routine | by B.

Hey everyone,
you already know P's story about her everyday skincare routine - if not check it out right here. Now it's my turn ;)

I've always had better and worst "skin-days" like everyone else. Let's say it loud, right now I do have few spots in my collection and there are moments when I collect even more of them ;) But don't worry guys, I'm not the kind of person who gives up easily, so I do fight with these little monsters.
On the very beginning I tried to use every single anti-acne product at once - MISTAKE no.1 (some of them were seriously strong) and did't let them do their job. I've panicked and wanted to achive picture perfect skin after one aplication. Surprise surprise, it didn't work out. But I've learned my lesson and I've finally found a perfect skincare routine for me.*

*we are all different, so something that works fine for me, might be a bad option for you.

 

1. CLEANING/ REMOVING MAKEUP

Deeply cleansing our skin sounds like a perfect plan but I've learned the harsh cleanser is not really the best idea. It can over-dry our skin and cause oil production (we definitley don't want that). So the best option is to reach for a gentle formula.*  My 2 favourites are Ziaja Antibacterial Curation and Cetaphil Gel - both perfectly remove any makeup and leave your skin nice and clean.

* I'm also an allergy suffer so it's even more important for me.

2. TONER

Step two in my skincare routine is a toner. Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution for oily/combnation skin is a legendary product that works just perfectly for me. I use it twice a day. Tiny bit is enough to make my skin feel instantly refresh. It's gentle, effective and doesn't dry my skin at all. The only problem may be the price, so I always try to buy it on sales (or during special offers - 2 for 1 etc).

Hint: you can also use it as a makeup remover, but personally I do prefer gel or a regular makeup remover (for a waterproof mascara)

Hint 2: Avoid any alkohol-based products, I promise, they won't help with acne or breakouts.

3. CALMING - THERMAL SPRING WATER

I use La Roshe Posay Thermal Spring Water every 2 days. It's calming, moisturizing for my skin and doesn't leave me with this awful sticky feel. I usually spray it on my clean and refreshed face, leave it for a minute or two and then gently dry with a towel. Perfect for any of you with a sensitive skin, because it does help a lot.

Hint: You can also use a thermal spring water to set up you makeup.

4. MOISTURIZING

This step is extremely important*. My skin is sensitive so I try to reach for oil-free products that don't contain additional ingredients like artificial fragrances etc. During fall-winter season I need to use something really moistruizing - so during that time my number one is AA Cream for ultrasensitive and dry skin. My other fav is Iwostin Purritin Cream for acne-prone skin (not only mattifies but also helps to prevent breakouts) plus hydrates without gunking up my pores.

*(remember, having combination or oily skin doesn't mean we should skip it)

Hint: Drink a lot of water, because it will help to stabilize your natural pH

 

5. UNDEREYE CREAM

This one is a real must have for me. I need to cover my dark circles with heavy concealers (they are a nightmare for a sensitve undereye skin, as you can probably imagine) so I can't live without moisturizing undereye cream. One of the best (and cheapest) is Ziaja. Love it!

 

6. NIGHT CREAM

For the night I need a product that is even more thick than a day-cream. This one is an Oeparol Hydrosense (for the dry skin again ). It does its job - great moisturizer and doesn't break me out. Perfect ;)

 

7. FOR ANY BREAKOUTS

As the last step, I use a tiny bit of this Iwostin Purritin Gel for any breakouts or blumishes. It contains a salicylic acid and mirra extract. It's not a magic cream, so it won't help immediately, but after few nights you will see the difference (bye bye pimples;)

 

8. EXFOLIATOR

If your problems with acne are bigger than few spots be really careful. Exfoliator is a great way to cleanse and purify, but for most acne-prone skin anything more than a tiny bit of a GENTLE one is waaay to much. I use this one- it's Lirene Face Exfoliator - twice a week and gently massage my skin with fingertips. 

Guys, no harsh brushes, don't go crazy :P

That's all for my everyday skincare routine. I hope you've enjoyed ;)

| 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