So here it is. I’m in my thirties, I’m busy, I work long hours and last year my favourite moisturiser, Depsea Hydrability, by Shu Uemera was no longer stocked. I was aghast. I mean what do I do now?! I have really sensitive skin that breaks out in hives when it doesn’t like something. This stuff was just perfect, very light but hydrating. Not having enough time to follow, let alone research any beauty blogs, I walked into Space NK and was astounded by the amount of new brands; some ‘scientific’, others more well known than some. All ranging from quite to really expensive. Truth be told, I despaired at the range of moisturisers on the market.
I don’t mind paying a bit more for a good moisturiser but if I’m going to break out then I don’t want to waste £80 on an unusable jar. I sought advice from the assistants, which I loath doing. No one knows you and your skin as well as you. I was verging towards Eve Lom but the lady persuaded me to buy Algenist. I can’t recall which one it was but it was for combination skin. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the smell and it was too dry for my poor peau. But at least I wasn’t allergic to it, plus my mother quite liked it. I used it as far as I could, because hello I’m not throwing away £60! As soon as I could see the bottom of the jar I was out on the hunt again.
Oh on a side note, my mother is Japanese and 69 years old this year. I’m 36 so I figure we can now basically use the same moisturiser. Okay, we have slightly different needs but we both need good moisturisation, and some anti-aging boost. Thankfully, wrinkles don’t run in our family but hyperpigmentation from sun exposure and sagging does.
After a year of trying all sorts of concoctions, I tried Sunday Riley’s Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream. I love creams that contain sea extracts. Space NK were doing small travel sizes for £20. I had read all sorts of amazing things about Sunday Riley so I was really looking forward to trying it out. My skin came out in small bumps :o(. Cries.
Then I left my job! It was super stressful and unenjoyable. So for the past three weeks since I’ve been between jobs, I’ve been doing some research.
Getting my skin routine right has become even more important as I’ve come off Dianette about a year ago, the only thing that had been controlling my skin, and the cystic acne along my jawline came back. This time crawling up to my cheeks. Also, I think Dianette is responsible for some pigmentation I’ve developed round my collarbone some years back.
I was racking my brains for brands to research and I remembered I had been meaning to check out The Ordinary. I used to go past their shop in Covent Garden, London and wonder about it. I suppose the only thing that put me off was that I thought it was just another fad, I remember hearing it was cheap. How good can something cheap be? I worry that super cheap products may do more damage than good. I researched it to death over the course of a day. Everything I came across had wonderful things to say about it. I was leaning on trying it out, especially at those prices! One vlog by Lauren McPhillips aka Renegade Love really nailed the coffin though. Here’s the link to her vlog: Renegade Love. Thanks Lauren, and your skin now looks amazing! She basically cleared her cystic acne using the Ordinary after contacting their PR person and having a regime put together for her. So I basically copied it with a couple of additions!
I went out and bought these:
After washing my face with a gentle cleanser in the AM I use the Hylamide hydra-density mist as a toner, followed by hyaluronic acid 2% +B5, then Niacinamide 10% + 2% zinc 1%, then salicylic acid 2% as a spot treatment on areas that really need it. I then moisturise using 100% plant derived Squalane. If I’m going out of the flat at all that day I follow with La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ SPF. I usually wait a bit for the serums to be absorbed before applying the Anthelios XL.
In the PM I cleanse using Clinique’s Take the Day off Cleansing Balm (thanks to Fleur de Force’s blog for introducing me to this!). Now, when I went to The Ordinary shop I fully intended on buying the Buffet for this stage but they were sold out! I then read that Hylamide’s SubQ Anti-age was essentially the next generation serum to the Buffet. So that’s what I bought. It’s more expensive than the Buffet but heck my mother can use it too. After a spritz of the hydra mist and the SubQ anti-age, I apply some salicylic acid again on areas that need it and then finish off with a drop or two of The Ordinary’s rosehip oil.
It has been about four days and no irritation. YAY! After two days I did notice that the cystic spots that had remained under the skin after going dormant, giving me lovely dark marks and raised areas, had flattened out. One spot I can’t feel at all anymore whilst the other is diminished but ever so slightly raised. I’ve not had any major cystic spots, although I’ve had a few tiny white heads around the areas on my chin in the last couple of days. I have read that Salicylic acid can cause a break out whilst it starts cleaning out the pores but this should settle down. Plus they are so small and not at all deep that I’m not too bothered about them. I hope to report back with hopefully positive news after a month with before and after photos.
My mother’s using Hylamide hydra-density mist and Hylamide’s SubQ Anti-age so I’ll report back on what it does for her later on too. Keep your peepers peeled!
Lil' Ronin 