My skin diaries #3

Skin update time! With this update I have encountered different skin concerns so my routine, especially skincare has changed. If you missed my first or second skin diaries click the links to read them first 😊

Since December I have struggled with congested skin and tiny small bumps all over my forehead. Other than that I haven't experienced any acne. I have noticed my scars have also been fading but back to the real issue now. I have had to up my skincare game to help with the congestion. The only thing I can think of that may have added to this is that I stopped wearing primer. I'm not big on primer to begin with but I think that choice may have back fired? To be safe I now incorporate it into my routine.

Vitamins

Between the last update and this one you may have noticed that I have swapped a few things that I was taking. I have been continuing with the same Maca root tablets however will be switching to 1000mg instead of 500mg.

I changed to Nature's Way Complete Daily Multivitamin plus Spirulina as it has more iron than the previous one. The reason links with my diet.

Last but not least I completely switched to Vitamin E instead of Vitamin A. This was for multiple reasons, the main one being to boost my immune system but it also has many benefits for the skin. I read multiple reviews and a lot of people were saying it helped their skin glow etc. So I look forward to see how this works opposed to Vitamin A.

Diet
I have continued on with cutting out sugar however I am now also vegetarian. This too should have positive benefits on my skin but this is a personal decision so I won't go too much into it. In future posts I will simply mention whether or not being vegetarian has actually improved my skin.

Skincare

I have been using a lot more skincare lately and have even written up a routine. On Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays I now exfoliate and do a face mask, the type of mask depends on my skin needs that day. Every day that I wear makeup I double cleanse with my oil based cleanser otherwise one cleanse. I will list the products below:

• Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial scrub - doesn't irritate my sensitive skin whatsoever and is a very gentle scrub. It leaves my skin feeling clean and looking brighter.
• Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Ultra Gentle Facial Cleansing Oil - I have been using this product ever since my first skin diaries and even before that. I always have at least two or three back ups because I love it. I know use this as my cleanser, not only to remove makeup. I decided to combine the two because I know my skin agrees with this product and it leaves my dry skin feeling soft.
• NIP+FAB Glycolic Night Pads Extreme - this is the only non-natural/organic product that I have added to my routine. Nothing I owned was helping with the small bumps on my forehead and I saw this in my skincare cupboard. After a few uses of these pads I noticed my pores instantly looking clearer and the bumps were diminishing. I have been using these roughly three times a week and they are helping dramatically with congestion.
• Sukin Sensitive Facial Moisturiser - Now that we are in summer my previous moisturiser was too heavy for my skin so I decided to try this one out.
• Life Flo Health Pure Rosehip Seed Oil - like the cleansing oil this too hasn't changed from my first skin diaries.

The masks I alternate between are:

• reCLAYm Rejuvenating Pink Aussie Clay Mask - full review here. Its a less intense option compared to the Aztec mask.
• Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay - the most intense, full on and literally pulsating mask. This one really helps to clear out the pores and draws out any gunk. After using this mask I usually do experience a few break outs.
• ADORN Pure White Clay - can you tell I am loving clay masks lately? I find them to really help draw out impurities and love having different options.
• Andalou Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask - This mask helps to brighten and repair damaged cells. If my skin isn't feeling too congested and needs a pick me up I reach for this one.
• Daiso Pore Care Pack - When between my brows/nose looks disgusting I resort to these pore strips. I rarely use them unless I really have to. They do the job and I always follow up with toner.

Beauty

Using the same products as my previous skin diaries however I have added in sunscreen. I am forcing myself to wear as little makeup as possible to let my skin breathe but am making sure I cleanse properly at night to remove any sunscreen/moisturiser residue.

I have added the Antipodes powder as my base in addition to the Physicians Formula CC cream and Inika Organics BB cream.

Pretty much with this update my skin has slightly taken a turn for the worst but my scars are starting to lighten. There isn't anything I am thinking of changing or adding at the moment, I will continue to treat my congestion and then go back to working on the scarring.