CRUELTY FREE SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR COMBINATION SKIN

Today I am going to share with you my current (completely cruelty free!) skincare routine. It's suited to my combination skin (I get both oily and dry skin issues) so will hopefully be helpful to those who have the same skin type as me, or useful to anyone who is looking for more cruelty free skincare brands or products to try. So without further ado, here are the products and tips that work best for my combination skin...

With my combination skin, I get oily really quickly on my cheeks and around my nose, but I also get really dry patches around my mouth, nose, brows and forehead. This can make it tricky to keep a particular skincare routine up, as one day I might be super oily, and the other day I might be so dry I have flaking.

The best way I've found to combat this is to have a range of products to hand to tackle each 'issue' your skin has, or each 'type' it seems to switch between. So in my skincare stash I have items for oily skin, and others that really only work on dry skin.

Secondly, my next tip on combating difficult skin is to not stick with a routine as such, but work with your skin, and treat however it is at the moment (not what you'd like it to be). This could mean switching up routines every other day or so, or even morning and night every day. For example, sometimes in the morning my skin can be feeling a little dehydrated, so to get a good base for my makeup I'll use a heavier moisturiser, while other days I can barely put any moisturiser on at all or else I'll have pools on my face later in the day.

On the other hand, you may find that a strict routine works for you. If that's the case and your skin likes it, then stick to it! Do whatever makes your skin happy! Now, onto the products I use:

Firstly, if my skin is feeling a little dull, rough, or just generally 'bleh', I'll use an exfoliator on dry skin. The one I've been using at the moment is The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion. This one has tiny little grains, rather than big clumps, which means you can be a little firmer with your massaging without fear of damaging your skin. This gives you a nice clean, thoroughly exfoliated face without the redness and irritation that harsher scrubs can cause.

Next, I use a cleanser. I really like Aqua Marina from Lush, and I've been using it for months now with great success. It has a nice balance between oil absorbing ingredients like kaolin and calamine, and ingredients like aloe vera and Irish moss that restore moisture and minerals. It has a strange consistency, like a paste, and has little clumps of seaweed in it - so it takes some getting used to. But it makes my face feel clean and still full of moisture, and without feeling tight or dry.

If I've been wearing make-up that day, or my skin is just in need of an extra clean, I'll use some toner. Lush's Eau Roma toner water is literally the only toner I can use, as all others just either sting or dry out my skin (so if you're a sensitive flower like me, give this a go!) but this stuff is amazing. It has rose and lavender water in it, so perfect for dealing with redness and balancing the skin. It also does a great job at cleaning up any leftover make-up or grime from the day that may have been missed by cleansers. Plus, it smells lovely.

Now here is where I really switch up my routine: moisturisers. I have a few different products that I switch between depending on how my skin is doing. If my skin is feeling pretty 'normal', I'll use Lush Vanishing Cream Moisturiser. This has similar ingredients to the toner, with lavender, rose, neroli and geranium oils to balance the skin. It doesn't have cocoa butter, so isn't heavy, and just gives your skin a nice dose of moisture. 

But, sometimes, when my skin is feeling too greasy, this can be a bit too much for my skin and I'll switch to Lush Enzymion Moisturiser. This is incredibly light, giving your skin moisture without oiliness. I also contains lemon to help reduce shininess, and sinks in for a nice matte finish. 

If my skin is feeling a bit dry, I'll use some of The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate under the Vanishing Cream moisturiser. This serum claims to enhance skin condition as well as instantly moisturising, and I love adding this into my routine for an extra boost of moisture. 

When my skin is feeling really rubbish, I'll crack out Nude Skincare ProGenius Omega Treatment Rescue Oil, which has a host of clever ingredients that help repair and refine skin texture, clarify complexion and protect against the environment. I only use this as a night treatment, and very sparingly, as it is very oily on me. But for this purpose it's fantastic - by morning my skin is smooth and rehydrated. If you ever get the chance to pick up a sample size (like I did) I definitely recommend it

As my skin can get pretty oily, I'm prone to spots. One spot treatment I've found to work is Superdrug Deep-Action Anti Blemish Gel. This stuff really dries out spots and reduces redness, and really feels like it works. I also like that it's a little nozzle tip, rather than a roller ball like other brands, as I feel this is a lot more hygienic.

I don't often use eye cream, as my whole eye area is actually pretty oily, but when I do feel like I need to use one - I like Dr. Organic Rose Otto Eye Serum. I usually use this overnight, and its supposed to help tackle fine lines, dark circles and puffiness. While I'm not sure of these claims, I do know that it helps moisturise my eye area without leaving a greasy or heavy feeling - which is fine by me. 

Lastly, for when my lips are dry (which happens a lot) I like to use Lush Mint Julips lip scrub. This is great to use before applying lipstick as it really scrubs any flakiness or rough texture from your lips, without leaving an oily residue. Plus it tastes lovely!

 

You may notice that I didn't include make-up remover in this post. That's because I feel make-up remover is more of a personal preference. Some people swear by balms, but I just can't get on with them, and prefer wipes or water-based removers. There are none in particular that I swear by at the moment, but if you want to read about some I like (and didn't like) check out my post here.

I hope this post was helpful for all my other combination skin pals out there! Do you have any products that you swear by? Let me know in the comments!

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