♥ New Summer Skincare

Over the warmer, summer months it feels so much nicer to not have to have layer over layer of foundation on your skin. I find makeup so uncomfortable and annoying in the heat of summer and there's nothing I want more than to encourage my skin to clear up before we get some warmer weather. I've been really struggling with my skin for around a year now and I'm trying so many new things to try and encourage my skin to heal and look more radiant. Here and the few bits I've been using the most, most recently:


First up, I've switched over to chemical exfoliants, over abrasive ones. I picked up the Pixi Glow Tonic last week. It's an exfoliating toner that is designed to 'even out skin tone for a brighter, clearer complexion'. I can't really give an in-depth review on this just yet as it's so new in my routine, but I'm trying to remember to use this when I wake up and before I go to bed to give my skin the chance to heal. I've heard so many amazing things about this product and how it's helped people with really troublesome skin so I just couldn't go without it any longer. At £18 I do find it quite pricey, especially for something you use more than once a day, but if it helps clear my skin up at all I'm definitely on board with it. The ginseng and aloe make it smell incredible, too. Lately, I've been harping on about how bad my skin is quite a bit and I bet you're all sick of it, but at 21 years old, I never expected to be dealing with such horrific acne. I've tried so many things - cutting out alcohol, cutting out milk, drinking gallons of water each day, switching up my skin care and I've had no luck with any of it so far. I've come to my wits end with my skin and went to the doctor to see if they could suggest a cause or give me anything to clear it up in a last attempt to sort it out. I'm really against medication, as I've had quite an ill mother my whole life and I don't like watching what medication can do to you, so my doctor prescribed me Differin 0.1% Cream. It's a cream that you put on of an evening, only where your acne is at it's worst. I use this on my chin, cheeks and forehead and I expected to get some good results after a few weeks of use after reading up on it online. So many reviews I had read after being prescribed it said how at first this cream had made their skin worst, but after sticking with it for a few weeks acne cleared up once and for all. I've had no such luck. It's quite a thick, white cream that doesn't absorb quickly and it's left my skin super dry and flaky around old blemishes. Unfortunately for me it just has not worked or improved my skin whatsoever, even after a month of using it, so it looks like another trip to the doctors is coming up. This was prescribed, so it cost £8.30, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's even worth getting anything else prescribed for me if it's not going to give me the results I want, as medication is getting so expensive. A thing I want to mention that isn't actually a skincare product is water. It's the only thing I'll drink - apart from a treat at work every once in a while or a cup of tea with almond milk in it - and I drink as much as I possibly can every day. I still start my day with hot water, lemon and honey whenever I can and I aim to drink a minimum of 2 litres of water every day just because I feel it's a good way to cleanse out the body and not add any unnecessary calories or sugars into my diet. I used to pick up flavoured waters from time to time, but I've cut those out, too, as the sugar levels are insane and they can't be good for your skin, teeth or tummy! I think all this water has helped my skin, I look and feel way more hydrated and that's what I need when I'm using a product like Differin. Because of the dry flaky skin I've been plagued with, I've been using the Estee Lauder Revitalising Supreme Creme that came in the huge EL kit I got gifted at Christmas. This moisturiser is so thick and creamy and nice on the skin and my skin literally drinks this up within seconds. It's such a luxurious product and having a little sample pot like this has been great for while I am really struggling with dry patches. Finally, I've been trying to draw as many imperfections I can out of my skin with the Quick Fix Facials Brightening Peel Mask. I picked this up when I was last home in TK Maxx, for around £3 and there's nothing I enjoy more than peeling this off my skin. I do want something a little harsher, like those pore strips you get for your nose in mask form, to draw absolutely everything out, occasionally, but this really helps give me a glow without being too harsh.

Those are the few things I've been using to try and get a good reaction and result when it comes to my acne and how they're performing at the minute. I know consistency is key when it comes to skincare and sorting out problematic skin so I am making a massive conscious effort to stick to a routine and hopefully it'll start working wonders soon. If it doesn't, I don't know what I'll do!

Em x

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