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Vegan. Ex-makeup artist. CFS/ME sufferer. Cares about human rights, equality, animal rights, conservation/climate change.

Chitika

Friday 25 March 2011

Moisturiser - my favourites and an epic fail!

Moisturising - probably the most important thing you can do to look after your skin. I can always tell when somebody I'm working on doesn't moisturise - the skin will be rough and tight, with fine lines caused by dryness and occasionally, the skin will be oily (skin can produce excess oil to try to make up for a lack of moisture). A good moisturiser will feel like it injects life and plumpness into your skin! But that's the problem - finding a good moisturiser is often an expensive process of trial and error.

The key is to buy moisturiser according to your skin type. If your skin is more oily, you need a lighter, water based lotion. If your skin is drier, you need a heavier oil based cream. If you have normal skin, you need something in between, the best of both worlds. Ideally, see if you can take a sample to see how it works with your skin. For daytime, your moisturiser should contain an SPF (this is vital from springtime to autumn).

If you are over 25, I recommend using a moisturiser with anti-aging properties. Prevention is really better than cure - what's the point of waiting til you look like a wrinkly raisin to use anti aging products? By that point it's too late - signs of aging can be slowed, but not reversed (without surgery/expensive procedures).

My skin is ridiculously dry. If I don't moisturise within 1 minute of cleansing, my skin becomes a tight, flaky desert. (If you look closely, you can see tumbleweed). Here are some of my favourites -





Lush- Skin Drink. For so long this has been the only thing that worked on my skin - it's super nourishing. It's pretty heavy duty, so only use it if your skin is seriously dry. Alternatively, you can use it on dry patches, or put on a thick layer, and leave it for 15 minutes as a mask, before wiping it off with a hot flannel. Be prepared for the smell though - it smells musty and natural. I personally like when a product smells of it's ingredients rather than that godawful artificial granny perfume smell that so many cosmetics have. Some people arent keen on the smell - but it's not too strong and doesn't linger after application so it shouldn't be a problem. £10.95



Lush Imperialis - This is a great all-round moisturiser for combination or normal skin. I used to use this back in the day when my skin was oilier from hormones, and it's lovely. It smells a bit lavendery and herby, and your skin feels soft and fresh after use. This is a favourite of mine to use on clients and models before make-up, as it absorbs quite quickly. £11.45

 
Origins A Perfect world SPF 25 - A good daytime moisturiser with added anti aging ingredients. Not as moisturising as my beloved Skin Drink, but leaves skin very soft and is an excellent base for make-up. Suitable for combination to dry skin. £31


Tip for oily skin! If you want to use a non-greasy moisturiser, but also want to nourish your skin with anti-aging preperties and the like, try using a serum. They are designed to use under moisturiser, but you can skip the moisturiser and still get all the anti aging action without being greasy!

Now for the bad -




Faith in Nature Intensive moisturising cream. This cream is now sitting on my bedroom floor in disgrace after leaving my skin covered in a thick, sticky film that wouldn't sink in. It does nothing towards alleviating dryness, despite the word 'intensive' on the bottle. Awful under make-up, pills leaving little balls of solid moisturiser on your face - not the look I was going for! I tried it out for a few days before I finally couldn't take it anymore and I switched to something else.
I really wanted to like products from this range, it's all vegan and contains natural organic ingredients, but after the stinging face wipes, the 'meh' conditioner and now this, I don't think I'll be trying any more of their products. £6.39

Bonus awesome product -





Holland and Barrett Vitamin E oil- Pure 100% vitamin e oil - this is a lifesaver, especially for dry, aging, sore or scarred skin. Vitamin e oil is a powerful antioxidant and helps the skin to heal and repair itself. I like to mix it with a lighter moisturiser at night time, use neat on damp skin, or use topically on dry spots and the fine lines under the eyes. It's also great for when you have a cut or a scrape - it makes it heal in no time. The above bottle is 70,000 I,U for £7.59, for external use only. (I have no idea what I,U means, but it shows how concentrated the vitamin e is. Therefore higher = better.) I get the 30,000 I,U one for £6.19- it is often on sale for cheaper, has a lemon scent (due to lemon oil) and can be taken internally too. I like to put some on my skin and take some in my drink, so that my skin is being looked after inside and out!




Emma
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