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So Beauty Stuff: An Easy Skincare Routine

25 May, 2016 - 09:27pm by - First Lady | 18 Comments

An Easy Skincare Routine

by Sarah Oswald of sobeautystuff.com

If you are reading this, then you are probably a keen makeup fan. One of the most neglected steps for make-up wearers is looking after your skin before and after application. It's really important to prep your skin for a full day of wearing makeup and also to make sure that you are really thoroughly cleaning all the makeup from your skin at the end of the day. 

Going to sleep without washing all of your makeup off means it has all night to sit in your pores and stop your skin from breathing properly. The most obvious side affect of this is break outs; as a teen I was happy removing my make up with a baby wipe, I didn't suffer from bad skin or spots, so I did not see the point in spending the time or money on changing up my skin care routine. However, sleeping in makeup can also cause dull skin, dry skin, chapped lips, eye infections and more.

Spending 10 minutes in the bathroom before bed to really take care of your face is totally worth it to have healthy clean skin. But where to start? It can be quite daunting and confusing with all the products available out there; is it a gimmick or does it actually work? Do you need it or is it an unnecessary luxury? 

Obviously everyone has different skin and different needs, but as a general rule, you don't have to spend loads of money to take good care of your skin; here I am going to talk you through an affordable skin care routine that you can realistically maintain daily.

Makeup Removal

First step makeup removal is easily achievable with makeup wipes or micellar water and cotton pads; I prefer the latter because they are more gentle on my eyes. [Pictured: Essano Rosehip Micellar Water & L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water] These bottles are usually around the $10-15 mark and last ages.  Check out Cassandra Myee's post on Micellar Water for more information.

For the second step of makeup removal I go back in with a cleanser and a sponge. Which cleanser you use is personal preference, I like Nivea, because its gentle on eyes and costs around $10 [Pictured: Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Lotion]. 

I recommend using some kind of Konjac sponge, rather than your hands, the texture of the sponge will pick up a lot more debris and soak it in, rather that spreading it around your face. You can pick up these kinds of sponges at a lot of pharmacies; I personally use the Facial Sponge from The Body Shop [$6.25]. I love this sponge because it's got such a large surface area, and it's white so I can really see all the makeup that was still on my skin when I thought it was clean (!).

Cleansing

Once the makeup is completely removed from my skin, it's time to give my skin a good clean. There are lot's of great tools out there, such as the Clarisonic, that do a great job, but at $180 it's not something everyone is going to be able to invest in. I use The Body Shop Facial Brush, I guess the difference is similar to a regular toothbrush vs an electric toothbrush, so it probably won't do as good a job, but this facial brush only costs $6.25! 

Your choice of face wash should depend on your skin type, but on average will cost about $10-15 and last you a couple of months [Pictured: Witch Oil Control Foaming Face Wash]. I will apply my face wash, then lather it up with the brush and really get into any problem areas (for me around the corners of my nose and my chin) and gently exfoliate my lips. 

When I first started using this brush, I had a 'mini break out' and I was a bit worried, but I have had no problems since. The internet tells me my skin was 'purging' because this had cleared all my dead skin cells... so do keep an eye on your skin when using anything new, and if after a week it's getting worse instead of better, stop using it!

The bristles on this brush can feel quite harsh on the skin if you are not used to it, so my advice would be to be very gentle, don't push to hard. If you have very sensitive skin or acne, you may need to use a gentle exfoliator instead, or use this brush once or twice a week instead of daily. 

Finally it's important to keep the brush clean; about once a week or so I fill the protective cap with isopropyl alcohol and sit the brush in it to disinfect the bristles.

Moisturising

The skin on your face is delicate, and it has been made wet, been wiped and exfoliated, which is great for getting rid of the bad stuff, but you can also clear away some of the good stuff that the skin produces to look after itself. So you need to make sure you replenish the skin with a good moisturiser. I don't really have a preference, I like to shop around, but I try to stick with reliable brands that I know won't have nasty ingredients that will clog my skin. The price range is usually $15-20 for a tub that will last up to 4 months [Pictured: Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Night Cream, Nivea Essentials Rich Generating Night Cream & Essano Rosehip Night Cream]. 

Generally the main difference between day cream and night cream is SPF, because you don't need that during the night! Also the formulas are usually different as well; night creams tend to be a little more oily because they aren't designed to have make up on top of them, and this does mean that it will really soak into your skin while you sleep. However if you are on a budget, go for a day cream as this will do the job at night time as well.


I personally would only recommend investing in an eye cream if you know it works for you. I got a sample of Benefit's It's Potent eye cream a few years ago, and noticed a difference within a week; my under eyes were much brighter and my dark circles had faded. However at $64 it's not the cheapest eye cream and I have read mixed reviews, so I would recommend getting a sample before splashing out.

Lips

Let's not forget our lips; night time is a great time to let lips replenish. I like to apply something a little more intense then what I would use during the day, the Blistex pots cost around $7 but last me up to 6 months [Pictured: Blistex Lip Conditioner & Plunketts Vita E Pure Vitamin E Oil].

Morning Skincare

Your skin has spent all night soaking in all the good stuff from the night before, but you still want to make sure you wash away any excess oil and dirt that has been pushed into your skin from your pillow (yuk but true!). I tend to use a gentle exfoliator in the shower; I change up which exfoliator I use quite often, and I would usually stick to the $10-12 price range [Pictured: Nivea Daily Essentials Gentle Exfoliating Scrub]. You could also use the same face wash you used the night before.

I like to try out different day creams, I love the Benefit Facial Emulsion (it came in a set with my eye cream) but I find I get the same effect with my Nivea day cream which costs $17, my main must have for my day cream is that it has SPF to protect me from the sun. [Pictured: Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Day Cream & Essano Rosehip Regenerating Facial Moisturiser].

In the mornings I use the same eye cream and I will always put some kind of balm on my lips, usually something less oily, depending which lipstick I intend to wear.

It's important to be gentle when applying face creams, my tip is to rub it between your fingers to warm it, then press it into your skin, then gently smooth in any excess. Try not to rub or pull the skin, particularly in the eye area.

My night time routine takes me approximately 10 minutes, and my morning routine, only 5 minutes. Here is a short demonstration showing just how easy it is to maintain:

Thank you so much to our guest blogger, Sarah.  Check out her blog, sobeautystuff, her Instagram and her YouTube.

Would you like to feature as a guest blogger, (and expose your blog to tens of thousands of thousands of Beauty Lovers) right here on NZ's largest beauty website?  Simply drop us an email linking us to your blog and we'll be in touch :) 

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Comments

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4th June, 2016

I agree, removing makeup at night is so important!

1st June, 2016

Great tips and good pics to show step by step I have established a good regime and I do love the night cream by Palmers

1st June, 2016

Even though I religiously take off my makeup, you've brought to my attention that I could prob spend more time thinking of the products I'm using and how Im using them. I really enjoyed reading this and you video is super cute too.

29th May, 2016

THis routine is similar to mine, except I don't have the face brush (will go get one now lol). I love simple routines as I know I will stick to it. I really want to try the benefit eye cream too.

28th May, 2016

Great article. I'm a skincare junkie, good to know I'm not alone! Love the showcase of more affordable products too.

27th May, 2016

This is a helpful and informative read, I love the variety of options given with the brands and budget! I'm a fan of the Konjac sponge but I am definitely going to look into The Body Shop facial brush (had no idea) - it'll be great for travel especially if it comes with a protective cap.

27th May, 2016

Great article Sarah. Well done, a good read :)

26th May, 2016

Great article, I love my nightly skincare routine it's part of my unwind time. Although it does take ages it's totally worth it.

26th May, 2016

Good starter routine.

26th May, 2016

I must confess I'm a bit slap dash with skincare. Good on you for taking the time to do it.

26th May, 2016

What's the essano micellar like? I don't think I'd follow your routine to the tee or at all - I know for a fact my skin would hate using a brush like that, especially every day. But you do have some handy tips :-) And I love the benefit packaging!! it's so cuuuuuuute

26th May, 2016

Thank-you for sharing your skincare routine Sarah. I have learnt something new with the make-up removal stages. Well written article I look forward to reading more from you in the future.

26th May, 2016

Quite simple really. Thanks for sharing. I am a fan of double cleanses and I also double layer my moisture. I don't exfoliate anywhere near as often as you do, but that's only because my skin reacts badly to too much. When I do though it's with either a brush or Konjac sponge.

26th May, 2016

Some really good tips here.

26th May, 2016

Skin care is so very important, thanks for your article. I have recently moved to what i call a double cleanse at night - although it looks like you triple cleanse wow! I exfoliate once a week. I was lucky to be taught in my teenage years to always remove makeup and always moisturise. now as the years have gone on, I apply eyecream, use a lip scrub a few times a week and at night I either apply a serum or a light moisturiser.

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

Double cleansing is great, I could probably get away with doing less if I didn't wear a full face of makeup every day. If I have a makeup free day then I would probably go with my Nivea cleanser on it's own.

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

Thank you

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

Yes it's definitely a routine that needs to be adapted to what is right for your skin :)

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

Thank you for your comment it means a lot :)

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

Personally I can't tell the difference between the Essano one and the Garnier one, but this one is often cheaper at Countdown. I love Rosehip oil, but It must be so diluted, I'm not sure it has any effect on my skin from this product.

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

With the amount of makeup I put on everyday I have to be vigilant hehe.

SoBeautyStuff
26th May, 2016

Thank you :)

SoBeautyStuff
28th May, 2016

Thank you Bex. I totally agree, it's so worth it!

SoBeautyStuff
28th May, 2016

Thank you so much :)

SoBeautyStuff
28th May, 2016

I'd always considered The Body Shop quite pricey, but they have quite a few handy bits I'd not seen anywhere else at an affordable price!