My Skincare Routine and Photography Page

Hello!

Today's post is a pretty standard beauty blogger's post - most of the blogs I read have done this at least once, so here I am, jumping on the bandwagon. I will make a confession here - I am terrrrrrrrrrrrible at doing this everyday, let alone twice a day! I make sure to moisturise my face at least once a day, but the rest sometimes gets "forgotten". I really am trying though... I think...

So let's start with exfoliating. I use St Ives Apricot Scrub, which I've been using since my early teens and it's just always impressed me so I've never really tried anything else. I like quite a scrubby scrub, if you know what I mean. Harsh enough to make it feel like it's really getting into my pores and eliminating any dryness and flakiness which is something I unfortunately suffer from. I either use it in the shower, just applying it with my fingers, or I use the Olay Professional Pro-X Cleansing System (without the Olay scrub) which is similar to the Clarisonic, but MUCH less expensive. I tend to use it with the Pro-X if I'm not in the shower, simply because it's battery powered and I don't want to put it under running water.... obviously, haha.

Then I use Diadermine Cleanser which is a relatively new product in my routine. I first bought it when I visited France last August (post here) and really love it. It's perfect for softening my skin and I feel very clean afterwards. It's very creamy without feeling greasy.

I also use any variety of cleansing face wipes that are suitable for sensitive skin - these from Tesco are what I'm currently using, though I'm not really too fussy. These are generally for removing for my make-up or in the summer for a freshen up.

Following that I use Diadermine moisturiser which was also purchased in France, although I've recently discovered I can buy it on Amazon which I'm really pleased about - saves a trip, haha. This is a great cream I've been using on and off for about 7 years. It's really thick but not oily in the slightest and sinks very nicely into my poor dry face, especially when it's cold like this!

Because I'm very fair, redness tends to show up quite visibly on my face, particularly my cheeks, so I dab a little of this No7 calming balm. It's ok, but to be honest, I think it's my make-up that's the real saviour here. I'll use it until it's all gone though.

Then I use a Garnier caffeine roll on to try and calm dark circles, which also isn't something I'll re-purchase.

Final step before make-up is Benefit POREfessional which erases visible pores. I absolutely LOVE this product! It works wonders. I tend to use it on my cheeks and chin as that's where my pores are most visible after previously having acne (post here).

So that's my full routine, although like I said, I need to get better at doing it more often. Also, you've probably noticed that I don't use a toner. That's simply because I don't like them, I think they're very harsh to the skin as they often contain alcohol which in turn makes them very drying - not ideal for someone with already very dry skin. If I was ever to purchase something similar, it would be a tonic like the one that's part of the Liz Earle range.

On a completely unrelated note, I'd like to share with you my photography page on Facebook. I'll hopefully be starting a BTEC in photography this coming Autumn and the page is in preparation for that, to see if people would be interested in my work should I pursue it professionally so I'd appreciate any likes from you lovely people.

IOTD - Kate Hudson. She has THE most beautiful complexion!

SOTD - Happy by Pharrell Williams. Try and listen to this song without feeling like you want to dance. I dare you...

My Accutane Experience

Hey guys!

Hope you're having a lovely day.

This post is going to be about acne and my experience taking the drug Isotretinoin/Accutane. I didn't think I'd ever show anybody these photos, but I'm sucking it up and putting it out there because it might be helpful to other people in a similar situation. I found the information and other peoples stories on the internet invaluable, so I'll add to it and hopefully give some people some tips. If not, well, lucky you lot, you've seen my glorious spotty face!

Up until I was about 16 I had a pretty much clear complexion. I kind of thought I'd get away with not suffering from acne, but alas, the zits found me and I got it pretty bad. I tried every drugstore skincare product you can think of (Witch, Clearasil, Clean and Clear, Nutrogena...the list goes on) so then moved onto over the counter products, which I still had no luck with. I visited my GP and tried all sorts of topical treatments which still didn't work. I also went on the pill to try and control it (amongst other reasons) - another method that didn't work for me. Some of the topical drugs I tried were so strong they made my already sensitive skin so sore - I remember crying one night because I was in so much pain!

My bad skin affected my confidence quite a lot, I remember going through a phase where I'd always wear scarves and cover my chin with them, which in turn made my skin worse. I caked on the make-up and tried to hide it as best I could for 3 years. In the end, I decided to take matters into my own hands and got a private referral to a dermatologist at a Nuffield hospital. He told me that my acne was moderate and chronic and that it wouldn't respond to topical treatments, hence my skin not improving. So he prescribed me Isotretinoin and promised me clear skin.

I don't know much about the technicalities of this drug (although you can find these online or if you visit a derm) but in basic terms, it stops oil production in order to dry up the acne. This does mean that your scalp gets dry (I could get away with washing my hair once a week, which was great!) but so do your lips and hands. There are other side effects of the drug that are more serious such as birth defects in pregnant women (you are strictly forbidden to get pregnant whilst on accutane), depression and liver damage (you have to limit your alcohol intake whilst on this drug and some hospitals take blood tests monthly). I must make it clear that these side effects are uncommon and I did NOT experience any of these other than dryness. It's not a nice drug, it's seriously strong but IT WORKS!

Here are a few photos of my face before and during the treatment:

I took the tablets for 6 months (April to October) and my skin continued to improve until about December. I was a 60mg prescription which is quite low, but as I said, my condition was moderate, not severe.

This is my make-up free face now (minus eye make-up):

See? Completely transformed!

Whilst you take the drug you should eat healthily, get regular exercise and plenty of fresh air, along with drinking lots of water. 

You should adopt a gentle but regular skin care routine during and after taking the medication. I used Cetaphil cleanser and moisturiser during and I use Simple cleanser and moisturiser now. I avoided exfoliators whilst I was on the drug in order to eliminate any extra soreness and I never use toner as I think they can be quite harsh on the skin.

I highly recommend using Aquaphor on your lips and any really dry patches of skin. It's truly amazing stuff - thicker than vaseline but a similar consistency - I still use it now, nearly every day.

Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments as I'm happy to try and answer them.

I'm really pleased I took this route for my skin. Although it was pretty unpleasant, my skin is completely clear now which is brilliant.

Thanks for reading!

SOTD: Shake it out - Florence and the Machine

COTD: Claire Richards