Cruelty Free Skincare Routine

I have been cruelty free for 4 years now and more recently I have been trying to reduce my plastic usage, especially in my day to day skincare routine. Products I would usually buy that are in plastic packaging I have invested time into looking for alternatives in glass or reusable containers. I keep my routine simple and natural trying to steer clear of harsh chemicals on my skin. I use a lot of Lush and always make sure to return my black pots for the store to reuse for future products to save throwing them away.

Morning 
1. I first splash my face with cold water when I wake up and then use the Aqua Marina cleanser from Lush on my face, an all natural cleanser with extracts of seaweed and calamine which helps to reduce excess oil build up meaning it is perfect for oily skin. I then wash this off with a warm face cloth or reusable cotton round.
2. I then follow this up with a facial oil and the one I am currently using is Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil that does not leave me feeling greasy but hydrated.

Nightime
1. If I have been wearing makeup that day I tend to remove it using plain old coconut oil that you can buy from regular supermarkets. I grab a bit and rub it on my face, then take a reusable cotton round to rub off the excess makeup.
2. I then go in with a gentle scrub, my favourite for years now has been the Ocean Salt by Lush. This again is great for oily skin, with sea salt, seaweed and avocado extracts helping to buff away the dead skin whilst still leaving your skin feeling nourished.
3. Sometimes (if I remember) I will do a face-mask, this is usually once or twice a week. I tend to go for a Lush one, like Cup O' Coffee mainly because I love the smell. But I also love how it leaves my skin feeling and looking rejuvenated.
4. I will finish up with some form of a night moisturiser to make sure my skin is kept hydrated overnight. I again tend to go for a more natural one that is not to harsh on my skin, and often find myself using the Sukin Moisture Restoring Night Cream that I can find in TKMaxx a lot of the time.

Vegan Skincare Routine

I never used to be that into skincare, I was more into my makeup. But as time has progressed I wear less makeup and spend more of my time looking at skincare in shops that I do eyeliners and mascaras. I think it is all about growing up and finding what you truly feel comfortable in and for me that is quite minimal makeup most of the time. Because I got more into skincare I have been doing more and more research on the products that are best suited to me and found the benefits of using more natural products opposed to cleansers filled with parabens and chemicals that are not great for the skin and have been linked to skin cancers. So,  after a lot of product switches I have finally fine-tuned my skincare routine to what works best for me, with all of the products containing mostly natural ingredients and of course being vegan and cruelty free.

Cleanser
The first step is cleansing and in the morning the cleanser I have been using for many months now is the Safa Cleansing Milk. It is a lovely gentle cleanser that I use every morning to wash away any residue that may have gathered over night. It doesn't dry out the skin as there are no harsh chemicals in it, I have found it one of the few cleansers I have tried that does not break me out either!

Scrub
In the night time I like to use a scrub and my scrub of choice is Lush's Ocean Salt, this may be no surprise to you if you read my Lush Vegan Favourites post. I adore this scrub with its natural ingredients packed full of benefits for your skin. The salt crystals exfoliate your skin leaving it feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. This is a definite top recommendation of mine.

Toner
After washing my face I use a toner, again no surprise here that the toner I use is Lush's Tea Tree Toning Water. This again is a lovely natural toner that refreshes the skin and helps to combat any spots you have with its antibacterial properties.

Moisturiser
I tend to switch between two moisturizers, the Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing and the Sukin Oil Balancing, Mattyifying one, which is a recent purchase. Both are made up of mostly natural ingredients without SLS, Parabens and other harsh chemicals. I prefer to go for a moisturizer targeted for my oily skin but these brands do offer other alternatives for different skin types.

Tea Tree
This is the only product I ever use to treat my spots. It's natural and simple which is the best approach to take when it comes to your skin. I also find it is very effective in reducing the redness on my skin, which is what tea tree is best suited for as it is a great anti inflammatory and anti bacterial, making it perfect for spot treatment.

Oil
Sometimes before I moisturise I use an oil and my favourite is the Rejuvenating Coconut Body Oil by ArgaNaturals. I do this about once to twice a week when I want my skin to have that extra little boost.

Mask
My favourite face mask to use is an old favourite of mine and one of the first Lush products I purchased. It's Lush's Cupcake, that is targeted towards problematic skin. I use this up to three times a week when I feel that my skin needs it and apply it after I have cleansed my skin.

Makeup Remover
To remove my makeup at the end of the day I use coconut oil or Superdrug's B Micellar Water. They both do a really great job, but if I am feeling lazy I will often just use the Micellar Water, as then I may skip my scrub and just go straight into my toner and moisturiser.

SPF
It is really important to protect your skin every day against harmful UV rays. This is my last step before putting on makeup and at the moment I use the Safa Organic Sun Lotion. This is good for protection and is affordable but it can sometimes be hard to rub into the skin without leaving little white balls but all in all it is a great sunscreen to go for.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my current skincare routine that works for me. I would love to do more vegan routines, such as my haircare bodycare, so keep a look out for those coming soon!

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5 Step Skincare | Oily/Combination

In the morning of school you already have to wake up at around 7 every morning. On top of that you don't want to be carrying out a 1000 step skincare routine. I keep my routine to around 5 steps that covers all of the basics I need.

1. Ultrabland Facial Cleanser

I actually use this cleanser from Lush to remove my makeup. It contains beeswax which is one of the best natural ways to remove your makeup, its completely natural so wont irritate your skin. I wet my face rub a small amount onto my face and wash of using a hot cloth.

2. Biore Cleansers

I switch up my cleansers depending on how my skin is. I rotate between the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal and Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleaner, both are targeted for oily/blemish prone skin.

3. Simple Toner

I follow up cleansing with my Simple Kind To Skin Facial Toner. It's a great cheap toner, that I just take around my face on a cotton pad. Toning helps to balance out the PH levels of your skin and close your pores.

4. Yes To Tomatoes Moisturizer

If you skin any step don't let it be this one. Moisturizing is one of the most important steps in your routine, it helps prevent aging and dry cracked skin. I use the Yes To Tomatoes Moisturizer, which is again is for oily/combination skin and I have noticed it prevent blemishes and doesn't leave an oily residue on already already oily skin.

5. Clinique Anti-Blemish Clearing Gel

Now to get those pesky spots that appear out of no where. I dab on some Clinique Anti-Blemish Clearing Solutions Clearing Gel onto my problem areas and it reduces the redness and size of the spot.

First Time For First Aid Beauty | Review

Each time I hear about First Aid Beauty I think to myself " I must try that out!" but never end up doing. Compared to America it is quite hard to get hold of in the UK, the easiest way probably being online. But whilst travelling to Greece, I saw it on in the plane magazine and knew I simply couldn't pass it up. I bought the Ultra Repair Cream for £8 on board the flight.

I have to admit I had quite high expectations for this little bottle of moisturizer, you gather up that sense of excitement of trying a new product everyone seems to love. The beauty of this product is that it isn't just targeted as a facial moisturizer and can be used all over your body too! It's quite a heavy duty moisturizer and would be perfect to use in the colder months on dry patches or if you overall have dry skin, which at the moment I don't. First Aid Beauty don't use any unnecessary chemicals in their products and aim their Ultra Repair range towards people with sensitive skin and this product didn't irritate my skin. As it is a thick moisturizer I feared that it would leave a greasy residue on my skin, but I was indeed impressed as it absorbed into my skin as soon as I began to rub it in, it left my skin feeling hydrated all day long to when I came to apply it again at night when my skin can usually start to feel tight with any other moisturizer.

One thing I will say though is that I did notice my skin seemed to break out more whilst I was using it, it may have been the moisturizer or that my skin was going through a rough patch. Overall however I think this is an amazing product that would work wonders on dry skin and in the Winter months which you should get your hands on. 

A Natural Detox

For the past 2 Weeks I have been on a detox journey by Byron Body. It's a herbal leaf tea that it's proven to help improve your skin and can help speed up weightloss, but it was for the skin benefits I gave it a try. I had recently seen a lot of people including celebrities trying out these tea detox's which is why I became interested in the first place.

After Week 1

Whilst brewing my first pot of the tea, the thing that came to my mind was the strong herbal scent that was coming out from the packet. I placed one and a half teaspoons of the loose leaf tea into the diffuser provided and let the tea stew for 5 minutes depending on how strong you like it, it may be longer. The taste is definitely fruity yet quite spicy, it's a really warming drink. After a few days of drinking it I noticed my skin had improved quite a bit. It seemed more glowy and healthy looking and my breakouts had reduced.

After Week 2

Beginning my second week into the detox I was already feeling healthier even though I had been slaking on working out recently (oops) I felt a lot fresher and not as bloated as I felt previous after eating. I naturally do eat quite healthy anyway but in the Summer I find myself reaching for more unhealthy snacks, but I found that this tea reduced my cravings for all the bad stuff. I was really impressed with the results this detox gave me at the end I felt a look healthier and happier in myself, my skin was looking a lot better and I had almost no breakouts. 

For anyone who is considering starting one of these detox's should do, you will end up feeling a lot better with yourself and if you suffer from bloating I would highly recommend this for you! The tea I tried is from Byron Body, which is an amazing brand and the tea not only does good but tastes amazing too! To purchase your own tea-tox or for more information on Byron Body click here.

Coffee Bean Scrub | First Impressions

I have never heard of such things as coffee scrubs until I saw them blowing up my Instagram feed. After that I knew the time would come where I would have to try one. The first on my list that I have tried is the Mr Bean Body Coffee Bean Scrub*.

This scrub is 100% natural and has lots of added benefits for your skin. It helps with rough skin, dry skin, acne, and stretch marks. Because of the natural ingredients, you are not adding chemicals onto your skin that can dry out, irritate and clog up your skin, instead it will enhance your natural skin and nourish it with the skin loving nutrients. Along with all of that Mr Bean Body uses Fair trade ingredients to produce their scrub.

The first thing you notice about the scrub is the smell, it's a strong coffee scent with a touch of sea salt which I actually enjoy. However of your not a coffee lover then you may not. If you can get past the smell I would highly recommend this scrub to you. After just one use my skin felt rejuvenated and smooth. I suffer from acne on my arms and using the Mr Bean Body scrub in the shower honestly seemed to help smooth and reduce the redness on my arms. I can truly say that the acne on my arms has reduced dramatically. I use the scrub all over my body and it has the same effect as it does on my arms. My whole body feels much smoother, I find that after using it my moisturizer sank into my skin much better and things such as tanning lotions went on a lot smoother without streaking at all.  

If you have not yet had the chance to try out a coffee scrub then I suggest you make it to the top of your list, it has changed my skin for the better and I am sure I will be repurchasing the Mr Bean Body Scrub again. To get your hands on the Mr Bean Body Coffee Scrub, then click here. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you learn't more about the added benefits to coffee scrubs. Thank you for reading.

Sudocrem With Added Benefits | Review

Sudocrem is an overlooked product and is used mainly by mothers for their babies, however there are many more uses for it that honestly save my skin. Although by itself Sudocrem is great, it is even better when mixed with lavender and chamomile oil, which contains lots of natural added benefits, which will help nurture you skin and prevent such things such as scarring.

As it's targeted Sudocrem is great for rashes and eczema. I myself suffer from eczema and when it flares up I use Sudocrem with the lavender oil and it soothes the rash. After continual use for a week or two my eczema has almost completely gone. So if you suffer from eczema or mild rashes this would work for you.

Another way to use Sudocrem is surprisingly for spots. Because it has the added benefit of the lavender oil, it works really well at reducing redness and reducing the spots size. It has a really soothing feeling on your skin and I immediately notice a difference in the redness after a nights use.

I also find Sudocrem to help with scarring. I don't know if this will work for everyone but I find it to work. I apply it directly to the scarred area and it reduces the size of scarring after 1-2 weeks use. It lightens the area you have been applying it to and after constant use will help to fade the scar.

Of course Sudocrem is great for using on cuts and grazes. The added lavender oil will help reduce scarring and also help fasten the healing process.

I find that with the added lavender oil Sudocrem works wonders, although on its own is still an amazing product. You could also change it up and add tee tree oil to it for it to help more towards spots.

So as you can see Sudocrem doesn't just have to be for babies, but also has many added benefits for teenagers and adults too. I would recommend you to try out Sudocrem if you suffer from scarring, eczema or spots. I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you for reading.

Skincare | New In

From time to time I like to pick up new skincare items, as I find my skin almost gets immune to the products if I use them to often. On a recent trip to Boots I picked up two new cleaners including and old favourite and a new moisturiser.

- Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser £3.33

- Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser £3.33

- Yes To Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturiser £7.99

The two cleaners I got from Biore were on offer for half price so I couldn't pass them up really. I got an old one of my favourites and a new one, which I was intrigued by. It's a charcoal cleanser and I have heard great reviews on other charcoal cleansers from other bloggers, so I thought I would pick it up; it's supposed to help greatly with oily, blemish prone skin. The moisturiser I picked up is a completely new brand that has only recently come to the UK, I had previously heard of this brand of American bloggers and YouTubers and have always wanted to try it myself. It's a totally natural skincare line so has lots of added benefits for your skin. When I saw it in Boots I knew I had to pick it up, so I picked the line best suited for me as they have a range of different lines for different skin types. I picked the Yes To Tomatoes line as it is targeted at people with combination skin which is my skin type. I wanted to try a new moisturiser as I have stuck to my old trustworthy simple one for years, so I though it was time for change.

Those are my recent skincare purchases from Boots, I will be doing more of these posts in the near future so keep your eyes out. I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you for reading.

Shine Be Gone

I myself suffer from quite oily skin and like most others struggle with controlling the shine that will build up on my face throughout the day. I know many teenagers like myself struggle with oily skin and it's a part of growing up, but there are ways to keep it under control!

Use a mattifying primer:
When you have oily skin your makeup can tend to 'melt' off by the end of the day, so to keep it in place using any type of primer would help your foundation/concealer lasting power. However to further help the look of your skin try using a primer that mattifies your skin, such as the 'Baby Skin Primer' that will lock in any excess oils and erase pores.

Powder:
Of course an important step to keeping your face shine free is to powder! Try using a translucent powder so it won't look cakey over your base the one I use is 'Rimmel Stay Matte', this is a great drugstore powder that has many great reviews. It is great at reducing shine. When applying it use a denser brush like the 'Real Techniques Buffing Brush' this will really pack the powder onto your skin leaving a less powdered look and you'll find it will keep you matte for longer.

Blot:
A step people often don't think of is to blot your face using blotting sheets. Most of the time I don't have my powder with me, so I just carry around these 'Kleenex Blotting Sheets' unlike other blotting sheets they don't contain powder, they just absorb up all the excess oils that have gathered on your skin. I like to use these after PE and whenever my face feels oils, but also right before I powder to make sure all the oils are off my face It keeps my powder on for longer and makes my face feel fresher.

I hope this helps everyone who suffers from oily skin. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

Spot Dilemma

Hello everyone. We all suffer from spots and we all get paranoid over them. When one appears on our face we immediately reach for the concealer to hide it. It seems for it to take forever to get rid of it even then we're left with red hyperpigmentation in it's place.

As a teenage girl, I know what it's like to get spots and I envy the people who don't get them at all. I wouldn't say I have acne but I do suffer from a few spots on my forehead and chin area. But that's to be expected for me. Today I am going to show you ways of which to speed up the process of saying good riddance and aiming to prevent hyperpigmentation and scaring.

Unclogged Pores:

In my skincare routine I talk about lots of tips to keep your pores unclogged and fresh. That is one of the main ways to help prevent spots. Try not to cake your face in makeup or use silicone bases as these have the tendency to block your pore resulting in spots. If you do were face makeup, then make sure you remove it properly. Use wipes or a makeup remover and then cleanse your face afterwards to ensure your skin is declogged and clean. 

Specifically for Acne: 

In order to help prevent breakouts, I use cleansers that are specifically for acne prone skin. They usually contain salicylic acid, which helps prevent and calm active breakouts. I also find them to clean my skin better than normal cleansers on the basis they are supposed to deep clean your pores and get out all the dirt.I use the Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser in the morning, and the Neutrogena Spot Stress Control scrub at night; it's a really gentle scrub that's great for daily usage.

Mask it:

To help declog your pores also I recommend using a mask. This will help to deep clean your pores. I use the Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed Mask, which I posted about here. I use these once a week to pamper my skin. However using a mask to often can dry out and irritate your skin creating more spots.

Treat it:

I know when I have spots on my face, I just want them to be gone tomorrow. But spots don't go in just one day. So you need to put a treatment on it that will dry it out, reduce the redness and shrink it. The ones I have here are the Clinque Anti Blemish Solutions Gel and the Dr Spot by Soap and Glory, which I have reviewed here. The higher end Clinque one gives me better and faster results and I have noticed difference within two days. A great natural treatment is Tea Tree oil, it contains natural benefits and no added chemicals for your skin, which is why it is so good. It draws out all of the bacteria from your skin and will help to reduce the redness also.

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Most people tell you not to pick spots, and this may sound disgusting but it can sometimes help. You should wait until it goes yellow (ew) I then get boiling water from the kettle (not too hot) Drip in some tee tree oil, and then soak in a cotton pad. You next hold it on the spot for a few seconds. Sometimes the hot water will draw the spot out and cause it to pop, if this doesn't happen go ahead and pop it gently and hold the cotton pad on the spot until it stops bleeding. This won't scar you face in the long run. 

Thank you for reading and I hope these tips come in handy for you, as I know how much it sucks having spots! But remember people won't care about yours they'll probably be too worried about theirs.

Skincare Routine & Tips

Hello everyone and today's post is going to be my everyday skincare routine. In the winter my skin goes from bad to worse. It breaks out a lot more frequently and I begin to get dry patches by the sides of my nose, but my t-zone stays very oily, which is no fun. I think right now I have found the right routine that has been working to improve my skin.

I firstly like I cleanse with either the Neutrogena Spot Stress Control Daily Scrub or the Simple Foaming Cleanser. Both cleansers really help to clear all the impurities and declog your pores, I tend to go for a scrub when my skin feels tight, and the foaming soap daily.

Sometimes I will follow up with a face mask, I usually do this weekly. What I have been using lately is the Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed Face Mask, which I have reviewed here. It's a really great face mask for once a week use and really deep cleans my skin and leaves it feeling fresh. I recommend using a face mask only once a week as they can tend to be drying if you over use them on your skin.

I then move onto toner, which to me is a important step which I never miss out. Toning is important as when you cleanse your face you open up your pores and unbalance the PH levels on your skin. But when you tone after it helps close your pores and re-balance the PH, meaning you are less likely to get spots. The toner I use is the Simple Soothing Toner, I take it on a cotton round and gently wipe it over my face.

Whilst that has dried, I moisturize and this is a key step in winter as your skin can get really dry and irritated. I moisturize with the Simple Light Moisturizer, which is great for all year round. I massage this into my skin and take it down onto my neck area.

I then follow up this step with a stop treatment. One I have been loving recently is the Soap and Glory's Dr Spot Treatment Gel, which I have reviewed here. I dab this on any problem area's I have and then leave it sink in. But I will also use good old natural tee tree oil, which is a great alternative spot treatment and works just as well.

Next onto the eye's. It's important to keep your under eyes hydrated as this can prevent pre-aging and dark circles. Recently I have been using the Clinique Moisture Surge Thirst Relief, I know this isn't an eye cream but I think it works great as it is super hydrating and smooth under your eyes. I pat that under my eyes using my ring finger, which is your most gentle finger, until it has sunk in.

That is all for my everyday skincare routine, I hope you enjoyed this post. This is just what I do on a daily basis, I am in no means a expert in skincare. Thank you for reading and be sure to check back for my next post.

Review - Soap & Glory Skincare

Hello everyone, today i'm going to review soap and glory's new skincare line. I have recently seen the new skincare range in Boots and decided to pick then up and share my opinions on them with you guys.

The first product I picked up was the Dr Spot breakout clearing gel. It says it is clog clearing and fights spots immediately after application. I have to say I 100% agree with this. It might not immediately clear up my breakouts as the packaging says, but since using it I have really noticed a great difference in my skin and I have only been using it a week! Any product that you notice a difference within a week is worth it. I picked this up because I was having quite bad breakouts and bought this praying it would work. I'm so glad I bought this and it has cleared up my skin considerably. It contains salicylic acid and ginger which helps dry out your spots and clear up any scarring. You apply it directly onto your skin, and you can feel a tingling sensation on your face which tells you that it's working. Although I found that you really need to use a good moisturizer underneath it, as it can dry out your skin because of the salycylic acid.

The next product I picked up was the no clogs allowed self heating detox mask. I picked this up again because I was looking for something to clear up my skin and I was intrigued as it says it is a self heating mask. This paired with the gel are perfect. A self heating mask means that as you rub it onto your skin it heats up. The first time I used it, it felt really weird. However it is also really soothing. It is really great for your skin and unclogs your pores and your skin is left feeling super soft. After five minutes of leaving it on your skin you rinse it off using a flannel or splashing your face with water, and your skin feels so fresh and clear. This also contains salyclic acid which again helps clear up breakouts and soothe them.

Both of these products I highly recommend, and I can now say they have changed my skin. Thank you for reading and let me know if you have any more recommendations for spot prone skin.