Current Evening Skincare Routine for Oily & Blemish Prone Skin

If you have been reading my blog for a bit now you might have a teeny tiny inkling about how passionate I am about skincare. Lotions, potions, serums, oils, creams, toners, acids, mists and peels - you name it, I have definitely tried it at some point. But if there were one part of the whole skincare shindig that I wholeheartedly endorse, would sponsor the process if it were remotely possible, and would profess my love to, would be hands down a proper evening skincare routine. I can't be the only that seriously loves going through the process of a nightly skincare routine, right? Surely? Come on guys...
 
There is just something that I find so therapeutic and methodical about following my nightly skincare ritual every evening ( and before you ask, yes I sometimes can get lazy too, but never lazy enough to not remove my make-up... gross), it is my way of winding down for the day. However, it hasn't always been this way for me. As someone who suffered from really horrible acne as a teenager I always had a love hate relationship with my skin and consequently skincare, especially when products time and time again failed to improve my skin (you can read all about my skin story here)

Like I previously mentioned in my morning skincare routine, my skin is very oily but can also be a bit dehydrated at the same time, can get quite congested and is prone to the odd breakout or three (fun fun fun!) I thought it were about time I shared my current evening skincare routine with you.



My evening skincare routine is the time where I have a bit more of a play with my products and I usually like to mix it every few months or so. I even change my cleansers and toners every other day or so just to get that extra dose of skincare goodness in.

For me my evening routine is all about adding hydration and nourishment back to my skin where as my morning routine is about keeping my skin oil and shine free (for as long as possible) and in check for most of the day. So in reverse before I hit the hay I am usually as shiny as a light bulb (ha). Again, all the products I am about to mention are products that have worked for my skin, and what works well for my skin will not always work well for others even if your skin type is similar to mine. So please use this as a guide and if you have serious anxieties about your skin as it is always best to see a healthcare professional or expert.

But anyway, let's get crackalackin' (because this will be a long one... soznotzoz)


Cleanse

Like all good little boys and girls should, I double cleanse my skin every night. Yes, every single night (sometimes even a triple cleanse if I am feeling extra fancyyyy) and if you don't (and I don't want to come across as sassy and rude ... kinda) please reevaluate your decisions (pretty please?) If you wear primers, make-up, sunscreen, have been out and about all day, or whatever else you expose your face to, you need to at least double cleanse your skin - I seriously cannot stress this enough. One cleanse will not be enough to remove all the grime and pollutants from your skin and might even be the cause of breakouts if you are prone to them. Double cleanse everyone, double cleanse! And no make-up wipes are not counted (please god NO, desperate times only).

With that off my chest (*whewww* can you tell that's a touchy subject...), for my first cleanse I will usually use Bioderma Micellar water or Clinique Take the Day of Cleansing Balm. You can read all about my thoughts on them in my post about my 3 Favourite Make-Up removers here. With all my make-up removed I now move on to my second cleanse. Five out of seven days I will use my Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel (thanks Lily and Anna). This is such a fantastic cleanser and if I am being honest I was quite skeptical at first if it would work for my skin type, especially considering the massive hype that surrounds this cleanser. It is a coral pink gel that has a bit of a herbaly kinda smell and when massaged into the skin it transforms into an oil. I at first wasn't fond of it as an oil but now I really love it. This really deeply cleanses the skin leaving it feeling clean but not stripped of moisture. I actually find that this cleanser helps keep my skin spot free and refined, so I would say this definitely lives up to the hype.

Twice a week instead of using the Oskia cleanser I use the Skinstitut Glycolic Scrub 14%. I started using this scrub when I first started seeing my dermatologist 4 years ago and I have to say this is one of the products that seriously transformed my skin from the horrible mess that it was. I have multiples of this cleanser and I will never not have this in my routine- that's how good this is. I actually fear the day that they stop making this if that ever happens (So Skinstitut can you like please keep this in your product line forever? Okay? Thanks) When I stop using this or if I run out I can almost instantly see and feel the difference in my skin. I really like to use this when my skin is feeling particularly congested or oily as I find that this scrub is amazing in deep cleaning the pores and ridding excess sebum and grime from the skin. It leaves my skin feeling soft, refined and everything that you want your skin to look and feel. This is made from jojoba beads so that is definitely a major plus too.

Tone

Similar to my morning skincare routine I also use the Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic in the evening. I spoke about this a lot in that post so I won't go on about it too much, but this toner is seriously amazing and is gentle enough to use twice daily. If you are considering trying this out, please do it, you won't regret it - I promise! Your skin can thank me later. Again like my cleanser, I like to mix up my toner as well. On alternate evenings (not on the same day I use the Skinsitut cleanser) I will reach for the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. These are fantastic at exfoliating, toning and brightening the skin as these contain the skin loving Lactic Acid and Glycolic acid - perfect for congested and pigmented skin. I will then follow up my toner with a facial mist. At the moment I am loving the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I will say this one of those products that are really nice to have/use but are not really necessary. But in saying that, I find this mist to be so beautiful. I use it to really refresh the skin and give myself a nice glowing complexion. I do find that it also helps to keep my pores refined, and it smells divine. It is a really luxurious step to have in an evening routine, and who doesn't love that!

Eye Cream 

Now that my skin is feeling properly cleansed and refreshed I like to follow with an eye cream. At the moment I am using this Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream*. While I don't feel like I have too much of an issue with fine lines around my eyes, this is still perfect for really hydrating the delicate eye area which I find can get particularly dry for me, especially as the weather cools down. This eye cream is so lovely and rich that a little really goes a long way so you don't need to use a lot of it when applying. This is also fantastic for diminishing the look of dark circles and shadows and puffiness around the eyes. One of my favourite eye creams that I have tried to date!

Treat 

Again similar to my morning routine I use the Ultraceuticals Ultra Clear Treatment Lotion again in the evening. Like the Skinstitut scrub I was recommeded this product by my dermatologist and I haven't stopped using it since and I don't think I will ever stop using it - I can seriously see the benefits when I run out of this product. Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Mandelic Acid, these two work together to decongest and unclog pores as well as reduce redness and irritation. I can easily say that this product was life changing for me and played a large part in clearing up my skin. I will recommend this to anyone who will listen as this is without a doubt my number 1 skincare product for acne prone skin.

Like most people who have battled with blemishes I have quite a lot of scarring. Some of my scars will probably never go away without proper treatment but for the rest I have been using the Dermalogica C-12 Pure Bright Serum*. I was recommended this product after doing a Dermalogica Face Mapping a few months ago and I can honestly say that this has done amazing things for my scars. No, they are not completely gone but they have significantly improved and may quite possibly disappear with continued use. Will keep you posted as I continue to use this!


Hydrate  

And lastly the product I am using at the moment to hydrate my skin and finish off my routine is the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil. Now, I know it is myth that oily skin gals cannot use facial oils, this is really not the case! Fact, giving your skin the good oils that it craves stops it from over-producing bad oils that cause congestion and breakouts. So if you find that you have really oily skin I recommend giving a facial oil a try as it really helped me get my skin back in check. I usually prefer to use Rosehip Oil but I wanted to give this one a try as it is targeted specifically for oily and combination skin, and so far so good. This Clairns Facial Oil absorbs into the skin quickly but leaves it feeling nourished and hydrated. Come morning time I wake with plump glowing skin - which is all you want really!


These are my current picks for my evening skincare routine. What type of products do you use at night? And if you also have oily and blemish prone skin, what products work for you?   Chantalle x

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