#TeenBlogSeries | Skincare

Teen Bloggers Anouska Millar and Beth have decided to start a project called #TeenBlogSeries. Its aim is to bring together lots of the teens/young adults in the blogging community. For the next ten consecutive weeks, over 80 bloggers will be writing every Monday at 6:30pm about many different things, all beauty, lifestyle or fashion related. You can view everyones posts by going to the hashtag on twitter "TeenBlogSeries". If you would like to supply products for the giveaway, get involved, or have any questions, please email: anouskateenblogger@googlemail.com. 

Not my picture

First things first *tries not to rap Iggy Azalea lyrics* I am in no way an expert on skin care as my skin is some of the worst I have seen. I have never had my skin diagnosed, and I would urge you all to, but it changes a lot: sensitive, dry, oily, blotchy, acne prone etc. However, there are a few new products I am using and a few skincare saviours that I thought I would share. 

Products you need:

Cleanser

Toner

Moisturiser

Exfoliater

Face Masks

Lip Balms

Products you should have:

Eye cream

Spot cream or Tea Tree Oil

Miscellar Water

Products you could have:

Serums

This list may be daunting to you, or perhaps you are looking at it and shouting at me through the screen of all of the things I haven't mentioned, but this is my list of what I think should be involved in a skincare routine. To keep things simple, you should cleanse, tone and moisturise day and night, to remove dead skin, sweat and dirt from your face. A common myth is that people with oily skin don't need to moisturise but this is false; your skin still needs oil, or it will overcompensate and the pores will excrete more oil, therefore making your skin oilier. Twice a week, you should exfoliate to remove dead skin and to keep the skin soft. About once a week, you should use a face mask to help the skin stay healthy and repair it. Lip balms are essential as your lips also need care too, especially when it is sunny and they can easily burn. I don't really use eye cream, but for those with dry or puffy eyes, it is a must to keep the delicate skin under the eyes healthy. I always forget to use my tea tree oil, but it is essentially a natural antibacterial that you apply to spots to stop further infection and help heal them, although sometimes it is too harsh for skin. Miscellar water is used to take off my makeup before I cleanse to ensure all my makeup comes off first. I also use it to get rid of stubborn eye makeup that doesn't come off with my cleanser. Something I have never looked into is serums; they are usually oil based liquids that you put on before moisturiser that help to further moisturise the skin. I try not to use harsh chemicals on my skin as I have very bad acne. For example, some prescription acne cream was too harsh on my skin as it left it so dry and flaky. If you are looking for cheap skincare brands that work, I would recommend Simple, Neutrogena and Garnier. I have tried lots of products from all three brands and I find that most of the times, the products are good. Simple is good for sensitive skin as it is all natural ingredients. Neutrogena, in my opinion, does the best moisturiser as it leaves my skin so soft. I really like the Garnier 3 in 1 scrub and have blogged about it before, but it is a really good all round scrub and everyone I have recommended it to loves it.  

In an ideal world where I never wake up and can be bothered to do my skin care routine night and day, this is it. In the morning, I cleanse my face (cleanser depends on season) with either a hot cloth or flannel. Then, I apply some toner to a cotton wool pad and swipe it off of my face. Next, I apply my moisturiser all over my face in circular motions. Finally, I apply lip balm so that I am ready to put on my makeup. In the evening, I use miscellar water to get rid of my makeup using a cotton pad. I then repeat the cleanse from the morning. Then, I use an exfoliating scrub all over my face, being careful not to scrub too hard and irritate the skin. I then apply a face mask and leave it to set for 10 minutes before washing it off. Finally I would tone, moisturise and apply lip balm like in the morning and go to bed.

Some products I would recommend you having or trying are the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which was my favourite cleanser as it works for all skin, gets rid of all my makeup and makes my skin feel so soft. In addition, Sudocrem is a handy product to have on hand as when I could through stages of severe dry skin, I apply it on the area overnight and in the morning it is better. Also, it is good for applying to spot scars as it acts as an antisceptic and helps them to heal. Vaseline is a great skincare product as not only is it a lipbalm, but I sometimes use it around my nose if it is particularly dry and leave it overnight, or under my eyes if they are baggy as the Vaseline is absorbed and the bags reduce. 

I hope that this post helped you or gave you an idea of what I do. 

A xo