I am a beauty product / make up junkie. I absolutely love anything to do with the health and skincare industry...which is what lead me to my studies to be a skincare therapist and my subsequent career in the spa industry. I left the spa industry after having kids, but my passion for it has never waned.
So today I am going to let you have a peek into my skincare routine. As much as I adore the higher end products such as Dermalogica and Babor, the budget of a work from home mom just does not allow me to purchase them. I have found a few "drug-store" gems in the past though, which I'll share with you today.
Before I get into what I've been using, I just want to give you a bit of background about my skin. Before starting any new products, I would always recommend that you go for a skin analysis at your local beauty salon to determine which products would work the best for your skin. What works for me, might not necessarily be what your skin needs.
As a teen I had the typical combination skin type - shiny t-panel and drier cheeks. I used to get the occasional pimple but nothing too bad. When I started my studies, we used to do our practicals on each other, which was fantastic at first. Who wouldn't want weekly manis, pedis, massages and facials for two years? My skin disagreed and started reacting quite severely to being overstimulated. I headed off to the dermatologist and after trying a few rounds of tetracycline antibiotics and other topical treatments, I was put on a 5 month course of Roaccutane. Roaccutane reduces the actual size of the oil gland and the amount of oil it produces. It also stops the skin cells from getting clogged in the pores, which indirectly stops the P.acne bacteria from opportunistically causing acne. It also helps to reduce inflammation. It's an amazing but rather severe treatment. Because it works on the oil glad of the skin, I found that my skin became extremely dry and since then I have always had to use hydrating products.
I recently purchased a couple of the Sorbet products and I must say I have been quite impressed and think that I would like to try some more of their range. Sorbet Spa's seemed to have popped up all over the country and their products are also available to purchase as Clicks.
So this is what I am currently using:
Cleanser: Sorbet Hydro Skin 3-in-1 cleanser
What appealed to me about this product is that it is supposed to remove make up, cleanse your skin and balance it AND it's a foaming cleaner. I have, however, found that I do need to cleanse twice in order to remove all my make up. The foam smells divine and you don't have to use too much at a time. The packaging looks beautiful, but the printing is on a a plastic sleeve around the bottle which slips up in the shower while trying to pump the foam out, which is a bit annoying. They claim that the product is hydrating, improves skin texture and reduces irritation. It retails for R80. At that price I think it's a super cleanser.
Day Cream: Sorbet BB cream in Light
In the morning I'm pressed for time to get the kids to school, get my walk in and then get cracking on my daily tasks before rushing back to school at 12 to fetch little Miss E. So there is minimal time for make up during the week. That's why I chose a BB (Beauty Balm) cream as my day cream. The colour of the Sorbet BB cream in light is a perfect fit for my skin tone. It is also available in medium and dark. They claim that it will provide 24 hour moisture. So far it feels like it is providing my skin with sufficient moisture. If later on I feel I need a bit more, I might consider applying a booster such as the Sorbet Age Effect Power Serum underneath the BB cream. It also has a SPF 15 which is soooo important, even during winter. This little tube retails for R120 and a little goes a long way.
Night cream: Salon Skin Night Recovery Cream
This little tube of face cream has been an absolute gem of a find! It goes on silky smooth and leaves my face beautifully moisturised and feeling renewed. It combines the fragrant essential oils of Lavender, Geranium, Grape Fruit and Tea tree, advanced actives such as salicylic acid as well as high concentrations of Vitamin A, C and E. It retails for R200 and I absolutely love it.
Lips: Sorbet Hydro Skin Lip Therapy
I have always had dry flaky lips, no matter what I try and it just gets worse in winter. So when I saw that this product offers 8 hours of moisture, I snapped it up and added it to my basket. It's nice but I personally don't feel that it delivers on it's 8 hour promise as I have had to reapply it often during the day. I highly doubt that I will buy this product again as I have found other lip balms that provide more moisture for a better price. This little tube retails for R53.
Weekly treatment products that I want to still add to my skincare regime:
Some other products that I would like to add to my skincare regime and which, in my opinion, are essential for a glowing, healthy skin would be an exfoliator and a mask. I am leaning towards trying out the Sorbet Salon Skin Daily skin polishing powder (R220) for the exfoliator. In my spa days I used to use the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and loved it, so I hope that this one will measure up to that. Exfoliation should always be followed by a mask, so I have been eyeing out the Sorbet Salon Skin Thermal Resque mask (R140). This mask is supposed to energise and restore the skin...perhaps ideal for winter? I'll pop these in my shopping basket next month and let you know my thoughts.
Let me know if you have any affordable, favourite skin care products!
Until next time,
XX-L
Disclaimer: This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organisation, company or individual. All content provided on this blog is for informational purposed only.
