SKIN DIARIES | Kayennat

I don't change my skin care routine according to the weather, rather I change it according to how my skin feels. For the most part it feels pretty great :D

First things first: Some of us are blessed with great skins no matter what we do (e.g. me and not Nigar) and some of you us have to work a bit harder. If you're in the latter then I must stress how important it is to feed yourself properly (check out my glittering green smoothie if you need some extra help). What you put inside your body is much much more important and effective than what you put on the outside. 

AM Routine: 

Oil cleanse with a hot flannel or Cleanse with a non foaming cleanser

Eye Cream (eye cream before anything else for me)

Hydrating Spray Toner (La Roche Posay)

Moisturiser
Apply Makeup

PM Routine: 

Oil Cleanse with a hot flannel 

Cleanse with a non foaming cleanser (depending on my my skin feels)
Tone with a glycolic acid toner or a hydrating one 

Apply an oil

Lip Balm

Face wash/Cleanser: 

I have a really basic routine and I believe that's key in achieving and maintaining good skin. I really recommend avoiding all cleansers that foams (e.g. anything with sodium laureth sulphate [SLS]). There is absolutely no need for your face to foam with bubbles, and essentially dries out your skin over time and cause blemishes. I used to give myself spots when I was younger because I used to wash my face with foaming cleansers then break out then use anti blemish face wash (again containing SLS) then break out more. It was a stupid cycle that was driven by foaming cleansers. I didn't know better then. But now I do.  It really irks me to see that pretty much every single anti blemish cleansers still containing foaming agents.

Foaming agents changes the pH of the skin; your skin's natural pH should be below 5 (acidic) and foaming agents causes your skin to become alkaline.

The acidity of the skin is known as the acid mantle; overwashing or washing with agents that alter the pH damaged this mantle, which is needed to regulate, function, and re-generate your skin. It is also a barrier for bacteria; they can't function/grow/multiply in acidic environments. 
  
If you break out or if your skin is just not behaving (e.g. it's dry and crackly because it's not regenerating because you have effectively destroyed the acid mantle) and you don't know why, then this might be a reason. JUST SAYING.

Also, that "tight" feeling you might get after washing your face? You've over-washed. Your skin shouldn't feel tight. It should feel comfortable. Your skin feeling tight is a sign that your skin is dry or dehydrated. Or both. Dryness (caused by lack of oil in your skin) and dehydration (caused by a lack of water in your skin) are two different conditions. Dry skin is normally a skin "type" (but you can give yourself temporary dryness) and dehydrated is a skin "condition" that can affect all skin types. Hope that makes sense. 

Break up with your cleanser now. 

I  also don't use a makeup remover, and the last time I used that has been.....erm.......about 5 years? I have been oil cleansing for about that long and it's the best thing you can do for your skin. Ever. Minus changing your eating habits. Oil cleansing removes all makeup in no time- even waterproof mascara. (I do own a makeup remover for correcting winged liners gone wrong)

I double cleanse when am wearing makeup; i.e. cleanse twice. This could either be once with an oil and followed by a cleanser or once with an oil, rinse face and again with the oil.

Staple products: Oil Cleansing with Face Flannels; use one flannel a day (clean one in the morning and reuse in the evening then put to wash)

Non Foaming Cleansers I really like: Super Facialist by Una Brennan (smells like roses; but not the old women rose scent) and Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser (this one is for guys but oh my, what a great product)

Staple Products: Spray hydrate with La Roche Posay Serozinc, My own blend of facial oil (divine, if I may say so myself)

If I'm going to be home and not go out during the day then I'll do my PM routine in the morning as well as the evening. I like to nourish my skin as much as possible.

Toners:  I love toners; some people love them and some thinks it's an unnecessary step. They're NOT to remove last traces of makeup off your face. If you're using a toner and makeup is still coming off your face you need to go wash your face again. They re-balance your skin's pH post cleansing and prepare your face for whatever step you're doing next. I alter between a hydrating one and a glycolic acid one (If I use the glycolic cleanser then I would use the hydrating one because my skin can't handle that much acid). Avoid toners with alcohols. There's no need for them. They cause your face to feel tingly and "tight". You don't want your face to feel that way. Please be nice to your skin.

Toners I love: Clarins Daily Energizer Wake-Up Boost, Pixi Glow Tonic (I've ran out :() aand Bravura Revitalising Ginseng Toner 

Face Masks: 

Occasionally I do a face mask; typically once to twice a month, depending on how my skin feels. 

Check out my favourite masks here. My absolute favourite is the neem mask. It's so lush; after you've washed it of course, it does smell a bit strongly of neem while it's on your face. Please don't lick it. It's beyond bitter.  Follow with a face oil. 

From bottom up: The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream, Origins GinZing Moisturiser, The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boots Sorbet, Garnier Moisture Match Creme Bienfasiante (I have the entire collection of the Garnier Moisture Match and rotate between them a lot) 

Moisturisers: 

I'm not particularly loyal to any facial cream partly because I've not met one that I love. I do prefer gel textures over cream textures.
Same with eye cream; not convinced they do much yet.

SPF: 

And this one is controversial; I don't believe in SPF for my skin. I don't spend enough time in the sun to warrant it so I avoid it like the plague and really get bothered when most face creams come with SPF in it. IF I was lounging around on a hot beach I'd probably use one but for my day to day living nah. I wear makeup when am out mostly, and that is enough of a barrier for my skin. There's a group of people who are so scared of being in the sun (we'll turn dark, we'll get dark spots, we'll burn, we'll get cancer and so on). Being in the sun makes you happy, ask people who live in countries like the UK, we get something called SAD here (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is triggered by the reduction of sunshine in the winter months and it can make you have depression like symptoms. It can be very severe. Being in the sun makes your body produce Vitamin D which is needed by your body (very very hard to get from your diet alone, pretty damn impossible actually), most importantly for help with calcium absorption for bone strength. Lack of Vitamin D also causes random pains. So what I'm saying is that the sun is very important and yes excessive exposure could be disastrous but be sensible about it. Skincare with SPF in it doesn't have enough and just lures you into a false sense of security. If you need an SPF then apply one independently to your moisturiser/foundation.

Make sure it's a broad spectrum one that protects against UVA AND UVB rays. UVA rays are what causes breakdown of collagen in your skin and the effects are seen much later on in life (wrinkles caused by excessive sun exposure), whereas UVB rays damage can be seen pretty much instantaneously e.g. your skin burns. 

Let's throw in a no makeup selfie ;)

Ok I cheated a little; wearing eyeliner and a lipstick in this. I have dark circles, it's hereditary. And oh this picture is from I was 27 (a few months ago),
 I am now 28. I look the same though, promise! 

Do you have a skin care routine? How often do you change it?

What's your staple products?