On skincare.

Hello :) Lets talk skincare because I believe skin health is very important! I suppose being eighteen I don't have much experience in this department but I'm happy to share my two cents. And like most people, I'm a firm believer in very simple skincare. These are most of the products I use (or make!).

Cleanser. I use the Jurlique foaming cleanser which is a little pricey but I've had this bottle for at least ten months and theres still quite a bit left! I don't believe you need a cleanser but this takes off all my tinted sunscreen which I wear every day. I generally only use this at night and you only need a very small amount. I like that this product is natural too, which I think is important.

Facial exfoliator. In the past I've just the Jurlique daily exfoliating cream but when I read the tube and saw the ingredients included crushed walnuts, oatmeal and honey I thought "I can just make this myself!". So I did and really don't see the point in spending money on an exfoliator, especially as many of them are very harsh. So once or twice a week, depending on when I can be bothered I make my own exfoliant which I mix with a bit of cleanser to gently remove dry skin. Here's some fabulous ingredients you can mix together to make your own exfoliating paste!
- honey- to soften the skin
- oats- use a mortar and pestle to crush them into a fine flour
- almond meal- this is a great, I use it all the time!
- milk- to help mix everything together and make a 'paste'
- yoghurt- something a bit thicker to help bind everything together. Plus it's very cooling on the skin :)

Body exfoliator. Like with a facial exfoliator I don't believe you need to spend money on this product. Make it yourself! Although I haven't in a while as it's too cold to rub this in before a shower! But when I do make my own I simply use sugar (any sugar will do) and olive oil. If you have some lovely smelling essential oils, a few drops of that would scent it nicely :) You want a nice consistency, not too dry and not too oily, well whatever floats your boat! I think sugar granules would be too harsh to use on your face though- only on the rougher parts (legs, arms etc) of your body which can get dry and flaky (yuck!) in winter.

Tinted sunscreen. Sunscreen is very important as we all know. I like using a tinted sunscreen every day because it provides a bit of coverage and makes my skin look a little brighter in the morning as well as of course protecting my skin from the sun! I don't wear foundation at all so I suppose this kind of doubles as one :) I used to use the invisible zinc one but found it a little thick, so now I use one by Ultraceuticals which is SPF 30+ and perfect. I mix this with a touch of moisturiser and occasionally a drop of rosehip oil which gives a nice dewy glow!

Hand cream. I think hand cream is quite essential! If you don't have handcream, body or face cream is fine to rub into your mitts- any cream will do. Hands can become very dry, especially as you're constantly washing them throughout the day with soap that is usually quite drying. I use a beautiful scented handcream from Crabtree & Evelyn at night called "Summerhill" I received as a gift and also carry a small tube of handcream in my pencil case which I take to uni and apply on the train. It's a nice morning routine and has a nice lemony smell which peps me up :)

Rose hip oil and jojoba oil. I just love these facial oils! I apply a few drops to damp skin after cleansing at night and wake up with nice moisturised skin. You don't want to apply too much oil- 2 drops is plenty! This winter my skin has gone a little nuts and has become quite dry so these seem to be perfect. I was a little hesitant using oils on my skin but they're working out really well plus they're obviously very natural products. The rose hip oil I use if from Trilogy and bought the jojoba oil off the High on Health store here.

Lip balm. Like most of you probably have, I've tried lots of lip balms! I'm never without one in my bag. My current favourite is the honey flavoured lipbalm from Burt's Bees which costs about $6.95. The flavour is soothing and when I had dry, cracked lips a few weeks ago it was the only lipbalm I found that helped. Some lipbalms I've noticed can become quite pricey and I tend to lose them quite easily so find this one as well as working well is reasonably priced in case you lose it!

Now of course I can't mention skincare without saying health of your skin (I believe) comes down very much to what you eat and drink. You are what you eat! (I know most of these points are common knowledge, but it's a nice reminder and I'm a crazy list maker).
1. Drink loads of water and herbal tea. Sliced lemon is a nice way to jazz up water
2. Eat lots and lots of fresh fruit & vegetables
3. Snack on raw nuts and seeds
4. Sprinkle chia seeds on your muesli or porridge for an extra dose of omega 3
5. Add avocado chunks to your salads or for a healthy snack have half with a squeeze of lemon juice, pepper and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
6. Avoid refined sugars and processed food and try to "swap white for brown"most of the time. This includes using brown rice, wholemeal pasta and wholemeal flour
7. Use extra virgin olive oil wherever possible, just remember it's not good for using at high temperatures (but coconut oil is!)

Personally I don't believe in taking supplements such as multivitamins unless necessary as I've been learning in nutrition, it is very easy to have toxic levels of certain nutrients in your body. I think we can get all the nutrients we need by eating wholefoods. In saying that though everyone has their own opinion!

What skincare products do you use? Similar? Do you believe using natural products are important? 


Hannah x