The Skincare Tag

This tag has been making it's way around the blog-o-sphere and I was already considering just jumping in and doing it when I was tagged by Nicole of EcoChicBeautyDiva.  Keep reading for my answers!


A peek at my much loved skincare stash

Describe your skin care routine in 5 words:
> Cleanse - I like cleansers that deep clean but don't strip your skin.  If I'm wearing makeup, I'll do a first cleanse with jojoba oil also, to make sure everything comes off.
> Tone - Witch hazel is a favorite.  It's great for keeping your pores squeaky clean.
> Moisturize - either with an oil, cream, or some combination of the two.
> Exfoliate - generally every two to three days.
> Treat - eye cream for dark circles/puffiness and masks about once a week.

What’s your skin type?

Basically normal, a little sensitive.  

What’s your favourite skin care product?

I love scrubs and exfoliants.  There's just something really satisfying about using them and I'm always up for trying new ones!  I've also been getting more into facial oils recently.

Top blemish zapper:

Essential oils.  At the first sign of a breakout, I'll usually hit it with a combination of frankincense and eucalyptus.  Toning/spot treating with coconut water is also surprisingly effective!

Face wipes, yay or nay?

They're fine as a pre-cleanse to remove makeup, but they don't compare to actually washing your face.

Toner, yay or nay?

Definite yay!  I'm especially fond of making my own toners.  My DIY Witch Hazel + Glycerin Toner is what I'm currently using.  

High-end skin care or high-end make-up?

Both/neither.  Nothing against high-end, but I usually stick to mid-range for both.

What’s the most unusual skin care product you've tried?

Nothing terribly unusual springs to mind, but if I had to pick, I'd say cleansing grains.  They're pretty common in natural skincare lines and don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, but as someone who'd previously only used liquid and bar cleansers, a powdered cleanser took a little getting used to.  

You’re in a  pharmacy and can only pick up one item – what is it? 
Olive oil.  It's fantastically multi-purpose - works to take your makeup off, as a cleanser, a moisturizer, and as an ingredient in a whole host of DIY projects.  

Tell us your top skin care tips:
Pretty common sense here, but my top three tips would be:

> Be consistent 
My skin really improved when I started being consistent and sticking to a slightly more involved skincare routine, and I think most people's skin responds positively to a regular routine.  Also, while I'm all for trying new products (I wouldn't be much of a beauty blogger otherwise, right?), make sure you introduce them slowly (as in don't try 10 new products in the same night!)

> Keep it Simple
When something goes wrong, the tendency is often to slap another product on it, but I'm a firm believer in keeping things simple.  My skin is usually pretty good, but when I have any problems, I always scale back to as simple a routine as possible.  Using too many products can do more harm than good!

> You don't always have to wait it out to know a product isn't working for you
Your skin fully turns over every 30 days (or so) and popular wisdom is that you should give a new skincare product that long before assessing how it's working for you.  I'm not saying you can expect drastic anti-aging results within the first three days, but I can usually tell if a product is working with my skin or not within the first week of use.  Giving something more time, if I already know we don't get on, just seems like a recipe for disaster!

And that's all the questions!  I'm going to tag:
Shauna from Natural Beauty Junkie
Asti from Skjonnhett
Sofie from Practically Pure 
and anyone else who wants to join in!  If you do the tag, feel free to leave a link to your post below.



 

18 comments

  1. Great answers :) in your tips I totally agree with you about not necessarily waiting it out to judge a product.

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    1. Thanks! It irritates me so much when people tell say that you NEED to wait 30 days to tell if something is working!

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  2. What are the the various clays that you have in the back of your picture?

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    1. Just one clay - the Now Solutions European Clay Powder (which I think is Bentonite). The other jar is KYI's Whipped Shea Butter Mask :)

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  3. Great answers:) Your skincare stash is awesome :)

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad to say most of it is actually in rotation and being used :)

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  4. Loved this, so glad you did it. Great answers and they're pretty bang on, especially with keeping it consistent and not having to wait it out for a product to work, Totally agree with Jana, amazing stash. Xo

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    1. Thanks! Looking at the photo, it seems a bit excessive, but pretty much everything there gets used, so I guess it's okay :)

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  5. I am really enjoying reading everyone's posts from this tag, great answers and I love seeing people's skincare laid out! :) Xx

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    1. Same here, I've been enjoying reading everyone else's posts too! :)

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  6. I have never done a blog Tag before, but you inspired me! I love hearing other people's skin routines :)
    http://ilovetabboo.blogspot.ie/2013/08/the-skincare-tag.html

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    1. I didn't even realize you had a blog! Thanks for joining in...off to read yours now :)

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  7. Mine may be a little disappointing, I have less than half of what you have! I tend to stick to what I like.

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    1. I used to have very little skincare, but between the combination of blogging + being surrounded by natural skincare at work, it's kind of snowballed into what you see:) Either way, I'm looking forward to reading yours!

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  8. Wah, I missed this! Didn't know you've done the tag already but that's great!

    I'm just wondering, do you apply frankincense and eucalyptus raw on the skin or do you dilute them with another oil?

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    1. No worries :) I usually apply them straight, but you could definitely dilute them too. They aren't something I usually see recommended for acne/blemishes, but they work great! If I apply them at night, I can always see a difference by the next morning.

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