I should really start off this post by saying that this skincare routine actually has nothing to do with pregnancy, or post-pregnancy – it’s just that it’s a new skincare routine that I’ve adopted since my second pregnancy (and actually during!) and one that I feel suits me even though my hormones are probably still all over the place.
With two young children now I really don’t have the time to be cleansing, toning, pampering etc so I wanted to share with you all the miracle products that I use to keep myself looking ALIVE in these crazed, dazed parenting times.
I’ve switched things up a bit since my first post on skincare and whilst I still use the Skinceuticals range in my morning routine, I’ve now turned to Estée Lauder and the luxury French brand Darphin for help at night.
Time and time again Estée Lauder top the polls for best skincare products and I thought it was high time I discovered what all the fuss was about. I ditched the Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 serum which was drying out my skin in favour of the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair collection which included the face serum and the eye serum (I much prefer eye serums rather than creams as I find that the skin absorbs more). As my skin is still young-ish I was advised to follow up with the Nightwear Plus anti-oxidant moisturiser.
Previously I had been looking for just a serum or oil for the night as I don’t like going to bed caked in goo but apparently you really do need a good moisturiser on top of a serum to lock everything in. The serum is absolutely gorgeous and literally glides over my skin. The moisturiser is just the right texture for me; creamy and not runny whilst at the same time not being too thick. The NexUltra I was using before (which I should note had been recommended to me by a Harley Street dermatologist!) was far too light for me, especially as a night cream and since starting my Estée Lauder night regime I really do see a difference in my skin. I don’t go to bed with that horrible tight feeling, nor do I feel slimy – it all smells lovely too – light and clean.
My cleansing products have also changed – alongside the Skinceuticals I was using Vi Derm which was not only pricey, but the packaging was terrible and I never particularly ‘enjoyed’ using it on my skin. I’m not really a cleansing, toning sort of person, so all I wanted a cleanser for was to ‘soap’ my skin. I don’t actually use cleansers to take off any make-up as I prefer the wipes, so the cleanser is an afterthought.
I can’t remember exactly how but I suddenly came upon the Darphin range but it was truly love at first sight and I will never look back. I use the Cleansing Foam Gel every night (I don’t cleanse in the morning unless I’m about to apply a shed load of make-up for a day out and need a completely clean slate!) and I LOVE it. It’s so light and hardly fragranced and is just so gentle. I’ve recommended it to so many friends and they have all been delighted with the results. My skin feels clean after using a really tiny amount and a little goes such a long way.
When I REALLY want to pamper myself I skip the cleanser in favour of the Aromatic Cleansing Balm with Rosewood. This is truly a luxury product and smells amazing. The balm is basically a thick gel which you are meant to rub into dry skin and then use a warm flannel to remove make-up etc. However, seeing as I already remove make-up with a wipe, I massage the balm into my skin and then rinse off which results in the balm magically transforming with water into a silky, non-oily, non-comedogenic milk. To quote the website, my skin is left ‘pristinely clean, and looking smooth, supple and luminously radiant.’
You can buy Darphin products from Space NK and Cult Beauty if you don’t want to purchase directly from the website. I’ve also seen them floating around on TK Maxx for a much cheaper price!
I’m not one of these people who scrubs their face religiously each day – I feel that my skin only needs a scrub once a week and a gentle one at that. I’ve tried various scrubs over the years – organic, non-organic, etc but I just happened upon the Oskia Micro-Exfoliating Balm and it really is the business. The granules are wonderfully tiny and not scratchy at all and sometimes I even mix it in with my Darphin cleanser for that added touch. I would like to try other Oskia products but I’m far too in love with Estée and Darphin for the time being.
I’ve even started using the Darphin products on holiday too with the addition of the Hydraskin Light moisturiser as my skin is usually plastered in suncream and needs something light in the evenings.
I really enjoy my night beauty regime now, more so than my morning one in fact. However I plan to stick to Skinceuticals during the day for the time being because they are such an advanced range and the results speak for themselves. Moreover, the serum, eye cream, and SPF moisturiser combination is just so simple and you can of course then apply primers and what not on top of that under make-up.
So what’s your skincare routine?
DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately I did indeed purchase all of these products myself. Nothing was sent to me for PR or anything nice like that. This post may contain affiliate links.
