Scrub-a-dub-dub

Hello strangers!

Gosh I feel as if I have totally missed a month - where did March go!? I can feel already this year is going to fly by!

Despite neglecting to write a blog I have of course been busy as always discovering and trying new beauty buys, I even made a visit to the Lush Spa in Liverpool on my birthday which was wonderfully wacky and fabulous. If you get the opportunity to go I thoroughly recommend it! 

Exfoliation. Once something as simple as scrubbing with something a little more abrasive than usual. Now? well a total minefield of liquid chemical formulas, large electric toothbrush like devices and an abundance of scrubs with endless benefits. It can be well a little overwhelming at best. I, for one, am a sucker for anything that promises to rid me of dull, dead skin and leave me feeling baby soft all year round and so, as expected, I have tried them all and gained a pretty impressive collection. I have recently whittled my array of lotions and potions down to just three exfoliating products. I loved them all separately but it wasn’t until I started using the three together that the results were really worth while. Read on…..

First up are my Bobbi Brown Buffing Grains, £29. This little jar of crushed Japanese Adzuki Bean Powder is so natural Bobbi boasts you could actually eat it. I myself would stick to adding a good shake of them into my regular face wash a couple of times a week. A genius item to have in your beauty cupboard to turn any face wash or even shower gel into an exfoliator. I find the natural roughness of the Adzuki bean and the way in which it is crushed means this jar is filled up with lots of varying shapes and size granules allowing for a gentle yet thorough scrub. I add mine to my Nude Purify Cleansing Wash, £22. 

Next up is my first hit of chemical exfoliant. Relax! Chemical exfoliant may sound a little heavy but fear not! These new age liquid exfoliators are a carefully balanced cocktail of acids that work to gently dissolve the upper layer of cells. This not only lifts away dull, dead skin but also triggers skin to kick start the repair process meaning you quickly have fresh, juicy and wonderfully radiant new cells. There is of course varying intensities of these type of exfoliants but for the most part if you are more sensitive you will actually find using a product like this that doesn't involve any abrasive scrubbing to actually be a lot more comfortable to use. 

I have been loving my Clarin’s Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, £25. I picked this up after my amazing Tri-Active facial  at the beginning of January and have been using it at least once a week since. This little miracle worker can be soaked into a cotton pad a swept over skin a couple of times a week. I would suggest doing this at night time after cleansing followed as normal by your moisturiser. I have been doing this but have also been adding a good few drops of it into the mix with my morning time face wash and my Bobbi Buffing Grains, turning my pretty normal face wash into a triple threat exfoliator. I apply the mix to my face and let it sit on the skin for a couple of minutes before coming back to it, rubbing it in to get the most out of the buffing grains before washing off. Skin feels clean, soft as well as getting all the added benefits of the acids in the Clarin’s toner working deep into my cells. 

The final instalment comes from Sarah Chapman. I have become a little obsessed with Sarah Chapman products in the last few months and have established quite a collection of her products. I particularly love her ‘Boosters’ which are serum like products that are designed to be layered under your moisturiser to boost its effectiveness. I picked up the Skinesis Hydrating Booster, £58 and my absolute favourite the Skinesis Overnight Exfoliating Booster, £58. Now this is the exfoliator for those who want to be really lazy with their skin, pop a couple of drops of this on before moisturiser at night time and it will eat away at those dead skin cells working hard to exfoliate all while you sleep. This has to be my most exciting skincare find for the last few months, I have noticed a visible difference in my skin not only in its texture and brightness but have also found the frequency of breakouts are much fewer than before. This blemish fighting comes from the Salicylic Acid dose which works to cleanse clogged pores while keeping them tight and minimising any large, over-stretched pores while also preventing any post blemish scarring. I honestly don’t think I could be without it anymore! 

So there you have it, use them alone or combine together. All of them I love and all have been a crucial addition to my skincare routine over the last few months. Scrub-a-dub-dub! Enjoy x