The current lockdown situation has meant we’ve all had a lot more time on our hands, which for me has meant time to get my beauty routine in check. I have a plethora of beauty products, which can sometimes be overwhelming, so this extra time has given me the opportunity to really think.
What really are my current beauty favourites and can I get my beauty routine well and truly locked down?
Over the last 7 weeks I have been looking closely at which products I reach for time and time again. There are definite winners and obvious losers. I have managed to shop and edit my own beauty stash and now I feel I have a selection of products on rotation that I am loving. Lockdown beauty at it’s finest.
Simplicity of both ingredients and application are important to me, something I wasn’t aware of until now. I like products that aren’t too fussy and mostly I love good clean ingredients. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t. So here are the products holding on to the top spots:
Dr Roebucks Tama Healing Mask
A good mask is an essential beauty item. I have a few on rotation and like to use a mask 2 to 3 times a week.However, during lockdown I have noticed that I have reached for some more than others.
I can’t remember when this little lovely arrived in my life, but it’s a bit like falling in love, I can’t remember a time before it.
With the gorgeous weather during lockdown, I found myself reaching for this gorgeous healing mask time and time again.
Dr Roebuck’s products have a reputation for being clean and effective and this is one product that leads the charge on that mission statement. If you haven’t seen or heard of it before, it is synonymous with health, vitality and glowing skin. Product lovers often tag their toned and glowing skin pictures with #roeglow and after one use, it’s not heard to see why.
The Tama Healing Mask is packed full of ingredients good enough to eat. Turmeric, avocado oil and sustainably sourced Manuka Honey. It’s a smorgasbord of goodness for the face. I use the mask when my skin is in need of TLC, to calm a breakout, a rosacea flare or when my skin is feeling dehydrated.
The Turmeric gives the mask a vibrant orange colour which is, according to the brand, the colour of the masks namesake, Tamarama Beach in Australia. The mask is applied on to clean dry skin and feels instantly cooling and soothing. I usually leave the mask on for around 10-20 minutes and then remove with warm water and a DARK face cloth (turmeric stains).
My skin instantly looks brighter, plumper and has a healthy glow. Redness is reduced and inflammation feels soothed. Turmeric is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory so is great for irritated, inflamed or blemished skin. It can also help with sun damage so is ideal after a day out worshiping the rays this time of year. Turmeric also has wonderful anti-ageing properties so can help with fine lines and signs of ageing.
Manuka honey is a miracle of nature and is wonderfully effective in beauty products too. This sustainably sourced natural ingredient helps with soothing redness, congestion and inflammation too, whilst also helping to increase the skins moisture levels. Wonderful for hydration and reducing fine lines.The avocado oil adds a substantial dose of hydration and intensely moisturises the skin. The results are just lovely.
Dr Roebucks products are all priced very reasonably and are accessible to most of us, which is a breath of fresh air. At £25 for 50ml I can highly recommend this product.
Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream
This moisturiser! I’m genuinely elated to have finally tried this moisturiser. My skin is perpetually thirsty, and I find it hard to find moisturisers that truly address this. However, Sunday Riley has answered my thirsty prayers with this lovely gel textured, lightweight moisturiser.
Instantly cooling, surprisingly lightweight and oh so nourishing. I can’t get enough of this, although that being said, a little goes a long way and delivers enough hydration all day.
My skin is brighter, my dehydration lines filled out and the enzymes have had a really positive effect on improving minor dark spots on my skin.
The water cream as it is described is brimming with hyaluronic acid, the friend of hydration, holding up to 1000x its own weight in water. This is one of the main contributory factors in smoothing out my lines and making my skin look plumper.
It contains Papaya enzymes, alpha arbutin and white giant bird of paradise, which work collectively to resurface the skin, addressing texture and to even out uneven skin tone (bye bye pigmentation)
I’m onto my second tub now, a generous 50g tub of soothing blueness. As always with Sunday Riley the packaging is as delightful as the product, so it is a double pleasure for the eyes as much as it is for the skin.
Skin Regimen Cleanser
I wrote briefly about this cleanser on my lust list in Spring as it has been a firm favourite for some time. Clean, some and effective. I love this as a second cleanser after i’ve used an oil based cleanser to remove makeup, sunscreen etc.
I like to use a cleanser that lathers and to feel like I’ve washed my face. So as much as I enjoy an oil cleanser, my routine just isn’t complete without something that foams.
This cleanser contains some interesting ingredients; Maqui Berry which is an antioxidant that helps to suppress damage caused by UV rays, organic spinach and carnosine, both are anti-glycation (help stop sugars breaking down skin cells) and antioxidants, which work to neutralise free-radicals that attack DNA. It also interestingly lists organic wild indigo which is a cortisol regulator and helps boost beta-endorphins ( hello happiness). I’m not at all well versed in how well we can absorb this type of ingredient through our skin, but I love the idea of skincare boosting you from within as much as it does on the outside.
I’ve completely run out now but will be making a repurchase very soon.
Dr Barbara Strum Hyaluronic Acid Serum
So this product has been in circulation for a while now and it is one of those products that I have a love hate relationship with.
I love the results but I hate the price. At £235 for a 50ml bottle I’m just not sure that I love the results ENOUGH?
So why has it made this list if this is my beauty on lockdown? Well, essentially, it does deliver what it promises, it’s lovely to use, quickly absorbed and has no stickiness and as I have been shopping my stash, I committed myself to using it consistently so that I could really get to grips with how I felt about it. It has long and short chain hyaluronic acid so deeply penetrates the skin for great hydration and also contains anti-inflammatory purslane and antioxidant skullcap.
Don’t misunderstand me, it’s on repeat and I can see a difference on days I don’t use it, I’m just not yet convinced that I can’t get these results at a significantly reduced price by comparison. The jury is still out.
Night time skin routine
My nighttime routine is unchanged from the last time I wrote about it, you can read about the products I am using here. I still have a solid group of favourites which have remained on the beauty shelf throughout lockdown.
During lockdown I have had more opportunity to think about my skincare and really try to understand what it is I want and need from products.
Having an edited routine has really helped to not only improve my skin, it has taken away some of the overwhelm that can sometimes occur when you have too many products. Editing your skincare is as important as editing your wardrobe, and has all the benefits too.
Now that we are heading (tentatively) out of lockdown I’m confident I will be keeping to my current regime. I don’t feel the need to rush out and buy new products as what I am using is delivering the results I need. I think this experience has encouraged me to be more mindful of what I buy and more committed to using a product for the fullness of time to really make an informed decision about it. I have really enjoyed getting to know my products and shopping my beauty stash and I hope to continue in this vain post lockdown.
What have you learned about your beauty routine during lockdown? Have you made any changes or discovered anything new? And what will you be taking pride of place on your beauty shelf post lockdown? Leave a comment below, remember sharing is caring.
Stay safe and well until next time.
