My face is prone to break outs, it is also red and sensitive on my cheeks, yet oily on my forehead. So what I look for in masks is something that doesn’t irritate but does irradiate unwanted oil. I discovered the beauty formula range in my student days and I have continued to use their products since! They are really affordable yet I’ve found that many of their products give good results for the price. When you want to target different problems with different masks it can become expensive! But with all of the Beauty Formulas masks coming in at around £1 each, it’s ok to treat yourself! I have always been a bargain lover and I find it much more satisfying when you get a great result from a budget brand! (Any other bargain queens out there?) Here is what I thought of 3 Beauty Formulas face masks that help mange my problematic skin.
Beauty Formulas Clay Mask with Activated Charcoal
Beauty Formulas Clay Mask with Activated Charcoal
I often use this face mask at the end of the week when have a relaxing bath. You leave it on for 10-15 minutes and once it has set you rinse it off. Products with charcoal have become all the rage at the moment (I even saw a programme on tv the other day about people drinking charcoal coffee… sorry what?) I love this mask as it does a great job at reducing oil. I do also use this mask before using a charcoal peel off mask. When use the peel off masks in combination with using this mask before hand, it seems to draw out more junk onto the peel off mask.
If you want to read more about how I combine the Clay Mask with Activated Charcoal with as a part of a spot stopping routine click here!
Beauty Formulas Cool Moist 3 Minute Clay Mask
Beauty Formulas Cool Moist 3 Minute Clay Mask
I love this mask! It’s also so easy to include in your routine as you only have to leave it on for 3 minutes before rinsing off. (You can leave it on longer if your skin is on the oiler side.) It smells and feels really nice, like a real treat! I often use this on my skin at night as a part of my evening skincare routine. I love how it calms and cools the redness I am prone to on my face. I find this mask really easy to apply, it is thick yet quite runny. I find the fact that it is a bit runner that some masks if I have used before much easier to apply by hand. The mixture comes out a mint green colour and is lovely and gentle, a winner for my sensitive skin! When I wake up the next day after using this mask my skin looks less red and is so smooth and hydrated! The only downside I found to this is that I didn’t discover it sooner! Simply amazing for the price!
Beauty Formulas Rejuvenating Glorious Mud Mask
Beauty Formulas Rejuvenating Glorious Mud Mask
Now this mask I found a bit… meh. It didn’t wow me and I didn’t notice much affect on my skin. It is very light on the skin and isn’t very noticeable on the skin compared to the colours of the other two masks- It just looks a bit like you have a bad tan on your face! It was easy to apply but I won’t be repurchasing this one. My skin did feel smoother after applying and it did get rid of excess oil. However it did leave my overall skin very dry and I did seem to breakout after using this. At the price I am not complaining, you win some you loose some. It did not live up to it’s rejuvenating promise on my skin.
In the UK you can pick up these products in stores like Bodycare and B&M. I hope this has been a helpful insight in to masking on a budget!
I suffer from dry patches on my face, especially on my nose which sometimes make it difficult for my makeup to stick on. If makeup does stick to my nose it usually clings onto the annoying, dry, flakey bits (which nobody wants!) So I like to use a facial exfoliator regularly, I also have very sensitive skin, so if it’s too abrasive… hello redness! That’s why I’ve road tested the following three face scrubs. Let’s see if they can take on the difficult job of removing dry skin and blackheads without irritating my skin (easier said than done!)
St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
I found this one to be a bit too harsh and abrasive for my skin. The product does claim to have a high exfoliation factor, which I would agree with. This is probably it was too abrasive for my sensitive skin. However after using this my face was very smooth, but it did cause my nose to become very dry and red after using it.
Overall rating:My Overall rating is 6/10 mainly due it it being too abrasive on my sensitive skin. I think this would be a really good product on someone who does not have sensitive skin. It does have a lovely fresh scent, but personally I prefer facial products that are less fragrant.
Nip + Fab Glyolic Scrub Fix
Nip + Fab Glyolic Scrub Fix
I’ve seen so many good things about this range, out of the three scrubs, this one left my skin the smoothest. While using it I did find the texture of the scrub a bit too abrasive on my nose and cheeks. The consistency of the scrub is densely packed with small micro-beads. Initially after using this product my skin was very red, however after a few hours it calmed down. Later on my skin did start to feel a lot more oily on my chin which I think was down to it being too abrasive for me. However the next day I did notice that my skin was visibly less textured.
Overall rating:8/10 it did do a good job of exfoliating dry skin away and it did leave my skin very smooth. It did cause initial redness, then extra oil a few hours later. However it did a good job of improving the texture of my skin overall. I will continue to use this, but only when I really need it as to reduce redness in my skin.
Newton Labs T-Zone Skincare Blackhead Fighting Scrub
Newton Labs T-Zone Skincare Blackhead Fighting Facial Scrub
As the cheapest of the three, I picked this up from Bodycare for around £1 and I wasn’t expecting much for my money. However this product really knocked it out of the park for me, it isn’t too harsh on my sensitive skin but it definitely does the job of exfoliating away dead skin and reducing oil on my forehead. It claims to have “gentle micro-beads”, I would definitely agree with this. The beads are larger and sparser than in the other two face scrubs, which meant that the application didn’t feel as abrasive as the other two scrubs. I also noticed that after using this the amount of spots on my forehead was dramatically reduced. Another thing that I love about this product is that it is fragrance and parabens free. I always try to use body wash products that are fragrance and parabens free, so that fact that this facial scrub was the same was a massive plus for me.
Overall rating:My overall rating is a 10/10 due to it being so affordable, sensitive skin friendly, reduced blackheads and left my skin smooth. I will be using this scrub on a regular basis!
So what are your favourite facial scrubs, did any products surprise you? I hope you found this helpful!
Keratosis Pilaris (KP) is something I have had as long as I can remember. For years I have searched for “cures” and ways to instantly irradiate KP and nothing really worked “miracles,” as the sites claimed.
What is Keratosis Pilaris?
Keratosis Pilaris is a common skin condition, which is often inherited. Some people describe it as “chicken skin” “goose bumps” or “gooseflesh.” Personally I just call them annoying red bumps. As far as I can work out the reason we get bumps is because of a excessive build up of keratin in individual hair follicles.
Keratosis Pilaris on my arm
If you are not sure what KP looks like, here is a photo of my arm. I suffer from redness worst on the top half of my arm. For me, skin dryness and KP run hand in hand. It used to feel like I constantly had really dry arms with angry, red, irritated bumps. However after trying many products I have found a combination that has really improved the appearance and feel of my KP. I am not saying that I am cured (I am still looking for that cure) but sticking to this routine with the products listed below have really helped me, without breaking the bank. If you are looking for something to reduce the redness and improve the dryness of your KP, I hope this easy routine will help you.
So without further ado here is the four step skin regime I follow, which has improved the appearance and texture of my Keratosis Pilaris!
Step 1: Exfoliate, exfoliate, and exfoliate
Look for an exfoliator that is for sensitive skin – I have found that products that use coconut, argan oil or Macadamia oil are best on my skin, as they are gentle enough not to further irritate the skin. If your KP is dry like mine, moisturising alone might not reduce the redness as dead skin might be further clogging the already aggravated hair follicle.
Scrub, but do not over scrub – It has took my skin about a month of following this routine to become softer, make sure you don’t scrub too hard as this can just end up making the area more irritated and red. I now exfoliate my KP arms every other day in the shower. At first it did make my arms slightly redder, but as I persisted then continued with the rest of my KP battling skin care regime, my arms to touch now are so much softer and I can hardly feel the bumps!
Macadamia Nut Oil Face & Body Scrub by Bio Glow
One of my favourites is Coconut Body scrub – The Body Shopbecause contains organic virgin coconut oil, and coconut oil can be used to reduce inflammation, hence in my case it didn’t irritate my KP arms. The scent is not too strong either and suited my sensitive skin.
At the moment I am using Macadamia Nut Oil Face & Body Scrub- Bio Glow as a cheaper alternative (Available online, however I bought mine from B&M)
Step 2: Avoid the fragrance shower products
Have you ever noticed a correlation with using fragranced shower gels and increased KP redness? Would you put fragranced products on red, irritated skin?
Start treating your KP as sensitive skin and switch to a no fragrance, no soap shower gel for you KP afflicted area.
Since switching to a no soap, no fragrance shower gel my skin in general seems less red and itchy, and less irritated.
Zero % shower gel by Sanex
My favourite shower gel to use is Zero % – Sanex shower gel as it is free from parabens, colourants, fragrance and soap. It is perfect for sensitive skin and it leaves me feeling nice and clean without skin irritation. I am not a fan of strong fragrance products (neither is my skin) so this will always be a bathroom essential.
Another product I like is Wild Argan Oil Shower Gel – The Body Shop. However this shower gel does have a distinct smell, but it didn’t irritate my skin and it did leave my skin feeling moisturised after showering. I have used Argan oil in my hair for a while and did see the same benefit on my overall skin, as well as my KP.
Step 3: Moisturise
Timing is everything- Once I became dedicated to moisturising straight after I came out of the shower it became a massive game changer. Find a time that suits your life, I moisturise at night so that it can properly sink into my skin while I sleep (like a night cream for my body.)
Moisturise your skin daily– It might seem an obvious one but we wouldn’t go out without moisturising our faces so why not give our body’s that dedication too. If I don’t have time to moisturise my whole body, I will make sure I put an intensive moisturiser just on my arm area.
Always moisturise after a shower- Even if you have used a shower gel for sensitive skin you still need to moisturise or your KP is going to flare up even more in protest. The hot water from the shower on my KP seems to make it redder, so if you exfoliated too it’s absolutely essential to restore that moisture!
Invest in a moisturiser designed for dry skin– From what I have read the reason why the bumps are so noticeable is because of the build up on keratin. Now that we have tried to scrub away the dead skin, its important that that skin gets properly moisturised. For years I found constant moisturising so difficult, I’d rub in moisturiser only to find after an hour my skin was dry again and KP redder then ever.
QV Cream for dry skin conditions
I believe I have truly found the holy grail of moisturisers! QV Cream (dare I say it) is the most hydrating moisturiser I have ever used, and has been a key product it keeping my skin hydrated and KP soft. Once I started using this I saw an overnight difference. My skin wasn’t unbearably dry, my KP wasn’t as red, and my skin actually felt soft! One bottle lasted me about 6 months using it on my arms and legs each time I came out of the shower. I don’t always use it on my entire body, (at first I did as I couldn’t believe the results) the skin on the rest of my body isn’t as dry but is still sensitive. I like to use E45 Cream or Shea Nourishing Body Butter- The Body Shop for the rest of my body.
Step 4: Nourish your skin
Reduce the redness- For me one of the things I hate most about my KP is how red it is. I have very pale skin and I have always been so conscious of my arms. Using fragrance free products did a lot for my skin in reducing the redness. After reading up on products that have an anti-redness results I came across Rosehip Oil. Rosehip oil is used to treat scars , burns and have anti-inflammatory properties, so I thought why not give it a go on KP and see if it reduces my redness.
Use an oil regularly- I use Rose Hip oil twice a week, before bed, after completing the above routine on my KP inflicted arm area.
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 30ml by The Ordinary
At the moment I am loving the really affordable 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 30ml – The Ordinary. At the price I thought I would give it ago and am so glad I did. The difference after using this, wow! My arms much less red and irritated in the morning and I am sure this product is particularly to blame. This product claims that the product is meant to be used on your face and has anti-aging properties (always a plus!) To compare I used this on my face too, to see how it worked at reducing my facial redness. This product was too oily for my facial skin, but did slightly reduce the pigmentation of my cheeks. I do not use this product on my face regularly but on my KP it really does seem to nourish it, and reduce the redness!
Enjoying an espresso martini, not worrying about my Keratosis Pilaris!
As a take away I would say don’t let KP get you down! It doesn’t seem like there is a miracle cure for this common skin condition (yet!) What we can do is make sure that we look after our skin, so it starts to feel a lot better! It can be hard not to worry about it especially if you have a big event planned and you want to show your arms. I still tend to try and cover the redness with fake tan (who else has tried this?) However my skin is so much smoother lately, that the fake tan cover up is working even better!
I hope that these products can help you as much as they have helped me! Let me know how you get on and if you have any KP tips feel free to share your comments!
So it’s too late you’ve done everything you can to prevent it but now you have a growing mound on your face and tomorrow you have to face the world. (Dun dun durrrr! The stuff horror movies are made of!) We’ve all been there, but what can you do to stop the breakout in it’s tracks? These are two products that I go to when this situation arises!
Draw the impurities out with clay
Beauty Formulas Clay Mask with Activated Charcoal
When I can see that my forehead is suddenly becoming very oily and I can feel the breakout beginning. I like to start the pimple eradication with a clay charcoal mask. My go to is the Beauty Formulas Clay Mask with Activated Charcoal. All you have to do is apply to your face, let it do its thing for 15 minutes, then you wash away the clay. I have sensitive skin but this mask does not irritate my skin. When I use this mask I do feel a slight tingling sensation while its on, however I just take this to mean it’s doing it’s job! After washing it off my skin feels very smooth and the excess oil has been absorbed from my skin. This product is extremely affordable too, you can find the Beauty Formulas range in stores like B&M in the UK. For the price of this product I was very impressed, it certainly does the trick!
Shrink that pimple overnight!
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
I was recommended Mario Basescu Drying Lotion by a friend who told me that Kylie Jenner swears by this stuff. So I bought it on a whim thinking: “if it’s good enough for Kylie then it’s good enough for me!” It did not disappoint! This stuff literally makes your spot shrink overnight. I have found it works particularly well with whiteheads (literally gone over night) but with deeper, angrier spots on my skin I need to use it a few nights in a row but it definitely reduces the inflammation. What I love about this product is that you can apply a little bit to the inflicted area, therefore you are not drying out the whole of your skin. I worried that this stuff would be too harsh on my skin, however as you only apply it to the spot, the rest of your skin doesn’t suffer!
How to add it to your routine:
Cleanse and clean your face as you normally would at night
Add some moisturiser where you need it (depending on how dry your skin is)
After your moisturiser has sunk in, apply the drying lotion using a cotton swab directly onto the blemish
Go to bed and allow this stuff to work it’s magic overnight!
New year, new venture! Here I am launching myself into the world of blogging! I have decided to start this blog as skincare diary of sorts. If like me you have decided 2018 will be the year of fabulous skin and leading a healthy lifestyle, feel free to follow me on this journey.
I have very annoying skin. I am redness prone, it can be very sensitive, but I am prone to break outs. One thing I find so frustrating is when sensitive skin products change their ingredients and subsequently are suddenly no longer sensitive skin products! So it is a constant battle to find a balance but we can do it!
Over the years of trying to manage my skin I have discovered many useful, yet affordable products that I hope to share with you in this blog.
Cosmetic Revelations 