It's no secret, I haven't got the best skin. In fact sometimes I look like I've got the face of some spotty 16 year old. Add 10 years and you get my real age. Not good.
I wouldn't say I have acne. Or never have had acne, for that matter. But for the past few years I've had blemishes. Some small that will disappear within a day or two, some tender that lie under the skin for what feels like forever. Either way, for as long as I remember, its very rare that you'd find me without a pimple. Lucky for me I'm pretty good at knowing how to cover them correctly with make-up (or so my boyfriend says). Although at times we are all adament that a certain spot is the size of our fist, and the whole world and his dog can see it. Yep, even from a mile away. In reality, it's never really that bad, but of course we won't be told will we? We are girls and our appearance means a lot to us.
Cut a long story short, I'm one of those lovely ladies that have been feeding the skincare industry with heaps of my money over the years, trying all different products that claim to reduce and remove spots. We've heard it all a million times before. Get excited and run home with the newest spot removing cream in our hand, knowing that in approx 2 weeks our face will be transformed. Forever! For the majority of us, finding a product that *really* does work would be a miracle.
I've tried everything from drugstore brand names to splashing the cash on dermalogica products (may I just add that out of everything, I spent the most amount of money on Dermalogica, resulting in me laying in bed the next day with a wet flannel over my face, unable to even touch it or go out, typical!). Nothing, and I mean nothing has ever worked.
Back to my trusty tea tree wipes till I find something else.
Rewind 3 weeks ago and I was browsing the beauty aisle in Asda when I came across Clean & Clear products on offer. I've tried Clean & Clear before, but only ever 1 product at a time. This time I bought 4 products, if I want to knock this stupid skin problem on the head, I wasn't going to do it half-heartedly. The best thing about these is that they are oil free, which is perfect for me as my skin gets very oily during the day.
In order of use:
Morning Routine - I use the 'morning energy' gentle exfoliator in a morning (obv!). This comes out in a bright green gel-like formula with small blue beads that burst as you massage into skin. I then apply the deep cleaning lotion to a cotton wool pad and clean my face. This can be used alone or after washing to tighten pores. I then apply a little moisturiser, apply make-up then I'm good to go!
Night routine - Remove make-up with T-Zone tea tree facial wipe (purchased from Bodycare, 2 packs for £1.99). Remove eye make-up with No7 eye make-up remover. (Please do not touch eye area with tea-tree products!) I then massage the cream wash into my skin, followed by the deep cleansing lotion again. Due to my skin being very oily, I am not currently using a night moisturiser.
Why do I like these products?
I love the tingly sensation the products create. This tells me it's really getting in those pores and doing its job!
How efficient it is. Once you get used to the products, you can be in and out the bathroom within minutes (always a bonus when you're running late!). Also, if you've just come in from a late night, the last thing you want to do is take your make-up off. But we all know you must! The good thing about this routine is you can bypass the cream wash at night and go straight to the deep cleanser and bam, you're ready for bed. Even if you're drunk this is hard to get wrong!
How affordable and easily accessible the products are. All of the products above were purchased for £2 each and always seem to be on offer in one store or another.
My shiny oily face can now last a full 8hrs before it starts to appear (as opposed to 3hrs before!)
How soft and silky smooth my skin feels afterwards (I can never stop touching it!)
The results! (read on to find out more!)
The Results
Because I've tried so many products, I was beginning to lose all hope in finding that miracle blemish remover. These products combined have achieved the best results I have ever seen from any skincare product I have used. I have been using them religiously for approx 3 weeks now and can honestly say my confidence has improved dramatically when it comes to my skin and talking to people, and not having to think 'yes, I can see your staring at that spot, don't you worry!'. I'm not going to lie, yes the odd spot or 2 has reared its ugly head since, but no way near as many as I would have had a month ago. I tend to get spots along my jawline, and some are still there, but they have changed to flat red marks as opposed to bulbous ones that pertrude half a mile off your face! (Eurgh, that just sounds gross!) The red marks needs a little foundation and no one would know, my skin still looks flawless.
I do tend to lean my chin/jaw area into my hands a lot at work when I'm at my desk, which obviously wont help the jawline situation. I really must stop doing this!
I'm more careful with my pillow case, and rotate them every day or two so I'm not sleeping on the same side for too long.
So, after that essay type blog (sorry!), if any of you do suffer from problematic skin and havent tried the above products, I really do recommend them. I don't know if it would be as effective if only a couple of the products were used, but its worth a try. If you do try them, let me know, I'd be intrigued to know if anyone else gets positive effects from these.
I'm waiting for the day till my skin gets used to these products and stops working altogether. Hopefully this will never happen but for now I'm quite happy and settled with my new skincare routine. I'm still open to try new things, but can't see me changing anytime soon.
