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Category Archives: BEAUTY
MY 3 HOLY GRAILS OF SKINCARE (THAT I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE 25)
These 3 ingredients i will not live without.
they are the foundation of my skincare regime & changed my skin in a way i never thought possible!
My skincare journey has been a rough ride …to say the least. Only at the ripe age of 27 did I begin to master my skin (and trust me I tried everything). So, on the off chance you are after glowy, pillowy, spot-free skin …READ ON, lover, I’ve got you covered.
To me, glowing skin is an outer sign of inner health, because:
1.) It probably means that your body is nourished with good vitamins and nutrients that suit your own specific chemical make up – go you!
2.) It also means that you may likely be dedicating 5-10 minutes to the top and bottom end of your days with a physical act of self-love, that becomes a ritual which represents you saying to yourself:
“I matter”, every morning and every night.
Well, isn’t that nice?
No, but seriously, good skin = added confidence, and that’s always a good thing (unless you’re Leo in The Big Short).
Bad skin = cover me up, Sally. I’ll take the double-wear foundation, please. And the concealer… and you can throw in the blemish stick, too. And maybe the primer, and do I need that other photo-perfect foundation, too, just in case?
No, girl… No, you don’t.
Wearing too much on the skin in the day doesn’t allow it to breathe well. I don’t care what any packaging promises. This is common-sense. If there’s less covering the pores, it’s less likely that it’ll get clogged, and oxygen is always a good thing (unless you’re a fish).
So… For me, my skincare regime needs to do two integral things:
1. Prevent, and Fight, Breakouts
2. Pause, or even, REVERSE the hands of time (no, I’m not kidding, I want this… am I becoming Michelle Pfeiffer in The Witches. That’s ok, MP is always a good thing).
And… These three miracle products …DO BOTH!!!!
So, without further adieu, here are our Star Players …the heroes …the saviours …of my skin:
1. Retinol Serum
What is it? Retinol is a retinoid, an umbrella term for Vitamin A derivatives, therefore a natural substance. Retinol is the second strongest retinoid and the most tolerable for most bodies.
What does it do? EVERYTHING AMAZING! No… Okay… Taylor… I do need to calm down…
1. Retinol speeds up your cell regeneration process. As you get older, your cells regenerate slower and this is why we age. It visibly plumps the skin, and is one of the only things that actually REVERSES rather than just slows down, the AGEING process!!!
2. It exfoliates at a cellular level so actually ends up BRIGHTENING your beautiful skin.
3. It keeps your oil supplies regulated, and also stops your skin from clogging which means no blackheads or spots so all-in-all, PREVENTS and TREATS ACNE (hallelujah)
4. (Yes, I know, 4… This is stupid, you’ve done enough, Retinol, you can stop now…) But 4… It EVENS OUT SKINTONE over time, fading acne scars, dark spots, hyperpigmentation, resulting in More Gorgeous Outside of Yoooou!!! Yaaayyyy!
Can you vouch for this? Hell yeah, it literally changed my life. No, I’m joking, that’s so shallow (…it did change my life).
Where can I find it RIGHT NOW? I have struggled to find this in South African shops… In London I buy it on Amazon and this is my brand, and this is the link:
I like mine mixed with Hyaluronic Acid, but we will get to that baby in a minute ;).
FYI: I DO NOT!!! buy Retinol from Big Brands because I believe the simpler it is, the better, and, in its truest, purest form, it should not be expensive.
This option looks good to me for those of you in Africa. I’ll have to buy it soon and give it a review:
– it is also mixed with Vit E which is a good sign.
Important Notes: Use at night after your cleanser because it thins the skin and you shouldn’t get too many rays directly after using it. Some say to wait 5 mins before applying moisturiser so it’s chemical structure doesn’t change.
2. Vitamin C Serum
What is it? It’s self-explanatory. I’m not going to tell you what an orange is.
What does it do? It MOISTURISES, it BRIGHTENS, EVENS OUT, helps prevent HYPERPIGMENTATION, it plumps the under-eye area therefore WARDS OFF DARK UNDER-EYE CIRLCES, it promotes collagen production so SLOWS AGEING, and… it PREVENTS sun damage. Phewph… That’s enough.
What did it actually do for you? It gave my skin a much plumper, more youthful appearance and it killed bacteria and fought breakouts.
Where can I find it RIGHT NOW? Again, I haven’t found my African supplier yet, I get this one off ebay or Amazon in the UK:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/12017742455
It is also combined with my best friend, Hyaluronic Acid, who is coming right up neeeext!
These two look good to me and, again, if I were you, I wouldn’t get duped into buying a Name, it is a pure ingredient we are looking for.
Notes: Use at the beginning of the day after your cleanser and before your sunscreen and moisturiser. It will act as an added protector.
3. Hyaluronic Acid
What is it? It is a naturally occurring substance in the human body that retains moisture, and a single gram has the ability to hold up to …6 litres of water!
What does it do? It helps to keep skin properly hydrated which means
PLUMPER, FULLER, PILLOWY, SMOOTHER more YOUTHFUL-LOOKING skin, and then… Think about it …the ageing process slows significantly because the skin is kept hydrated, and wrinkles and fine lines are delayed or even diminished.
Added bonues: It also has been proven to have antioxidant properties that protect the skin from pollution, so …yay!
Can you vouch for it? I’m like a kid in a candy store. I can’t get enough.
Where can I find it RIGHT NOW? Mine comes as an added ingredient in the formulas above so I don’t actually buy it as a serum, but because I can’t find serums with all of the above, I found an alternative here for the babes in Africa:
https://musebeauty.co.za/product/yeouth-pure-hyaluronic-acid-serum/
SUMMARY:
Look after your skin and it will look after you. Do this, drink lots of water, get your sleep, eat good for your bod, and you’ll be glowing!
Or just …do this …and you’ll be glowing!
***If your skin is sensitive, always check with your derm or doc before trying something new. I’m not a doctor, this is just what has worked for me, if I was a doctor I wouldn’t have time to write this blog. I’d be saving lives. Okay.
DISCLAIMER:
Good skin is like cleaning your house or going to the gym. You can’t just do it once and expect the results to last forever. If you break routine, your skin will suffer.
End. Of. Story.
Happy a wonderful Monday evening!
(Lots of) Love,
Jess
Instant Gratification, Please. 