My personal skincare story

I remember the first time that I looked at the ingredients listed at the back of one of my skincare products. What astonished me the most was the fact that there were so many of them! Trying to figure out what all of these complex and scary looking names were was difficult, and of course there was a niggling feeling at the back of my mind that they were most likely not what most people would actively choose to put on to their skin. It’s easy to pick up a popular, raved about product, or one with pretty colourful packaging and completely fall for the hype.. believing it’s promise to transform your skin into a beautiful glowing canvas in little to no time. 

When I began to research a lot of the common ingredients in beauty products, I was almost a little angry at myself at the time, because most of the products I was so used to buying and enjoyed using (even though they rarely gave me the results they promised), I now couldn’t look at in the same way. Here is a article from the website organicbeautytalk.com which lists some common ingredients found in skin products, which you might wish to avoid after reading. Personally, I almost wished I could be oblivious and forget the information I had been reading, after all, if I couldn't use these products then what on earth could I use on my skin?

At the time, I was suffering from cystic acne, which motivated me to start doing a lot of my own research on the internet about how these ingredients may actually affect the condition of my skin. We absorb about 60 percent of what is put on to our skin, so it's a good idea to know exactly what is in these products that we buy! It just didn't sit well with me that there were so many additives, chemicals, parabens and basically a lot of names I didn't recognise, and so this was the main reason that I started to move away from store bought skincare items. I remember, around that time, buying a product from a well-known brand which is marketed as being free from any sort of ingredient that might irritate the skin, only to break out in a major rash on my face! So really I had no more excuses to not begin my journey into a more natural route for my skin.

Ever since I began to switch my skincare regime from one consisting of manufactured lotions and potions to a more natural regime, my skin has improved so much. My acne has cleared up (for the most part), and my skin never gets irritated. I also feel so much better knowing that I am not putting anything harmful into my skin. I’ve had a lot of fun over the past couple of years learning how to incorporate natural 'ingredients' into my skincare. It can be quite a creative process, experimenting with different natural ingredients.. finding which ones work best together.. figuring out how different ones will help certain skin types, mixing them in various ratios.. and creating pretty containers to store them in! It's something I really enjoy doing.

My staple natural products that have helped my skin the most
While I'm always trying new products out and changing up my routine, there are a few natural saviours that I use on a daily basis that have really improved the condition of my skin.

Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil will be the topic of my next blog post. I've held out on writing about it until now, as I wanted to make sure I had good experience using it for at least six months. Coconut oil has basically been my daily morning and night time cleanser, and so it has replaced the need for me to use a manufactured one, which really makes me happy! You can read in detail about how I use this, along with its other uses in my next post.

Rosewater
Ah, rosewater, how did I live without you? This is a firm favourite of mine. I use rosewater to remove any coconut oil left on my face after my cleanse. I then splash my face with water and simply spritz on this amazing product as a toner. The condition of my skin has improved a lot since incorporating this little beauty in to my daily routine. Gone are the days of useless store bought toners, many of which are full of alcohol. You can read about rosewater in more detail in my previous post.

Oatmeal
If I ever have a bad breakout, I simply cleanse my skin with oatmeal twice a day, or make an oatmeal face mask. Oats calm the skin and are full of powerful ingredients to combat acne. They're also great for other skin types and you can read about exactly how to use them in one of my older posts.

Sweet Almond Oil
I use this soothing oil each night before bed. It has replaced my need to use a manufactured night cream, and improved the condition of my skin to no end. A little goes a long way with this oil, so one bottle (even if it's a small one) will last you a long time. My skin tends become quite dehydrated at times, at this oil has really saved it! Read more about its many beauty benefits here.

So, there you have it, a little information about my journey into the world of natural skincare. I hope you, the readers, are enjoying the little tips and tricks I am sharing with you. Please feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions about natural skincare, as I am more than happy to help and really enjoy sharing this information with others, I could literally talk about this stuff for hours!

Until next time...

Sinéad

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