My 2011 products for dry skin

Johnson's 24hr Moisture Relaxing Body Wash 

Picked this up at my local B&M Homestore whilst on the lookout for bargains! As the weather is getting drier and colder, I've found that the skin on my body is much more irritated and prone to dryness and just a general feeling of discomfort. I don't like using all over body moisturisers EVERY day, so I was on the lookout for a body wash that might help with my dry skin. This product is amazing, it feels silky smooth as you shower (this is probably why it feels relaxing...) and definitely leaves a feeling of moisture after the shower! Good stuff!

- smooth white cream wash that lathers & moisturises
- 400ml bottle, lasts longer!
- Around £1 from B&M! absolute bargain! (currently on offer in Boots for £2.06 for 250ml)


Escenti Cool Feet 'Cracked heel cream'

Another bargain I picked up from B&M (if you're a bargain lover, you really should find out where your nearest B&M is... you can pick up loads of skincare stuff for next to nothing!) 


I don't really have 'cracked' heels as such, but I do get dry skin on my feet pretty much all year round. This is great as it cools your feet, especially after a long day on your feet. I could feel the moisturising effects straight away, and I can see a real difference in the condition of my feet after using this cream! 


- Vitamin E, Urea & added moisturisers
- Menthol & peppermint helps to cool and refresh
- Again a bargain at around £1 :)






Dove essential nourishment hand cream 'deep care complex'

What I'm sure most of us are looking for in a hand cream... is that it would effectively moisturise leaving the hands feeling soft but NOT greasy. This stuff does just that! Been using this for a few days now and I'm always reaching for it whenever I feel my hands getting a little tight or uncomfortable. Also when I wash my hands they tend to get dry if I don't apply a hand cream afterwards. Got mine really cheap at B&M (starting to see a trend here.....) but you could get it at any chemist or supermarket really.

- 24hr long lasting softness
- for normal to dry hands (not too thick or greasy)


For now, these products are doing the trick! 
:)
Lucyx

Custom Clinique 3-Step

For Combination skin (Dry & Oily)

So if you've read some of my other posts, you'll have seen that I've tried various Clinique 3-step systems, including the Anti-blemish range and skin type 1. I've tried sticking with these regimes, but haven't noticed significant differences whilst using them... so I've decided to ditch their suggested ones and create my own, swap products around and that sort of thing :)

This came about when I tried my friend's Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel out of curiosity. I have used the lotion in the past, but have found it too greasy, despite having dry skin. I have noticed that I'm a bit oilier than I used to be, so thought I'd give the gel a try. This stuff feels amazing on the skin. Super hydrating but also non greasy. Great base for make up, makes the skin so soft and supple :)

I still need to be careful what I'm using on my skin, as I am acne prone and have quite sensitive skin. So I decided to go with the Mild Facial Wash. To satisfy my dry areas, I have chosen Clarifying Lotion '2' For Dry Combination skin.

So far so good with this regime.... I've been using it for a couple of days now, and my skin is feeling really soft and supple. Make up goes on better and I think some of the spots on my chin are clearing up (will have to do an update on this!) all I know is that this regime isn't making it worse! Which is great as products often irritate my skin and cause me to break out!

Wishlist: Clinique Exfoliating Scrub

Heard a lot of good reviews on this scrub, and apparently it's effective enough to get rid of dead skin, but also the beads are gentle enough not to irritate the skin too much, which happens if the grains are too rough!

Thanks for reading and I'd like to hear about your skin regime!

What works well for you?
Lucy x

Clinique 7 day scrub cream REVIEW

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream

I had been looking for a decent exfoliator for a while, the dry weather has been wreaking havoc with my skin. Make up goes on blotchy and my nose area has visible dryness! A couple of people suggested using the 7 day scrub cream, and I was willing to try it, and pay the £16.50 price for something which was going to work. THIS STUFF WORKS! :D


What is it like?


This product is quite thick, and you don't need much at all! So even if you think £16.50 is a lot, it will last you a while so it's well worth it! I often end up with excess on my palm (I really need to take my own advice and use less!!)


It's a thick cream with fine grains which doesn't lather. The directions don't suggest that you wet the face before you use the product, but personally I do as it feels like the product can go further and really buff the skin! It can take a little while to rinse the product off as it's so thick, but it's worth the wait! As I dry my skin, it feels so soft!


I thought that with persistent use of this product I would feel the effects decrease with use, but this isn't the case! It's like I'm using it for the first time every time I use it (I use this product up to twice a week to freshen up my skin!) I use it in conjunction with my 3 Step skincare and have found no problems, just great glowing skin! My make up goes on really smoothly and stays put without drying that you can get with other scrubs such as Clean & Clear blackhead daily scrub. I find that this is too harsh for my skin, and being combination/dry, it strips my skin of the moisture I need for the day, making my make up dry up on my nose/chin areas!


Alternatives?

I really like St Ive's apricot scrub, but I would use this less, as it can be quite harsh on the skin! It does the job, but it's not as gentle and nourishing as the Clinique 7 Day scrub




I'm still on the lookout for more scrubs so please if you know of any that might be suitable for my combination/dry acne prone skin then just leave a comment below!


I hope this review was helpful :) thank you for reading!

Favourite winter must-haves!

My winter must-haves

One word springs to mind, DRY! Whether it's your hands, face, legs, feet or even hair! 

What do I use to keep myself feeling great and moisturised during the winter months?

                                                  All over body moisturiser:
                                                                Palmer's Cocoa butter! 
This stuff is amazing for my skin. You can use it all over (apart from the face as it's quite thick) it's good for moisturising very dry areas such as knees, feet and elbows! It smells really good, but if you don't like a strong smelling lotion then you can get a fragrance free version! It doesn't sink in SO quickly that it fails to provide you with the moisture you need, but it also doesn't linger too long on the skin! Just give it a couple of minutes to dry before putting jeans/any tight clothes on :) I put this on after showering to prevent my skin drying out!

                                             Facial moisturisers/routine

Clinique dramatically different moisturising lotion*
This is one of my daily essentials, I use it as part of my 3-step skincare regime. *I use the lotion because I have dry combination skin, if you have oily skin, then it is recommended that you use the Gel. If I don't moisturise, then my skin becomes flaky and red, and blemishes occur. 

 E45 Cream

I use this in place of my Clinique moisturiser if my skin is extremely flaky and dry during the winter months! It's really handy to carry around, you can also use it as a general lotion for your hands, feet, legs etc :) (plus it's really cheap!)

      

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream

I've just discovered this product, thanks to recommendations from @sharan23 & @becomingfab (twitter) I've only used it a few times, but the results have been amazing already! It really does buff away the dead skin cells, revealing fresh new skin. Plus, as it's a cream, it leaves you feeling moisturised and not tight like some exfoliators!

(full review coming soon)

                                           Hand & nail lotion

Soap & Glory Hand Food

This product is great to carry in your handbag, so you can use it whenever you feel your hands getting chapped! This product has that great Soap & Glory smell, and I just feel great using it! (sometimes use it on my feet too, if I have no Cocoa Butter to hand!)

So there you are, some of my favourite winter skincare products! I will be doing a Lipcare review soon, as I have a few products in that area to talk about :)

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment!

Below, a list of places you can buy these products 

& average prices!

• Palmer's Cocoa Butter (around £3.49) Boots, Superdrug, Bodycare
• Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (RRP £15-£27 various sizes) Boots, Selfridges, Debenhams, House of Fraser
• E45 Cream (round £2) Boots, Superdrug, Bodycare, most Supermarkets
• Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream (£16.50) Boots, Selfridges, Debenhams, House of Fraser
• Soap & Glory Hand Food (£2.30-£4.75 50/125ml) Boots

T-Gel Shampoo for dry hair: Does it work?

T-Gel Shampoo for dry hair: review


Do you have a dry, itching, flaking scalp? Well let me tell you, this product could be what you're looking for! 


Why did I try T-Gel?


Since I was put on very strong Acne medication (age 12) I have had terribly dry skin on my scalp (a side effect of the drug). At the time, the Dermatologist supplied me with Nizoral, a powerful (but pretty pink coloured!) psoriasis treatment for the scalp. Nizoral retails for about £7 (around the cost of a prescription, UK).  While this product is good, it can't be used daily, and this is what I need to keep my scalp under control.


Now that my acne is under control (I still get flare ups now and again) my scalp has improved, however I still need to have that dandruff shampoo handy, just to keep it at bay. I have tried T-Gel shampoos before, and the main turn off is the AWFUL SMELL! If you have ever tried T-Gel then you'll know what I mean! This meant that I stopped using the product, and inevitably my dry itching scalp returned......


What makes the T-Gel for Dry hair different?


So now that I'd stopped using the regular T-Gel, what could I do? I was looking around the specialist shampoo section in Boots, and came across the T-Gel for Dry Hair. It claimed to do the same as their other shampoos, but be milder and more nourishing for your hair. It does just this! The clear colour  suggests that there wouldn't be that awful smell, and yay, it has no trademark T-Gel whiff! This product is great for clearing your scalp, and you can even use it daily because it's not as harsh as their other products. It removes the flakes and excess oil gently and leaves my hair looking silky.


How do I use my T-Gel for Dry Hair?


I use my T-Gel Shampoo for Dry Hair, whenever I feel my scalp getting that little bit flaky (especially in the cold weather). At the moment, my daily shampoo is Tresemme moisture (I will be doing a review on this product) and I feel that these work great together! My routine:


1. wet hair, use a 50p sized amount and lather in to hair
2. massage in to scalp to dislodge any flakes
3. rinse well (repeat if necessary, I find once is enough)
4. follow with conditioner (I like Herbal essences 'beautiful ends')

I am glad I've found something which I can 

keep in my bathroom, in case of a flaky, itchy scalp! 

Pro's:                                                                    Con's:

- nourishes hair whilst clearing the scalp              - I can't think of any con's!

- price (around £4)

- no smell (yay!)

- suitable for daily use

                          Alternatives?

These alternative products are by no means inferior to the T-Gel I have just reviewed, but they just have more disadvantages than T-Gel for Dry Hair, in my opinion :) If you don't mind spending that extra money, then I would say that Nizoral is a good option. Also, if you don't mind strong smelling products, then I would go for regular T-Gel, which is really good too! I just prefer T-Gel for Dry Hair, because it's slightly cheaper and has no smell :)

       I hope that this review has been of some help, feel free to leave any comments regarding the product or your own experiences! 

Clinique 3-Step Anti-Blemish Solutions Product Review

Product Review for Clinique's 3-Step Anti-Blemish Solutions

I'll start of first of all by telling you that I have dry-combination skin. My skin is acne-prone (I have suffered with acne since the age of 12, and I still get the occasional flare ups almost ten years later! Sucks eh?) My flare ups are pretty much confined to the chin area and forehead. My face tends to get greasy around the chin/nose and dry on the cheeks/forehead, nightmare if like me you like wearing everything when it comes to make up (foundation, powder, bronzer, blusher!)

Trying Clinique for the first time:

I have been through all the standard 'drug store' skin care ranges, and found myself getting frustrated at my skin, make up just never applied smoothly, and I'd end up greasy and spotty by the end of the day. Luckily, I was in my local Department Store, and browsing the Clinique counter, when a helpful assistant offered me trial sizes of the Anti-Blemish Range, this included: Cleansing Bar for Face and Body, Clarifying Lotion (15ml) and Clearing Moisturiser (15ml). I had never considered Clinique before, as it was quite out of my price range, being a student with no part-time job!

The Clinique Anti-Blemish 3-Step skincare system actually works! (well, for me it does!) It dries up those greasy areas, and horrible spots! I have to say though, with having dry areas, I find that the Clearing Moisturiser does not nourish my skin as I would like (because of its spot fighting ingredients which inevitably dry up the spots/skin) I use in its place Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (not gel). This moisturiser works really well for me, as part of my Anti-Blemish system, as now I have the best of both worlds, spot fighting treatment & moisture in those dry areas, perfect! I also prefer the Cleansing Foam rather than the bar (for convenience really!)

How do I use my 3-Step Skincare System?

I find that I get the best results when I use my 3-Step Anti-Blemish solutions twice a day, every day! It prepares my skin in the morning for make-up, which then glides on and stays on longer! At night I can see and feel my skin looking more refreshed and moisturised, with no traces of make up left (essential to keep that skin free of clogged pores which can lead to a flare up of acne!) This is my routine morning and night:

1. wet the face and neck

2. one pump of cleansing foam, lather in the hands

3. smooth over face gently (avoiding eyes) and rinse with warm water

4. pat face dry

5. apply Clarifying Lotion to cotton pad and wipe over face and neck

6. follow with Dramatically Different Moisturising lotion, face and neck 

Alternatives?

I've found that a cheaper alternative to the Anti-Blemish system is the Superdrug Tea Tree range, but again, if you have dry skin, I would suggest using a richer moisturiser, as the blemish ones can be quite drying. Another alternative, from Clinique, is the 3-Step skin type 2. They currently do starter kits (smaller products in a set) for £20. I bought this set, because they unfortunately do not do an Anti-Blemish starter kit! Skin type 2 caters for dry-combination skin, so I thought I'd give this a try! If you don't mind the slight tingling sensation that the Clarifying Lotion gives, then this is certainly worth a try! I have found that it works just as well as the Anti-Blemish, but the lower price gives it the edge! 

I hope you found this review helpful and please ask any questions you might have and I'll try to answer them! Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment about your own experiences with Clinique!