Product Empties - Spring/Summer 2018

Rather than doing individual products I have been hoarding lots of empty bottles in order to give an accurate representation of what I ACTUALLY use up. I try a lot of products so if something is empty it means its good, or at least I've given it a bloody good test.

Lets start from the top. A lot of these products will have been reviewed or featured in other posts and if that is the case I will link them for you!

Row 1

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +

Reviewed in my Roaccutane Survival Guide but in summary, a triple whammy of spot fighting ingredients in one handy cream/serum. LOVE IT. I will always have at least 1 of these on the go however after the Roaccutane and getting my skincare routine down, I find that I have less need for this am am using instead Paulas Choice 4% BHA serum as a once a week treatment on clogged areas or as a more specific spot treatment if one appears.


Ren Vita Mineral Eye Cream

Came as a freebie with something. I'm not even going to bother linking it as it did sod all from my under eye area. I have done a post all about my feelings on under eye care so have a read of that for much better options

Monu Skin Recovery Balm

Again, another gift with purchase. This was...OK. It was too drying to be classed as a balm, yet contains oil so isn't suitable for acne prone or oily skin. Hence I won't be using it again, in fact I used up the rest of the tube on my hands. Nuff said. 

Hyaluronic acid capsules

Love these. I have in fact gone through far more bottles than shown here. There is no need to buy fancy ones, similarly, there is also no point buying them in combination with anything else as there will always be better sources of - for example - zinc, or if combined with collagen you will simply pee it out as the collagen molecule is too large to be absorbed from the digestive tract. 

I have (of course) done a post all about my favourite supplements so head over and have a read if you want to cut the crap and see what really is worth your time , money and digestion. 

NIOD Multi Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Complex

This is the Ferrari/Lamborghini of the hydrating serums. Thin, watery, rapidly absorbed with no pilling. You can therefore use a much smaller amount of this than cheaper and thicker serums so yes, this is pricey but it lasts far longer than say, The Ordinary version. Different molecule weights of hyaluronic acid mean all the layers of the epidermis can be targeted as different weights mean different sizes which can pentrate to different extents. Which is exactly what you need for well hydrated, bouncy, glowy skin. The fact that it is so light yet so effective means I am often able to skip moisturiser and go straight to SPF, which is amazing in this weather. It was also a god send during Roaccutane treatment. 

Row 2

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser
Fantastic oil free moisturiser. Super lightweight, great for men. The only issue I have with this it is SUPER fragranced , enough to cause sensitivity if you are prone. It did sting on me on occasion especially around the eyes so I will not be repurchasing, there are far better light yet hydrating, oil free options. Guess what....there's a post on that too


Footner exfoliating foot mask/socks

My second box. I have done a full post here. 

Boots Sun Swim Gym protection mask

I probably get through one of these every 2 weeks. I put it in before swimming (EVERY TIME) and without fail will have incredibly shiny, none damaged hair afterwards. Amazing. Washes out super easily too. Swimming post here

Dirty Works Buttery Salt Scrub. 

At any point in time I have at least 5 of these in my bathroom cabinet. The best body scrub I have every tried. It actually scrubs without scratching, leaving oily residue or generally making a mess. Great before fake tan, to remove fake tan, for bumpy arms or legs, before shaving etc. Wouldn't be without it, plus, its only £3!!

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads 60 packs extreme
These are a fantastic affordable daily peel pad. Yes you can buy a lotion (like Pixi Glow Tonic), however I like these as they contain glycolic, lactic and salicylic acid which is ideal for all skin types but especially those struggling with blocked pores especially at this time of year. I wouldn't bother with the daily version of these as even those these are labelled as "extreme" they are still only a low percentage of AHA/BHA.
Learn about acid toners/peeling here


NeoStrata Skin Active Retinol Plus NAG Complex 

This is extremely pricey and extremely strong. Although it is only 0.5% retinol it performs in the same way a much stronger percentage product would. Everyone who uses this experiences peeling. In my case I could use twice a week, and without fail on the third time I would wake up with a burning red face which would peel off 2 days later. Not pleasant. It contains NeoGlucosamine™ (which is the NAG bit) which supposedly reinforces the skins protective barrier, however no amount of this could protect my skin. I used it up because of the price tag but will definitely not be buying again. I now use Retriderm Max 1% retinol. Amazing effects, absolutely 0 irritation. 

Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion

This was my 4th tube and I will not be without it. With a lactic acid complex not only does it really hydrate, it also exoliates. Great for bumpy skin on the back of the arms, amazing for use on legs particularly after hair removal. Cannot race enough about it. It also comes in a cream form and fragrance free. Perfection. Look out for it on offer at Escentual as they often to 1/3 off.
(Yes, its so good I cut the top off to get the remnants out)

No7 Laboratories LINE CORRECTING Booster Serum

Second tube. Will be buying more immediately. Find out more here but if you are a wash and go kinda girl but you want to have a dabble in anti ageing without the faff - this is the one for you. You can use all over or on targeted areas
Row 3

Colab dry shampoo spray hype galactic 200ml

I mentioned this in my hair care post. Smells incredible, not great oil absorption but great if your hair feels "too clean" or if it just needs a bit of oomph/texture or to use almost as a hair perfume


CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

I am currently working through my second bottle of this. Fragrance and nasty-free cleanser. Will not remove eye make up but will happily remove light foundation, spf, grime etc. I always do a double cleanse when wearing make up so this is simply just to clean the skin itself. Non stripping, non irritating. I am fairly fickle with my cleansers so will keep you posted. 

Listerine Total Care Zero Mouthwash

If I am fickle with my cleansers then I am an absolute floozy with my mouth wash choice. Mouthwash for the most part should simply be used as a top-up of fluoride or freshness. Not to be used within 30 minutes of brushing. I use this if I have had a lot of citrus and cant brush just yet, or have been on the garlic. As long as it is gentle (no alcohol if possible) and contains a decent amount of fluoride I will simply buy whatever is on offer. 

Xentan dark lotion

I cannot rave enough about this stuff... so to save you from boredom..head to my summer survival post. Already have another one on the go and one in the spares box.

Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk

This. Smells. INCREDIBLE. Like coconut, sugar, and almond with a tiny hint of lime. Extremely moisturising. Love it. The matching body wash is also completely yummy.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1%

I absolutely adore most of Deciem's products and am constantly trying more every week. This however has been a stable. I feel no need to buy any other brand or spend more money to get better results as this works perfectly. See my post on niacinamide for why....and also I have done a review of The Ordinary products I have tried so far (there's a lot)



Top 5 of my empties that you should try:

1) Dirty Works body scrub combined with the Footner mask because feet need extra help (yes that counts as 1!)

2) The Ordinary Niacinamide and Zinc for the reasons mentioned here 

3) XenTan Dark Lotion (the original not Luxe). Best body fake tan hands down. I never have any streaking, and it doesn't fade leaving you looking like tiger bread

4)Hyaluronic acid supplements to keep all the good stuff trapped in and retaining all that lovely dewy moisture in your skin. As a side effect it also helps joints etc

5)Sun Swim Gym protection mask. Without it my hair would have turned to straw and fallen off years ago.
IF YOU DON'T SWIM (bonus product)
5) Nip Fab exfoliating pads. Great entry level into AHA and BHA exfoliation. Very affordable. Work amazingly well especially in the heat

Lacura (Aldi) review...and why not to believe everything the Daily Mail tells you

So…on the request of a beautiful follower I am doing a review of the Lacura range from Aldi.

My gut feeling with this range is that a lot of the hype is media driven and you can see why. When a well-priced (i.e. cheap) supermarket brings out a skincare line that doesn’t seem to be utter crap, its not surprising that people will jump on it to be the answer to all their skincare issues.

Let’s dig in a bit deeper.

So I went down to my local Aldi and found a whole aisle of Lacura products. Some are shaving and hand/body care products which I imagine would be perfectly fine, I am a bit picky with my razors but a hand cream is a hand cream.

From the narrowed down list, I can automatically give you some no go products to start with:

Product	Don’t do it
Facial scrub	At best it will do nothing, at worst you will sandpaper your face, irritating dry skin and risking causing a break out in acne prone skin. Instead, if you MUST use a physical scrub, go for No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Face Exfoliator http://www.boots.com/no7-total-renewal-micro-dermabrasion-face-exfoliator-10138992 Yes its more expensive but it will actually do something for your skin, not cause irritation or broken capillaries. I learnt the hard way from over use of scrubs
Cleansing wipes	Unless you’re using these to wipe your bum, I would stay well away. They contain too much rubbish, and not enough to actually remove make up. Look at my cleansers post to find a better way

So that leaves us with the cleansers, serums and a LOT of moisturisers. Now bear in mind I have not used these, and as a beauty junkie constantly trying things, you should take some credence from the fact that I was not even tempted to pick them up. I am a bit of a beauty snob but only for ingredients not for prices. That being said, read on and see why I didn’t take them with my carrots to the check out.

Product	Relevant ingredients	Verdict	What to get instead
Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream	Aloe, shea butter, beeswax, glycerin, niacinamide, jojoba seed oil, silicone, wheat, soy protein ,sodium hyaluronate, ubiquinone (Co enzyme Q10).	There are about 1000 ingredients in this product, most are preservatives, perfumes and fillers. The niacinamide comes 13th in the list of ingredients which suggests it is unlikely to be at an appropriate percentage. The sodium hyaluronate is far too low down to be in any sizeable amount . Again, alcohol is present and perfume as well as soy and wheat This will do nothing more than moisturise, which is of course crucial to a healthy skin, you always want the outer layer of the skin to be healthy and in tact to provide a barrier, but do you really need 41 ingredients in a product that just moisturises? The things making this cream feel nice on the skin are just silicone and various oils which long term really aren’t great for any skin but are especially bad for acne prone or even blackhead prone skin Oh, and the spf is chemical. I suppose better than nothing but you don’t reapply your moisturiser throughout the day so your protection will probably last an hour.	The ordinary niacinamide serum https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-niacinamide-10pct-zinc-1pct-30ml The ordinary hyaluronic acid serum https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/the-ordinary-hyaluronic-acid-2-b5.html Yes these serums come to £10 rather than £3.50 but they will last longer and actually work. The ordinary natural moisturising factors provides all the ingredients you need for a healthy skin barrier. No fragrance, no oil, no alcohol, no silicone, no fillers, no crap…and its £4.90 https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-natural-moisturizing-factors-ha-30ml
Q10 Anti wrinkle renew night	Alcohol, beeswax, various palnt oils, silicone, ubiquinone, sodium hyaluronate, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), retiny palmitate, retinol	Alcohol is the second ingredient Hyaluronic acid is number 32 Vitamin c is 33 and 34 The retinols are at 35 and 37 sandwiching some more alcohol After this there is a list of ingredients which I can find no use for other than as fillers and as preservatives, and they include, guess what, more alcohol and more perfume. Yes there are active ingredients in here but they will be at such low percentages that they will have no action at all.	If you want retinol, use it in a percentage that will work. If you are concerned with it causing side effects, use one of the high street brands, la roche posay, Neutrogena, or the Ordinary.You will get better results, with no irritation, without having to put rubbish on as well https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-advanced-retinoid-2pct-30ml https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-retinol-02pct-in-squalane-30ml
Q10 renew serum	Glycerin, seed oils, lactic acid, ubiquinone	More alcohol and fragrance, there isn’t even any hyaluronic acid serum in here. I don’t know what is is renewing other than the opening mechanism of your purse. Yes there is lactic acid in here which is good, but as it is the 20th ingredient its unlikely it will be at a high enough percentage to work.	This serum by the ordinary combines lactic acid and hyaluronic acid and costs £5.80. It’s a no brainer. https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-lactic-acid-10pct-ha-2pct-30ml
Soy restorative serum	Glycerin, seed oil, shea butter, more oil and soy, silicone, sodium hyaluronate, ubiquinone, vitamin c derivative, perfume, alcohol	Again, the product will probably feel lovely on the skin as it has lots of oil, shea butter and silicone. The active ingredients are 27 and 32 on the list so again, unlikely to be of any benefit. Similarly, vitamin c is extremely unstable when mixed with water so give it a week and even this low level will be completely useless	Honestly…you’d be better with anything. This is even more horrifying as serums are meant to be the power player in the routine. If you are going to go to the effort of buying a serum, decide what it is you want it to do. If you want hydration, go for hyaluronic acid. The ordinary https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/the-ordinary-hyaluronic-acid-2-b5.html or for even more of a budget… Superdrug https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Face-Serums/Superdrug-Simply-Pure-Hydrating-Serum-50ml/p/342700 £2.99!!! If you want collagen boosting and brightening, go for vitamin C (I will do a post on this soon) If you want all of the above, go for a retinol in the evening
Lacura Expert Beautifying Serum	Glycerin and flower extracts	Perhaps the most worrying thing about this, is that the second highest ingredient in this…is alcohol Then there’s a few emollient type things, some algae etc
Face wash gel		This does not seem to have a foaming agent in it which is a plus. It also claims to have no fragrance and there does not seem to be any alcohol.	As it only washes off, this would not be a terrible option.
Moisturising face wash	Sodium laureth sulfate, I stopped reading at this point	As the second ingredient, this will be a foam packed party. I do not see how it could be moisturising with this amount in.	Cereve hydrating cleanser, Good for ALL skin types http://www.boots.com/cerave-hydrating-cleanser-236ml-10246701
Soy day cream	Oxycrylene, seed oils including SUNFLOWWER OIL, silicone, more seed oil, sodium hyaluronate, ubiquinone, ascorbyl palmitate, perfume.	The spf is the second ingredient which is actually quite encouraging, it is chemical but if worse came to worst you would be adequately protected, however, there are no other actives.	Go to a different aisle and get some vegetable oil/sunflower  and mix it with a hyaluronic acid if you feel inclined to use these products
Soy restorative night cream	Soy oil, glycerin, seed oils, soy extract, more oil including VEGETABLE OIL, uniquinone, soium hyaluronate, ascorbyl palmitate, alcohol, perfume	I don’t know if I need to say anything here. The active ingredients are so far down and mixed with water so will be of no active use.
These are the interesting ones as these are the products that the press jumped on as being comparable to La Prairie’s range which sparked everyone to run down to the supermarket on the promise of younger looking skin
Caviar night cream	Glycerin, caviar extract, seed oil, silicone, perfume, alcohol	If you believe caviar extract will make you look younger then go for it. To be honest, I wouldn’t even consider buying La Prairie even if I could afford it as it has few more active ingredients than this. See above. Use some active ingredients and put this over the top if you must
Caviar day cream	Glycerin, silicone, plant and caviar extract, sodium hyaluronate, perfume, alcohol

In conclusion, don’t bother. Honestly, using a £5 serum from the ordinary and some e 45 over the top would be more beneficial. 

Cutting through the crap (on your skin) part 1 - science and cleansers

First things first, the most important step to your skincare is cleansing your face. 

1)      1f you leave make up on your skin, that means you are leaving oil, silicone, chemical spf (my nemesis) along with all the rubbish from the environment that has become trapped in it throughout the day - namely your own oils, pollution (blow your nose after spending a day in the city and see if you'd want that left on your skin) , and bacteria particularly from phone surfaces or touching your face. None of this is beneficial to good skin. 

Yes some people may be blessed - we all know the story "ooo my friend has slept in her make up for 50 years and she still looks 12". Unfortunately "she" is a myth 

Not only will this dirt lead to problems such a blocked pores and spots, it will also increase the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Think of painting a wall, imagine continuously layering and layering more and more paint. Is that last layer going to look smooth and shiny? No. Its going to crack. Do you want this for your face?

This leads to issue number…

2)      If you do not remove the make up, dirt and debris and dead skin, whatever product you put on next, whether it costs £2 or £200 will be completely pointless as it will not be absorbed. You will effectively just be paying to apply nice treatments to your finger tips, which fine if all you’re hoping to do is ant age your finger prints.

Now consider you have a good habit with cleansing, are you doing more damage that the above 2 points would cause? You may well be if you are using the wrong cleanser.

Generally if you have a “normal” skin. That means, not prone to skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema etc you can use pretty much anything you like…..EXCEPT foaming cleansers. Would you shampoo your face? No (and if you would, you are probably not the target audience of this blog).

I will explain the reasons behind this. Foaming cleansers contain products such as sodium laureth/lauryl sulphate as well as some new fangled derivatives of these that they like to disguise but generally end in sulphate. These strip the skin of oil. Surely this would be beneficial for acne? The answer is no. The body wants to maintain equilibrium and so if you remove oil, your body will work to make more. Just as when you pluck that pesky chin hair, 2 more will come to its funeral.

In this way, foam which strips is counter intuitive to pretty much everyone except those with a clinical oily skin, which is pretty much no one, and even for those people, there are better options.

It is a similar case with physical exfoliating cleansers. As an acne veteran I used to have an obsession with all things scrubby. I felt if I could just remove the top 500 layers of my skin, the dirt would be able to release and maybe I would find a layer that didn’t have acne. This was not the case. Acne is an inflammatory process. If you scrub and weaken the barrier of the skin, not only does this inflame it, it leads to bacteria being able to enter and boom, spots ahoy.

Similarly, if you scrub and have any dryness of sensitivity you will be left with more of it.

You are best to stick to chemical exfoliants – which I will discuss in a separate post.

It is worth noting at this point that make up wipes are banned in my skin religion. They do not effectively remove make up. They mostly contain a load of crap. They have no place in a skin care routine unless you are a drunk student and you use one whilst hugging the toilet. This is a similar case for micellar waters. A lot of them contain alcohol or other nasties. They should be used for eye make up removal only prior to a proper cleanse.

So…that’s a lot of what not to use…what SHOULD you use.

Bear in mind ALL skin is sensitive. If you use the wrong product or abuse it, it will flare up. It can also become sensitised to ingredients at any point. My skin used to be like a rhinoceros, I could put anything on it and it not cause a reaction. Now, I can’t use fragranced products, go in the sun etc. Just in the same way you can develop food allergies, the same can occur with skin.

Skin type	Cleanser type	My faves
Dry. No rosacea or acne	Anything nourishing, you are some of the few that can use a cleansing balm or oil	EMMA HARDIE Moringa Cleansing Balm https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/emma-hardie-amazing-face-moringa-cleansing-balm-with-cleansing-cloth.html This is a solid form of balm, you scoop out a 50p size, warm it in your hands and it transforms into an oil SARAH CHAPMAN SKINESIS ULTIMATE CLEANSE https://www.lookfantastic.com/sarah-chapman-skinesis-ultimate-cleanse-100ml/11165911.html Botanics Organic Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm 97% Organic 70ml This one is pretty much undistinguishable from the significantly more expensive elemis pro collagen cleansing balm. http://www.boots.com/botanics-organic-hot-cloth-cleansing-balm-97-percent-organic-70-ml-10231452
Combination. Dry in some patches, get the occasional spot around the time of the month, maybe the odd blackhead around the nose but no whiteheads	Cream cleansers The reason why I say you should not be prone to regular blocked pores, is that a lot of these cream cleansers contain shea butter or other emollients which can cause serious cloggage problems on those prone to closed comedones. It is ok for blackheads as these are solely caused by poor cleansing habits. If the oil is exposed to the environment (which is what makes it go black), the it can easily be removed.	Lixirskin Electrogel Cleanser https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/lixirskin-electrogel-cleanser.html Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser – oldie but goodie http://www.boots.com/liz-earle-cleanse-and-polish-hot-cloth-cleanser-100ml-10189830 MONU Gentle Cleanser https://www.lookfantastic.com/monu-gentle-cleanser-180ml/10555374.html
Oily Acne prone Closed comedones Rosacea Sensitivity Post procedure or after too much product application	Basic, fragrance free gel cleansers	CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser  http://www.boots.com/cerave-hydrating-cleanser-236ml-10246701 I only link one, as there is only one that I have found which is oil free, fragrance free, and works.
	Bear in mind, any of the other skin types can also use a generic gel cleanser too. It covers all bases, will remove the dirt from your skin but cause no irritation. The other benefit is that these are CHEEAAAPPP. So, save with your cleanser, spend on your treatment products.
People with bulletproof make up	Make up remover oil. You can use the cleansing balms or oils mentioned in the dry skin row, but you are only using it to wash off make up so I do not see the point of spending a lot of money to waste it. Similarly if you are broke to blocked pores – even blackheads – in any form, these balms will be too heavy. So à	L'OREAL PARIS DERMO EXPERTISE SKIN PERFECTION 15 SECOND MIRACLE CLEANSING OIL - ALL SKIN TYPES https://www.lookfantastic.com/l-oreal-paris-dermo-expertise-skin-perfection-15-second-miracle-cleansing-oil-all-skin-types-150ml/10766071.html This turns milky once you massage into the skin and add water. As the name suggests, it takes seconds, and you look like a hilarious panda in the process which is always a joy. You then follow with the appropriate cleanser for your skin type LA ROCHE-POSAY RESPECTISSIME WATERPROOF EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER https://www.lookfantastic.com/la-roche-posay-respectissime-waterproof-eye-make-up-remover-125ml/11355388.html

Tune in for part 2 to discuss how to get the most out of your lovely new cleanser!