Banishing the Blemishes #004: Balance Me

Hi everyone! Part 4 of my Banishing the Blemishes series comes from Balance Me - a natural skincare company who seem to be popping up here, there and everywhere recently! They pride themselves on creating natural yet sophisticated products, bursting with pure natural extracts, essential oils and natural actives. I was sent the Congested Skin Serum and Radiance Facial Oil to try out...

Now the weather's getting a bit warmer, it has been the perfect time for me to put the Congested Skin Serum to the test. Much like many others, my skin turns in to an oily mess in the summer, which is not a good look!

 The Congested Skin Serum is an antibacterial gel that contains lots of beautiful extracts such as lavender, eucalyptus and aloe vera to soothe and moisturise the skin, as well as fighting blemishes. I like to apply it to cleansed skin, and it acts as both a light moisturiser and a spot treatment, which is fantastic. It is perfect for use twice a day, as it doesn't at all dry out my skin. I do however like to apply SPF over it during the day, but my skin feels fine without it none-the-less. It is definitely very good for clearing congestion, which I suffer from quite badly on my chin. However, I do find for bigger spots, my skin needs a spot treatment in addition to this. I will definitely continue to use this but only on areas such as my chin and t-zone, where I'm prone to congestion. This would be a fantastic substitute for any chemical exfoliators, as it does a really good job of gently clearing up congested skin, with no irritation whatsoever in my case. It also smells delicious and is beautifully packaged WITH a pump dispenser - what's not to love? You can buy the Congested skin serum here for just £16!

Alongside the serum, I've been trying out their Radiance Facial Oil. Having tried several facial oils in the past (such as jojoba and Clarins Lotus) with good results, I was really excited to give this a go. Contrary to belief, oils can be very beneficial for oily skins as they work to balance out the skin's oil production, while smoothing and moisturising the skin. The Radiance facial oil contains a potent blend of Amazonian buriti, moringa and camellia oils, that feed skin lacking lustre, leaving it feeling balanced, hydrated and comfortable. I really like the roller-ball applicator, which makes the oil ideal for carrying around in my handbag, ready for when my skin (particularly on my forehead and nose) gets a little dry. It also dispenses the perfect amount of product, to ensure you're not left with an oily mess post-application. I like to apply the oil to my forehead (prone to dryness), as well as my chin, where most of my scarring is. Following using the oil religiously for 4 weeks, I can definitely see an improvement in my scarring. A combination of the oil and massaging my skin has been really beneficial for my scarring, and I can't wait to see the results following continued use! You can buy the oil in rollerball form and from the bottle here.

Have you tried any of Balance Me's products?

xxx

Banishing the Blemishes #003 - The Skin Regime Book & Peel

Hi everyone! Part 3 of my Banishing the Blemishes series comes from a book called The Skin Regime: Bootcamp For Beautiful Skin. Dana, the author, contacted me a couple of weeks ago and very kindly offered to send me a copy, as well as a sample facial peel.

If you're anything like me, the thought of a peel makes you think of acid, pain, and your whole face being burnt off! Oh, how wrong I was. Dana's book guides you through how to safely perform peels at home, and encompasses skincare tips and tricks throughout.

I'm not really one for reading (unless it's a magazine, of course!), but Dana's book was a pleasure to read. It's written in a very matter-of-fact way, and is also very informative on the peels, and skincare in general. The book provides you with a Skincare Regime (hence the title!) to follow inbetween peels, which is very similar to my own, so big thumbs up to that!

*How amazing does Dana's skin look WITHOUT makeup?! Living proof the peels work wonders!

The book is ideal for any skincare fanatic (ahem, like myself), but also people who know very little about skincare, and have concerns about ageing/spots/scarring, etc. Now, on to the peel.

When Dana first contacted me, I was a little apprehensive of the peel side of things. I have always been worried about doing these sort of things in the past, but my mind was completely put to rest when I received the book. It's almost like a cook book, for your face. It has a whole section dedicated to how to use the peel, how to prep your skin before (and maintain it after) and a little bit on what to expect once the peel is on. After scouring the book, highlighting here and underlining there, I felt like I was ready to try it. The peel itself is in liquid form, so it needs to be gently swept over the face with a cotton pad, and left for around a minute (2 at the most). Upon application, my skin was tingling lots (a very strange sensation and quite hard to describe!). I washed it off, as instructed, and was left with very soft skin (if a little red!) The redness had subsided by the morning, but my skin was still beautifully soft!

Of course, I've only tried one peel, so can't comment on the long term effects, but my skin was left very soft and radiant. I can see how this peel would be fantastic for any congestion and scarring, as it really exfoliates and renews your skin. I would thoroughly recommend the book to all of you, as well as the peel. Even if you have sensitive skin, Dana guides you on how you can make the peel work for you. The peels are even sold in different strengths, so you're bound to find one perfect for you! Both the book and peels can be purchased on Dana's website here. You can also find Dana on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you ever tried an at-home facial peel?

xxx

Banishing the Blemishes #002 - Ren Clearcalm

Part 2 of my Banishing the Blemishes series comes from a natural skincare company called Ren. Again, having heard amazing things about Ren all over the blogosphere, I was so excited to be able to try out the Clearcalm range. Ren pride theirselves in producing products free from synthetic fragrance/colour, PEGS, parabens and propylene glycol. 

I received the Clearcalm range to try out, best suited to blemish-prone skin. The set compromises of cleanser, mask, moisturiser and night serum. Unfortunatley, the day moisturiser has been discontinued, but the tzone balancing fluid is a fanatstic substitute.

Clearcalm Clay Cleanser - £18/150ml

This cleanser is unlike anything I've ever used before, it is clay-based, so has quite a firm consistency, very similar to the mask. It is full of gorgeous natural ingredients such as french clay, salicilin and mayblossom to deep cleanse and detoxify the skin. I really like this cleanser, I feel it really calms down my skin and also any angry blemishes I may have. It is quite hard to remove on its own, due to the clay-base, so I like to use a warm muslin to remove, in the same way you would a hot cloth cleanser. I have already ordered the full size version of this, and would highly recommend it if you currently enjoy using a hot cloth cleanser, but maybe your skin is acting up a little.

Clearcalm Clarity Restoring Mask - £30/50ml

This mask is fantastic, the real star of the range. In conjunction with the cleanser, it works wonders. It contains very similar ingredients to the cleanser, and does a wonderful job of clearing up any blemishes you may have. It has a very potent scent, but nothing too awful - I can definitely ignore the scent for the results it gives! I only apply the mask to areas where I have an active breakout, because it is very concentrated and can be a little drying. I think I've hit a winner here! I even apply it to individual under-the-skin spots as it does a great job of drawing them to a head. I am counting down the days until payday, when I can indulge in the full size!

T-zone Balancing Day Fluid - £26/50ml

This moisturiser really lives up to its name. This lavender scented gel contains an exotic mix of essential oils to mattify and balance the skin, as well as protecting the skin from free radicals. This would be the perfect moisturiser for combination skin had it contained some SPF. I always use SPF during the day, so was a little disappointed at this. For this reason, I like to apply a moisturiser with SPF after, which also gives me a little more moisture for the colder months. Nevertheless, it is a great mattifying moisturiser and keeps me shine free (almost) all day.

Clearcalm Replenishing Night Serum - £22/50ml

The serum-gel hybrid contains licorice to reduce sebum production and lingonberry extract to correct hyperpigmentation. It feels extremely light and comfortable on the skin, and is absorbed by the skin almost immediately. I can't really comment on hyperpigmentation, because if something drastically improved hyperpigmentation in 2 weeks, it would be a miracle worker. However, when applying this, I wake up with super soft and glowing skin, almost as if I've applied a liquid exfoliator such as Alpha H liquid gold. It's not quite moisturising enough for winter, however, I will definitely be reaching for this gem during the summer months when my skin is an oily mess!

I have thoroughly enjoyed trialing the Ren Clearcalm range, and it definitely contains some gems! As aforementioned, I have already bought the full sized version of the cleanser, and am waiting on payday before I buy the mask! If I had to recommend you one item from the range, it would definitely be the cleanser. I can't see my skincare routine without it, and in the long term, I'm sure it will whip my troublesome skin in to shape.

Have you ever tried anything from Ren?

xxx

Banishing the Blemishes #001 - Skinetica

Hi everyone! If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know I suffer with my skin. I have tried numerous lotions and potions, routines and spot treatments, but nothing has completely cleared up my skin. Therefore, I am creating a new series on my blog called Banishing the Blemishes. I am currently trying out products from some lovely companies in the hope of returning my skin to its post-blemish state. The first in the series is Skinetica.

Anti-blemish Skinetica is a colourless liquid for spots and blemishes, that claims to clear the skin quickly and kindly. What's more, Skinetica contains no harsh chemicals, is non-greasy, and works best applied directly to the skin twice a day with a cotton pad. 

I was extremely excited to try Skinetica as I have seen so many rave reviews about it from other bloggers. When my Skinetica arrived, my skin had (conveniently) broken out in a cluster of 5/6 spots, which were perfect to trial the product on. They were quite red, sore and inflammed, so I was pleased to find when applied, it didn't sting at all. I applied it twice a day religiously and within a couple of days, the spots were all but a distant memory. Perfect! I did notice however, that the area of application was left quite dry. I presume this is down to the alcohol in the product, as I find it dries my skin out. 

I found Skinetica works best on whiteheads, as opposed to "under-the-skin" spots. When I applied to said spots, it didn't really make a difference, just dried out the surrounding area. Overall, I would really recommend you to try Skinetica if you suffer from whiteheads, as it is definitley very effective, albeit a little drying, for clearing them. In my experience, whiteheads cleared within two days, and didn't leave a horrible red mark behind - horaaah!

If you'd like to give Skinetica a go for yourself, you can order a free sample via their website and contribute just £1 towards postage! Alternatively, full size bottles are available for just £9.99 including postage, which is great considering the great effects it has!

Thanks for reading, look out for part 2 of my Banishing the Blemishes series!

xxx