My skincare routine

I love reading these posts on other people’s blogs and thought it was time to share my own. I’ve followed the same basic routine for a long time – cleanse with a face wash, tone and then moisturise.

For the last few years I have been using Liz Earle products almost exclusively. They’re simple, smell nice, and do what they claim to do. They used to be quite hard to get hold of, but you can now buy them easily online, or in John Lewis.

I’m a bit obsessive and meticulous when it comes to my skincare – here’s my routine, which I repeat morning and evening without fail:

1. Cleanse with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (£14). I’ve used various different hot cloth cleaners over the years and this is my favourite. Hot cloth cleanser basically means rubbing a cleansing balm onto your skin and washing it off with a hot muslin cloth (or flannel). You’re cleansing, then gently exfoliating. If you buy a starter pack of Liz Earle products, you’ll get a few of these cloths with it, but you can buy them separately. They do feel nicer than ordinary flannels. The cleanser is creamy and has a really evocative eucalyptus scent. I have combination skin – oily and dry – and I find this cleanser manages to strike the perfect balance. My feels clean and fresh after using it, but never tight or dry. You only need to use a pea sized amount each time – a bottle generally lasts me for about two months, sometimes more.

2. After cleansing, tone with Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic (£14.50). Swiping this over my face with a cotton pad is wonderfully soothing and calming. It’s supposed to soothe and brighten your skin. It certainly feels lovely and fresh – it’s not an astringent, and never creates any harsh, burning sensations (which I have felt with toners in the past). It contains Aloe Vera, Calendula, Rose Geranium and cucumber – and smells amazing. Each bottle lasts a long time – about three months for me. Once a week I also follow my hot cloth cleanser with the Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator (£15.75).

3. After toning I used to just moisturise, but I have recently added an extra step and have started using a serum. About six month’s ago my skin started to become more congested than usual – with lots of blackheads and blemishes. I’d read about La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (£15.50) on various blogs and decided to give it a go. It claims to unclog pores, refine skin texture and reduce marks and blemishes. It’s a thinnish serum which I apply at bedtime over my T-zone. I only use a tiny amount as a little goes a long way. I’ve been using it for about 4 months now and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my skin. My pores still seem a bit clogged, but I now hardly ever get any horrible, large spots (previously I’d be getting several each week). I’m also using much less concealer than I was a few months ago and my skin tone seems more even. The blackheads are still a bit of a problem, but the improvement is significant enough for me to be sticking with this clever little product.

4. After applying the above serum, I use Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser (£20.25). It’s quite rich, so I apply it quite sparingly in the summertime and a little more generously in winter. I used to use special night creams and day creams, but now I just use a few dabs of this morning and evening. Like all Liz Earle products, it has a fresh, botanical scent which is so different from other moisturisers. A pot of this really does last for ages, I only buy it a couple of times a year.

5. In the summertime I also try and use a facial sun block – I’m a bit fussy about this as I can’t stand using normal suncream on my face. My absolute favourite is Clarins UV Plus (£32). It’s a light lotion which really does offer great protection.

Recently I have also tried La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL (£16.50) which is ok, and very light feeling, but not quite as amazing as the Clarins one.

So that’s me and my skincare regime. I realise that some of the products seem expensive, but they really are fantastic value for money. Once you get over the initial outlay of buying everything for the first time, it doesn’t feel too bad. They also rarely run out at the same time, so I find myself only buying one product at a time, which feels a lot more affordable.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, then I think that Boots’ Cucumber Cleansing Lotion (£1.50) is really good – especially if you use it with a hot cloth. There are also toner, moisturisers and scrubs in the same range. I also think Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Lotion (£3.29) is a pretty good cleansing option. I forgot to pack my cleanser for my summer holiday in deepest Wales and a bottle of this from a tiny chemist got me through the week.

What are your favourite skin care products? I’d love to know what I’m missing out on!