Testing A New Skincare Regime

Skincare (unfortunately) is not a one-size-fits-all sort of thang. As much as I wish my skin was the type that would be easy-peezy with any regime I picked up off the shelves, it’s not. It’s irritable, it’s picky AF, and it’s temperamental.

NOTE: It never used to be this way. Growing up, going through puberty, my skin was amazing. I never had that teenage acne that’s common to most youngins growing up. Thinking I was in the clear, life hit me and I’ve been blessed with some killer adult-acne. 

Now I find myself desperate to try anything and everything to get my skin back to its former glory, which brings me to this special little combo I’ve been testing out…

I got the chance to do a little skincare introspection with Garnier a couple weekends ago at Langdon Hall. It was an insanely pampering weekend retreat (as you can see from below); but the best part was that I actually spent the entire time trying to understand my skin better. I’ve learnt that skincare is really about experimentation. You have to try things out to know if they do or don’t work. You’ve got to work through the problems and get close to how your skin is reacting.

I know I know, it sounds like I’m trying to date my skin. TBH though, at this point I probably spend more time with it than I do Dave 

#SeriousTalk though, we actually sat down with skincare experts, explained our skin problems (yeah, I basically didn’t shut up), and got prescribed a regime to test. This was my little set which included everything from start to finish. I’ve been trying each of the products everyday to figure out which ones my skin loves and which ones it can do without. If you’re handling some acne/blemish issues, hear me out 

My regime centred around Garnier Skin Active’s ‘Pure Control” line, which is meant for imperfections and targeting acne.

The cleansing gel goes on really smooth and leaves your face with a really refreshed feeling afterwards. There’s no stinging feeling (which I sometimes get with acne products), and I find that when I wake up from using this, my skin still feels refreshed.

I’ve also been using the Acne Gel Scrub with Absorbing Charcoal twice a week; and although I don’t really like scrubs too much (I feel like it leaves my skin really red and irritated), this one was pretty gentle. It’s supposed to control excess sebum (which causes acne). And allthough I haven’t seen a huge reductions in pimples, I’m going to continue using it because it’s probably the most gentle exfoliator I’ve got at the moment.

The best part of the Pure Control line though? The Anti-Acne BB Cream! I’m in love with BB Creams. It’s effectively taken over my use of foundations for the most part. This one is by far my favourite right now though. It goes on super smooth, it’s light, but still provides amazing coverage. It honestly does minimize your pores and cover redness. The best part is that it’s also fighting acne while you’ve got it on because of the Salicylic acid. They have both a light and medium-dark shade, so no worries about it not matching your skin tone. Bottom line: you need to try this out #ThankMeLater

For moisturizers, I’m trying their new Ultra-Lift Miracle Creams (day and night). The all-day moisturizer is by far my favourite. It pumps out like a cream but when you apply it, turns into a watery formula. MAGIC! Honestly though, it’s really light which I love for summer and gives you a bit of a glow too. The night cream is a little heavy for my liking, but I use it in the areas around my eyes and higher cheekbones and find that it kind of works like a nice eye cream.

Last but not least, I have officially become addicted to sunscreen-ing (yes, I’ve made it a verb). I literally used to HATE (and I mean, really HATE) wearing sunscreen. It always made my feel like I had this caky, sticky extra layer on and it made my uncomfortable. The entire line of Ombrelle has totally changed that though. I’ve been wearing the SPF 30 and the SPF 60 Weightless Face Lotion, and they’re amazing. The face lotion really feels like you’re wearing nothing which is great for a day on the beach. It also comes in little traveling sizes too which is perfect for keeping with you. And LBH, my skin is not getting any younger, protection is required 

All in all, the regime has been pretty awesome. No crazy breakouts and no intense stinging, burning, or scrubbing is really needed. Y’all know I’m a low maintenance kinda gal. I’ll definitely continue to use all of these products – but I’m probably going to stalk up on the BB Cream and Ombrelle products for a lifetime.

As a blogger, I’m always in front of some sort of camera, and even though I openly embrace all my flaws and blemishes (let’s be real, I ain’t as fabulous as I look in photos), having great skin is super important. It also makes you feel more confident; and that’s something that I strongly stand behind. Remember: anything that makes you feel better on the inside is worth every little penny you spent on it.

Have you tried Garnier’s Skin Active Skincare products? Which have worked for you? Which would you want to try?