If I Could Only Have 5 Skincare Items They Would Be...

As a self-confessed beauty lover, it means that I love trying and testing out new things, especially skincare. However, after having such problematic skin for so long in my twenties and trying out so many different things it made me realise I actually don't need as many products as I first thought. And now that my skin is in a good place I certainly don't need 15+ items. So if I could only have just 5 products in my skincare routine this is what I would pick...

A BALM CLEANSER

For so long I would have said a cream cleanser or even a gel to oil but I've become quite the convert to the balm cleanser. And if I could only have one cleanser to do it all then I would totally go for a balm. They remove every scrap of makeup without irritating or annoying the complexion and when used on a bare face they feel so kind and nourishing [I'm a sucker for a balm in the colder months]. For so long I feared balm cleansers because I have a more oily skin and was worried they were too heavy and would clog my pores and lead to more breakouts. And it took a lot of trial and error to figure out which ones worked for me and which did cause breakouts. Shea butter is a common ingredient when it comes to balms and it's a known irritant to those of us who are more spot prone so best to avoid ones that contain that. Here are the ones that have always worked beautifully on my skin;

AN EXFOLIATING TONER 

My skin would not be in the condition that it is today if it wasn't for a chemical toner. I've been using acids on my skin for years now and every day I'm still amazed at the difference they make to my skin. They've not only helped diminish the appearance of scars as well as bat away any serious breakouts. But they have brightened up my complexion so much, even when I'm exhausted and my diet isn't where it should be I can always rely on a good acid to add life back to my skin. Favourites include;

A BRIGHTENING SERUM

When I was in the midst of my battle with cystic acne I never knew whether or not all the serums that I was piling on were really making a difference. And it took me a long time to discover ones that really made a difference in my complexion and which ones just felt nice when I applied them. Because when you're using a billion other products you never really know what is making the difference. Whilst, in general, I like to use an exfoliating toner to brighten and help with the appearance of scarring I don't find they make as much of a difference as they do when used in combination with a brightening serum. As well as being brightening I also like them to be able to nourish the skin as well and the following products do that beautifully;

A RICH MOISTURISER

For a long time, I wanted the world from my moisturiser, I wanted it to be able to do absolutely everything and I think so often we pin our hopes far too high on the products that we use. And whilst I do still want products that are effective I can't expect everything from them and for so long I expected too much from my moisturising products. Now all I want from them is to simply nourish my skin and give me the hydration that I need and I love super rich thick creams that instantly feel comforting on the skin. Even though I have slightly more oily skin than your typical complexion I don't fear moisture. In fact, the more I added moisture into my routine the more balanced it became. And whilst I might not want anything more than hydration something I am very picky about is that my products don't pill up when applied in combination with anything else. There is nothing worse than your makeup balling up on your skin. Some of my favourites are;

 A DEEP CLEANSING MASK

Face masks are something that I've gone from using just for fun with the hope that they would do something to an integeral part of my routine. And if I just had to pick one type of mask to use it would be something deep cleansing. Every few days I will layer one on to get all the dirt and grime out of my pores and I find by doing this regularly I rarely encounter any little white heads. And around my nose looks so much better as I suffer quite badly with congestion in that area. I don't like anything that dries down so much that it's a nightmare to remove as I find them incredibly irritating. And if a mask can brighten as well as clarify then that's just an added bonus and here are some that I absolutely adore;

What are your ride or die skincare items?