My Secret Skincare Weapon

Natural skincare is the best. I can't even fathom to think of the crap I put on my skin. I've definitely learnt my lesson and switched things up over the years including vital ingredients like Aloe Vera!

Aloe Vera gel comes from a plant, when you peel an aloe leaf apart you will find the pure gel inside. It is an incredible at healing and soothing. I discovered it after a bad case of sunburn and the redness turned to tan overnight, I couldn't believe it, no peeling or soreness. The cold gel felt lush, so I thought hey, I'm going to slap this on my face and I have been doing it ever since.

If you don't have an aloe plant hanging about then you can pick up the gels pretty cheap, just make sure there aren't many added ingredients to the gel. I use the Aloe Pura range which is 99.9% pure aloe! You can pick it up for around £5 in Superdrug and Holland and Barrett.

The gel dries very quickly on the skin and I usually pop some moisturiser over the top but stick to a routine of using the plain aloe during the day and the gel with added tea tree at night. You can also use it in your hair for a mask or on any burn to cool and heal it.

I love budget beauty treasures. Share yours in the comments.

Happy Friday beauties.

Little Lottie

XO

Beauty Ingredients I avoid and why

From sensitive skin to allergies and acne, there are so many ingredients in our everyday beauty items and cosmetics that are toxic for our skin and can cause all kinds of reactions.

I was never aware of this when I was younger and would scrub my face far too much with harsh face washes that claimed to work miracles, I am now left with scarring and sensitivity that means harsh ingredients break me out a lot. A quick trip to the dermatologists office opened my eyes to what I was actually putting on my skin and I'm now a self confessed, serial ingredient counter, think calories but worse...

I've put together my list of ingredients that I personally try to avoid in my beauty collection for reasons that I have discovered through using them and experiencing a reaction, you may have no trouble with them at all. Most natural skincare and makeup items will also avoid these ingredients, hopefully I can help you to understand that label on your foundation a bit better with my guide.

1// Mineral Oil

Mineral Oils/paraffinum liquidum have broken me out countless times. They are a synthetic oil unlike essential oils and actually derive from petroleum! Have I put you off yet? Mineral oils are extracted from crude oil which contributes to making petrol so they are bad for our planet and our skin!

2// Perfume

Perfume is one of the hardest ingredients to avoid and is the first thing my dermatologist told me to steer clear of as it can sting and irritate sensitive/acne skin types. I now think if a product has to be perfumed to put it on my face, what is in it that they need to cover up with a scent? The 'ingredient' perfume/perfum can actually be made using over 3,000 chemicals but it's only ever listed as one ingredient on the label.

3// Talc

Talc is mostly used in powder products to create a mattifying affect, talcum powder was a popular product years ago for things like drying off after a shower but it does the job so well it's on my avoid list for drying out my sensitive skin.

4// SLS/SLES

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is added to many beauty items like cleansers, face washes and shampoos to make them foam. It is a type of detergent also used in INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS! I personally find this ingredient dries out my skin and scalp so avoid as much as possible but cosmetic companies struggle to find anything that works as well to replace it with.

5// Soap

Soap is another ingredient that cosmetic companies now try to avoid, you may notice cleansers labeled 'soap free'. Soap strips our skin of it's natural oils and so our skin over-produces sebum/oil causing blemishes and oiliness. Take the natural route and find a cleanser that wont through your PH off balance. I love using a mix of Olive Oil and Castor Oil.

6// Parabens

Parabens are a much debated over ingredient but have you noticed that recently when you pick up a moisturiser or foundation the label on the front says if it's paraben free? Parabens come with many names and are there to stop bacteria and mould growing in our 'wet' products like moisturisers. They are rumored to sink into our skin and enter our blood stream, increasing the risk of cancer. A natural alternative to Parabens would be Lavender oil but many cosmetics don't use this for various reasons (god knows why, it's bloomin lovely) You can find my favourite moisturiser here.

Finding brands that leave out any nasty ingredients is a task but Lush and Ren are among my favorites, read my Ren cleanser review here.

If you're looking for a more natural skincare routine I highly recommend cutting out these ingredients and see if you notice a difference.

Little Lottie 

XO  

Ren Clay Cleanser Review

My last cleansing post was called 'the average cleansers' because I didn't see results, even much difference after using them. I'm constantly on the look out for new and natural skincare products to try and after a colleague recommended Ren I couldn't believe I hadn't tried them before. 

They have a big range of products and cleansers come in all different forms but the Clay Cleanser stood out to me most. It's part of their ClearCalm3 range and claims to smooth skin. My breakouts are hormonal so I didn't think anything I put on my face could change much but I've just finished my first bottle and I can honestly say I'm in love! 

Clay is known to be good for the skin and has really agreed with mine. I've used the cleanser as a mask to let the clay do its 'thang' and it never fails to leave my skin feeling velvety soft and without redness or large pores which other cleansers have done before. 

It reminds me of the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser in the way it takes off markup and mascara well but the Clay Cleanser is much more creamy and easy to work into the skin so I'm never pulling on my eyes to get product off. 

I also love the packaging of Ren products, you can always see how low you are and the pumps give just the right amount. It took me about 3-4 months to finish the entire bottle. I usually take one pump and work the clay into my skin for a minute or so, then I steam my face and remove the cleanser with an exfoliating cloth... (I'm loving Primark flannels right now, don't judge me.) 

I have only been using the cleanser once a day, in the evenings. Even though it's a very natural product it does clean the skin well and would be too much for my sensitive skin in the morning so I have just been steaming my face in the mornings and lightly washing with an exfoliating flannel. 

During my trip to Egypt, members of the spa would come round the beach trying to get us to come in for a facial, they explained to us that our pores are always closed because we live in colder places and the sun isn't out to open them and let our skin breath. They also use steaming in their facials to open pores further, I feel like we are so focused on banishing pores with toners and cold water so after steaming I have been leaving my skin then applying Aloe Vera so it gets into the skin rather than sitting on the surface. I have also stopped using toners in my routine and my skin is loving the simplicity of products now. 

So if you are struggling to find a new skincare 'turn to', I highly recommend Ren and am definitely going to check out more of their products. 

Let me know what skincare you're in love with. 

Little Lottie, XO

My Skincare Cupboard

My mirrored cupboard is from Argos. Picture: Bottom shelf

Overview 

Top shelf

Konjac sponge airing dry

It's time for that post, the ever-changing skincare collection of Little Lottie. The most re-purchased cleanser I have ever bought is Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser but I have some how accumulated different products in my bathroom cupboard to try and be adventurous with. I'm a true believer in no perfume or toxic ingredients in skincare which was drilled into me through trips to the dermatologist but reading great reviews on other blogs and celebrity endorsements is enough to make me stray back to chemical land. I am frustrated that I haven't found a skincare routine and recipe that works for me yet but the only way to discover it is trial and error - which I won't lie is often fun but expensive.

I have fallen for the celebrity sponsor or brand face before, who wouldn't want the perfect complexion of a model or actress. Millie Mackintosh released to a magazine that she was using Manuka Doctor and just weeks later she was their brand face, I tried the starter kit and broke out immediately, it was wishful thinking that I could get Millie's skin with just a face wash. So why don't celebrities ever want to tell us what their secret is? Maybe because the standard wage cant afford the weekly facials and chemical peels that they are receiving. 

However I've done it again, Kylie Jenner (my current girl crush) puts amazing makeup shots on Instagram and I was scrolling back for some inspiration when I noticed she snapped a shot of the Nip & Fab Glycolic Fix range. It didn't look sponsored and after reading many reviews on Boots I was convinced, and it's under £10 for the cleanser! 

The Glycolic Fix Cleanser and Exfoliating Pads are the most recent addition to my skincare cupboard, Glycolic acid is supposed to be a gentle exfoliant that rids you of dead skin through gentle peeling rather than scrubbing at your skin. This made it appealing to my blemish prone and sensitive skin so I'm giving it a whirl. It's been 2 weeks and I haven't noticed much difference in my blemishes yet. The cleanser smells nice and doesn't leave a tight feeling but does foam which means it contains some skin drying ingredients. For that reason I only use this once a day (morning) on my Konjac sponge. The exfoliating pads do leave a tight feeling but are very toning, using this at night time boosts its affects and helps your moisturiser really go to town. 

My ginger Konjac sponge from eBay

Morning mug shot!

As an evening cleanser I have been persevering with the OCM (oil cleansing method) which I have had good results from before. Using 6 parts castor oil and 4 parts Jojaba oil is my current mix, it really helps to moisturise skin and reduce pores. Read more about home made cleansers on my post here. 

After this I use one Glycolic Fix Exfoliating pad with Aloe Vera gel on top to moisturise and heal. 

My OCM mix

Aloe Pura is the Aloe Vera range I buy as it is almost pure aloe!

On the top shelf is the beauty staple; Cococut Oil, mine is from Holland and Barett. It is important to ensure the oil is cold pressed and raw as when warmed up it loses most of its benefits. Coconut oil isn't recommended for daily facial use as it's comedogenic and may cause breakouts but I use it to moisturise my eye area and body. It's also great for hair and eyelashes!

Perfectly Pure brand name says it all. This jar has lasted me over a year!

Another beauty oil and new addition to the cupboard is the Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil which I'm really enjoying! It smells like roses and is a blend of all natural oils such as rosehip and almond, using this at night really brightens the skin and doesn't break me out. Comment if you know any great facial oils as I am obsessed.

It even has a fancy pipette

Organic ingredients are a plus