My Simple Winter Skincare

It's safe to say that when it comes to skincare, my routine is extremely lacklustre. I've never had an in depth routine full of dozens of products because in all honesty, I don't feel like my skin needs it. When I was younger I experimented with facial scrubs and moisturisers and just found that if anything they made my skin worse and left me with more breakouts than when I started. That's when I decided to keep it extremely simple and that's what works for me. It also saves me spending an arm and a leg on products that I might not necessarily like. As I get older I would like to experiment and invest in some more skincare but for now this is what I used on a regular basis and what works wonders for my skin.

The first product that I've been using on a daily basis to remove my makeup or clean my face at the end of the day is the Garnier Micellar Water. I was always a Simple wipes girl before I started using this but I have been well and truly converted. This stuff leaves my face feeling incredibly clean and fresh whereas a makeup wipe would always leave me with the remnants of foundation or mascara on my face. I can remove any trace of product on my face by soaking a couple of large cotton pads and gently wiping the face in somewhat circular motions. I think this is probably my third bottle of this stuff and will continue to be a repurchase of mine.

Though generally I don't notice a dramatic change in my skin as we move into Winter, this year I have noticed that I've started to breakout a little in my more oilier, problem prone areas, those being my chin and forehead. I don't know whether this is a combination of university stress or the change in weather but I've been on the hunt for products to help combat this. One product that I've found does the trick is Sudocrem Skin Care Cream*. Typically Sudocrem isn't something you may associate with a skincare routine but for a lot of people it's been a staple since birth, I know we always had some in the bathroom at home. What you may not know is that this stuff works wonders on spots! Generally you may buy Sudocrem in a tub but you can now buy this handy travel sized tube, perfect to throw in your handbag. This has a really thick consistency and I love the smell of this. (I don't know why, I just do, I think it's quite nostalgic). It can be used for a huge range of things from a handcream to face mask. I personally apply this to my spot prone areas or areas where I can feel one coming on and leave it for a few hours in the day or overnight and within hours I can see a huge difference in size and pain.

Another product that I generally have lying around my handbag is this Crabtree & Evelyn ultra-moisturising hand therapy. I was given this as part of a huge giftset for my birthday and I'm nearly halfway through my second tube. It's an incredible smelling cream that leaves my hands feeling super soft and moisturised. It doesn't sit on the skin or leave a greasy residue just a super soft.

And finally a product I think you'll all be familiar with. The Body Shop Cocoa Body Butter. The mango version of this is honestly my favourite but this definitely comes second place. I don't use these on a daily basis but generally I like to smother myself from top to bottom after a nice long bath or before I need to fake tan as they give the body an incredible boost of moisture, smell amazing and leave the skin feeling super soft. I personally don't like these as a general moisturiser as I think they'e a little bit thick and can sometimes leave a bit of a residue on the skin but for pampering yourself and giving your skin some intense hydration, these are wonderful. I like to have a good collection in my drawer just in case I run out, though these do last a long time depending on how often you use them.

What are your skincare essentials? 

* This post features free PR samples however all opinions stated are my own, I only accept products that I think will work with my blog and will only write about the products I generally enjoy or thought worked well.