Daily Skincare Routine I

My current daily skincare routine has been really pared back lately, for a couple of reasons. Firstly,
we have just moved from the city to the country in the past two months and for the vast majority of those two months, I have not been bothered to unpack all of my beauty bits and pieces. So I learnt to make do with what was I'd thrown in my toiletries bag before moving, which wasn't very much! Secondly, the hormonal acne on my jaw and chin has been absolutely horrendous so I have been trying to keep things simple with adding in a product here and there to see if it is successful in controlling it at all (spoiler: I actually have found something that has worked wonders, but that's part of my nightly routine and a story for another post).



First up (always) is an hydrating toner and my current baby is the 100% Pure Jasmine Green Tea
Tonique for normal to dry skin. This one is all natural and vegan and smells amazing. I love anything jasmine (probably one of my first purchases when I eventually own a house will be a jasmine vine...) and this has such a beautiful, refreshing scent. It is a pretty heavy mist so probably not a great one for misting over makeup to refresh it, which doesn't bother me because I use this purely as skincare and an extra hydrating layer. It is packaged in a beautiful white glass spray bottle and (touch wood) I haven't dropped it yet so I love the packaging. Heads up, this is currently on sale from Nourished Life and a really good price, so get on to it if it sounds good to you!



Next is eye cream. I am currently using the Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream from Antipodes. Look, I don't particularly love this one. It is hydrating, sure, but really doesn't do a lot for me in terms of plumping or smoothing the eye area. I was also mega disappointed when I first opened it to use it that it didn't smell like kiwi fruit! It is actually more of an herbal, woody scent and perfectly fine, just not what I was hoping for because how good would that smell! This tiny little jar is lasting me forever and I have probably been using this for at least a year now, so it is definitely value for money. Not my favourite eye cream in terms of what it does for my eye area and I am looking forward to moving on to something else soon.



Serum follows eye cream and, whilst I would usually be switching between a few depending on what my skin needs, I have been almost exclusively using Hydraluron from Indeed Labs because it was in my toiletries bag. This is an always repurchase for me because it is such a saviour for dry skin and also a great all rounder serum that suits my skin no matter what. No such thing as too much hydration, right? It's also great on sunburn, FYI. It's light, easy to use, doesn't affect any makeup, and plumps up skin beautifully. My only problem with it is the packaging. Because the serum is so runny, it runs straight out of the opening in the tube and you always end up with way more than you need everywhere! I can forgive the packaging woes though, because this is just so good and so simple. It is basically my go-to serum when I'm not really sure what my skin wants that day.



Moisturiser is the next layer and I have currently been using a new purchase, the Boost Balancing Moisturiser from Botáni. This is beautifully light and absorbs super quickly, so it has been awesome to use under makeup on work mornings because it sets really nicely so it won't disturb your following layer of foundation. It has a woodsy smell when first pumped out of the bottle but once applied, it actually smells quite sweet! It gives off strawberry jam vibes to me. I really enjoy using this and love how the scent develops. The packaging is also a big win - so quick, easy and hygienic. I can see myself repurchasing this as a work morning moisturiser and it is most definitely the winner of the two moisturisers I purchased in the Priceline 40% off skincare sale.

What does your current morning skincare routine look like - and have you used any of my current routine before?

Go-To Skincare Exfoliating Swipeys

Personally, I am not a fan of physical exfoliation and will always choose chemical exfoliation in the
form of an acid toner over traditional exfoliating scrubs. I feel that chemical exfoliation is a better way of exfoliating as it is easier to thoroughly spread the product over your skin to ensure even exfoliation rather than trying to push scrub particles here, there, and everywhere. I am also a huge fan of Zoë Foster-Blake's peachy cruelty-free skincare range Go-To Skincare, so when you combine the two together, myself and my skin are sure to enjoy! I have previously tried the Face Hero from the Go-To Skincare range and my skin loved it, so I was keen to see how it fared with the Exfoliating Swipeys.

These single use exfoliating face pads are soaked in an AHA solution that promises to remove dead skin cells and refine the skin's texture. The inclusion of essential oils also promises to hydrate and moisturise.

I really enjoy using single use pads like these at it makes life so much simpler as opposed to mucking around with a bottle of liquid and a fluffy cotton pad. These pads are nicely soaked in the lactic acid solution and are sufficiently moist to cover all of your face and down your neck too. I am down to the last couple of pads in my tub now and they are still as soaked as the first few started out. I did not find them to sting at all, however I have been using acid toners for quite a few years now so it takes a particularly strong one for my skin to say ouch!

The aloe vera included in the formula certainly does its job of ensuring your skin is not dried out from the lactic acid and after use, my skin is plump and bright. From pure habit, I'll follow these up a minute after use with my usual skincare routine of an hydrating toner, serum and moisturiser, however they do not leave the skin feeling tight and in need of moisture in any way. They haven't had much impact on my hormonal chin and jaw acne but have definitely kept the rest of my skin texture smooth and clear.

I like to use these mainly at night time and usually every second night, so the 50 pads will last around a third of the year for me. They also come delivered with a really cute zip-lock bag so that you can take some away with you when travelling. I don't love the actual texture of the pads - they almost feel a bit plasticky compared to the usual cotton pad and they are certainly rougher - but this isn't really noticeable until you have used most of the product on the pad and it is dried out some. The plastic peach tub packaging is great and I have never noticed it to leak.

The main ingredient in the solution is water, followed by lactic acid for exfoliation and aloe vera for hydration and soothing properties. The fourth ingredient is alcohol in the form of ethanol which could be a concern in drying out the skin and increasing sensitivity, however I consider myself to have dry skin and it has not bothered me in this formula. Making up the rest of the formula are propanediol (hydrating and can increase skin absorption of other ingredients), polysorbate 20 (surfactant and emulsifier for cleansing), dehydroacetic acid (synthetic preservative), benzyl alcohol (organic alcohol that acts as a preservative too), sodium citrate (controls pH as well as acting as an antioxidant and preservative), and potassium sorbate (another preservative). Finally, the formula does contain fragrance from mandarin and lemon extract.

I thoroughly enjoy these pads as a way of exfoliating chemically and they are so easy and quick to use! I personally have seen better improvement in my skin using a glycolic acid exfoliator but I love the idea of these as a brightening treatment for my skin.

Price: $46.00 (Go-To Skincare) [$0.92/pad]
Rate: brightening effects, packaging, ease of use, Australian-made and owned
Hate: nothing, really!
Verdict: I'd definitely repurchase as a brightening treatment for my skin but not as a skin clearing treatment.