Deep Cleansing Facials

Having a facial is one of the most delicious treatments you can ever have at a spa or a salon. Its so relaxing, as well as stimulating.

The massage is my favourite part. Its relaxing as well as being the most important part of the facial. It encourages the skin to heal, and smooth out.

It's of huge importance to try to incorporate some massage in your daily skin care routine, as this encourages the lymphatic system (the dustbin men for your skin, they remove toxins and waste) as well as blood circulation. The more active you keep your skin, the better toned it will become and the healthier it will look.

Make sure you only ever massage your skin after cleansing and toning, otherwise you would be massaging in dirt and grime, which is not going to help at all! Use some gorgeous oil, or just smooth in your regular moisturiser. You will be astonished at the difference it will make to your skin.

The other gorgeous part about facials, is the masks. Make sure your skin is warm before applying any mask, just after a hot shower or steamy bath will be perfect as the pores are open.
Use a clay mask to draw out impurities. You can make your own by mixing powdered clay with some rose water and essential oils.

Spread it on, leave it for about 10 minutes, aand then remove with some clean damp facial sponges. Depending on the mask you use, it may be appropriate to use some toner, or just put moisturiser on top.

The one huge benefit of going to a beauty therapist for a facial is to relax. There is nothing that will take away tension like a facial, as you are massaged from your shoulders to your face. And its nice to have to not worry about your skin for a change.

Plus, its fab to use some different products on your face, that have been specifically chosen for you. Ones that you wouldn't normally buy. And its great to have some advice on what you should be using and pick up some tips from your esthetician/facialist.

So go and book yourself a facial and relax...

Marie Claire and Neals Yard

This months copy of Marie Claire has the most gorgeous freebie...a tube of Neals Yard Frankincense Hydrating Cream. Its 25ml which is loads, and it retails for just under £10, so a total bargain.

I tried it out last night and this morning, and its so smoothing and hydrating, totally gorgeous. Its important for skin at this time of year to have a moisturiser that is hydrating, as skin is often drier because of cold winds and central heating.

Skin that is dehydrated can look rough and bumpy, as well as being slightly oily on the t-zone and dry on the cheeks. But, with morning and night moisturising, as well as making sure that skin is completely clean by cleansing and toning before popping on the gorgeous cream.

Its 91% organic too, full off essential oil extracts and skin plumping ingredients. I love this product so much!

The Body Shop's Blackhead Remover

This is a little bit gross, but for those of you who don't mind a little hands-on treatment and are on the search for flawless skin, this kinda brings you a step closer. I have used this for years, after having worked at Body Shop. Its cheap and effective...but don't get carried away with it.

This is a great option for people with enlarged, blocked pores. You can use it after a long, steamy bath, or after popping your face over a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Its a simple and hygienic way of extracting blackheads.

It has two ends as well which means it can extract other larger blemishes as well as small blackheads. This is a quick way of unclogging your pores, but could cause scarring if you are too harsh with it.

Beware: the area around the blackhead should never stay red, this is a sign that you are putting too much pressure on your skin. This could force the dirt in further and cause permanent damage to the tissue of your skin.

Sudocrem!

I just had to share with you all my new skincare find as it's so amazing! Best find ever!



Sudocrem is actually a barrier cream for babies, but it works really well as an overnight mask facial treatment too. Its antiseptic as well as being a moisturiser, but it sits on top of your skin rather than clogging it, so its good for oily skin. It actually says on the packaging that it is suitable for treating acne...awesome!


So, what I now do each week is to cleanse my face completely, with skincare wipes and then rose water on some cotton wool. Then I put on the Sudocrem, which takes a bit of massaging to actually work it into the skin, and still leaves you with a ghostly white face at night. Then I tie my long hair back, and head for bed. I wake up the next morning, when its disappeared, and cleanse and tone to remove any traces of the product.


Its good for sensitive skin, as its for babies, and therefore doesn't contain anything that the company seems unsuitable for little ones, which is comforting. Plus its a really well established company, who have been around for years, so they stand the test of time.

Its a brilliant anti-inflammatory too, healing the skin from redness, which is great if your face is breaking out, or has just broken out and feels irritated.

You can buy it in loads of places, its pretty commonly found in the baby section of superstores, next to baby wipes (which are also good makeup removers).


Plus, the best thing is that its super cheap too!

But, I wouldn't recommend using it all the time, as skin seems to build up a tolerance to some ingredients, and stop working effectively. Perhaps once or twice a week is perfect, but it will depend on you and your skin type.

Have fun trying this product!

Natural Skincare Routine

Its amazing how good Lauren's skin looks in the video, its certainly worth trying out some of her tips and homemade cosmetic recipes.

I tried out her almond meal scrub and it totally made my skin soft and dewy. It was a little bit tricky to apply, but if you make sure to do it over a sink or something, it will be fine. I added a little bit of neroli water to make a paste, which was gorgeous.

Homemade Sugar Scrub

A great way to save money, time and keep your skin exfoliated and moisturised at the same time.

Simply mix a tablespoonful of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.

Apply it on each part of your body whilst in the shower, it leaves your skin sooo smooth. Take your time massaging it into your skin, until your hand tingles.

You'll soon work out if you need more or less of it per shower/bath to properly exfoliate your whole body.

At the end of the shower, whilst your pores are open, use the final small amount on your face, remove with a warm wet flannel, and then rinse your face with cold water. Finish by moisturising your face with your favourite moisturiser, then your knees and elbows with a super moisturiser (I love Skin Food by Weleda for this! It smells divine!)

Living Nature, Dr Hauschka, Neals Yard Remedies

Here is a piece of advice from me to you, the best in natural skincare products to try out:

Living Nature (New Zealand)
They do send little tester packs for you to try, and once you do you will be addicted, beware!!

Dr Hauschka
This stuff is so nice, it is definitely worth buying the trial/travel packs. You must love the smell of essential oils before even contemplating putting these on your face! The one to try from this range is the Quince Day Cream.

Neals Yard Remedies
By far the most chic packaging, and most environmentally friendly. These products are amazing, especially the Palmarosa Facial Wash.

These people really understand skin and there are commited teams waiting to talk to you about how you can treat your sking properly. What these people offer is great skin in the future, because you never know what is in most of the products, and how these will affect your sin in the future.