SKINCARE SOS

 

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Today we're talking about the products I reach for in a skin emergency and that I like to keep on-hand, just in case! Let's dive in...

First up is the Ordinary's Squalane Cleanser* | £13.90 | which is a great do-it-all cleanser when my skin is feeling a little fussy. It comes out like a creamy gel, and reveals its oil-based nature as you massage it into dry skin, and it turns into an emulsion with water. This means it can be used for removing makeup, but it's also a brilliant gentle morning cleanse. It's a really simple formula that will work for most skin states and it's formulated with squalane, a plant-based but skin-similar oil that helps replenish lost nourishment. It's functional but it works, and this is about as non-stripping and non-aggressive as cleansing gets, which is why I always skip to it when my skin is having a wobble.

Next is a product that's a pretty regular part of my routine during the colder months: the REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm* | £46. It can be spot-applied to areas prone to dryness, or used as a protective layer when my skin really needs it. This is an oil-based balm that nourishes the skin, traps in hydration and helps damaged, irritated skin to repair. Ingredients include glycerin (to draw in hydration), nourishing jojoba esters, almond and borage glycerides, replenishing fatty alcohol and also beeswax, which helps occlude the skin and prevent moisture loss. It's a brilliant antidote for dry, red, irriated skin. 

I also always have a box of the Zitsticka Killa Microdart Patches* | £27 (for 5 applications) | on hand, just in case I need a spot gone fast! This two-step system contains a little swab with salicylic acid (to get into the pore and really clear everything out) and tea tree, then a patch with dissolvable microdarts to rapidly deliver salicylic acid and niacinamide (which helps limit scarring) to the blemish site. These work so well at speeding up the breakout cycle, so a big angry red spot can be significantly reduced within 24 hours and more or less gone within 48 on my skin. They're not an everyday product for me, but in those emergency situations, they're just great!

A product that my skin loves all the time but also helps when it's in meltdown is the Zelens Power D Vitamin D Concentrate* | £105. This is a lightweight oil you can use under moisturiser, over moisturiser or on its own, depending on how your skin is doing. This is an amazing barrier repair formula, and can be used for daily maintenance alongside strong actives like retinoids and peels, or just to get your skin through winter if you know your skin struggles with harsh weather. It's formulated with a cocktail of soothing ingredients and skin barrier goodness, such as linoleic acid, Vitamin E, bisabolol, avocado oil, Vitamin D, squalane, Vitamin F and more. It's obviously veeeeery pricey, so I'd probably recommend waiting for their annual sale or just getting the smaller bottle and using it as and when needed. It's a truly beautiful formula that's so healing and replenishing for my skin.

I love love love my Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream* | £69 | and it's a product I can trust on my skin, even if it's in a delicate (or DeliKate!) state. It's rich and luxurious, but doesn't contain potential irritants, making skin barrier support an absolute treat for my face. Whether it's increasing the strength of my retinoid, bracing my skin for winter or helping it recover from a wobble: this is what I reach for. It's nourishing and replenishing with ingredients like ceramides, cucumber oil, ginger, shea butter and plenty more to soothe and hydrate the skin. It's just brilliant and I've used up a tub of it every winter since it was launched in 2020.

Finally, we have the product I slap onto just about any emergency situation: the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 Baume | £17.99. Honestly, if I'm heading out in sub-zero temperatures; it's Cicaplast. If we get mosquitos bites whilst travelling; it's Cicaplast. If I'm using tretinoin; it's Cicaplast. You get the idea! this is both a soothing and occluding formula that calms down irritation with madecassosides, nourishes the skin with with shea butter and seal in hydration with dimethicone. It's perfect for protecting and healing the skin, which calming any redness or irritation whilst that process takes place.

What are your emergency skin heroes? 

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