Skin… it’s a funny old thing isn’t it?

(Oh good afternoon by the way)

Having not been lucky enough to have been born with good (skin) genes; I feel like I’ve spent the majority of my life looking for products that really work. Skincare that takes my crappy skin and makes it look better but also deals with any signs of aging.

I’m 45 and still suffer with spots and open pores. I’ve got scarring and pigmentation caused by the blemish’s. I’m not asking much am I?

I realise that ” they can’t work miracles ” as I was kindly advised by a consultant up at SKIN , Sheffield. She had perfectly , flawless skin and about as much tact as Blackpool front.

Through gritted teeth I told her bluntly that I appreciated that … and resisted the urge to punch her in the face!

People with good skin need to understand that people with bad skin (in my experience) are usually sensitive about the subject.

I have friends who used to go into a major panic when they got one blemish on their chin. Imagine a face full?

It took a lot of courage for me to even go to the clinic, never mind take my make up off and sit there exposed and talk about it. For her to look down her nose at me and tell me they couldn’t work miracles … well its the worst thing she could do / say.

Awful lady.

I sat there, had the consultation and hated every minute of it, feeling more self-conscious as the minutes ticked by.

I wasn’t really listening as she had well and truly pissed me off . I had already convinced myself that even if they had exactly what I was looking for I wasn’t booking in with them. I’d take the information and go elsewhere.

I would never set foot in that place again.( and true to my word , 3 years on I haven’t)

I have since then found an excellent salon, where I had micro-dermabrasion followed by a course of derma roller which you can read about HERE.

******

What I was lacking was a good home care regime, one that worked for me.  About 6 months ago my chin and jawline where forever breaking out again; I had the skin of a premenstrual teenager. It was getting me down.

To cut a long story short.

Hardly rocket science but … having been a long-term fan of La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ which never left my skin greasy or broke me out in spots I decided it maybe a good idea to try their everyday skincare range.

I had already purchased the above cleanser Juliet by Antipodes a couple of weeks before I started with the La Roche Posay so I have yet to try the cleanser in this range.

The Juliet cleanser is excellent and had been recommended by a few fellow bloggers . I started to notice a difference in my skin more or less straight away. I’ve reviewed it previously HERE

It would probably have made more sense to purchase products from the Antipodes range seeing as the cleanser was working a treat and seemed to like me and more importantly my skin!.

However in my irrational thinking I  decided to go for La Roche-Posay .

I plumped for the Effaclar Astringent Lotion (£11.00) and the Effaclar Duo (+) (£15.50 ) instead, which now comes in 2 shades.

What I maybe should have gone for was the La Roche-Posay Effaclar 3-step anti blemish system. It includes, cleanser , toner and mosituriser for £32.50 . Which isn’t half bad for 3 products.

Effaclar Astringent Lotion Micro- Exfoliant

I apply this after cleansing using a cotton wool ball which I moisten and wipe all over my face. It feels cool on application and in places stings slightly . It leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean , my pores feel tight and look less visible.

It creates the perfect base for Effaclar Duo (+) to be applied.

I apply this all over my face as I would do any other moisturiser and that’s it.

The Effaclar Duo (+) targets imperfections and marks left from previous spots and has definitely made a huge difference to the overall look of my skin.

It  moisturisers without drying. It doesn’t leave me shiny. It  leaves my skin looking and feeling comfortable.

I hardly get spots * happy dance * maybe the occasional one on my chin / jaw-line around my period. I’m attributing my ‘well-behaved’ skin to the above skin care regime plus Veggie-col which I’ve been taking for almost 2 months now.

I’ve talked Veggie-col before as I was so impressed. I’m a firm believer that its not just what you put on your skin but what you put into it that counts.

Read the review HERE.

On a last note if your after a fantastic sun screen then the above is fabulous. I’ve not used anything else for years.

It now comes in a tinted version which is even better if like me you find you suffer from a ‘white head – brown body’ situation. I honestly can’t remember the last time I put my face in the sun!

It’s the same great formula with just a hint of colour. It’s non greasy and it doesn’t  cause congestion = no spots. I love it.

Have you used La Roche-Posay or Antipodes before? Are there any other products in these ranges I should be using?

Spots under control… next stop glow !

Until next time, Tracey x

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