Moisturising Empties

Hello!
I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I have had a long relaxing bath so I am feeling well and truly chilled out.  As someone who suffers from bouts of eczema I get through a lot of moisturisers.  Even when your skin is clear of it you are supposed to keep the skin frequently moisturised to prevent an outbreak from occurring again.  This stash is a selection of items I have recently used up over the last 6 months or so.  I thought I would share my thoughts on them all with you.

The Body Shop Body Butter in Coconut
This body butter I bought the mini version of specifically to keep in my handbag.  The texture of it was creamy but slightly waxier than some of their other body butters I have used in the past.  The smell was delicious but this did seem to irritate my eczema when it was flared up which other Body Shop body butters haven't in the past.  It was great to use though on areas of skin that weren't sensitive and even my sensitive skin when the flare ups had calmed down.

Burt's Bees Fragrance Free Shea Butter and Vitamin E Body Lotion
This Body Lotion is perfect for my eczema prone skin.  It is the perfect consistency, not too thin or too thick, just a soothing creamy lotion.  There's no waxyness to it which means it completely absorbs in to the skin and I can even use it during a flare up without irritation.  I have also nearly finished the Aloe and Buttermilk version which absorbs even more easily in to my skin than this one.  Both I've repurchased in the past and I probably will do again.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser
Fav, fav, fav day cream for my face!  Smells great, paraben free, SPF 30 and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.  I feel like my skin looks fresh and glowy when I use this.

The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Beautifying Oil
I feel like I have a lot of Body Shop products on here but that's because they are usually in my price range, especially as I only usually shop if there's a sale on.  I don't think they do this version of their oils any more which is a shame because I loved it.  I took it on holiday with me and could not get enough.  It felt so moisturising and my skin drank it up after long hot days at the beach.  Such a nice fresh lemon-y scent which went down a treat on my sensitive skin.  I tried the Olive scented one and could not get on with it at all.  It seemed far more strongly perfumed and maybe because of that it irritated my skin.  I hope they bring the lemon one back!

Joik Moisturising Body Oil with Lemon and Bergamot Essential Oils
Initially I compared this unfavourably with the Body Shop Beautifying Oil, because I preferred the stronger lemon scent and the thicker, silkier texture of the Body Shop Oil.  Coming back to this Joik oil later on though I appreciated the slightly thinner texture  more because it seemed to be quickly absorbed by my skin, which is good when you're pressed for time.  The scent is light but not artificial and the product is 100% natural, bonus!

NSpa Shea Butter Body Butter
This has a very thick and slightly waxy texture.  The scent is strong and very sweet but not unpleasant if you like sweet scents.  My skin found this irritating during a flare up but when my skin was calm this was nice to use.  The cream is very moisturising and long lasting because of the thick texture.  It feels like it forms a protective layer over the skin.  Really good for dry skin that needs protecting from the elements but maybe not suitable for very sensitive skin.

Quite a collection.  There are actually a couple more but I think I'll save them for another time to prevent this post from getting any longer!  I hope you have a lovely evening

Twirlybirdie :)

Winter Facial Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin

Hello!

This is a follow up to my previous post about how I look after the skin on my body during winter time.  I also change up my facial skin care routine a little.  Last winter I bought The Body Shop's Vitamin C Skin Reviver.  I was looking primarily for a serum and came across this on my search.  It has the consistency more similar to a primer in my opinion but with a very silky feel to it.  It is also quite shimmery looking but once it's spread out over the skin you can't really see the shimmer.  I was originally using this for the the glow effect it claims to have but I started to realise that when I was putting this on and then going out in the cold my skin felt much more protected than usual and less dried out by the cold weather.

Where I live temperatures can get down to -30 degrees celcius in the winter so when I say cold weather I really mean cold!  I have to take extra special care of the skin on my face because it can get dry very easily and the dry patches can turn in to eczema.  The Skin Reviver serum had the most noticeable protective effect when the temperatures were below zero.  This was actually what gave me the idea of using two different moisturisers on my skin elsewhere in the winter weather.  One to sink in to the skin and a heavier one on top to seal in the moisture.
Now that the weather is getting colder again I'm re-introducing this product back in to my make-up routine.  Every morning I use The Body Shop's Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser which is my favourite, particularly because it has SPF 30.  Then putting the Skin Reviver serum on top locks in the moisturiser and prevents the cold winds from reaching my sensitive skin underneath.  It's my perfect winter duo.
When I use the Skin Reviver I do feel the need to step up my face washing routine as well as the extra product on my skin can clog a few pores if I'm not careful.  I will use a face wash with salicylic acid in it and make sure my skin is properly clean and has a chance to breathe over night.
Do you step up your skin care in winter?

Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)