Relaxing Skincare Routines

As we bin the tights and slip on the sandals in the summer months, we’re exposing more skin to the elements. To give it some TLC, why not spend some time at the end of a long day focusing on your skincare routine? 

Image Credit - Neal's Yard Remedies

Essential oils are the perfect ingredients for everything from easing dry skin to boosting blood flow. Each oil has different soothing properties and can make all the difference. 

Here are some relaxing essential oils to give your skin a treat. 

For Dry Skin

Spending a lot of time in the sun can aggravate dry skin because it loses moisture in the warmer weather. Flaky patches and wrinkles appear – not ideal when you’re trying to enjoy the summer. 

To combat this, invest in rose oil, which has moisturising and cell replenishing properties. After cleansing, gently massage a pea-sized amount of rose oil with both hands in a circular outward fanning motion. 

For Oily Skin

Oily skin can cause all sorts of issues, from spots to blackheads. If you have oily areas and want to reduce the shiny appearance of your skin, lavender oil could help. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps to tone the skin. Simply drop some lavender oil into your regular night cream and use as normal to start balancing things out. 

For Sensitive Skin

For those with sensitive skin, it’s important to make sure your skincare routine is soothing everything from your face to your toes. Avoid flare-ups and calm aggravated skin with some blue chamomile oil. When a few drops are added to some shower gel, this oil can ease itching and soreness across the whole body. 

For Combination Skin

Is your skin a little bit of everything? To restore balance, try ylang-ylang. This magical oil can deliver moisture to dry skin, dry out oily patches and calm sore spots. Like blue chamomile, it works well when added to your usual shower gel or you can try body oils containing ylang-ylang that can be massaged into the skin. 

Whatever your skin type, changing up your routine by trying some essential oils is an ideal way to give it a treat. Whether you have time for an indulgent massage or you need a quick way of giving your skin a boost before you dash out to the next summer barbecue, you will find that a few drops make all the difference. 

Will you be bringing essential oils into your skincare routine? Have you noticed a difference?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

OSKIA Citylife I-Zone Balm

Earlier this month I reviewed the June edition of Mintd Box, a beauty box which consists of 4/5 products curated from luxury beauty brands and when I say luxury, I mean luxury! One of the standouts for me from that box has been the Citylife I-Zone Balm from Oskia. Oskia only launched back in 2009 and has already been a winner of over 110 international product and brand awards including which includes Best British Brand and Best Natural Brand. I came to know the brand via their Renaissance Mask, which I happen to also adore.

The Citylife I-Zone Balm is described as being a soothing lip and eye balm, it is formulated to defend your delicate features from the harmful effects of indoor and outdoor pollutants, such as airborne metals, smog and smoke. So living in London, I am sure all of these things live on my skin, I travel around on public transport and I walk down some of the most polluted streets in the capital. I also know that having spent an entire day in the City Centre, I get home, double cleanse my face and the sheer amount of 'stuff' that washes off is absolutely grim. To that end, I am all for using products that can and will protect my skin.

Enriched with avocado oil, vitamins A and E you will also find some ingredients which are referred to as being 'Key Actives' and they include:

• RETINOL - improves the appearance of sun damaged, dry and mature skin to reveal soft, supple texture.
• ASTAXANTHIN - a really powerful antioxidant that is 6,000 times more potent than Vitamin C. It protects throughout the dermal layers from free radical damage, responsible for the ageing process, and sun’s damaging UV rays while also improving elasticity.
• WHITE LUPIN SEED - (Collangeneer) is a patented active that boosts Collagen I synthesis and the formation and quality of the collagen matrix to firm and improve elasticity for improved facial contour. 
• MSM - reduces inflammation, boosts the power of Glutathione and increases the production of pheomelanin, the type of melanin that is found in fair-skinned people, relative to eumelanin, the darker type of melanin, to reduce pigmentation. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory and calms breakouts.
• MICA - reflects light to enliven skin.

What I like about this balm is that it is clever, its ingredients actually do something useful and it is easy to apply.  All of those ingredients mentioned above come together to work to deflect pollution from the delicate eye and lip area. I don't think I have ever come across or used a product that has been designed to be used on both of those areas and given how delicate both areas are, I am happy to put it to use.

As a reminder of what this balm does, it:

• Protects the delicate eye & lip areas from the effects of day-to-day pollution and free radical exposure.
• Plumps, firms, contours and lifts.
• Nourishes and hydrates.
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.
• Can also be used under makeup or highlights the eyes & lips on its own.

On the skin, it is light and non-greasy and it absorbs really quickly which is also a thumbs up from me. I am intrigued as to what difference this will make to my skin and it is a product I will keep using. You can find the Oskia Citylife I-Zone Balm for £55 here via Cult Beauty.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Ouai Memory Mist

Not too long ago Ouai's Dry Foam was the hottest product to be had out there and in fairness, it is blooming good! But just when I didn't think it could get any better, in walks the Memory Mist and basically you just need it in your life.  Translated to mean Yes, Ouai was created by hairstylist Jen Atkin, the lady who is very much responsible for maintaining the manes of Klan Kardashian, Gigi Hadid and Gwen Stefani to name just a few, a range of products has been developed and if it is good enough for them, well it is good enough for me.

Referred as ' Your own personal hairstylist in a can' it is said that lazy girls can rejoice at this marvel of a product, why? Read on.  In this heat, the last thing I want to be doing is standing with a hairdryer, hair straighteners or anything that creates even more heat.  I want my hair to stay as I've styled, not just on the day that I have done it, but the following day and even the day after that too. 

Memory Mist is packed with plant extracts and Panthenol and delivers an intense hit of hydration to every single strand of hair instantly and cumulatively throughout the day, while Glycerin cleverly sheathes the hair shaft for that shampoo ad-worthy shine. But it doesn't stop there, it is the clever memory polymers that turn this weightless mist into an incredible product. It is these Memory Polymers that memorise and lock in your hair’s shape and texture after styling whilst the inclusion of Prickly Pear Extract tames frizz and adds shine and thermal polymers work to condition and protect hair from heat styling up to 450 degrees and also boasts UV protection too. It is at this point that you realise that Memory Mist is not in any way like a hairspray, for one there is no sticky, tacky residue clinging to your hair, it doesn't add a crunch, it doesn't have a chemical scent and it doesn't flake off your hair in the heat. For me, it is closer to a priming spray but with one huge difference - it keeps my hair I've styled it, no need to keep grabbing the straighteners or curling brush and it does it all without even thinking about it.

Using Memory Mist is just as easy as any other product and it can be used in two ways. Spritz the mist lightly and evenly on to damp hair before blow-drying to lock in that salon-worthy smoothness, or you can use the mist on dry hair before styling with tongs or irons and it gives an amazing sleek finish.

To date, this is the best product I have used from Ouai, it saves me hours of time styling and re-styling my hair, it means I don't have to use heat on my hair every single day to ensure my hair looks how I want it to look and you can find it right HERE for just £25 and it is worth every single penny.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here