The search for the perfect skin care

I have dry, sensitive skin that loves to break out at really awkward moments - night out, first day of a new job, meeting new people for example.

It is also is a long, expensive, tiresome search that takes a toll on your skin and your bank account! 
I have tried brands that specialise in dry skin, sensitive skin, normal skin and these always seems to be an issue - allergic reaction, dry, tight skin or breakouts galore! 

So when I was approached by a friend from my crossfit box to try a brand called Tropic I thought why not! She handed me some free samples and off I went to try out the new products. 

I tested the moisturiser on my skin first just in case - may sound paranoid but who wants to be walking round with red patches on their face? 

After the all clear I started using the cleanser daily in the morning and evening - at first I had a breakout but after 2 days its cleared up and my skin felt so smooth and soft I couldn't stop stroking my face! 
I also used the pore cleanser after taking my makeup off - this is like a spray mist which you spray directly onto your face, it is really nice and refreshing perfect after a long day! 

After about a week and a half of using the products I found my skin had completely cleared, felt so much smoother and even better no reaction! 
I used it within my normal skin routine - I did not use the moisturiser in the end as I preferred the one I already used, however mixing it in with my other products made no difference to my skin as in there was no reaction or imbalance on my skin! 

So a little bit about the Tropic product - their tag line is Pure, Honest, Effective. 

They don't test on animals - huge bonus, and all their ingredients 100% naturally derived or nature identical.
They develop their products in the UK and even include a best before date on the bottles! How great is that? We are concious of the food we put into our body so why not on our skin as well. 

When your so concious about the food your eating and the exercise you are doing it makes sense to be including the largest organ of your body in that factor! 

If this product sounds like something you would be interested in then speak to the experts! 
Here is a link to the lovely Emma's page she is an ambassador for the company, so helpful and be happy to help anyone interested in purchasing the product! 

I wish I had taken a before and after shot, but seriously if you want a skin product that is going to make your skin feel amazing this is the one for you! 

Click here to view the website 

Epsom Salts

I have been reading alot about epsom salts lately, so when I passed a bag for sale in a shop I thought why not give it a go!

So why have an epsom salt bath? Epsom salts have alot of health benefits from soothing aching muscles to drawing toxins from the body, so what better time to start than after a hard few training weeks and Christmas period?
Stress is prone to draining the body of magnesium - taking a bath is always relaxing anyway but the epsom salts contains magnesium so by bathing in epsom salts your body with absorb the salts and replenish the magnesium levels - magnesium helps produce a mood enhancing chemical called serotonin making you feel calm and relaxed.

Aching muscles after a workout? Take a bath! The combination of hot water and salts will help you and your muscles relax. Again the magnesium absorbed through the body helps regulate muscle and nerve function as well as helping flush the body of lactic acid which is built up during strenuous workouts.

Aching feet after a long? Soaking your feet for ten minutes in hot water and salts can really help improve circulation, relieve aches and pains and reduce inflammation. Perfect after a long day on your feet, after wearing heels or even after a long run!

There are also articles saying that it works as a clenser from being ingested - this is a different salt to the kind you put in your bath and also due to side effects it is recommended you check with the doctor first to make sure it is ok! I haven't tried this and wont - I tried a detox once and it had the worst effect on my body so never again!


I have only had two baths with epsom salts so far so really I don't have anything wise to offer yet as two baths is not enough to tell anything but time will tell!

Travel Essentials

 

Flying can take its toll on your skin and so can the sun when you arrive at your destination.

I am always over cautious when it comes to skin care and always carry around the essentials at home so why change when you are away? 

Here are my essential items I always travel with to make sure I keep my skin glowing and that I am taking good care of it! 

• Water - my number one item, I always have water with me no matter what! Usually it is in the form of a large bottle, unless I am carrying it around on a day to day basis I opt for a smaller bottle. Constantly drinking water means I am always hydrated but it also hydrates you skin. The air conditioning on airplanes always dries out my skin, so I like having a large bottle of water with me on the flight to make sure I am constantly drinking like I would be on any other day! 
• Mini moisturizer - if you are like me and always have dry skin then mini moisturizer will be your life saver! I always use it on my hands because certain soaps dry them out, but I find that again the air conditioning really effects my skin so having a little bottle of moisturizer helps to keep my skin feeling soft and smooth and not tight! 
• Makeup wipes - I don't really wear makeup when I travel because I don't like having makeup on my skin for to long as it makes my skin breakout or dry, so I usually opt for mascara and a little bit of concealer underneath the eyes! Having makeup wipes in your bag are perfect on long haul flights especially if you want to freshen up before you land or re-do your make up before arrivals your skin will feel fresh and you will feel alot more human! 
• Lip balm - Vaseline is my life saver, I swear by Vaseline and I hate when I leave the house without it! Same goes for traveling, it also means you have a back up moisturiser if you feel any dry patches and having nothing on you, I get dry elbows some times so I use it on my elbows to help with the dry skin
• Sun tan lotion - seems self explanatory, but you would be surprised how many people neglect wearing sun tan lotion! I take a range of factors but always start on factor 30 for the first few days to make sure I am fully protected and don't burn! Who wants to burn on your first day of holiday? Just because you are wearing sun tan lotion does not mean that you won't tan, it simply means you won't burn! Simple science and also protects your skin from sunspots, keeps it moisturized and in the long run will keep your skin looking young and fresh, no one wants to age before their time! 
• After Sun - Again something alot of people don't bother taking! After sun is perfect to prolong the tan and replenish any moisture that was lost throughout the day. I use lotion with Aloe Vera in for extra moisture and a nicer smell! Top tip - keep it in the fridge for a nice cool effect after spending the day in the sun, it is really refreshing and feels so good! 

What are your travel essentials? I would love to hear from you  

Dry Skin Brushing

I am off on holiday tomorrow so have been focusing on making sure I am feeling my best, including my skin, typically had a massive breakout this week, but I am hoping that 2 weeks of no make-up and realaxing will take care of that! 

But I have also been dry brushing my skin religiously every morning before I shower to reduce the cellulite and build up of fatty tissue around my thighs and on my hips, and I really believe this has been working for me. 

I can see a difference in my skin and it is defiantly less bumpy and looking ALOT better! 

The best thing about this little trick is the brush cost me £3 and that was it! I highly recommend buying once of these brushes and using it everyday, not only for cellulite, but also to help with dry skin, cell renewal and blood flow. 

Brush in the direction of the heart in long stokes, and counter clockwise on the stomach. Don't press to hard as the skin should not be red once you have finished! 

Take before and after pictures to see if it is working for you, but I promise after about 3 continuous weeks of doing this you will start to notice a difference!