#hydralight

Cleansing, always an important part of any skincare routine. I know too many girls that implement a wipe-and-sleep routine and still complain of having skin issues. A make-up wipe doesn't give you a good cleanse and is very likely to irritate your skin. I have never really used them since I have sensitive skin and each brand has given me trouble. Besides that, I like to massage my cleanser a little to make sure I'm giving my serum a clean slate to do it's magic on ;-)

So I'm a fan of the double cleanse. one to take make-up off and another cleanse to take the residue off and get into my pores. I guess you could also use the same cleanser twice, but that's a personal preference. 

In the morning I'd just use one of my "deep clean" cleansers however I know many people like using the Liz Earle cleanser in the morning as well. 

My current favourites for make-up removal

Bioderma Sensibio H2O - Micelle Solution - £10.50 at Escentual.com

Great for sensitve skin. I've been using this for years and it has never irritated me,(even when my skin has been going through a flare up). Bioderma's micelle is a classic. It's one of the first and it's the one I see in most make-up artists kits. In situations where you'd reach for a make-up wipe (before falling into bed after one too many cocktails/when you're on the plane etc.) then this is great. All you need is a cotton pad.

I often transfer it into a 50 ml bottle and take it with me when I travel. That way, when I'm in a rush to leave the set to make a plane, I can easily take my make-up off and let my skin breathe (more travel beauty coming soon)

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - £14 at John Lewis

Another long time favourite. This is a lovely creamy cleanser if you can be bothered to use a muslin cloth (which to be honest I can't always be). I like to apply a little to my face, massaging it in (also on the lashes but be gentle!). Then I take my muslin cloth, run it under hot water (not burning hot though!) and cover my face with it. I will just leave it for a moment so the warmth of the cloth can open my pores. Then I gently wipe it over my face, run it again under warm water and wipe again until all make up has been removed. After that I still like to use another cleanser to get into the pores to do a deep clean. 

Favourite "deep-clean" cleansers

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel - £9.75 Escentual.com

I've used this for ages. It is especially good for skin that tends to get a bit oilier in summer (mine can be quite dry in winter and combination in summer). This gel cleanser is more targeted at skin that has a tendency for breakouts and other imperfections. What I love about this is that even though it's targeted for problem skin, it's not harsh at all. With my sensitive skin I have no problem using this twice a day. Just wet your face, rub a little between your fingers to create a little foam and apply & rinse. Doesn't leave the skin feeling tight. What I also love about it is the 200 ml tube size which literally lasts for ages. It's £9.75 on escentual making it very good value for money.

Paula's Choice Hydralight Cleanser - £18.50

I discovered Paula's Choice a few years ago through it's Beautipedia. I do think they can be a little harsh sometimes but overall it's a very good guide to use, together with other review sites like Makeupalley. I've been using Paula's Choice products since I've lived in NYC (where the products are about 30% cheaper). From the cleansers I have used both the Skin Recovery one (very nice for sensitive skin, a little more creamy) and the Hydralight one. The Hydralight cleanser is definitely my pick from summer. It's a gel and leaves the skin feeling clean without any dryness. It doesn't really foam (Paula's Choice has a thing against foam since it would be unnecessary and drying to the skin) but I think it's a really great cleanser. It is a little more tricky getting hold of it in Europe though since Paula's Choice is not in any physical stores (neither is it in the USA). It can take a little planning for me to restock (I travel regularly and when away rent the apartment out on AirBnB so I always try to avoid having guests sign for packages ;-).

Derma Woman Rensegel - DDK 59.95

A local pick. I'm in Denmark at the moment and ran out of my Paula's Choice cleanser and hadn't been organised enough to restock in time. So I picked this up on a trip to the grocery story. Now I don't speak Danish so I had to make sure it wasn't a feminine intimate wash (woman rensegel, in my opinion it could very well be). It's a gel, organic without any perfume, parabens and dyes. It does have some glycerin and aloe vera in it, but it's not my favourite if I'm honest. It does a good job with cleansing the skin but if my skin is a little irritated it does seem to make it worse. If you have regular, non sensitive skin it's a very good and cheap option. I'll probably finish the bottle (since I'm on the road too much at the moment to bother with online ordering) but I won't repurchase.

Cherry: What’s your favorite song?

if you actually put on the sorting hat you’d probably get hufflepuff then if you really didn’t want to be slytherling lol. I haven’t heard that but her songs are cute and poppy so I’m sure I’d like! I’ll listen to it when I get a chance :)

Asparagus: Birthday?

12th January 1996

Salmon: Place you wish to live or visit?

I See The Light - Tangled :)

Unless you have super dry skin, I’d recommend the Hydralight cleanser.  It’s formulated for sensitive skin that’s normal, combination, or oily, and it has a lightweight gel texture (as opposed to a more emollient lotion one).