La Roche-Posay Hydreane Riche Moisturising Cream

La Roche-Posay Hydreane Riche Moisturising Cream (£12 from Escentual, currently on offer for £10.20) is one of my new holy grail products. I honestly do not know where I would be without it - it has done wonders for my dry and dehydrated, acne prone skin. I also suffer from redness around my mouth and nose which looks terrible, especially in the colder months. I have to be so careful what I use on my skin as a lot of skincare products break me out.

Hydreane Riche contains hydrolipids which enable water to penetrate through your skin and it also contains Thermal Spa Water to help moisturise and soothe sensitive skin. La Roche-Posay say that this cream is suitable for people with dry to very dry skin and that it leaves no greasy residue which I can certainly vouch for. I can easily apply my makeup straight on top of this, although if your skin is more normal or a slight bit oily, I think you would find this too much. (They do however, sell a light version for normal to combination skin). After finishing off my first tube, the first thing I did was log back onto the Escentual's website to buy another two tubes! 

The cream itself is quite thick and doesn't particularly smell of much - just the clean, fresh, La Roche-Posay smell. The 40ml tube, using day and night last around 4 - 6 weeks depending on how dry my skin is. I think this is probably about average as before this, I used a separate day and night cream which would last around 10 weeks. My only little niggle is that because the cream is so thick and rich, it is hard to get the last bits out of the tube. This results in me cutting off the end of the tube and transferring the leftovers into a clean pot - I would love it in a pump bottle!

Having tried and used expensive creams such as Clinique and Origins in the past (£30+ a tub), I can honestly say I much prefer a £12 tube of Hydreane Riche Cream. I have noticed so much more hydration and less dryness in my skin since using the product, even after applying the cream first thing in the morning, my skin still feels nourished in the evening. I also haven't noticed any additional breakouts whilst using this or skin irritation/redness.

Absolutely, 100%  recommend this to anyone with dry to very dry skin. Do not waste your money on expensive £30+ creams that claim to hydrate your skin when you just need a tube of La Roche-Posay Hydreane Riche.

Laura xx

     

Origins Make A Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Moisturizer

Origins Make A Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Moisturizer (£34.50) is designed to add moisture to combination, dry and dehydrated skin. It contains active ingredients such as Rose of Jericho plus a Lychee and Watermelon to help add hydration all day long.

Texture wise, Make A Difference is more of a gel moisturiser than a cream. It sinks into my skin very easily and doesn't leave a greasy residue which I find a lot of creams do which are aimed at dry and dehydrated skin. Makeup goes onto the top of it easily and doesn't cause it to slide, not even on my forehead which is more 'normal' than the rest of my face. 

In the winter, I use this cream day and night, but now the weather is getting warmer, I just use it in the evening as I find it too much combined with my serum and SPF. In winter, it really helps when my skin gets very dry and flakey and on another positive note, it doesn't break me out.

For £34.50, Make A Difference Plus + is a very expensive treat, but a little goes a long way and I have been using this cream on and off since around October last year. I possibly may purchase again, but currently, I am loving La Roche Posay which is doing wonders for my dehydrated skin and is easier on the pocket!

Laura xx

     

My Dehydrated Winter Skin Saviours

During winter, my skin is terribly dry and dehydrated, so I've been testing out lots of different products which are designed to rehydrate and add moisture back into my skin.

Here are my top recommended skin care products for dealing with dehydrated, winter skin that I have tried and tested:

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Tonic | House of Fraser | £20

This is fantastic for removing any cleanser residue and really helps to add moisture to my dry and dehydrated skin. It also smells amazing, although if you're not a huge fan of lavender, it's probably not for you.

Lacura Aqua Complete Multi Intensive Serum | Aldi | £3.49

This is not overly hydrating, but adds an additional layer with my moisturiser and is an absolute bargain. It's full of Hyaluronic Acid which is super hydrating.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief | Boots | £32

This instantly sinks into my dehydrated skin and makes it look and feel plump and revived. I usually use this in the morning. I love that this doesn't irritate my acne prone skin either.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich | Boots | £25 for 15ml

I switch between the rich and original one depending on how dehydrated my skin is. This is more of a cream, whereas the original is a gel-like formula. 

Hydraluron | Boots |  £16.66 (currently on offer)

I bought this because of the rave reviews and I'm currently undergoing a four week review which will be posted up at the end of February.

Clinique City Block Sheer 25 SPF| Boots | £17

I always try and wear SPF, even in the winter as I believe that sun damage is a major factor in ageing. This is a fantastic base for foundation and also acts as a primer. I really feel my foundation lasts longer with this on.

Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil | Boots

I have talked about this before and it's a great facial oil from Boots. Although I think they may have discontinued it.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer | Boots | £28

I use this on special occasions when my skin is lacking moisture because it is expensive for 30ml of product. It feels extremely cooling when you first apply it and makeup sits nicely on top. 

Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask | Boots | £22

I use this before a night out of a special occasion to really give my skin a major moisture boost.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask | Boots | £22

Using this once a week, it really plumps up my skin and makes it look and feel more hydrated. For £22 it isn't cheap, but a little bit goes a long way. It also smells amazing!

Origins Make A Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Moisturiser | Boots | £34

If you can afford to splash out on a moisturiser to boost the hydration in your dry skin, this will become your best friend. It's extremely rich and hydrating, but it doesn't break me out or make my skin overly oily/greasy. It even works under makeup, but I tend to leave this one for the evening.

Please let me know if you would like a full review of any of the products. What products are you currently using to help with dry skin? Do you have any recommendations that I should try for dehydrated skin?

Laura xx

     

Rave Review - Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream

Rave Review - Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream

I am absolutely in love with this body exfoliator! It's quite gritty, but it's hydrating and it leaves my skin looking and feeling so silky and soft.

I suffer from keratosis pilaris on the backs of my arms which is horrible, but with regular use of this exfoliator and constant moisturising, I have noticed the difference.

I've been using the Clinique sparkle skin for around 4 weeks now, every other day in the shower. It's applied directly to wet skin and you only need to massage a really small amount of the product into your arms.

Having tried it on my legs too, it made them lovely and soft, I even felt I had to apply less moisturiser as they felt more hydrated than normal.

You can see how little of the product I've used in the last 4 weeks, so even though the initial payout is a lot, it's worth it in the long run. I've just Sanctuary and Soap and Glory body scrubs and almost got through the whole pot in 4 weeks.

You can see here the grainy texture. I like that the grains are quite small and fine, so that when massaging it into my skin, it doesn't feel as rough or as harsh as other exfoliators.

The one downside to this product is the smell - it's sort of like a menthol, minty smell. It really doesn't very luxurious when I'm massaging it into my body... I'd prefer a nice vanilla, anything actually, to make it smell more luxury. I'd also like it if the product left a slight scent on my skin, this doesn't really leave any smell.

What exfoliators can you recommend? Have you tried any recently that I should look out for?

Laura xx