If you know me well, you'll know my favourite subject – jewellery. And if you know me super well, then you know my other favourite subject of equal importance is skincare. In all seriousness, I know a French pharmacie better than the French pharmacists and if you don't believe me, have a look at either my credit card statement or my dressing table/skincare filled boxes in my room. I am OBSESSED with it and living in France has only forced me to adopt a somewhat unhealthy love and desire for the latest skin creations, lotions and potions. None of this is helped when all the ladies in the pharmacie have become so well acquainted with you that they constantly give you samples of things specific to your skin which makes you return to buy them all in full size a week later. But trust me, this is an obsession for the sake of a better-looking complexion.
Before coming out here
last year, my once beautifully flawless skin took a turn for the absolute
worst. Let's hypothetically imagine that you were told you were going to
Disneyland and it turns out you were actually being sent to an island where the
only inhabitants were cannibals. This fear, horror and utter sadness that you
could potentially feel in this situation transcends into the similar feelings I
felt when I kept waking up each morning for a month and seeing that my perfect
skin was turning into a red, oily and bumpy lump. It's not pretty I know, but
over the past year of dire depressing states, desperate tries of every product
known to man, I've come to the realization that I'm not the only one who is
suffering and there is solace is talking about and taking some drastic action.
In
December, I arrived
home for Christmas, half happy and half wanting to kill my own face. I
know
this isn't possible for everyone, but I'm sure you could try to imagine the sorrowful
frustration of
waking up every morning with cystic acne that was painful, red and no
amount
of makeup could make better. It was clearly time for an intervention –
from
none other than my dad. The one who has perfect skin and rarely bothers
to put moisturizer on because in his words, 'A simple bit of soap has
always done the
trick!' If only I had inherited your skin genes my dear father, if only.
Anyway, I like to be quite holistic and so does he, so off we went to
the
Chinese herbalist. This of course would spark some skepticism – Can we
really
trust these doctors? Are they even doctors? Where's their medical
certificate?
Let me assure you, they're the real deal. After a quick consultation
consisting
of this bright eyed and bright skinned Chinese doctor taking my pulse on
each
wrist BY HAND (none of this modern mechanical bullshit) the diagnosis
was
clear...to her. Apparently my liver function was too high and my kidney
function
was too low and the ridiculous condition of my skin was the body's way
of
expelling toxins that it had no other way to get rid of. Now this all
sounds
quite presumptuous no? Well it isn't. Just you forget what Clean and
Clear advertise.
Most of the time, an external bodily problem is usually the body's
warning sign
that something is seriously wrong on the inside. After seven weeks of
Chinese
herbs (if you are considering this treatment do prepare yourself to
drink herb
juice that has THE WORST taste in the land) I have noticed a BIG difference. The appearance of my
skin
is nowhere near perfect but in comparison to last November when I would
do
anything to stay indoors, it is kilometres better. It is brighter and three quarters less red and moreover I feel
one
hundred percent better internally. What's the point of looking good on
the
outside and feeling like a clogged up sewage pipe on the inside?
Previously, I had tried
my luck with the usual GP prescriptions, one of which made my skin erupt and
the others just did nothing but, to put it frankly, fuck up my insides. Most doctor’s
will have a normal prescription route whereby they'll go through every single
drug and try their best to make one of them work for you, even if it is
temporarily, before they'll consider letting you near a dermatologist. This is
not the doctor’s fault; it is just sadly the way of the UK medical system. But
if you have any problems regarding skin I would highly suggest you change up
your diet and do a little research into the chemistry of your body. Recent
studies suggest there is a strong link between skin and food - it doesn't take
a genius to work out that it is true. You are what you eat, and even if it
doesn't show now it'll surely be waiting to kick you up the arse later in life!
So even if you are on medication and it's working why not boost the effects and
just be a little healthier and treat your body a bit more like the temple that
it is?
Apart
from my terrible
journey to reclaim my childhood skin, the point of this post was not
only to
document my woes and triumphs but also to recommend some personal loves which have helped me
and other must haves for every
girl (and boys if you are metrosexual and care about how you'll look in
thirty
years time), regardless of your skin type. Luckily most of these
products are
now available in Boots and specialist shops like SpaceNK in the UK but
the all
of the products originate from the land of skincare, France. Another
brilliant site for discounted French products and other cosmetics is www.escentual.com .
1. Bioderma Micellar Water
(formerly known as Créaline)
If you don’t already
have this, hit yourself. The bioderma micellar is two things, amazing and amazing.
Many skincare companies have also brought out their own cleansing/micellar
water but this one is unbeatable. I use it daily to ensure my pores are
thoroughly cleansed after wearing makeup. And for those who can never be asked
to wash their face before bed, this will become, if not already, you cult
beauty product. It is even better than a face wash and rids the skin of any
nasties that some face washes can’t get rid of. It is perfect for the most
sensitive of skin and I have RARELY heard of any reactions to it. Once you
start on this, you wont stop!
2. Nuxe Rêve de miel lip balm, Crème Fondant Body Cream and the Huile Prodigieuse OR
Nuxe is another well-loved
French brand. It is so luxurious, that you feel like royalty before you’ve even
used it. I would say that this brand is perfect for facial skin types that are
dry, normal and mature. The three products that I’ve chosen to talk about
haven’t left my side for the past 2 years and I don’t think they’re going
anywhere too soon either! The rêve de miel lip balm is a cult classic. It is
like a pot of golden honey, which smells like lemon curd and is a treat for the
lips. It cures any sort of dryness and works wonders overnight. For the day, I
prefer the new stick version Nuxe have released, especially if you’re looking
for a matte finish or a matte lip primer under a pigmented lipstick or
lipstain. The crème fondante cream is just as rich as the balm, but for the
body. It is a creamy whip of loveliness, which again treats your body to an
intense bout of moisture and hydration. I would also recommend this before you
go to bed as it can be quite heavy for the day and the effects are more
noticeable the morning after! Lastly is
the infamous Huile Prodigieuse OR. Nuxe do two dry body, face and hair oils –
but this is my favourite as it has luminescent particles that leave your skin
glowing and iridescent. This is the perfect pick for the girl who prefers a
natural and sun kissed look in spring/summer. It can be worn instead of makeup
but leave your face/ hair and body flushed with a summer hue and the soft
signature scent of Nuxe. A little goes a long way with this product so it is
well worth the investment.
3. La Roche Posay Effaclar
Duo + and Cicaplast B5 balm
La Roche posay is one
my most coveted pharmacie brands. It quite often focuses on skin issues, a few
of which many of us will suffer from at least one in his or her life. The most
recent product I have been testing is the Effaclar
duo +, an upgraded version of the previous Effaclar duo. The formula has
been enhanced and claims to work even better than its predecessor. The
formulation focuses solely on skin, which suffers from those nasty blackheads
and under the skin spots that never surface but make your face look like a page
of Braille. It also focuses on complexion correction and the prevention of
future imperfections. After a week of using it, I have noticed a gradual
difference and a slight reduction in clogged pores. It serves as a brilliant
makeup base and
at €12/£15 it is a bargain for a prestigious and
quality skincare name. The Cicaplast b5
balm is a wonder for skin suffering from irritations, dryness or soreness.
It can be used on burns, cuts, sunburn and chapped skin; and even more
conveniently, all over the body. It is a wonder formula that is permanently in
my skincare favourites and one that I highly recommend.
4. Cattier clay face mask
This is another brand
that I have been blessed to know whilst being in France. To my knowledge, I am
unsure of how easy it is to find this in Britain but it is well worth the hunt.
Clay masks are numerous in the beauty market, but finding the right one is not
always easy because the formula is always different depending on where you go.
For me, the green mint clay mask from this brand is brilliant because it soothes,
cleanses and mattifies my oily mug. If mint aero ever transformed into a mask,
this would be it. Unlike most masks, this one requires you to cake a load on
for ten minutes but in those ten minutes you must be sure not to let any patch
of your face become dry. What I have noticed is that the mask will dry up
quicker around my t-zone and chin and I constantly pat water over the mask to
prevent the mask from cracking. It is a good formula which cleans deep into
pores, controls oiliness and works best when done in the evening (like Lisa
Eldridge, I believe that masks are for every other day and not one day a week)
and in the morning your skin is fresh as a daisy in spring. Cattier do four
masks in total that cater for different skin types and problems and are well
worth a try.
www.cattier.com
These are only a
handful of my pharmacie favourites but I’ll be sure to do posts that are
tailored to different skin types in the coming months. If you have any requests
do leave a comment in the box below and if you like what you see subscribe to
me on bloglovin’, instagram @rougerox and twitter @msrougerox.
Thank you for reading :)
RougeRox
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