A Skincare Backtrack?

This one is a long one, go and grab a hot drink.

Oily, Normal, Dry, Combination and a mixture of all the above.. Our skin types are categorised and we tend to lean towards products labelled with something we think our skin needs. But is this always best? I myself have always said my skin is dry, because for a very long time it was, we're talking dry.. When I was a bridesmaid as a teenager and had a full face of makeup applied, my skin was having none of it which resulted in my face being slathered in baby oil, yes you read that right, and simply rocking up to the church without a shred of makeup on my face. I'm assured I looked positively glowing, though you would hope so with the amount of oil my skin had slurped up.

I therefore tend to gravitate towards nourishing, hydrating and synonyms of that sort when I pick out my skincare. I plonk myself front and centre in the 'dry' category and always have. So, why is it then that I've recently been finding myself having an hum hum, afternoon glow which my boyfriend likes to point out in the most blatant terms ''you're greasy''. Perhaps my skin isn't so dry after all? I'm taking a skincare backtrack. 

My usual daily moisturiser, Clarin's Hyrda Quench cream, a rich a thick texture which I do love and have to credit for some seriously soft skin, has taken a bit of a back seat and I'm experimenting with some lighter, mattefying moisturisers. Garnier's Moisture Match range has a moisturiser for oily skin, which against all my instincts I've been applying to fight the shine.

Something I was once told as a wee girl which has stuck with me and I'm putting into practise now is perhaps an old wives tail that 'if you have oily skin, it can be that your skin is dry and is overcompensating in producing oil for the natural oils it lacks.' Sound right to you? I'm not sure either. However I'm always up for a bit of an experiment. So I've been reaching for my Clarins oil and patting it on as a finishing touch to my nighttime skin routine to soak in all the essential oils.

Face masks are another step in my skincare overhaul. I've opted for Boot's Botanics Shine Away clay mask which claims to draw out any impurities while reducing oil in your skin. I love this mask and it really lifts out a lot of oil and dirt and leaves my skin feeling amazing, a repurchase is definitely in order. 

I can't completely desert my beloved hydrating formulas and I have a few skincare staples which won't ever budge. I use Clarins Exfoliating Toner most nights and the Nip+Fab Glycolic Cleanser and I've recently welcomed a new addition to the skincare clan in the form of Origins GinZing moisturiser. A separate post on this is soon coming but let's just say there was a little wiggle room in my overhaul plan for a just one more hydrating moisturiser and I turned a blind eye for this pot of orangey, energising goodness. 

My overhaul seems to be working and I'm working my way back to glowing from greasy.

Have you had a skincare overhaul? 

Rachel xo