I love a good skincare routine. Recently, I’ve been more into skincare than I have been into makeup! There’s something so interesting to me about seeing other people’s skincare routines, and why they choose the products they do. However, the one thing that lets me down time and time again is that I hardly ever seem to come across a full vegan skincare routine. One of the most irritating things is seeing somebody use a product that sounds absolutely perfect only to find out that the brand tests on animals or the product itself contains ingredients sourced from animals.
It wasn’t until I was doing my full routine last week that I had a total lightbulb moment and thought; ‘Why am I waiting to find someone else’s vegan skincare routine when I could be sharing my own!?’ … Which leads us here!
Quick note: I’m using a new feature in my blog posts! If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will find a carousel showcasing the products mentioned in this post, which when clicked will put you through to a website where you can purchase them! Any products that couldn’t be put into the carousel will be linked at the end of the post.
Facetheory Vitamin C Cream Cleanser
If I’m wearing makeup, the first product I will use in my skincare routine is this cleanser. I’ve found it to be a great replacement for the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish that I used to use before I found out it contained beeswax (side note: Click here to read the ranty blog post I wrote off the back of that discovery!).
I’ll start by filling the sink with warm water and putting a clean muslin cloth in. Then, I will use two pumps of the cleanser and gently massage it into my face to help break down the makeup. Once my makeup has been massaged into a messy creamy smudge, I take the muslin cloth, wring out any excess water, and cover my fingers with the cloth. Then, I will begin wiping off the makeup in sections before rinsing the cloth, finding another clean section, and moving on to another section.
I’ve found that for more stubborn makeup like waterproof mascara, I sometimes need to take some extra cleaner (about a pea-sized pump) and massage it directly into the stubborn area. Then once again, I will start wiping the makeup away with the muslin cloth until no more makeup residue stains the cloth.
When I say ‘working in sections’ I mean, in this exact order: Lips > Face > Eyebrows > Eyes. I think it goes without saying, but make sure you don’t use the same section of the cloth to wipe away your makeup, especially when removing makeup on your eyes!
Gallinée Foaming Facial Cleanser
If I don’t wear makeup, this is the first step in my routine. If I do wear makeup, it’s the second. It may seem a little bit excessive to use two cleansers, but as the Facetheory cleanser is very thick, I do feel that sometimes it makes my face feel a little clogged up, and I like to make sure I’ve definitely removed all of the makeup on my face.
Compared to the Facetheory cleanser, the Gallinée cleanser is very lightweight, which I highly prefer. This is why I only use this one if I’m not wearing makeup. I’ve never actually tried to remove makeup with it so I can’t say whether it does or doesn’t work (suddenly thinking this is something I should probably try out??) but it definitely makes my pores feel flushed out if I’ve been sweating or my face feels dirty for whatever reason.
I use this cleanser by giving the bottle a good shake and then pressing a single pump onto my (clean!!) fingers. Next, I will rub it gently into my face in small circular motions, moving outwards starting at my nose. Finally, wash away with water. That’s it!
Naobay Gentle Facial Toner
After I’ve cleansed (or double cleansed) I move onto toner. I’ve been using this Noabay toner that smells amazing – like, imagine if summer had a smell. It has raspberry, marshmallow, and marigold extracts in it – and if that doesn’t have you sold already…
This toner promises to bring softness and freshness to your face, as well as being anti-ageing. Although I can’t really vouch for the anti-ageing part, the softness and freshness really does deliver.
I like to soak a few drops of this toner into a cotton pad and apply the toner in sweeping motions, starting from my nose, outwards. Be mindful that toners generally contain alcohol and can be drying, so it’s important to moisturise afterwards. If you have dry skin, it’s probably best to skip this step.
Aidan actually gave me a really useful tip for identifying alcohols in skincare – if the ingredient ends in ‘-ol’, it’s alcohol!
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
This is one of my optional steps. If I have any aggressive spots or yellowheads, I’ll use the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion to basically magic the spot away. If you’re not familiar with the drying lotion, I’m really surprised as it’s an absolute cult favourite! It will reduce the size of your spots overnight and take away some of the angry redness that comes with it.
I’m very lucky not to get spots too often aside from the odd stress or hormone-related spot, and I’ve found that the Drying Lotion works really well for me. My boyfriend, on the other hand, has more persistent acne, and we’ve found that although it does seem to calm his angrier spots, and works especially well on yellowheads, it doesn’t work as well for him. I thought this may be worth noting in case anyone with acne thinks this is a miracle treatment – it really isn’t!
If you buy this product, make sure you don’t shake the bottle. I did it the first time I used it and then saw on the bottle after that it says not to do that – whoops! You’re supposed to actually dip a cotton bud (q-tip if you’re American) into the pink sediment at the bottom and apply directly onto the offending spot. I recommend using it either during the day if you know you’re not going anywhere, or overnight, and leave it on for as long as possible!
Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser
I’ve been repurchasing this again and again for around three years now! It’s the best moisturiser I’ve ever used, and I’ve never felt the need to branch out and try another since the first time I bought it. Remember how I said earlier in the post that the Facetheory cleanser is a little thick for my tastes? Well, I hate thickness in moisturisers; you know when you can literally feel a moisturiser weighing down on your face? Well, the Liz Earle Skin Repair is the lightest moisturiser I’ve probably ever had. It seems to ‘dry’ quickly compared to other moisturisers, in the way that you don’t feel like you have a thick wall of paint on your face for hours.
I will put the moisturiser all over my face, eyelids included, except for on my lips. I smooth it with a light touch into my skin taking extra care to go over any dry areas I have at the time. As always, making sure I have clean hands. The only drawback with the Liz Earle moisturiser is that it only comes in a pot instead of a squeezy tube, meaning there is always a chance that dirt or unfavourable bacteria could get into the product if you’re not careful.
Dr PawPaw Original Balm
The last step in my routine is to put this lip balm on! I could not be a bigger fan of this lip balm, it’s seriously the best I’ve ever used and probably the only vegan one I know of, too! It was recommended to me by one of my work friends (Hi Sophie, if you’re reading this!) after I complained that I couldn’t seem to find a vegan lip balm in Superdrug or Boots. It’s honestly one of the only lip balms I’ve tried that doesn’t seem to dry out your lips even more! It also makes me wonder if beeswax is the offending ingredient that does that…?
Anyway! I use a tiny blob on the tip of my finger and massage into my lips until they are completely coated. A little goes a very long way with this balm – I found that out the hard way. I like to leave this on overnight or during the day when I’m not wearing makeup or going out. Perfect for work from home life! The only real drawback is; this product feels quite slimy on the lips. It kinda feels like a gloss and is very noticeable when you wear it. However, I feel like that’s a small price to pay for something that genuinely works!
I do have to make an extra effort in my skincare routine to care for my lips in particular as they seem to always be dry. To make things worse, I’m a chronic lip-biter. I’m always tearing off that dry skin and it makes my lips horribly sore! I’ve realised that when I wear this balm I actually just leave my lips alone! Though, that’s probably because I hate the texture. They’ve become so much healthier in recent months as a result!
Lush Don’t Look At Me Fresh Face Mask
Using an old picture here because I forgot to put my current tub back in the fridge and now it’s dried out and gone weird… And Lush is closed due to the virus… So I can’t get another yet ☹︎
This is one of my absolute favourite face masks of all time! I’ve tried a few different things in the past, but I find myself always coming back to this one. I love the way it feels, I love the way it smells, I love the colour, and it’s totally vegan! On the occasions that I use a face mask in my skincare routine, I’ll do it after cleansing, before I move on to toner. I tend to use face masks if there’s an occasion coming up or if my skin is feeling particularly clogged up or dull.
The Don’t Look At Me face mask is both brightening and exfoliating so it helps me with both of these issues. Another great thing about it is that you can keep the pots to recycle and buy a new fresh face mask from Lush for free, so not only is it cruelty-free and vegan, it’s also zero waste!
I try to keep the face mask on for as long as I can possibly bear – until it has completely dried and I can no longer move my face. When I wash it off, I make sure to buff it into my skin to make sure I remove any dead skin cells or bad bacteria that is clinging on for dear life.
Are You Interested In Any of The Products In My Skincare Routine?
If any of these products look appealing to you, please take a look at the product carousel at the bottom of this page! I wasn’t able to link every single product into the carousel, so here’s a direct link to the other products if you’re interested in purchasing them:
Facetheory Vitamin C Cream Cleaner | Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser | Lush Don’t Look At Me Fresh Face Mask
As always, if you have any questions about any of the products I mentioned, or you just want to chat skincare in general, please leave a comment below, or message me directly on any of my social media channels!
If you would like to read more beauty posts, click here.
Love, Flossie ♡
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