AD | My Summer Skincare Routine In Collaboration With Boots *

-This post is an advertisement feature with Boots UK but all thoughts are my own-

Making sure we look after our skin throughout the year is a must no matter what age we are or what skin conditions we may have. In today’s post, I’m talking all about my Summer skincare routine and the best skincare products that work for my oily/combination skin. I'm going to be showing you how I do my full skincare routine when I'm having a self-care pamper session. Some of the products I’m using this summer have been faves for a number of years and some of the products are fairly new in my routine. 

It might sound weird but I actually do the majority of my skincare routine in my bedroom just because I find it easier in terms of my chronic pain, especially if I'm having a particularly bad day because standing up for too long or reaching for products from the cabinet above the sink can actually set my pain off more. I also just think sitting down and doing my skincare routine is a nice way to take a bit of time out for myself too, no matter what time of day it is.

When it comes to cleansers, I've been reaching for either a milky kind of cleanser or something lightweight like a gel cleanser. If I've been wearing makeup prior to doing my skincare routine, I'll use a balm cleanser to remove it first and I'm currently using the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Cleansing Balm. However, I haven't really been wearing much makeup lately because of the lockdown situation as well as the hot weather we've been having, so I've either been going barefaced or I've been using a tinted moisturiser and a sweep of mascara when I just want to put on a little bit of something. 

If I'm doing a full skincare routine then I'll apply my face mask next prior to using any other products. I'm a big fan of clay face masks just because I find that they really help with tightening up large pores, reducing active spots as well as making your skin feel like it's had a deep cleanse. I'm a big fan of the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment Face Mask (which you can buy in the full-size version from Boots), you can use it all over your face and you can use it as a spot treatment too. I personally like to use a face mask twice a week ideally. I tend to do an all-over face mask and then a T-Zone face mask later in the week as that tends to be where I have the most issues when it comes to spots and blackheads.

I use a glycolic acid pretty much every day just because I find it works really well at unclogging any blocked pores and also helps to bring any pesky under the skin spots to the surface. I'm currently using the Boots Glow Radiance Tonic* which is from their new Glow skincare range. It really does leave my skin looking naturally glowy and it also smells really nice too!

Every couple of weeks I'll skip using any glycolic acid for a day and use a manual scrub just because I personally really like the feel of a manual scrub. I don't use a scrub on the same day I use a face mask usually just because it tends to be a little too much for my skin, however, I wanted to mention it as it is something that's in my summer skincare routine. I'm currently using the Soap & Glory Scrub In The Fast Lane Peel & Polish Exfoliant* which is a light creamy scrub and contains a nice selection of ingredients including Vitamin C, Lactic Acid and Salicylic Acid. I've started to slowly introduce Vitamin C into my skincare routine because I do feel like although my skin is oily, it can also look quite dull and worn out some days (which I personally think is down to my chronic pain, to be honest) and Vitamin C is just a nice way to give your skin a boost. 

Next up is another product from the new Boots Glow range that I picked up recently which is the Boots Glow Eye Cream which is kind of the perfect in-between kind of eye cream as it's not super liquidy but not thick and heavy either. I've been using it for about 6 weeks now and I do feel like you can see a difference pretty much straight after using it as it kind of lifts and brightens the under-eye area. I think it's a steal at £4! 

If I'm breaking out then I'll opt for a product containing Niacinamide such as The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% next just because I find Niacinamide really works for my skin and helps to get spots to pack up their bags and leave ASAP, it's also good if you have an uneven skin tone or any areas of texturisation. The Ordinary's offering is also in a glass dropper bottle which makes it super easy to use. 

After I've applied all of my treatment products, I'll then pop on some moisturiser. I'm currently using the Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturiser as a day moisturiser which has been a favourite for a few years now, I really feel like gel moisturisers work best for my oily/combination skin type because they don't feel heavy on my skin. The Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturiser also has a super zingy scent as the name suggests, so it's perfect to use first thing in the morning wake up your skin. At night I've been using the Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Sleep & Reveal Night Cream* which I think is new to their range. It is a little heavier than the Origins moisturiser but it still works fine with my oilier skin type and I really do feel like it helps to make your face look fresher when you first wake up in the morning.

If I'm doing my skincare routine in the morning or afternoon and I know that I'm going to be leaving the house later in the day I will apply some SPF as the last step in my routine. Also, it's worth remembering that skincare acids such as Glycolic Acid make your skin more sensitive to sunlight so you should really try to remember to apply your SPF. I've been using the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid Sun Cream SPF 50* for probably around a year now. I do struggle when it comes to SPF because I do find that a lot of them can break me out. However, the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid Sun Cream SPF 50 is super lightweight and liquidy and it works really well with my skin and it also doesn't upset my makeup if I'm wearing any either. I always make sure to pop it in my bag if I know I'm going to be leaving the house for more than a few hours so that I can top it up throughout the day.

What products are in your skincare routine? Are any of your favourites in my routine?