*This post is in collaboration with Clarins and Liverpool Urban Hair Show*
So many self-care actions reduce stress and improve your state of mind. Organising, planning, shaving, tanning. Anything that you do for YOU. In this post, I’m going to be talking about how taking care of your skin can improve your mindset. I’m cautious to use the term “mental health”, because no skincare routine can fix depression or anxiety, but it can’t hurt. No one can deny that removing makeup and applying products is soothing. Time consuming sometimes, yes, but your skin always feels so lovely and clean after. Skincare improves your confidence, self-worth, and relieves stress. Surely this suggests that there may be a correlation between skincare and mental health. Taking a few minutes out of your day to take care of your skin can’t be a bad thing.
Skin is closely related to mental health and happiness for me personally, as I suffered with milia, a form of acne, when I was younger. This has left me with several scars on my face, and a deep-rooted fear of spots. I had no idea about skincare throughout my teenage skin ordeal, using countless harsh acid-based products and exfoliants on my skin. I was miserable. After 6 years of antibiotics (which I have only recently come off), product trial-and-error, and loads of research, I think I’m in a good place now to talk about skincare and even provide advice. In aid of Liverpool Urban Hair Show’s Mental Health event coming up on July 13th (Avenue HQ, 17 Mann Island if you wanna get tickets and come), we have been discussing ways to improve your self-confidence and wellness.
In the midst of my final exams and dissertation stress I was kindly offered a treatment by Clarins, in the Liverpool One Beauty Bar. This was to show how looking after your skin and treating yourself every now and again can be so beneficial. I chose the ‘Get Glowy’ facial. To me, Clarins has always been a brand for older people. As it turns out, they know this, so are trying to market their products to a younger audience. In the age where everyone wants to “glow to the Gods”, the products used in the Get Glowy facial really did that. I am going to run through all of the products used to hopefully encourage you all to try them and take some time to yourself to look after your skin.
The lovely girl who performed my facial was Shelby, and throughout it she taught me a lot about skincare that really shocked me. Did you know that every time you sleep with your mascara on, you age the skin around the eyes by 5 days? That’s turned me right off sleeping with my makeup on after drinking. I was so relaxed throughout my facial, I would highly recommend popping to the John Lewis in Liverpool One and getting one yourself.
The first product used was the One-Stop Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser (£21). This felt so lovely on my skin and I barely noticed that it was an exfoliant, it felt just like water. It’s not that vigorous so it probably doesn’t scrub much dead skin off, but it forms a subtle lather on the skin that felt very luxurious.
We talked about the importance of double cleansing, and the Korean skincare routine. Apparently Koreans spend an hour both in the morning and evening on skincare. No wonder they have such beautiful skin. This is something that is becoming a trend over here. I’ve got a couple of products from B. at Superdrug that I thought were just weak cleansers, (check out my review HERE), but are actually to double cleanse after you’ve initially taken your makeup off. 2 hours a day is a bit excessive for most, but why not have a pamper evening now and again. TREAT YO’SELF!
The next product was the Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner (£26). You’re meant to use this once or twice a week. None of the Clarins exfoliants seem to really scrub your skin, which is good most of the time but occasionally I want to use something harsher. Avoid your eye area when using this product. Shelby really made sure she looked after this area, I didn’t quite realise how gentle it is. I’ll tell you more on this when we get to the eye serum used.
Clarins have a range of toners which are really good because they are for different skin types. My skin is oily more than anything, so Shelby used the Toning Lotion with Iris (£28) This one is for oily skin and smelt amazing. There is also one with Camomile for normal to dry skin. It’s alcohol free and felt so refreshing. I have used toner twice a day since I was told how important it was, and I must say that my skin has been very clear. Another bad skincare habit I had was never toning. I just never really thought it did anything useful. BOY was I wrong.
I have very large pores and quite oily skin, so I am the kind of person that most definitely should tone. Toner rehydrates your skin after cleanser has stripped your makeup off, and closes your pores. Thinking back to all of the non-makeup days where I walked round with cleansed skin, and pores open to the elements makes me cringe. No wonder I got spots!
EDIT: Since starting writing this, I forgot to tone TWICE and I got a couple of spots. Just goes to show how important it is!
As I have oily skin, I’ve always been a bit put off by adding more oil to my skin. However, Shelby used the Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil (£34). I have a sample of this and I use it so sparingly, and Matt commented that my face smelt really nice after using it aha. It’s quite expensive but it’s a bigger bottle than the Iconic London drops which are about the same price. You only need a tiny bit and it goes a long way. It is made from pure plant extracts which are really beneficial. It adds moisture to the skin and makes it feel so soft. Adding any facial oil feels very luxurious and spa-like.
Before we began, Shelby checked out my skin and commented that I looked quite dehydrated. “I’m really bad at drinking water”, I replied. She responded that only 10% of the water we drink actually goes to our skin so we need to apply hydrating products. One of these is the Hydra-Essentiel Bi-Phase Serum (£44), which was such a nice feeling product. My skin felt really plump afterwards. It’s very watery and cooling, like most of the products. I really loved this and I think it genuinely improved the appearance of my skin.
Since my facial was meant to make my skin glow like plutonium, Shelby used products specific to luminosity. One of the last products used was the Beauty Flash Balm (£32). It both brightens and tightens. Anything balm-y on your skin feels amazing. You can use it morning and evening, and put makeup on top of it to give you that lit-from-within glow. You can also use it as a facemask.
Clarins also do a tanning oil. The Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster (£20). It seems like a lot of money for such a small bottle, but you literally only need a couple of drops. Shelby added it to the moisturiser to even my tan back out. It’s not wash off, it develops over 4 hours like actual false tan. I was worried that this facial would take my face tan off but this product meant my colour looked completely even.
The Clarins Double Serum was used on me. Whilst she was massaging it into my skin, Shelby told me that this product used to make younger girls break out because it had anti-ageing properties such as mineral oil in it which reacted badly with younger skin. This made me panic. However, Clarins swapped the mineral oil for turmeric which doesn’t break people out and is really good for your skin. Turmeric acts as an antioxidant and adds hydration back into your skin.
One product I remember in particular was the Multi-Active Eye. It had a very unique applicator that I’d never seen before. The applicator is made with really cold metal that is meant to feel really soothing on the skin. I never really use eye cream, or I just use moisturiser. Shelby told me that you should never bring cream up past your cheeks and only use serums around your eyes because the skin is so sensitive and eye cream can actually build up and make any eye bags worse. This product reduces puffiness and brightens eyes. I’ve read a lot of reviews on this product to see how it worked over time and so many people swear by it.
Shelby also showed us the 3 Clarins booster products (£30). One is for energy, one for detox and one to repair. The energy serum minimises tired skin and revives radiance. It is infused with ginseng extract which is known for it’s stimulating properties. The repair one minimises redness and marks, and strengthens skin. The Clarins website also claims it “reduces feelings of discomfort” which is very cool. It is enriched with mimosa tenuiflora extract which repairs damaged skin. The detox booster restores a dull and irregular complexion as well as plumping the skin. It is enriched with green coffee extract which has detoxifying properties. You only need a couple of drops, similar to the tanning oil, so they will last ages. The science behind Clarins skincare really is extraordinary. It is so important to use skincare that adapts to your current state and the environment around you.
I really enjoyed all of these products, the facial was very luxurious. All of the products used have 4-5 star reviews on the Clarins website as well. It’s not just me that thinks they’re really good! I was given samples which I have continued using and my skin has been very glowy and clear ever since. If you fancy trying any of these, I bet every Clarins counter has samples that you can ask for!
I think a lot of people don’t realise how important self-care is in relation to your mental wellbeing. It doesn’t really matter what you do or what products you use. It’s the action of looking after yourself that makes you feel so relaxed. The purpose of this post is to give you some inspiration.
Please check out the LUHS Mental Health and Influencer Award event HERE and pop into the Liverpool One Beauty Bar and quote “LUHS” for 30% off your purchase. Mental Health issues are something everyone suffers with at some stage in life. Whether they be serious diseases or related to self-esteem. This event gives us a chance to openly discuss this and support people, but it will also be fun. It is a perfect opportunity to check out local independent brands, meet influencers within the blogging scene, and network. Also, please don’t forget to vote for people you love in the Influencer Awards HERE.
A huge thank you to Clarins and Liverpool Urban Hair Show for your support. Also image credits to Toni Conroy (@tonilouimages) and Ella Kinirons, thanks for your brilliant photography.
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Disclaimer:
I know that Clarins is not a cruelty free brand, as they sell their products in China. My blog is mainly about cruelty free products. However, I understand that it is not something that everyone considers or concerns themselves with. To many people, personal mental health and wellness is more important and I want to support them as well. Clarins support ending animal testing, and are committed to working towards this.
I can not deny that these are really good products. They felt amazing and made my skin look clear and glowy for days afterwards. I would fully support anyone who decides to purchase. I hope this blogpost empowers others to think about how they can look after themselves in order to destress. After testing these products out I hope that one day, Clarins will be cruelty free.
