Evening Skincare Routine – Dry Skin

I take my skincare routine quite seriously. I have very dry and sensitive skin and if I’m not taking good care of it (it’s easy to get out of the habit) it’s really noticeable. Today’s post is dedicated to my current evening skincare routine. It consists all the products I’m using alongside a review of each one.

The first 2 products within my skincare routine are ones which I tend use once a week. This is because they’re exfoliating products and as I’ve mentioned, my skin can get quite sensitive.

Living Nature Skin Revive Exfoliant – £28 75ml 

I’m often a little reluctant to try out new exfoliating products due to my sensitive skin. However, I’ve used a wide variety of Living Nature products over the years and have always found them good for my skin. So when I was sent a tube of Skin Revive I wasted no time in testing it out.

I’ve been using this little tube of goodness for a few months now. It has a very natural scent with a slight minty vibe to it. I find it really refreshing and always look forward to using it. It’s a cleanser and exfoliant in one but still ensure you remove your make-up first. Think of it as a second more intense cleanse. You can use it daily but I tend to use it once or sometimes twice throughout the week.

I always use this product in the shower. I simply squeeze out 2 pea sized blobs and apply it to my face and neck. Then I rub it in with a circular motion across my skin. I do this for a couple of minutes before rinsing it away with warm water. Always be sure to avoid the area around your eyes when you’re using exfoliation products.

Skin Revive is filled with natural wax beads which are not at all harsh on your face but still help to throughly exfoliate and cleanse your skin. The natural wax beads are biodegradable and harmless to ocean life. 

I haven’t had any irritations from this product. It exfoliates and polishes my skin leaving it hydrated and smooth. I’m sure I’ll purchase this again but I doubt I’ll run out of it for ages. A little of the product goes a long way.

Beauty Kitchen Inspire Me Body Polish – £14.99 200g

This product was sent to me to test out a couple of months ago. I was keen to find out more about the brand, Beauty Kitchen which was founded by Jo-Anne Chidley in Glasgow. They focus on creating quality products with all natural ingredients.

I’ve now given the body polish a full test and I’m really enjoying using it. I particularly like that it comes in a glass container. It’s a thick heavy pot, similar to a Kilner jar. This can be re-used once you’ve finished the product and I have’t had any problems with using it in the shower.

I’ve found this body polish really good for my dry skin. I don’t use it if I’ve had any eczema break-outs as it would sting a lot. But when my skin is is on form I’l use this all over my body.

It’s meant to be good for preventing stretch marks on your legs, arms, bums and tums. I prefer to think of it as an exfoliation product which it seems to do a really good job of. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and hydrated and gets rid of any dry patches. I’ve also found that it seems to leave my skin feeling firmer and tighter, which makes my skin feel fab. I imagine that’s from the combination of oils within the polish. It’s a lovely feeling and although I can’t say if it works on stretch marks I can say it’s a real pleasure to use.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil – £12 200ml

I’ve usually got a couple of The Body Shop products within my morning and evening skincare routine. It’s a brand I’ve used for years and one which never lets me down.

I picked up this bottle of Silky Cleansing Oil when I was visiting Gemma in Manchester. She went for the balm which is another cleanser I’ve used previously. I opted for the oil on this occasion due to the colder months catching up with us and I thought it would be more hydrating for my skin.

It’s an easy-to-use product with a simple pump system which makes getting the product out onto your cotton pads very simple. I tend to use one pump to start with to remove my base make-up and then I’ll take another pump to focus on removing mascara and eye-wear. It all depends on how much make-up I’ve worn that day. I then rinse off the product with a damp muslin cloth.

It’s such a lovely product to use and it always leaves my skin make-up free and feeling very soft and hydrated. I try to avoid cleansers which leave my skin feeling dry and tight after, unless I’m following up with a super thick cream. This one does not do that. It’s perfect for the autumn and winter months.

I must also mention Botanicals Cleansing Melt – here’s my full review. It’s another really good product to remove make up and cleanse your skin from the day. I recently ran out of mine and while I do love it I thought I’d give something else a try before going back to it. I wanted to give it a mention here as it’s often within my rotation of cleansing products.

Mandara Spa Foot Butter – £3.00 100 ml

I have a couple of foot creams on the go at the moment. The one I’m talking about today is Mandara from Sainsbury’s. I’ve had this one for a while now and tend to switch it out with my Burt’s Bees coconut tube depending on which scent I’m in the mood for.

This one has a lovely a refreshing scent and always makes me feel relaxed after using it. I think it’s easy to forget to moisturise your feet but once you’re in the habit of it you can really notice the difference.

I apply this all over my feet and then pull a pair of cosy socks on straight after. I’m in a really good habit of apply foot cream daily. I think it makes a big difference to how my feet feel and look. If I miss a few days I really notice the difference and find that my feet will start feeling dry and rough.

KINN Beauty Body Lotion – £18 200ml 

A while back I shared an interview with the founders of KINN – you can read it here. KINN create organic bath and body products from their family’s aromatherapy-based recipes. The ingredients within the products are plant-based, eco-friendly, non-toxic and vegan friendly.

This body lotion has such a lovely scent. At first I thought that the strong scent might react with my skin but because the ingredients are all natural I haven’t had any reactions at all. I’ve been applying the location all over my body each evening. It’s a relaxing habit to get into I find the scent very calming.

It’s a light cream but it goes a long way. It’s a hydrating cream which soaks into your skin quickly. I like using this both in the morning and evening as it soaks into my skin so quickly.

Bio Oil – £14.99 125 ml

I’ve been using Bio Oil for years. I first started using it to get rid of old eczema scars on my legs. I can’t tell you how long it took to work but I know I was using it every morning and night throughout my second year of college. It worked its magic and I stopped wearing tights on summer holidays.

It’s fantastic product which I’ve continued to use over the years.

I currently have a few fresh scars on my knee which I’m trying to get rid off with Bio Oil. I also use this when my skin is feeling particularly dry. I’ve been using it before I apply my KINN body lotion in the evening. If you’ve got really dry skin it works a treat. I can’t comment on how it works for stretch marks but I can assure you that I had scars all over my legs and it did a brilliant job helping them to fade.

If you’re going to pick up a bottle of this I’d suggest waiting ’til it son 3 for 2 in Boots. The offer comes around pretty regularly.

What Skin Needs Hydrating Facial Serum – £17.99

What Skin Needs is a very new brand to me. It’s an Australian brand which is said to work well for anyone with acne, eczema or psoriasis. I was keen to give the facial serum a try when I heard it was good for hydration and scarring. I’m always keen to test out products that will repair and hydrate my skin.

The serum is a blend of vitamins, Plantolin (heals and rejuvenates skin) and botanicals which create a light serum that sinks into your skin very quickly and isn’t at all greasy. It’s perfect for hydrating your skin throughout the colder months and helps with skin cell renewal.

I simply apply a few drops of this to my face and neck every evening after cleansing my skin. I like that it comes with a pipette to dispense the product, this makes controlling how much you’re using easier. I rub it into my skin gently and it has a light but pleasant herbal scent.

Finally we have my evening night balm. It’s from one of my all-time favourite brands, Botanicals. I’ve re-purchased this a fair few times and it’s one of my favourite products for the colder months. I love everything within the Botanicals Rose & Camellia range and as you can imagine, it all smells delightful.

Once all my facial products have soaked into my skin I’ll apply this night balm. It’s a very greasy consistency but because you’re applying it last thing at night it doesn’t matter. It has the whole night to soak into your skin. I find that by the time the morning rolls ’round I don’t feel the need for any additional moisturisers (although I still often use them).

This is perfect for anyone with dry and dehydrated skin. A little goes a long way and it works well to keep your skin hydrated and feeling really really soft.

So there you have it. A bunch of products I’m loving and using daily. A few of the products were sent to me to try out but the rest I’ve purchased with my own money and 4 of the products are re-purchases. I’ll be letting you know when I find any other stand-out products for dry and sensitive skin as the colder months come into play.

I’m thinking of also sharing a morning skincare routine. I don’t have as many products for the mornings but the ones I’m currently using are excellent. Leave a comment below and let me know if you’d be interested in that.