My Cruelty-Free Skincare Routine
If you saw my last post about how I am going to lead a more consciously cruelty-free life, then you’ll probably know why I am writing this. Skincare is a big part of my daily routine therefore if I want to be cruelty-free then this is something I knew I’d have to change. Whilst I already use some cruelty-free skincare brands like Liz Earle, I wanted to seek out a more “high street” branded alternative to try.
Whilst browsing the aisles in my local Boots for an affordable cruelty-free skincare brand I came across Botanics. Botanics is an exclusive range to Boots and has various lines for different skincare needs. You can choose from all bright, hydration burst, organic, radiant youth and triple age renewal. Being in my mid-twenties with combination skin I decided to go with the all bright range to begin with. The all bright’s range main ingredient is hibiscus extract which helps brighten skin and enhance radiance. As spring is coming up, I thought what’s the harm in added some natural glow to my skin?
As I hadn’t tried the range before I thought I’d just pick up the essential products for my skincare routine - a cream based cleanser, a hydrating day cream with SPF, a hydrating night cream and a radiance concentrated serum.
My daytime routine and my nighttime routine are quite different, so I think it’s best if I give you a quick rundown of what I use and when before going into the quality of the products themselves. So for the last two weeks I have been following a simple skincare regime using just the Botanics range. This was so I could get a good idea of whether this was the right range for my skin and whether or not I could see any differences in my skin after using the products for a while.
So in the morning, I simply cleanse my skin with some cold water and a bar of soap. Then I apply three drops of the serum and follow it up with a layer of day cream all over my face and neck. In the evening I remove my makeup (if I’m wearing any) with a micellar water, then I double cleanse with the cream based cleanser by sweeping it all over my face and washing it off. I then finish off with three drops of the serum and then seal it all in with the night cream.
I would say that everything I have used smells wonderful and left my skin feeling very clean and hydrated. However I must admit that the cream based cleanser is slightly runnier than I expected and is quite hard to rub in with a cotton pad as suggested by the instructions. The cleanser just seemed to soak straight into the cotton pad and not leave enough to efficiently apply to my whole face. After a few tries I just decided to try applying it with my hands which I felt worked alot better. The product seemed to soak into my skin alot more this way too.
The serum, day cream and night cream all work exactly as they should. You don’t need to use alot of product to cover your entire face. For example, I only dab my index and middle finger into the creams once to cover my entire face and neck. This is pretty good as I know they will all last me a long time.
After using the products on a daily basis I have to say that my skin does look a lot brighter. Also, I have noticed that the redness I usually suffer from around my nose and chin has diminished slightly, leaving my skin tone more even. My skin also feels soft and smooth and I haven’t had a single spot. In the next few months, I hope to expand my skincare routine with some eye cream, essence, acid-peel and maybe even a bi-weekly exfoliator and weekly mask.
