Particularly throughout my teens, I struggled with acne. I tried every medication, every prescribed cream and every magical cure, to no prevail. Eventually I went on the Pill and it did help, but I still struggled with exceptionally spotty skin. It was frustrating hearing my friends moan about a spot when my cheeks, chin, forehead and back was covered. I think sometimes people underestimate the effect Acne/Spots has on people, not only can it make you feel as though your appearance isn't up to scratch, it used to really hurt! Moving my face felt like my skin was constricted by barbed wire, and I was desperate to find a routine that helped me. 

First off, please visit your GP. Just because one treatment doesn't work doesn't mean the other won't, and they will be able to offer you the best medical advice moving forward. 

I know everyone harps on about taking your make-up off at night, but seriously, the difference just from doing this one step will amaze you. I love the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, but this can be quite pricey. It smells really fresh and doesn't sting or irritate your eyes or any spots. You get a really good deep clean with this if you use it properly and regularly. If this is out of your price range though, I recommend the next two products! 

The Body Shop does a beautiful camomile collection, including a cleansing butter and eye make up remover. Camomile (or Chamomile) has healing properties, and is really soft and gentle on the skin. I love using a combination of these two products with a muslin cloth and plenty of water to get all my excess make-up off. Sometimes The Body Shop will have offers on these products (3 for 2, etc) so it's definitely worth checking them out. 

After I've washed all my make-up off, I love using this Vit E Cream Cleanser. Again, it is so gentle but gives your skin a really nice clean. When I had acne, I would batter my skin 2 or 3 times a day with products that were heavily Tea Tree based, to the point where it felt like my face was burning. Though Tea Tree does can really help rid of spots, you also have to treat the skin surrounding the spots, and sometimes being gentle is the best thing.

After washing my face, I apply either one of these toners. The Seaweed range from The Body Shop really helps to make my skin matte, and helps to close my pesky open pores. The Vitamin E is again, a lot softer and is what I generally use in the night time so my skin can repair itself over night. 

 After all that, its time to moisturise! Again, this is from the seaweed collection and I adore it for the daytime. It feels lovely and is a really good base for whatever make up you are wearing that day. As before, I use the Vit E moisturiser for nighttime repair. 

These Sephora face masks are amazing, and I treat myself to one at least once a week. I buy them either when i'm in America, or I ask my mum to pick some up when she goes to see my dad in Qatar, as they have a Sephora there. These face masks are part of a range, and I love all of them. They all have different properties and depending on what my skin needs, I use different ones. 

And of course, Mask of Magnaminty from Lush Cosmetics is an amazing face and body mask. It does have tea tree oil in, and can be used on face and body (good for if you get spots on your back). Its exfoliating but not too harsh, and a large pot costs around £11 I think? It smells amazing and your skin feels so clean and fresh after using it. I try to do this face masks once a fortnight, or if i'm having a breakout! 

What are your skin care staples? I love to try new products! 

Thanks for reading,

Ellie xx