In those long, time abundant days and nights before I became a mother, I took care of myself. I took care of my skin. Bordering on addiction, I loved collecting little glass jars of this cleanser, that moisturiser and a different body cream with a scent to suit my mood. I cleansed. I exfoliated. I did face masks.
And then I had a baby.
In the days and years that have followed, my face was lucky to get a swipe over with a nappy wipe and a slick of sunscreen. In the shower, the term ‘body wash’ began to mean ‘body, face, hair and whatever else needs washing’ wash. Life is noisy. There has been no oasis of calm for me. I’m beginning to suffer for the lack of space I am allowing myself to do (whatever it may be) what I need to feel good about myself. I feel ‘mumsy’. I want to carve out some time for me in my home and daily life, not add another class or outing that, at this stage, seemed like creating more stress than it would relieve.
Enter Living Skincare. You might think it shallow or ego driven that a skincare range could be part of the solution for making you feel better about yourself. That beauty comes from within and we all just need to be happy ‘just the way we are’. I completely agree. But its part of a whole package of self care isn’t it? We care about what we eat, the products we use around our homes and more than anything else, as mothers, we care about every single little aspect of our child/ren’s wellbeing, even if to the detriment of our own. So, I’m going to put my hand up and say, “I like using lotions and potions that come in brown glass jars and smell nice!”
Living Skincare has been painstakingly developed by Elizabeth (Elle) Dascarellos and is authentically (read more about the use of the word ‘organic’ in skincare here) 100% natural and contains absolutely no preservatives or petro-chemicals what-so-ever. It is designed to restore the skins acid mantle, thereby allowing the skin to hold onto its hydration and fight off foreign and unhealthy bacteria.
My skin isn’t what I’d call ‘hardy’ and is very prone to redness, heat and splotches. I’d rarely go without makeup of some description, in fact, the only reason I don’t wear it now is that I have no time! Elle devised a plan for my skin, selected the products and, using the ‘how to’ video, I was all set to give Living Skincare a go!
First off is the Soothing Botanical Cleanser. With a beautiful scent coming from the natural geranium, rosewood and sweet orange oils used in the ingredients, this is a lovely cleanser. Non –foaming and smooth, it was simple to use in the shower and left my skin feeling wonderful and clean without a hint of tightness.
Then I moved on to the Instant Skin Correction Serum. This is the star of the range and is designed to polish your skin by removing dead skin cells and any remaining dirt or bacteria. I had to resist the urge to use this spray as I would have used a toner in the past. If I was surprised at the method of application (massaging quite vigorously with a saturated cotton pad), then I was even more surprised with the results. Almost instantly my skin did look polished and after a week, I found myself throwing the word ‘glow’ around when I spoke about the skincare to friends!
Another part of the regime is the Nutrient Rich Recovery Exfoliant. Because of my fine skin, I didn’t use this product as often as ‘prescribed’, as I found the exfoliating nature of the serum to be enough. The ingredients of this exfoliant/mask are so natural, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a healthy afternoon snack!
I’ve always loved a good moisturiser and the Multi-Active Recovery moisturiser is gorgeous. Firstly, it smells amazing! Secondly, it is the perfect finale to the skincare routine and seals in the clean, polished appearance of your skin. It’s lovely and light and leaves no icky residue on your skin.
I continue to be impressed with the skincare and what it’s doing for my skin. I’m actually surprised when my friends don’t exclaim, “My God! Your skin is amazing!” when they see me! I certainly notice a difference, but perhaps to them, my skin was never ‘bad’ to begin with, so the textural changes and redness reduction is something only really noticeable to me at this early stage. Regardless, I’m thrilled.
I didn’t use the Living Skincare range and expect to wake up looking like an airbrushed super model. I don’t see my skin as the root cause or the solution to my inner happiness. But, I adore the ritual of using beautiful skincare products and I am thrilled with the results I’ve seen after using this particular range. Yes, carving out some time to wash my face has made me feel better! Self care in whatever form you find it, be it a yoga class, an evening walk, a glass of wine with friends, or investing in quality skincare, is vital for us as women and mothers isn’t it? Aren’t we allowed to put ourselves first every now and then?
You have to shower (well, most days!), you have to wash your face, so why not make this time when you are alone (ok, generally) your time to indulge? Relax and breathe in the natural scent of the Living Skincare products and, like me, you might just be pleasantly surprised with the face that looks back at you from the bathroom mirror.
If you enjoy using lovely, quality skincare and would like to try the Living Skincare range, you’ll find the entire range here, including a trial size starter pack.
*This is a sponsored post for Living Skincare If you would like MamaBake to review your product, please email us at mamabake@mamabake2.wpengine.com
