My skincare routine featuring SkinCeuticals Skincare, Phloretin CF, Phyto Correctiv

For a beauty blogger, I am pretty lazy when it comes to skincare – I have low commitment and reject anything that gives me an allergic reaction quite quickly.

I have been using SkinCeuticals or the last 3 months – that’s dedication for ya!

My skin type is dry, but I get blackheads and visible pores. I also get a lot of redness from sensitivity on my cheeks. My skin will get oily over the duration during the day. My goal is to get the blackhead under control, have bouncy hydrated skin with good clarity! I’m starting to get fine wrinkles so this is a concern too.

Anyway here is my line up:

What’s good about SkinCeuticals is that you can be ‘prescribed’ your own skincare routine so you can address specific concerns.

My routine was:SkinCeuticals splits it’s products up into a few categories, Cleanse & Tone, Prevent, Correct, Moisturize and Protect.

Morning:

Use Phloretin CF (Prevent)
Use Phyto Corrective (Correct)
Use Emollience where skin is dry (Moisturize)

Night:

Use Retexturing Activator (Correct)
Use Phyto Corrective (Correct)
Use Emollience where skin is dry (Moisturize)

Simple really.

I’ve been using these products together so really it’s a bit tricky to spilt up the reviews but I will try to describe each product.

SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF

They say that Phloretin CF is good for:

• Diminishing age spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation
• Accelerating cell removal
• Improving laxity
• Retexturizing skin
• Oily, problematic, and normal skin

This serum is a liquid texture, and it smells like coffee! Yep, every time I apply it I imagine a latte. This serum sinks into the skin quickly, is sticky for about 30 seconds as it sinks in then there’s no trace of it on the skin.

I was worried about this at first – I wasn’t sure if it was causing some kind of allergy on some red patches I had on my face but within a few days, my skin was fine with it.

I do think that this product improved the brightness of my skin – it says that this product helps with hyperpigmentation and after 3 months my skin was brighter overall.

SkinCeuticals Retexturing Activator

They say: This unique treatment contains a 25% concentration of a paradoxal compound discovered to be highly effective at promoting cell differentiation while optimizing the skin’s amino acid supply to reinforce the barrier, resulting in the most efficient epidermal renewal. Potent without harsh side effects, Retexturing Activator is formulated in an efficient, oil-free delivery system suitable for all skin types.

According the the website, this Retexturing Activator does all kinds of things! In my case, it’s supposed to work on my dullness and exfoliate my skin.

I used this at night time and I did have the most problems with this product at first. I think it was the ‘resurfacing’ at work! I felt that my skin went a bit bumpy, almost like the dead skin was coming off – an example is like when you’ve got too much sun and a chunk of skin falls off. It was like that – not gross, not visible to other people but since I see my face under magnification and see all the faults, it was clear to me.

It took about 2 weeks for my skin to smooth out again, and then, boy was it smooth! I think this product helped with my pores too – they were still there obviously but looked firmer, smaller.

Also this serum is light, quite runny but really nice on the skin. Once again you pat it on and it disappears

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel

They Say:

• Excellent oil-free hydrator for acneic skin
• Contains anti-inflammatory cucumber and anti-bacterial thyme to soothe and calm irritated skin
• Helps prepare skin for rejuvenating procedures, reducing post-treatment redness
• Plant glycosides help minimize discoloration
• Optimal for sensitive or problematic skin

As I mentioned before, sensitivity and redness is a huge thing for me. I absolutely adore Medik8′s Red Alert Serum (for people on a budget) although that has a oil base which I don’t like so much.

Phyto Corrective Gel is for sensitive skin, and once again like the other products I’ve used here, it takes a small amount of time for the skin to adjust. This one is scented – I think? It has quite a sweet smell and leaves more of a sticky finish than the others (it’s a gel).

This means though, that is is quite hydrating.

I felt this did quite a good job calming down my skin. I’d say it didn’t necessarily tone down the redness although it made everything feel calmer (ie. removing itchiness).

Finally Emollience!

They say: Three nutrient-rich Brazilian sea algae nourish and hydrate the skin, while oils of grape seed, rose hip, and macadamia restore and maintain moisture. Emollience is ideal for high altitudes and cold or dry climates.

Now, on a warm day I found 2 serums were ok but my skin got dry as the day went on so this cream was a godsend. I kinda like that this cream is very much here for adding hydration and not anything else.

When it comes to moisture I think it works really well. I do think you can always get other moisturisers of course although I think this compliments the other products in the SkinCeuticals range (it doesn’t feel to heavy despite the layering).

This is a rich moisturiser though – if you need a bit of moisture and not lots, it may feel too heavy for you.

It has a mildly nutty smell to me. Perhaps it’s the macadamia! This tub will last forever because alongside the serums you only need small amounts. Too much and I found it may give you little spots.

Verdict:

I’ve been dying to try SkinCeuticals skincare for so long because I’ve heard so many good things about it, but let’s not kid – the range is very pricey and investing (it is an investment because of the cost of buying a selection of products!) is a risk if you haven’t tried it before.

I was sent these to try from PR so I had nothing to lose really (apart from some potential skin allergies).

I can tell you that this skincare range is BRILLIANT. It is the most effective skincare range I have used so far in my life.

Is my skin perfect after using these? No. I inspect my skin using a magnified mirror and I can tell you it is not perfect. But it is on the way to becoming skin that is it excellent condition – I still have blackheads but they’re less apparent and appear less often.

I still have visible pores but they are smaller. I still get redness sometimes but my skin overall is calmer – if anything sets my skin off now, it’s a new make up product.

The overall brightness and tone of my skin is much better. It’s felt like the range has treated my skin deeper down that other ranges have in the past.

I’m not wrinkly anyway but I have noticed my face is less creasy. I don’t have any crows feet and I don’t want any to form, thank ye very much.

I actually stopped using this range a week ago because I felt it was time to give another skincare range a try and I missed this so much I went back to it. I will wean myself off this to try other skincare, just give me time.

This leads me to the downside…

The price. This range is expensive. £53 for Emollience, £50 for the Phyto Corrective Gel, £73 for the Retexuring Activator, £142 for the Phloretin CF. I am worried my skin has been spoilt, like my cat when she’s been fed fresh baked chicken then is put back on Go Cat.

For me, I will pay a premium price for skincare if it works. I’d consider mixing it up a bit in the future – the Phloretin CF is the stand out for me so the one I am most likely to rebuy whilst using other products alongside it, for example using a different hydrator and a different serum for redness. I’m happy using cheaper ranges for cleansing and toning.

I will definitely say that if you are interested in trying this range, then definitely ask one of their reps which products would be best for your skin type and concern. Perhaps get a small sample if you can.

Check out the SkinCeuticals range here.

What is your favourite skincare range? Would you pay the price for good skincare?