Anyone watching the terribly good Netflix drama, ‘The Crown’ can’t have failed to notice Claire Foy’s clear skin. I am in awe every single time I watch the programme. It’s well, so peachy.
I’ve never had ‘good skin’. I’ve mentioned before how a bout of acne during my teens left me with scarring and I often struggle with dry patches, open pores and oil spills as a result of having a combination skin type.
18 months ago I cut down on processed food and ditched caffeine from my diet. I’ve never been a fizzy drink fan and fruit drinks are too sweet for me so water is the only soft drink I sip on. (Don’t worry I don’t polish my halo as I like to knock back prosecco and gin too). I can’t say I manage to drink two litres a day though. It’s undoubtedly had an effect on my epidermis but given the fact I have a half decent skincare regime too I was half hoping to look like Jennifer Aniston or the lovely Claire by now.

In the morning I use a wash off cleanser or a scrub followed by Sukin Mattifying Moisturiser. This is a recent addition to my regimen and I love how it’s absorbs really quickly into my skin so I can put my war-paint on soon after. It’s gentle on my skin and immediately creates a more matte base. Only problemo? No SPF so I’ll have to switch in the summer.

In the evening I’m a big fan of hot cloth cleaners and have a massive stack of flannels so I can use a new one every evening to take off the day. I used to use Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish but actually find Lush Ultrabland is more suited to my skin. If you’re not familiar with the product it’s a butter like balm infused with almond oil, rose water, beeswax and honey which you smear over your face and rub in circular motions. It’s a greasy formulation but the act of rubbing releases all the gunk which I wipe away with a hot cloth leaving none of the oily residue behind. I top off with a moisturiser and am just about to order the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream after a recommendation from Charlotte.

Despite the daily routine I’m still plagued by blackheads and open pores. Yuk. Blackheads. Shouldn’t they be restricted to 14 year old boys? It would appear not. Anyway I was sorely tempted by Laura’s Clinique recommendation but ended up with five minutes to spare and a tiny Boots store so grabbed the first exfoliator I could find, and flipping heck was I impressed. After applying the grainy formulation of No 7 Microdermabrasion Exfoliator in circular motions my skin was smoother with a noticeable reduction in my pore size and blackheads. Four days later I tried it again and the results were the same especially over the bridge of my nose where I often find it to be dry and flakey. I met Charlotte for brunch and she commented on how ‘fresh’ I looked. Praise indeed. The only thing is it’s not advisable to use more than twice a week and after three days I started to see the dry patches return.

Whether or not 2017 is the year of good skin remains to be seen but I’m going to give it a go. First up, more water and then any recommendations you lovely ladies can give me for my combination skin? Particularly ones that keep the blackheads at bay?