The Skin Update // La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ Was, in Fact, Sent From the Heavens Above

Skin really is quite difficult to write about. Obviously, everyone's skin is different and what might work for me may not work for you, and may even make your skin condition worse. Seeing as I am by no means an expert when it comes to skincare, just an enthusiast, I always feel slightly tentative when I write about what's happening on my face. 

Things are, however, slowly getting better, something I am very happy to report. The patch of spots on my left cheek that returned, having disappeared during the summer, is getting calmer and less irritated every day and the angry cysts underneath my skin (just the mental image you wanted, I know) are 

beginning to disappear. 

The reason for this? Well, it's kinda difficult to pinpoint it. As I said in my February Favourites post, I haven't had the easiest time lately, having moved back home somewhat unexpectedly after conceding defeat with my Uni course. Stress is definitely a big factor in bad skin for me, so the fact that all of this is now behind me is definitely a factor. Being away from London and all of its pollution and coffee shops is definitely another bonus for my complexion... But I can't really explain what's happened 

without thanking a few products...

The standout hero product would have to be the oh-so-imfamous La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+. It. Is. Awesome. The reformulation of this cult classic is definitely for the better in my eyes. My post spot red marks are fading evening and more than they would do sans Duo+. It's also slightly more hydrating that it's original counterpart, something that I consider to be for the better. It's had the most noticeable effect on the lower half of my right cheek, which for the first time ever had been on the brink of a major breakout, where my old milia all seemed to become blemishes over night (the miraculous human body, ladies and gentlemen)! All the redness and nasty under-the-skin lumps vanished within a week from this area, and the scars are healing nicely. On my more troublesome right cheek, it's true that the area is far from clear, but it is definitely getting better. The end is in sight.

The downside of this wonder product? It is still kinda drying. Not as badly as before, but I find it to be too much when used on its own for an extended period of time. My solution? The Aurelia Miracle Cleanser. This was in my Favourites post for a reason! It's soooo good when your skin needs some relief from whatever is irritating it. It's moisturising without making you feel greasy, which is my biggest gripe about the much adored (and for good reasons, it is a brilliant cleanser) Emma Hardie Amazing Face Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm. In addition to this, I've been using the Kiehl's Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimising Daily Hydrator to layer on the moisture under my daily SPF. This creates a really nice anti-inflammatory base for my makeup and I really, really like it. A good dash of the Boots Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil has not gone amiss as an overnight treatment either. 

So there it is, my skin update. It's far from where I want it to be, but I'm a lot closer than I was just a couple of weeks ago, when things were looking very desperate.

The Month // February

February has been quite a big month for me. I accepted the fact that I was on the wrong course at Uni, transferred from said course and moved back home, knowing that I would not be returning to Uni until September, when I will be starting a new degree from scratch. I moved in with the Boyfriend with a day's notice, went back to work full time and have blogged pretty consistently, something I have wanted to do for a very, very long time.

Naturally, I got through all of this with a little help from my somewhat extravagant cosmetics collection. I'm only human. As such, my favourite products of this month include stress-induced blemish busters, anything that makes me look less tired and a good, old fashioned hot bath. Let's get started.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ - I've already mentioned this product on the blog and sung its praises. It really is a brilliant reformulation of the cult classic product. It's more hydrating than the original, works wonders with hormonal/stress related breakouts and smells pretty good too. I still find it to be a bit too drying when used consistently for weeks on end, so I now just slap it on the acne patches on my cheeks and chin then pop on some moisturiser over the top.

REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser - An all-time favourite of mine, great for when my skin is freaking out. I'd recommend this for anyone, but it can be drying when used over a long period of time. Saying this, it is great for calming my skin down when it's having a bit of a paddy.

Aurelia Miracle Cleanser - I've been using this towards the back end of this month to counteract the dryness brought on by the two products listed above. Combination skin, how I love thee. It's a great cleanser that both clarifies and moisturises. A definite repurchase to be.

Kiehl's Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator - I've had a bit of an off-and-on-again relationship with this moisturiser. I tried a sample of it, loved it, bought it, wasn't wowed by it, left it alone for a while, fell back in love with it. It's great at reducing redness and smoothing over dry spots. A good all rounder in my opinion.

Percy & Reed Finishing Polish - AKA a good hair day in a tube. I love it.

NARS NARSisst Eyeshadow Palette - A 15 pan palette of perfection. I am so happy that I bought this and use it most days. It's just an awesome selection of shades that gets me from work during the day and evening, to going out for a drink at 1 in the morning when I finish. If you see one and aren't put off by the price tag, get it. You won't regret it. 

Super Beauty Ginger and Pear Shower and Bath Gel - (Not pictured) A great smelling shower gel that makes a regular bath into a super awesome bubble bath that is absolutely bargain-alicious.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+

When in doubt and my skin is kicking up a storm, I tend to reach for products I know my skin can trust. Nothing too fancy, nothing too simple and nothing I haven't used before. The new Effaclar Duo+ from La Roche Posay seems to fit the bill nicely, then. It's a re-formulation of the cult classic that ran like wildfire through the blogosphere last year. I've ended up with two tubes of the good stuff to my name, partly because I got lucky and won one from Ruth's (A Model Recommends) blog, and partly because I'm impatient and couldn't wait any longer for it to be shipped out!

I've been using this for a few days and have noticed two main things. First, it works. Second, there are definitely differences between the old formula and the new. Personally, I much prefer the new. I always found the original Duo to be a bit too drying and that I needed another layer of moisturiser on top of it. Ain't nobody got time for that. It's still fantastic at clearing up blemishes, and my patch of acne on my left cheek is looking considerably calmer already. The new Duo promises to help with the reduction of dark marks too, but I can't really comment on that as of yet. The most notable difference would have to be the texture. I don't actually have any of the old formula to hand, but I remember it feeling much more like a gel than the Duo+, which is a lot creamier. Again, I'm a fan of this change as it's more moisturising but still comfortable and effective.

I'm actually really impressed with this product and would definitely recommend it as a 'I've-tried-everything-and-my-skin-is-still-driving-me-up-the-wall' sort of product.

Following on from yesterday on another social media-note, I'm now on Instagram with the blog! Find me @sophiemakesup