January Favourites

Here are some short reviews of what I've been using the most this month.

Stridex

Stridex is an american brand but easy to find on Amazon. I use the maximum version which contains 2% salicylic acid. I like this as they cost around £8 for 90 pads, they do the job and they don't contain alcohol (win), my only complaint is they do contain irritants which can be quite drying. I use these after cleansing and before a serum, cream or moisturiser.

FAB Ultra Repair Cream

When stridex makes be dry I have this to turn to. Its a thick moisturiser although I find it doesn't break me out as it does contain Shea or cocoa butter. I find its a great cream to keep on hand when my skin is dry or irritated. I use this as a night cream as it doesn't contain SPF, although I believe there is a version that does.

Dr. Organic Tea Tree Face Wash

This is a good SLS free cleanser. Great for acne and any skin type and I would recormend this for sensitive skin. I use this in my night-time cleanse with a muslin cloth.

Eucerin Even Brighter Day Cream

My favourite day cream at the moment. If you have seen the review then check it out:

http://obsessedwithskin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/goodbye-hyperpigmentation.html

Goodbye Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation (PIH) is often a part of scarring. For example when acne leaves a scar it leaves a dent and a red or discoloured mark. These products help over time to reduce and after 2 maybe 3 months can remove these discolourations.

Eucerin: Even brighter day cream SPF 30
As a day cream Id recommend this to anyone with or without active acne. It leaves skin feeling moisturised without feeling very greasy. Its free from thick moisturisers like cocoa or shea butter so is unlikely to cause breakouts. 

For Hyperpigmentation (PIH) it contains B-Resorcinol and Glycyrrhetinic Acid. Eucerin claims that these can repair the skin and help protect it. It also contains SPF 30 which is vitally important if you're going to spend any amount of money on skincare. This is because, epically when using glycolic acid,  any amount of sun can make PIH much worse and can undo any effects these products have had on you.

Reviva 10% Glycolic acid Cream
Glycolic acid is the number one thing I recommend for PIH. At 10% its very effective although first time users should  try 5% or less first as it can irritate skin and you want to build up tolerance. I use this as a night cream although its not very moisturising, if you have dry skin id recommend putting a thicker moistener over the top. It does sting a bit when I use it, but its only for a short while (as to be expected wit some acids).

I find my skins always at its brightest the day after I use it, and its really effective on PIH.

Non of the products mentioned are tested on animals.

The 5 Most Important Pieces of Equipment Needed for Revision or Studying

Whether I'm cramming for a big test or doing a little version this is the equipment I always have on hand. Over the past few years my revision technique has changed and diversified. I recommend you try something new next time you revise because for a long time I just used a notepad, a pen and a revision guide and ignored all other techniques that turned out to be very effective.

All levels: GCSE and A Level

1. A Revision Guide

I can't even force myself to use a textbook when revising, they're just so big and not very concise. That's why I like a revision guide. To the people from the UK my favourite brand is CGP. They are much easier to revise from and as soon as I started A levels they were the first things I bought. Another great thing is that some come with online versions so if you don't want to carry round a book or you quickly need to look something up when you not at home you can just go online. 

2. Fine liners

Everything looks better when done with fine liners and a large array of colours. Not only that but they make revision more interesting and I find they mean I'm more likely to revise if I have them. Personally I first bought some cheap fine liners from wilko because I didn't know if I was going to use them. Recently though I decided it would be worth buying a more expensive set.

3. Flash cards

Flash cards are a great companion for as you can make colourful notes on them and revise from them. I recommend looking around for them though as I find they're a third the price in my colleges shop.

4. A3 paper

Again, a great companion for fine liners as you can make colourful posters and mind maps. Although the downside is its hard to find as they don't sell it in most supermarkets or small stationary shops. I got mine from staples (a 30 page, 90 gsm sketch pad) but you can also find some on Amazon.

A Level

5. Subject A-Z or Dictionary

Recently I was recommended a set of subject A-Zs. I find them useful as at A level there are more words that I have to learn in chemistry and physics, most textbooks don't have glossaries and Google can often be confusing.