My Must-Have Skincare Products From The Body Shop

Trying new skincare products is one of my favourite things to do. Since finishing my course of Roaccutane and finally having the clear skin I always dreamed of, I've been able to experiment with new products and I must say that I've found some absolute game changers!

Skincare has always been something that I've been interested in. Having had acne from a young age, I've done my fair share of research and I've found that using natural skincare has endless benefits.

The Body Shop is one of my favourite brands when it comes to buying natural products. Not only do they have amazing morals and ethics, but every single product is made from natural ingredients meaning your skin and body are getting the best. I've been a fan of The Body Shop for years and although there's still a lot left for me to try, I thought I'd share some of my favourite products that are essentials in my skincare routine.

Facial Skincare

Vitamin C Glow Protect Lotion SPF 30

This is one of my newest purchases and something I've really been enjoying using these past few months. I noticed my skin was looking very dull and tired so my friend recommended the Vitamin C range from The Body Shop. It's specifically made for dull, tired, grumpy skin to give it a little glow boost for a brighter, more radiant complexion. 

I can fully confirm that my skin is literally GLOWING after using the Vitamin C Glow Protect Lotion, so much so that people are actually commenting on it! It smells like a tropical wonderland and a little bit goes a very long way. It's not as lightweight as I'm used to but it leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft and, with an SPF of 30 it's protecting my skin from those harsh UVA/B rays - SPF is super important when buying a moisturiser! 

I've also heard that Vitamin C can help with scarring and as I have a fair bit of acne scaring on my cheeks, it's something I wanted to test. Although I've not noticed a drastic change yet, my scars have reduced in colour and definitely aren't as noticeable. 

Vitamin E Eye Cream 

Using an eye cream has never been an essential in my skincare routine because I've never really needed it. However recently, the dark circles under my eyes have been very prominent and no amount of concealer was working. I went in search of something to help and came across the Vitamin E Eye Cream. I'd heard really good things so couldn't wait to give it a try. 

It aims to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles as well as protecting the fragile skin around the eyes. I apply it both morning and evening and my under eyes have never looked brighter. As with most Body Shop products, a little goes a long way and it's no wonder it's one of their best-selling products because it's certainly a firm favourite of mine! Why didn't I find it sooner!? 

Body Moisturisers

Strawberry Body Butter

You'll have seen me talk about this Strawberry Body Butter in my Roaccutane Holy Grain Products as it's been a firm favourite of mine for years. It melts into the skin and I absolutely love using this after I've had a bath/shower in the evenings as it leaves my skin feeling soft and smelling amazing. All the Body Shop Body Butters are brilliant, but the Strawberry scent is absolutely delicious - it smells like calpol and I'd eat it if I could! 

Strawberry Body Yogurt 

The Strawberry Body Yogurt is one of those purchases I make time and time again. It's perfect for when you're in a rush and haven't got as much time to moisturise, especially for me when I've overslept which is most mornings (a queen is never late, everyone else is simply early - 10 points if you know where that quote is from). 

The lightweight, gel formula absorbs into the skin instantly so it doesn't leave you with that horrible sticky feeling. I can literally apply this to my body and then get dressed straight away. It's also made to apply to damp skin too and it smells amazing! 

Face Masks

Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask 

The Himalayan Charcoal Face Mask is potentially my favourite Body Shop purchase I have ever made. I first heard about it watching Jade Billington's Skincare Video, she spoke so highly of it so I had to give it a try. 

I'm not exaggerating when I say that since I've been using this mask, my skin has never felt so cleansed and glowy. It aims to draw out impurities and refine the appearance of pores to give a healthy looking glow. As you watch it dry, you'll notice that the dark patches cling to where you have excess oil and you'll probably find it tingles a little bit when you first apply it but that soon fades. 

I can't even describe how refreshed my skin feels when I wash it off; it's so soft and has such a natural glow. It's the perfect face mask to use when you feel like your skin needs a real deep cleanse, especially after a full day of wearing heavy make up. I could literally rave about it all day, it's bloody brilliant! 

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Face Mask 

Although Roaccutane was amazing in clearing up my acne, I do still get the odd breakout. I've always used tea tree as part of my skincare routine, so I invested in the Tea Tree Face Mask and it's done an amazing job of minimising my breakouts. I noticed a few more breakouts after the first few times using the mask, but I think it has to bring out the impurities to get rid of them. 

I've been using this for around two months now and I can confidently say that my impurities are few and far between, my skin is incredibly clear and it's one of my favourite products. It's not as harsh as the Himalayan Charcoal Mask but the combination of the two is a dream! I use both once a week. 

So there we have it, my Body Shop favourites! 

I should mention that all products have been purchased by me and this post isn't sponsored in any way, I just really love The Body Shop! Also, all products mentioned have been perfect for my sensitive, acne prone skin! 

The Body Shop have literally changed my skincare routine for the better and I can't wait to try out more products in the future. Let me know some of your favourites in the comments! 

Lots of Love,

Meg x

Skin Update │ 100 Days On Roaccutane

I've officially been taking roaccutane for one hundred days. 

I'll be honest and say that my skin situation has been getting me down recently. I seem to have gone backwards in the normal cycle of things and the dreaded 'initial breakout' is happening to me right now. I expected it to happen in the first few weeks, not the third month. 

Despite this, I'm trying to remain positive. I've seen some drastic improvements, especially in the texture of my skin and even after three months, it still doesn't feel like I'm taking a tablet!

The First Tablet

I was prescribed roaccutane back in October and have been taking 30mg (my lowest possible dosage) for the past three months. The dose is based on my height/weight and my dermatologist discussed this at my first consultation.

When I took my first pill I was absolutely terrified. The entire day consisted of me pacing around the house wondering if I was making the right decision. My acne is now classed as mild/persistent and with roaccutane only being used in the most severe cases, I thought my dermatologist had made a mistake. Then I remembered that he's the professional and wouldn't prescribe it if I didn't need it. 

As I watched the two little pills roll around in my hand, I started to psych myself up. I knew I was going to spends months battling dry skin, dry lips and mood swings but this could be a permanent solution to my acne, a confidence issue I've lived with for 10 years. 

So I took the pills and felt (and still feel) exactly the same.  

Side Effects

Roaccutane gets a lot of bad press because of the side effects associated with it, the most severe being constant low mood and suicide. I've been incredibly lucky, only experiencing mild side effects on my low dosage. I got dry lips and dry skin pretty much straight away but that was to be expected and it's nothing that a bit of moisturiser and lip balm can't solve. 

Nearing the end of my first month I noticed that I was getting very tired and therefore sleeping a lot. This is a side effect that is hard to combat but I have found that exercising and keeping myself active has helped a little bit. In terms of exercise, I have been experiencing sore joints in recent weeks. I'm currently working on ways to ease this as I don't want to stop going to the gym.  

So, how have I been feeling? 

Well, I'll be honest and say that my mood has changed. Its not been a dramatic change but I have noticed myself feeling low and having a lack of interest in things. The only way I can describe it is feeling hungry, there's food there but you can't be bothered eating. However, it's hard to know if this low mood is caused by roaccutane or personal issues. To help with this, I try to keep myself busy and have some much needed me time. I've also noticed that things get to me quicker than they normally would; I get upset about the smallest things and become aggravated quickly. 

Other minor side effects include a few nosebleeds, some bad dreams and my periods have definitely been more painful. Dry shampoo is also a thing of the past, I'm only washing my hair a few times a week now! 

Apart from that, it's been plain sailing. 

PROGRESS

Wow, this still makes me nervous!

In terms of my progress, you'll see that the texture/condition of my skin improved drastically in the first month but has now deteriorated again. This was to be expected and I know that things have to get worse before they get better. I'm hoping that I'll be seeing drastic improvements in the next few months. However, I must say that my skin is SO SMOOTH!

STRUGGLES

Okay so, I'll never be able to get used to putting lip balm on every hour, the low moods are a real pain and not being able to pick at my spots is TORTURE but trust me when I say, its really not been that bad. I realise how lucky I am to have had a straightforward, positive experience in the first few months and I really hope this continues for the rest of my course 

PRODUCTS

I'm going to do a more in depth post about the products I've been using very soon so I'll keep this brief. I've found that keeping it simple and using a small number of products has been the best option because I need to let the medication work its magic. I've been using products made especially for dry skin from brands like Simple, La Roche Posay and Cetaphil.

My Current Favourites

• Cetaphil Cleanser for Dry Skin
• La Roche Posay Effaclar H Moisturiser
• Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Moisturiser (SPF30)
• Blistex Intensive Moisturiser
• Carmex Lip Balm
• Nivea Cherry Lip Balm
• The Body Shop Body Butter 

What Next? 

I'm going to see my dermatologist for my follow up appointment on Friday. He'll be upping my dosage to 40mg which will hopefully speed up the process and improve my skin dramatically. These next few months are going to be full of big changes and I'm already excited to see the end results. 

If you ever have any questions about roaccutane, my messages are always open! 

Lots of Love,

Meg

xxx

I'm Taking Roaccutane!

As many of you know, I’m very open about my struggle with acne. I’ve had acne for over 10 years and in my most recent skin update,  I was due for what I hoped would be my final dermatology appointment.

I’ve been taking antibiotics and applying a topical cream for the past six months in an attempt to clear my acne. When I last updated you, I finally had skin that I was proud of. It wasn't perfect but for the first time in my life, I felt confident enough to go out without makeup on.

As instructed by my dermatologist, I stopped taking the antibiotics at the beginning of September, two weeks before my appointment. For the first week, my skin was clear and I had no new breakouts. However, in the second week, my acne started to reappear. It wasn't as severe as it was in March but for a girl who'd been used to waking up with clear skin, waking up to breakouts again wasn't fun.

'The acne isn't coming back, it can't be.' 

I knew that the antibiotics weren't a permanent solution but when my dermatologist confirmed that my acne was making a comeback, I couldn't help but feel disheartened. I'd taken tablets every night for six months for the acne to come back after two weeks. Everything seemed so pointless. 

For the rest of the appointment, we discussed my next steps. 

I could try yet another antibiotic, with no guarantee that it would work, or I could be prescribed Roaccutane (a drug I had been offered in my initial consultation). If you've heard anything about Roaccutane, you'll know that it receives a lot of negative press for the severe side effects that it can cause. After a long chat, we agreed that Roaccutane was the best solution

The following week, I returned to collect my prescription. I had to have a blood test and do a pregnancy test - it's incredibly important that you don't get pregnant when taking Roaccutane as it can cause severe birth defects in unborn babies. This is something that I will have to do every month when taking the drug. My dermatologist weighed me, measured my height and prescribed me with a starting dosage of 30mg. I'll be honest, this is a higher dosage than I was expecting. 

What happens now?

I'm officially part of the Roaccutane club. 

I've stocked up on lip balms and moisturisers and I've spent my nights watching Katie Snooks' monthly diaries. If you've been on Roaccutane, then you'll know that no experience is the same and no matter how many people you talk to, everyone has something different to say. It's definitely something that needs to be researched before a final decision is made and it should be used as a last resort. 

There are some amazing bloggers/YouTubers who have talked about their experiences on Roaccutane. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Katie, Sarah, Primrose and Mercydes.

Updates

As I write this blog post, I've just taken my first dose of Roaccutane and if I'm being honest, I'm absolutely terrified. The past few days, my skin has improved massively and I started to wonder if it was a good idea to put my body through such an intense drug. However, the more my skin has fluctuated, the more I've realised that Roaccutane could be a permanent solution to my acne.

It could make my acne disappear for good. 

If things go to plan, I'll be taking Roaccutane for the next four months and I want to bring you along for the journey. I'll be taking photos of my skin every single day and updating my blog with photos, side effects, products I've been loving and anything else I've been feeling. 

This will not only help me to monitor both the changes and improvements to my skin but also *hopefully* remove some of the bad stigma around the drug, giving an honest account of what it's like to take Roaccutane. I also think it's incredibly important to share and be proud of our imperfections. I'm trying to be confident in my skin and I think that this is a perfect way to do it. 

I'm hoping for a positive journey to clear skin. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Lots of Love,
Meg

xxx