I'm not (and never have been) a fan of two in one products. I actually quite like having a beauty routine with lots of steps - it ups the 'pamper me' factor and I like how I can swap things about and combine products in different ways to suit my skin's needs at any given time.
But given the recent popularity of products that are streamlined and only intended do one specific thing (think brands such as Odacite or those from Deciem) it suddenly seems valid to mix things up yourself and create a two in one one product that is tailored to your own personal needs. (Plus it makes me feel the teeniest bit like I'm a super brainy scientist!) While on the whole I prefer to have my products mixed up by real scientists here are a couple of combinations that I have been mixing and enjoying recently.
Vitabird C12 + Caudalie Vinosource SOS Serum.
Vitamin C seems to be having 'a moment' in the world of skincare right now. September's GWP's contained quite a few products with it in and one of the more intriguing products that I received was VitaBird C12, a pure Vitamin C powder that has been mixed with Zinc to stabilise it and help with absorption. Designed to be used by mixing into a serum or moisturiser this is a high potency treatment that as well as brightening skin aids in the production of collagen.
I didn't want to mix this into anything that did much more than moisturing as I would hate to combine it into a cream or serum that contained expensive active ingredients and risk a reaction with them that would render them ineffective. I also thought that the more liquid like aspect of a serum would make mixing easier than a thicker cream would.
Caudalie Vinosource SOS Serum is a hydrating serum that I love, it is like a drink of water for my skin with a gentle basic formula containing Hyaluronic Acid. A few pumps of this into the palm of my hand with a shake of Vitabird powder mixed into it was all I had to do before applying it to my face - quick, easy and effective!
My skin looks plump, smooth and hydrated with this combo and appears instantly brighter. In addition with continued daily use a few discoloured areas (from scarring and sun damage) have become less noticeable.
You can find Vitabird C12 here: barneys.com and the Caudalie Vinosource range here: caudalie.com
May Lindstrom The Pendulum Potion + African Botanics Buchu Botanical Enzyme
Polish.
I'm not much of one for physical exfoliation, I much prefer to use acid toners and peels. It's mostly just a personal preference but I also find that a lot of physical exfoliators feel too harsh and scrubby. Honestly they aren't something that I ever buy but they tend to crop up in gift bags fairly often so I always have some around. As I hate to waste things I will use them once a week merely to use them up. I use them in the mornings before showering so I can be sure that all the scrubby bits are sure to be rinsed off (a pet bug bear of mine is when you use an exfoliator and the grains get into and stay in your hairline!). I've often mixed them in with cleansers which makes them more dilute/less aggressive and the other day I mixed these two products together and I loved the result!
African Botanics Buchu Botanical Enzyme Polish is a very gentle polish and it doesn't feel scratchy on my skin. The Pendulum Potion is intended to be used as a cleanser but I find that it's far too lovely (and expensive) for that and prefer to use it as a treatment oil, pressing a few drops of it over my face a couple of times a week before I get into the shower where the steam helps it absorb into my skin and I get to inhale it's mood boosting herbal and cocoa scent.
These two together make a stunning combination that leaves my skin balanced, as well as noticeably smoother and softer, when the excess was rinsed away.
You can find The Pendulum Potion and Buchu Botanical Enzyme polish here cultbeauty.com
*As I said above I'm no scientist so do please mix products with caution. I'd recommend a basic product with a simple formulation as a base/carrier for a more active product. If in doubt mix up a tiny amount and test a little on your body a day or so before using on your face.
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