Let me introduce you to some new french friends of mine. I haven't known them very long but in the short time that we have spent together, they have been a god send ....
Ok time to get personal. I am lucky enough to have never suffered with my skin even throughout my teens and in fact it's probably the one thing about me that I get complemented on the most. I have been having some 'women's' health issues of late so in order to help these issues I have been having to take medications that have 100% thrown my hormones into chaos and as a result of this (and as any other female shall know and understand) it has played havoc with my skin, to the point of breaking point and tears if I am honest. That may sound a tad dramatic but when your skin is bad, it makes you feel bad, especially when hormones are involved in the mix too! My body was put into a temporary menopause and for me I didn't get the awful night sweats I was told about, just intense pains and bad skin. I have advised so many people on their skin over the years, especially about what the menopause can do to it i.e. becomes dry, oily, sensitive, spotty to the point of being cystic acne and you guessed it ... all the above happened to me. So I have definitely lived out all that I have spoken about over the years on treating hormonal skin problems. 

My everyday skincare was no longer working and that was because my skin suddenly had different needs. I made the 'desperate' error of using benzoyl peroxide (a strong acne treatment) a little too liberal on the breakout area of my chin which resulted in serious burning which went from red raw, very painful to dry and flaky. I had to press pause on my regular skincare routine and strip it all back to products that would ultimately remedy the situation in hand. SOS stylee.

So, I had to tell you about what has helped my skin recoup and get back to it's normal type state so if you too are going through, or may go through, a crazy skin time or you just suffer from being highly sensitive and dry then I seriously recommend checking the following products out. They are all super clean, as in free from nasty harsh chemicals, they don't promise full on anti-ageing benefits but most importantly they are all super hydrating, calming, soothing and they work!! The medication leaving my body also played a big part in my recovery of course but once damage has been done to skin, it does take time to repair.


• La Roche-Posay Kerium DS Creme link!
Paraben-free, Non-sticky, High Comfort - This cream states that it shall neutralise patches of red, flaky skin and reinforce the skins defence system and give 100% reduction in a just a few weeks - which is just what I needed. It is a thick gel-cream that feels so cooling on the skin the moment you apply it. It has such a familiar comforting scent kind of like how your mum or nan's moisturisers used to smell when you were younger. I applied it just around my chin area where I was red and flaky and my god it worked wonders. It calmed and soothed the redness and dryness almost instantly and within a week there was massive improvement in my skin. It didn't break me out as it has an antibacterial and sebum regulating action to prevent this from happening. I can assure you that this is a little miracle worker and made my life a lot better. This is a great product to have in your stocks if you have reactive skin and it would also make a great aftersun as the calming and soothing effects of this just work so well and it's instant. 


• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Fluide for Face & Eyes link!
Preservative-free, Paraben-free, Alcohol-free, Colourant-free, Lanolin-free - This non-oily,  light weight fluid version of the Toleriane range is designed for combination to oily skin that's ultra-sensitive and allergic. It contains an ingredient called Neurosensine, a strong soothing agent that targets irritation and with La Roche-Posay's signature spring water, also calms and soothes. The first thing I noticed was the strange and unique pump dispenser as this apparently is a new generation ultra-hermetic packaging which basically means the product is kept as pure as it can be. This really is super lightweight and feels almost like a serum but being non-comedomeic this is just what I needed. It hydrated and soothed my skin and the more I used it, the less sensitive my skin became. I can't tell you the relief! There are different versions of this product should your skin be more on the dry side. I actually love using this like a hydrating serum underneath my daily moisturiser when I feel my skin just needs that extra boost of moisture and my skin drinks it up. Again a great product to have in your stocks because who doesn't ever need hydration - we all do! 


• Bioderma Hydrbio Moisturising Mask, for Sensitive Dehydrated Skin link!
Allergen-free fragrance, Non-comedogic, Hypoallergenic - I actually purchased this mask right  before my skin went crazy as good hydrating masks are alway a must in my opinion. We are all prone to having dehydrated skin and when your skin is parched due to every day stresses, pollution, weather etc is disrupts the skins renewal system hence making it feel uncomfortable with no glow to it what so ever. The mask simply caught my eye whilst I was looking at everything labelled 'hydrating' and it promised to intensely hydrate and restore radiance, hence I was sold. I really like Bioderma as brand as I use a few other products by them and this one hasn't disappointed. The mask itself is a lovely rich cream which instantly makes you want to just slather it all over your face. It's so simple to use and does exactly what is says, gives your skin a real intense moisture boost without any irritation for a long period of time. It is such a great product that leaves your skin feeling plumped full of moisture. A perfect mask for those times when you just need that moisture hit to restore a lost glow.


• Uriage Roséliane Redness Colour Corrector 
I wasn't wearing make-up at all throughout this time but when I needed to leave the house then help was needed. Big help. Colour correcting is a huge make-up trend right now which is odd as it's a technique that has been around for years but a lot of brands have now realised there is a big gap in the market when it comes to finding good colour correcting products, hence the sudden flurry in new launches. Having a bright red chin (I mean, I looked so attractive) meant that I needed help in disguising this fact and as you may already know, using green underneath a concealer or foundation neutralises redness (scars, rosacea, etc). I truly think that this product is my find of the year because it's brilliant! I didn't expect to find any colour correctors in the pharmacy but low and behold I found two brands, this being one of them. It's sooooo creamy and blends out like a dream and was super cheap too being around €8! It really is good so I shall be keeping one of these in my make-up bag from now on as it's magic at hiding any redness on the face. I was going to hunt around Sephora and buy one that would have cost me 3 or 4 the price of this one, so I am ecstatic with this bargain find. 
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Teint Redness Corrector Pen-Brush
Fragrance free, Green, Neutralises imperfections in sensitive/intolerant skins, All skin types
On to find number two. Having found the above colour corrector I also found and liked the look of this pen brush from LRP as I assumed it would be more fluid like rather than a cream being in a pen form. This is a great dupe for the new YSL green colour corrector and this is a fraction of the price but just the same but with added skincare benefits! You shall notice that this is a totally different shade of green compared to the Uriage cream concealer above, it's much lighter with almost a grey tinge to it making it more neutral on the skin and good for everyday wear. This is especially great around the nose area where redness occurs and where a stick corrector can sit too heavy. Again a great product to have to make your complexion look more even and flawless if you have some red in your skin like scarring, rosacea etc. They also do other shades to work on different concerns such as: - yellow concealer pen for bluish imperfections (dark undereye circles, vitiligo, etc.) - beige concealer pen (light or dark) to mask and even skin imperfections. I am so happy with these finds and can highly recommend both.



My skin is well on the road to recovery and has practically returned back to it's normal state  so I have been able to return to my usual skincare routine and products although still being careful not to overdo it. I still incorporate the above products into my regime a few days a week as and when I need them just to keep my skin happy. I have most recently added a few new things into the mix with my skincare routine that I am testing out so I shall report all about them soon! 

Have you had any skin nightmares?