Zelens Vitamin D Treatment Drops

As I march through the valley of time, I find myself adding more layers to my skincare than I ever thought possible. Zelens is a brand I adore and I've talked about the Resurfacing Facial Pads and how  revolutionary they are.

I did not pay full price for this product. Not because I am a blogger and brands give me freebies or discounts. No, sadly not. I follow Caroline Hirons and she often has discounts to share and recently she had a 30% off everything Zelens code so I got properly involved. When something costs £110 (I know, I know), a 30% discount is significant.

Caroline raved about these drops. I have been using them twice a day for a month and I am smitten. Add after cleansing, before your serum. I am not sure I'd use these in Spring and Summer (well, I would if I had a lifetime supply). They are what my skin needs right now with central heating, wood burning stoves and freezing cold weather walking my dog. It adds a level of comfort and protection.

It's very light and non-greasy yet deeply moisturising. Like I say, I am smitten.

I am aware these are very expensive and out of many people's budget but if someone is looking to buy you a present or you want to really treat yourself then these are well worth it.

Christmas skincare

Heating, cold air, too much sugar, too much everything, not enough sleep. It can all send your skin haywire and we don't want that do we? This year I have discovered proper hot cloth cleansing and it's a game changer. I also stopped washing my face with foaming face washes and that's made a difference too.

The fact is, look after your skin properly and everything else is easier. And life being easier is enough of a motivator for me.

Let's start with the cleanser. I love Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cleanser. It's gentle and not overpowering and it is so soothing. I find many cream cleansers try too hard with a ton of active ingredients that irritate my (usually very well behaved) skin. This is the one I keep returning to. You can use it on your eyes too.

I understand that the idea of hot cloth cleansing in the morning may be a bit of an effort. I concur and that's when I use an oil cleanser. I am currently using the Parsley Seed Facial Oil by Aesop which is very nice but the packaging is annoying.

I have Clinique Take The Day Off Oil waiting in the wings. It's half the price and does just as good a job.

That's your clean skin. Now the fun bit. My biggest discovery this year has been exfoliating toners and why did I not know about these before? They slough off dead cells and make your skin ready for the moisture. I adore Zelens face pads and have stockpiled many in various 30% offers. They are expensive, I can't pretend they are not but my skin tone has massively improved since using them. I also like that they come ready to use without having to soak a cotton wool pad. Umm, yes I am really lazy.

If this is too rich for your blood, then the Alpha H Liquid Gold is also good.

Then you need a serum. My endless quest for the perfect and affordable serum continues. I adore Chanel but cannot justify it on a regular basis. I am currently using the Avene serum from Boots. I like this, it has the right texture. I cannot stand those serums that feel like plastic. This seems to be doing me good. I've tried countless others from French brands and Oil of Olay. All are ok but don't knock my socks off.

Now you can moisturise. I have to tell you that having spent a fortune on creams over the years, my current favourite by a country mile is L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil Cream. It's utterly divine, it applies like a dream, soaks in instantly and actually leaves me glowing. Nothing else comes close. And it's £10! I spent a fortune on mine as I reported before but it was worth it. Yes, I am worth it!

Oh, you should add a SPF as well. I don't tend to in darkest winter when I literally seem to be outside for 10 minutes max but I feel duty bound to point it out.

On other moisture fronts, I like an oil for the evening. Clarins Blue Orchid Oil is still a firm favourite and smells heavenly.

My favourite is Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial. This is what you put on when you need heavy duty maintenance. Rolling into bed at 2am? You bring out this baby. I promise you, it turns back time. OK, no it doesn't but it's damn good.

I also throw in facials, face masks and my super duper favourite: sheet masks! More on all of those tomorrow because I have to go and get changed for a trip to Kings Rd and Peter Jones beauty hall followed by champagne with friends. Ciao beauties!

Liquid exfoliators

Liquid exfoliators contain various acids to slough away old skin cells and reveal the glowing you underneath. They can be used twice a day and one must always use a SPF in the day because they can leave your skin more likely to burn.

Scary sounding right? Acid is going to burn my skin! I was determined to find out more when I read Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes and she talked about them at length and said how good they were.

I started with a Clinique one. Note, it has no number on it. The ones with numbers on them are very harsh. Almost everyone I know went through the Clinique three-step system in their early 20s and have horror stories. This one is gentle.

I have used Liquid Gold which gets ALL the love on the internet.

I am currently using Pixi Glow Tonic.

The last two I got in free gift boxes when I bought other things so they were not full size. However, they were very generously sized and lasted me for weeks of daily use.

Clinique is fine but nothing especially earth shattering happens. I was impressed with Liquid Gold which made my skin smoother and more even. I am less impressed with the Glow Tonic which might be better for younger skin. I can't see much difference.

Then I read more about acid pads and I was drawn in. A friend at work waxed lyrical about them. Yesterday I decided it was time to invest having researched the field thoroughly. They are simply pre-soaked pads with liquid exfoliator as far as I can tell but they get a lot of love.

There are a lot of acid pads out there and they come at various price points. I opted for the Zelens ones.

I used one last night and wow. I can already tell these are a game-changer. They work like magic. I was peering at my skin in amazement, smooth, silky and instantly better. 50 for £65. OUCH. They say use twice a day but I don't plan to as that's a little indulgent. 

If you are not using a liquid exfoliator, I recommend trying them. The Pixi one is £18. Clinique is £16.  Liquid Gold is £33.50.  All would last you for ages. None are as transformative as the Zelens pads though. Sorry.