30 day skin bootcamp - who's with me?

[LittleOyster]

I've done a lot recently to up my S&B game, but my skin is still looking rather lacklustre, probably because I spend most days chain drinking black coffee then, come bed time, crash out without removing my makeup.

Anyway, (due to a looming event at which lots of pics will be taken ) I've decided it's time to get tough - I'm going to go all out for 30 days and see how much my skin can improve, and whether I can get that elusive glow. Does anybody want to join in?

Here's some of the stuff I thought I might do:

• Double oil cleanse, apply vitamin c toner and rosehip oil/castor oil nightly.
• Consume at least 2 litres of water daily, at least 5 portions of vegetables, plus krill oil and multivitamin.
• No sugar, alcohol, gluten or dairy. Green tea instead of black tea/coffee
• Sweat, raise heartbeat etc at least three times a week.
• Sleep at least 8 hours a night.
• Use facial brush to exfoliate at least three times a week, plus weekly turmeric mask.
• Facial exercises daily.
• SPF 50 EVERYDAY, plus hat and sunglasses when sunny.

The best thing you can do at this stage is cleanse properly.
A simple mild cleanse every morning and double cleanse every evening if you have been wearing SPF and or makeup.
This will make all the difference to your skin and prepare your facial canvas to start introducing serums, acid toners etc.

Yes, Absolutely, I'm excited how much better by face is looking after just two days of cleaning it properly. No fancy serums for me until I've trained myself in the basics, just a bit of rosehip oil and SPF 50.

Agree with Bobbin that there's not a lot to be gained by constantly chugging water, but surely 2 litres is not overdoing it for an active person in summer?

Glad to hear you had a good start yesterday, Gainsborough. I did pretty well too (once I got going - I was halfway through my morning coffee before the fog cleared and I remembered the bootcamp ). Managed to stay 'clean' until bedtime, when I broke and gobbled a load of cheese. Took a shocker of a 'before' photo, which hopefully will motivate me to keep going and did a fuller's earth mask, which was really lovely (also made DD laugh a lot...)

Ps. I've been going makeup free. Not sure why exactly - maybe catching sight of the unvarnished truth from time to time will motivate me to keep going? It's actually not felt as horribly exposing as I thought it would.

I've started making and using fullers earth masks.
I think it gives a brilliant deep cleanse and leaves my skin really soft.
I also love using hydrating sheet masks which plump up my face nicely.

Just stay well away from sugar really.

Which hydrating sheet masks would you recommend, Absolutely? I've used a few cheapies from Superdrug, but didn't feel they did much for me. Do I need to get more spendy?

Also, do they work more as a quick fix, than a longer term thing?

Oh, meant also to ask - how often do you use the fuller's mask, Absolutely? I was thinking of trying to do it once a week.

Oh can I join in too? I have no skin care routine and often don't wash off my foundation properly so it's back to basics for me.
I've pretty much cut out alcohol in the last 2 months and I'm eating lots of veg. I'm trying to drink more water. I've been suprised how tricky I'm finding it to cut out sugar though. Will keep working on that one..!
My skin isn't great. I've got slight red inflammation and spots on my forehead and cheeks. (My forehead was awful up until recently. I think I reacted to the Mac foundation I was using). I have also noticed that I have quite big pores.

Posted too soon...
Not quite sure what skin care routine I should be doing (or attempting to do). I'm 35 so feel I should have it sorted by now!

Welcome, TheMonkeys!

Umm, not sure if I'm the right one to be advising you about skincare products as I'm usually pretty slovenly (!), but have you tried the hot cloth cleansers, e.g Liz Earle, Superdrug Vitamin E, etc. They are always spoken highly of on here.

Or oil cleansing? I think most people with spot prone skin find it massively helps, but some people find it breaks them out much worse, so maybe a bit of a gamble? I do oil cleansing and I love it.

Humph. Why does everything that works for other people never work for me? I went back to oil cleansing and now remembered why I stopped. I've got little bumps all over my face.

The two things that seem to suit me are:

this

and this

But I'm worried about using them on holiday. If I am removing dead skin, will I be more sun-sensitive??

Ooh, these look lovely - and the M&S one is not too spend either. I might check these out once my self imposed purchasing ban has expired...

Personally I wouldn't risk using acids if you are about to get a load of extra sun. Hyperpigmentation is a bugger to get rid of once you have it. (Voice of experience speaking... )