Category: Skincare

Skincare advice from a beauty therapist – how to treat skin problems such as acne, scars, oily or dry skin?

Read about my struggles with acne and about all my favorite skincare products.

2021-06-07 Skincare

Skincity Review: Online Skin Consultation + Routine

Finished makeup look using brands sold at Skincity

Skincity skincare routine recommendations

Sponsored: Skincity

This is my Skincity review after using the online skincare clinic and the routine it recommended for about 1.5 months. The useful part was not just buying products; it was having a certified skin therapist choose a routine around my combination skin, sunscreen use and wish for natural skincare.

Update July 2026: the old Skincity links and individual skin-test routes used in this article no longer work as originally published. Skincity has since moved under KICKS, so I replaced the broken routes with current KICKS destinations and removed a stale product affiliate link. Links marked with * are affiliate links.

If you’ve ever dreamed of someone just telling you what products you should use to get the best out of your skin, Skincity’s online clinic was exactly that kind of service. If you are still unsure about your skin type before choosing products, start with my skin type guide and then build a routine with my Skin 101 skincare routine guide.

Skincare products chosen through Skincity online clinic

Skincity review: skincare that works because it is tailored to you

When I worked at a salon, I loved doing facials and helping customers find the right products. Our skin is our biggest organ, and I think the little time we take in pampering it is very worth it. My take on skincare is compassionate, yet dedicated. I don’t focus on the problems in my skin; I accept its unique properties. I’m not looking for perfection, I just want my skin to look and feel healthy.

That said, it’s important to choose the right products for your skin. For instance, I have combination skin with bigger pores, so it is important to treat it right to avoid pimples. Skincity helped me choose products around those needs.

At the time of my test, Skincity sold several of my favorite brands including Vita Liberata, Clarins and Jane Iredale, plus brands that had been on my wish list like Hourglass and By Terry. The range and professional help were the reason the service felt useful.

Neal's Yard Remedies skincare products recommended by Skincity

Skincity skin tests and the current KICKS route

When this review was first published, Skincity offered free skin tests for different routine sizes and SPF recommendations. The test was simple: you answered questions about your skin, wishes and routine, and a skin therapist sent product recommendations a few days later.

I chose the skin test with 6-8 products, because I like a holistic take on skincare. There was also an option for a simpler four-product routine. Once you got your results, you could check out the products without an obligation to buy.

Those exact old Skincity skin-test URLs are no longer reliable. The closest current route I found is *KICKS Digital Beauty Tools and Skin Analytics, where KICKS describes digital tools such as Skin Analytics for tailored routines. If you specifically want Skincity products, use *Skincity Skincare at KICKS.

There was also an SPF test to find a suitable sunscreen. I love physical sunscreens, which work by reflecting sun rays away from your skin. I used Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder with SPF20; makeup and sunscreen in two steps, perfect for me. If SPF is your main concern, continue with my natural face sunscreen guide.

Personal skincare advice

In addition to the test, you could chat with skin therapists if you had questions. As a beauty therapist myself, I really value advice coming from another professional. Just like a shoemaker can fix your shoes, a skin therapist knows how to treat different skin types and issues.

Maria Åkerberg mineral powder in Pure Beige worn on the face
Wearing Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder in Pure Beige. More makeup details at the end of this post.

My Skincity skincare routine and Neal’s Yard Remedies

I’ve now been on my Skincity skincare routine for about 1.5 months and both me and my skin are very happy. I chose natural products and got recommended Neal’s Yard Remedies products. Getting to know a new skincare brand this way was fun, and I love that someone else picked the right products for me.

Neal’s Yard Remedies products feel effective, yet gentle. The luxurious glass packaging is a big plus for me. The natural fresh scents are therapeutic; my favorite scent is the orange in the face scrub.

Since I use physical sunscreen and makeup, I always double cleanse. Oil is the best option for removing physical sunscreens, so I requested an oil cleanser as an extra. If double cleansing is relevant to your routine, my oil cleanser guide goes deeper into removing physical sunscreen and makeup.

Maria Åkerberg Pre-Cleansing Oil for removing sunscreen and makeup
Maria Åkerberg’s Pre-Cleansing Oil is great for removing sunscreen and makeup.

Here’s how my routine looked with the recommended products.

My evening skincare routine

  1. Maria Åkerberg Precleansing Oil
  2. Maria Åkerberg Gentle Foaming Wash
  3. Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Toner
  4. Neal’s Yard Remedies Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum
  5. Neal’s Yard Remedies Vitamin E & Avocado Night Cream
  6. Neal’s Yard Remedies White Tea Eye Gel

My morning skincare routine

  1. Splash with water
  2. Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Toner
  3. Neal’s Yard Remedies Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum
  4. Neal’s Yard Remedies Purifying Palmarosa Daily Moisturizer
  5. Neal’s Yard Remedies White Tea Eye Gel

My weekly skincare routine

  1. Neal’s Yard Remedies Honey & Orange Face Scrub

Notes and thoughts on the products and routine

My favorite products are the Rehydrating Rose Toner and the Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum. It’s funny, because I used to really dislike rose scent. However, the toner smells fresh and provides the perfect hydration for my skin. I take it into my palms and pat it on to my skin.

The Soothing Serum is another lovely product for hydration. It contains hyaluronic acid, borage seed oil and soothing plant extracts. I’ve talked about the importance of a hydrating serum before and that goes for all seasons. As lovely as the sun is, it dries out the skin and at least my skin appreciates all the watery hydration it can get.

The Purifying Palmarosa Daily Moisturizer has been a good summer match for my skin. It absorbs quickly, controls oil and works really well under makeup.

Skincity skincare routine products for combination skin

Need changes to the routine?

When I tested the service, you could redo the skin test if you wanted totally new recommendations or felt like something was not working. You could also chat with a skin therapist if you wanted to change something. In my routine I ended up changing the facial wash; I first had the Purifying Palmarosa Wash for oily skin, but asked for a slightly more gentle cleanser and got two new product recommendations within minutes.

Neal's Yard Remedies skincare routine selected through Skincity

If you want to get your skincare in order, I still think the strongest idea here is a professional routine built around your skin, not a random product haul. Start with the current KICKS Skin Analytics route if you want a digital recommendation, or browse Skincity products at KICKS if you already know what you want.

*KICKS Digital Beauty Tools and Skin Analytics
*Skincity Skincare at KICKS

Makeup look using brands sold at Skincity

This whole makeup look was done with brands Skincity sold at the time. I’m wearing:

  • Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder, Pure Beige
  • Jane Iredale Ellen Lipstick
  • Clarins Joli Blush in Cheeky Peach
  • Clarins Ombre 3 Couleurs palettes

For more skincare routines, product testing and daily beauty talk, you can also find me on Instagram @charlottaeve.

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2020-07-27 Skincare

Common mistakes in skincare you should avoid

common mistakes in skincare

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As a beauty therapist skincare is especially close to my heart. During my years of doing facials at a salon and just by talking with people, I have learned that taking care of your skin does not come easy to everyone.

In this post I will share some common mistakes that you should avoid in your skincare routine. I will also tell you what to do instead. I can guarantee you that by taking care of your skin properly, you will see results.

 

Common mistakes in skincare you should avoid

 

Mistake 1 – Not Having A Routine

When I hear of people not having a routine, I want to cry a little. Here’s the beef: Washing your face with your shower gel does not count. No matter the skin problem, you need a good solid routine. Even if you your skin is in a good shape, you still need a routine to keep it that way.  A skincare routine doesn’t need to be complicated! Most important things are: removing your makeup, washing your face and moisturising. That alone puts my mind at ease a bit.

Read more: How to build a skincare routine for different skintypes

simple skincare routine

Mistake 2 – The Lack Of Double Cleansing

Double cleansing is crucial, especially if you wear makeup or sunscreen. Basically you’re first washing your makeup off – then actually cleansing your face. I’ll admit even I didn’t always double cleanse. But after I started doing it, I noticed a big change. My pores didn’t get clogged as much and small impurities went away. Nowadays makeup tends to be very long lasting, so it’s extra important to really get it off the skin.

So in other words: you need two cleansers for your face. A makeup remover and a cleanser.

*Makeup eraser
A microfibre towel, which you can just rub all over your face to remove your makeup. Perfect if you’re feeling lazy!

*Missha Perfect Deep Cleansing Oil
Oil based makeup remover are the best makeup removers are oils. They also take sunscreen off really well! Here’s one that’s very affordable and handy, since it comes with a pump.

*Lavera Hydro Effect Cleansing Balm
Gentle, yet effective cleanser.

Skincare Blog Niki Newd Review

Mistake 3 – Skipping Eye Cream

The skin around our eyes is very thin and that makes it delicate. Wrinkles and dryness get to that area first, AKA the first signs of aging. When you do just a little bit of eye massage when applying your eye cream, you also get rid of any puffiness. I strongly recommend using an eye cream as soon as you start wearing makeup, as a teen. Now if you’re reading this and you’re 25+ – don’t worry! It’s not too late. But it is important to get yourself an eye cream.

*SVR Topialyse Palpebral Irritated eyelids Soothing Cream
I received this product in a Lookfantastic Beauty Box and it just comes to show how great that box is. I had never heard of the brand before, but this product is the best thing that’s happened to my eyelids.

Mistake 4 – Not Taking The Time For A Weekly Mask

Years ago I would have urged you to both exfoliate and apply a mask. Nowadays I actually think you can get away with only one product, as long as it’s exfoliating your skin. Because exfoliation is the key here. Properly exfoliating your skin once a week gets rid of sebaceous filaments (those things that look like blackheads, but are not), dead skin cells and it brightens up the skin.

Here is my recipe for a glowy skin: apply a thick layer of Evolve Beauty’s Radiant Glow Mask, let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse off. Apply a generous amount of moisturizer and go to sleep. You’ll wake up reborn with a glowy skin.

*Evolve Beauty Radiant Glow Mask
My all time favorite face mask, which smells like vanilla and exfoliates the skin gently using coconut shell powder. It leaves my skin baby smooth and radiant.

how to build a skincare routine

What do you think of my tips – agree or disagree?

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