A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post about my skincare routine, after having successfully managed to rid myself of acne which had plagued me since I came off the pill.

The downside to having perfected your skincare routine, I have come to learn, is that when one or more products are discontinued, it means you have to embark on another epic mission to find replacements. I had spent two years finding the perfect balance of products for my skin, so the task felt daunting.

Garnier changed the formula and packaging of their PureActive toner. It doesn’t seem to suit my skin as well; last time I tried it, it was a bit harsh and drying (I’ll likely revisit it at a later date). bareMinerals discontinued my beloved Active Cell Renewal serum, and I think this has caused me the most issues. Yesterday I popped onto their site and it seems that there are quite a few unhappy customers complaining that their latest batch of skincare products aren’t up to much. Many were complaining that the products were irritating their skin. I didn’t want to spend £40+ on a serum only to have it irritate my skin or show little improvement.

Since I switched to a different toner and stopped using a serum, my skin just hadn’t been the same. Dry, and therefore more acne-prone than usual, I was seeing blemishes and patches of dry skin which I couldn’t get rid of with the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo[+] moisturiser. I bought another moisturiser from LRP, a more nourishing one. I used both. My skin was still dry and looked awful under my foundation. I was starting to panic.

I consulted my usual group of beauty gurus (I am lucky to have such a group!) and one suggested using jojoba oil as a moisturiser. I already had some, since I use jojoba and lavender for cleansing, so I figured I had nothing to lose.

If you are struggling with dry skin, I highly recommend jojoba. After cleansing and toning, I rub some on my face and pat off the excess with a clean flannel. Thus far, it has worked wonders. My dry skin has gone, my fine lines have improved and my blemishes are vanishing fast. My skin glows in a pleasingly healthy way and my foundation sits nicely on top of it, too. Jojoba won’t be discontinued, either. It’s a raw ingredient, as it were, so it’s sold by a wide variety of manufacturers. It’s early days, but I’m hopeful. I am honestly excited to wash my face and moisturise at the moment. I love how my skin looks afterwards.

My toner: La Roche Posay Clarifying Lotion 200ml
I’m definitely happy with this toner. It feels as though it’s doing its job, it’s not very expensive, it lasts AGES (I’m still on my first bottle, I ordered it nearly a year ago) and it leaves your skin feeling perfectly prepped for moisturisation. I’m a fan.

The jojoba oil I use: Naissance Golden Jojoba Oil, 250ml
I could definitely spend more money on jojoba oil, and perhaps I’ll try another (more expensive) version at some stage now that I’m using it as a moisturiser. I’ve been using this brand for years though, and it’s great. A 250ml bottle lasts me about 7-8 months.

I’m still cleansing with jojoba and lavender oil. I am still in love with oil cleansing and have no desire to change this, it’s the part of my skincare routine I’m most confident of.

I’ve only been using jojoba as a moisturiser for a few days, but so far so good. If this does work out then I’ll have cut my skincare costs dramatically. No more LRP moisturisers (at £12-15 each), no more serum (at £40+ each). I find this thrilling.

I used jojoba on my hands as a moisturiser too, just to see what happened, and I was very impressed with the results. I might have just found my desert island product! Happy days 😀