I Have Sensitive, Combination Skin And I’ve Finally Found A Skincare Routine That Actually Works

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As someone who is hurtling through their 30s at a pace I care very little for, skincare is a big part of my life now. 

Like a lot of men I know, I spent my 20s in blissful ignorance when it came to things like retinols, SPF and active ingredients, and my skin seemed to be fine with just the occasional bit of moisturiser when I bothered to remember. But after turning 30 in 2018, my skin kindly decided it was time for an identity crisis. 

Suddenly, I was getting constant breakouts and angry bumps, and I also developed porridge-like texturing and pores that could be seen from space. 

As a result, I spent years product chasing, trying every new serum or acid that promised to rejuvenate my face when all it would end up doing was exacerbating all my problems and draining my bank account. 

However, in the last year, I’ve finally made a breakthrough with a new routine that seems to be working on my sensitive, combination skin. It turns out stripping back your routine to a number of slightly better quality core products  – which are, most importantly, right for your skin type – is key. And while I might still shudder at having to spend £20+ on a moisturiser, unfortunately that annoying adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ does seem to be true. 

While I’m certainly no Caroline Hyrons yet, here’s 15 highly recommended products that have done wonders for my skin, and I hope can help you too…