The SOS Skin Repair Routine That Won't Break The Bank

I have a love-hate relationship with summer. Shocking I know, what’s not to love? Sunny skies, warm weather, daylight savings - it’s glorious (most of the time, Melbourne likes to keep us on our toes).

But every summer, I can almost guarantee my skin has some kind of reaction that instantly puts a dark cloud over the sunshine. Fun fact: my skin does not like heat, and it shows.

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Alas, my recent trip to Europe was no different, except this time I was incredibly ill-prepared. I was in such a rush to pack, I went rogue and packed the most obscure skincare routine. I went with only ONE serum, and ONE moisturiser, which would be normal for some, but to me, it was ludicrous.

Usually, I travel with options! Two days into the trip my skin decides it’s had enough. Within 48 hours of being overseas, I had red, irritated, rough-textured, incredibly uncomfortable skin. My eyes swelled and my face, neck, chest, arms and hands were covered in a relentless rash. Did I mention I had a wedding to go to on day three? Yep. Great. 

So there I am, in beautiful sunny Greece, living my best life, except for that fact that I wasn’t. I couldn’t enjoy any of it because I was stuck inside, away from the heat, trying to aid my crazy uncomfortable, sore, red, itchy, skin. If you’ve ever experienced a reaction, or even a breakout, you can appreciate how self-conscious you become, and how much it can affect your mood. 

My Saving Grace:

Lucky for me, I was travelling with my cousin Nicola, who is also a sensitive skincare warrior (in case you haven’t seen her story, check it out here). She was my skincare guardian angel and came to my rescue with two products that would heal my skin within 48 hours.

I coated my skin in the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Overnight Serum and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Barrier Repairing Balm. Both of these products are designed to knock out irritation while neutralising redness and repairing your skin’s barrier. 

Instantly, my skin felt more calm. The lightweight serum hydrated and soothed, while the rich nourishing balm felt like a protective barrier working to repair my skin. I felt instant relief from the burning, tight skin I’d been fighting for the last few days.

The Recovery:

I woke up and the redness in my skin had neutralised. The texture was still rough, but there was definitely a major improvement. I cleansed my face with the La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water and reapplied the two products, and repeated this again at night.

The second day of using the products, I woke up and I thought I was still dreaming. My skin was pretty much back to normal. No redness, texture had improved and my skin felt normal. I kept using the products morning and night for a week, and my skin went from being the worst it had been, to the best. It was as if I’d just had a chemical peel - my skin was smooth, soft and radiant. WHAT WAS HAPPENING!?

I didn’t want to question it, so I embraced my new Joanna-like skin, and finally enjoyed what was left of my holiday. But I made a promise to myself, I will not go through another summer without these two skin-savers by my side. 

I now recommend these products to anyone and everyone that mentions to me that they are having a skin reaction, or suffering from eczema or dermatitis and hope they help them, as much as they helped me.

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