New Year, New Skincare Routine

Words by Matt Huxley

The new year is obviously a time of reflection and preparation for all of us. But in this time of bullet journalling and goal setting, how many of us actually think about our skin? Your skin is your biggest organ and definitely one that we tend to forget about. Using the same products year in, year out, is not always the best thing for that pretty visage.

I’ve worked with Mokosh Skincare in the past and have always loved their products, so it was another thrill to get to try out some more of their products. The great thing about Mokosh is that all of their products are water-free. Water is frequently used as a filler or base in a lot of skincare products (typically labelled as Aqua). Whilst there’s nothing technically wrong about that, it does mean that you need to use excessive amounts of product as the water tends to evaporate, leaving your skin slightly dryer whilst forcing you to use more product in order to get those benefits. The absence of water in Mokosh products means that you really don’t need much of it in order to get the full benefits of all the great ingredients.

Being mostly oil based, the Mokosh products are going to hydrate your skin whilst providing beautiful anti-ageing benefits through the combination of oils and antioxidants. The best part? It’s all certified organic, so you can be sure that you aren’t leaving a negative carbon footprint and that all the nasties aren’t going into your skin.

For reference, my skin is combination/balanced and I’m not sensitive or prone to breakouts. I typically layer quite a lot of product on to ensure that each layer of my skin is hydrated. You can of course use different types of products to customise the routine for you.

Cleansing Oil:

This is a lovely, non-emulsifying cleansing oil and makeup remover. Formed from a combination of Pumpkin seed, Jojoba, Baobab and Sesame oils, it’s one of those cleansers that you can put on a cotton round and swipe over your face to cleanse. I find this option great to remove makeup, but for cleansing I want something a little bit more emulsifying and clarifying for my skin. So I tend to massage the oil over my face and then go on with a cleanser on top to remove all the excess dirt and oil. The Mokosh facial cleansing powder is a great option, but any gentle foaming cleanser will also do the trick.

Hydrosol Toner:

I’ve spoken in my previous post about how much I like the Hydrofoil Toner. This is a refreshing blend of Damask Rose and Lemon Balm, leaving you calm, hydrated and with your skin prepped to receive moisture. This is the main reason why a hydrating mist or essence lotion can be so beneficial in your skincare routine. It allows your products to penetrate the skin that bit more effectively.

Elderberry and Chia Seed Beauty Serum:

Make no mistake, this is a facial oil, so if you’re expecting a light glycerin-based serum you’re in the wrong place. I love a good facial oil and this one is no exception. It seems to be a tad lighter than the Raspberry and Pomegranate oil I tried previously and I noticed a huge difference in my skin the morning after using it. It’s very important with this one to use far less then you think. My skin can handle quite a lot of oil on it at night, but with this one I did find that only a few drops on damp skin was more than enough. This oil is comprised of a multitude of oils. Along with the titular Chia and Elderberry you have Baobab, Jojoba, Hemp and Black Cumin seed oils (among others). This blend combines to leave your skin hydrated and fresh. These oils help to control sebum, making this oil the perfect choice for combination and oily skin. And yes, people with oily skin should be adding oil-rich products in order to balance out their naturally occurring face oils. I also run this guy through my brows and lashes to keep them in good condition and to help them grow (if anyone could please invent a lash oil in a mascara tube that would be great kthnx).

Rich Face Cream:

A concentrated blend of Shea Butter, Hemp oil, Macadamia oil, Avocado oil and Evening Primrose oil (among others), this cream is super hydrating and great to rehydrate and sink into the skin at night. This cream is very easy to apply too much, so make sure you use far less then you think and blend it smoothly into the skin. It helps if you’ve let your facial oil settle for about 30seconds before applying the cream. Due to the ingredients, this is definitely a cream that you need to keep in a drawer or cupboard to protect from the sunshine, otherwise it will melt and be a bit more liquid then you want. This is definitely a cream for those of us who have drier or balanced complexion, and I would recommend this one over the Light version for more mature skin.

Sesame and Frankincense Body Oil:

Firstly, isn’t this a beautiful goddamn bottle? Ugh I’m obsessed! This is a lovely blend of Hemp, Black Cumin, Sesame, Frankincense and Rose Geranium oils (among others). The oil blend gives this a spicy aromatic scent, reminiscent slightly of incense, but definitely not too overpowering. I definitely find that this is a body oil to apply after a scrub and with the skin still slightly damp. Having body hair, any sort of body oil can tend to cling a bit, so I definitely need the scrub to enable it to sink in. However if you shave your body or are naturally more hairless it would sink in more easily. My one criticism of this product is although the packaging is stunning, it can be very easy to pour out more than intended. Some sort of covering on the lid of the bottle to limit how much can be poured would be beneficial.

What are you looking to integrate into your skincare routine this year? I’d love to know! Leave me a comment below. Of course you need to follow me on Instagram and Snapchat @infirmofpurpose, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin and Lookbook.

1 Comment

  1. Marion from Mokosh on January 23, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    Thank you Matt for the review! Your blogs are always so beautifully written, and I love hearing your take on our products! We will have to work on that mascara lash oil idea and have taken note of your comment re the Sesame & Frankincense Body Oil bottle. And thanks for the beautiful photography.



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