I’m back! Not sure how it happened, but it’s been 3 months since my last post. It’s really easy not to blog, isn’t it? Anyway, I’ve got a couple of finished makes to share with you soon, but for now I’m talking skincare.

I’ve had every skin problem in the book – spots, dry patches, sensitivity, redness – and over the years I’ve tried about a million products. Some of them worked, some of them didn’t (and some of them gave me an allergic reaction), and lots sort-of-worked, but not quite enough to justify re-buying. My latest try-it-and-see purchase, though, is definitely one I’ll be purchasing again.

My skin was the best it’s ever been when I was using an organic face oil (I also happened to be 21 at the time, but let’s not dwell too much on that). No spots, no redness, no dry bits. Unfortunately, though, that particular brand no longer exists (yes, it was that long ago) and I’ve since tried a few disappointing oils that just haven’t lived up to that first one.

Still with that first miracle face oil in my mind, I decided to give it one more go and added a bottle of A’kin rosehip oil to my basket at Holland & Barrett (not an affiliate link/ad – I just shop there all the time). I wasn’t expecting much, to be honest, but after a couple of weeks of using it, it really has worked a treat. The redness has calmed down a lot, my skin feels more hydrated and, to me at least, it looks noticably better – so much so that I’ve even gone outside into the big wide world make-up free and didn’t feel like a blotchy, spotty mess.

I’m not going to lie – because this is a natural product with no fragrances added, the smell is a little, erm, weird. Not get-this-stuff-off-my-face-now-horrible, just a bit unusual. But I got used to it after a few days and now don’t really notice it at all.

Despite being an oil, it’s not too greasy and works well with other products – I like to wear it at night, along with a tiny bit of my usual Sanctuary Spa night cream (again, not an affiliate link), to give it time to sink into my skin, but it’s great under make-up, too – just make sure you only use a small drop.

I’ve read that rosehip oil has anti-ageing benefits, but obviously only time will tell with that one (perhaps I’ll do a follow-up post in ten years’ time). It has helped with a few annoying skin issues, though, so is a winner with me (and means I’ll happily overlook that slightly odd aroma…).