I have been getting more and more into skin care as I'm becoming older. No matter how good makeup you have, it is nothing, if you don't take care of your skin first. I am a big believer in taking care of your skin in early ages, so that it can be grateful to you, when you get older. Because I have been trying a lot of skin care products and because it is impossible to write review for each product on itself, here is a little bit longer post with short reviews of all the skin care products that I currently use.
Before I go onto the products, I thought it was only fair of me to tell you a bit about my skin. I've had neurodermatitis since I was 4 years old. It has significantly subsided after I was about 14 years old and now I only get occasional dry patches that cause a lot of itchiness. Neurodermatitis means that you get dry patches all over the skin, which are usually itchy. The problem is in the itch, because I've scratched my skin so bad that I had wounds and had to heal them with lots of stereoid based creams. I almost don't use any of these anymore. Causes are environmental as well as relates to food allergies.
I also have a light skin tone and my skin is really thin on certain parts, like my under eyes. Because I have light skin tone, I can see occasional broken capillaries on my lids, around the nose and such, which means I get red patches here and there. I also have sallow skin going on around my mouth, especially in smile lines.
I have never had huge problems with breakouts, although I do occasionally get them like most people. Sometimes these are actually really annoying and big. I especially hate those that come in singles and take about two weeks to properly heal.
My skin in general is slightly sensitive and in good condition. I have my mother to thank for this, because she has really good skin at her age. I have combination type. My T zone can get really oily, especially in the summer and my cheeks, around the mouth and eyes can get drier. In the winter my skin can get dehydrated and needs more care. I always have problems with dry lips and skin around them, no matter what season.
I also included a photo of my skin in the morning, after I wake up. Now let's go onto the products.
I use this in the evening, when I'm taking off my makeup. This is a liquid oil that turns into milky consistency once it gets in touch with water. It has sunflower oil scent to it, which is very natural. I find that it takes off my eye makeup well and it's cheap, which is great for a product that you use in bigger amounts. It doesn't leave any greasy residue on the skin.
This is my holy grail micellar water and I'll probably never use any other. It's the first micellar water in the world and for a good reason. It's the most gentle product that I highly recommend for sensitive skin. It's liquid, transparent and has no fragrance to it. It literally feels like water, but it takes off even waterproof makeup. I use this for removing eye makeup, because I have quite sensitive eyes.
This is on its last leg. I was using this in the hotter months, because it's a transparent gel consistency and really cleans off the skin well. I usually use it as a second step cleanser, when I have breakouts and want to get rid of them. This has very strong tea tree scent, but is gentle enough and doesn't leave the skin too bare.
Alpstories Sage & Mint Cleansing Gel
This I currently use and it's great lightweight transparent gel that I use as a second cleanse in the evening or as a morning cleanser. It's very gentle, has lovely minty scent to it and cleans the skin without making it too stripped down.
Avon Nutra Effects Restorative Cleansing Milk
One of the best milk cleansers for a morning cleanse in colder months. It has thin milk like consistency, very subtle scent and is a bit greasy. By that I mean that it leaves behind a lovely nourishing layer, which is great for when you're skin is dry and you feel like you can't use anything to clean it off, because it just makes it even drier.
Lysaskin Laboratories Atolys Cleansing and Relipidifying Gel
I depoted this to this travel sized bottle, but you can see the original bottle here. It's probably the best cleansing gel for sensitive skin that I have ever tried. It has transparent thicker gel consistency and it leathers really well. The scent is very inoffensive. It also works great, because it removes even the most stubborn makeup. It is also gentle enough that you can use it as a morning cleanser. I have no bad words for this, it's seriously impressive. If you're looking for something gentle, but effective, go for it.
Avon Nutra Effects Gentle 3 in 1 Scrub
This scrub is like a cleansing gel that has a tiny white scrub particles with few bigger black particles here and there. It's definitely not what I would call a proper face scrub, because it's very gentle. I use this very rarely, just when I think of it. It will probably be better for summer, when my skin gets oilier. It has gentle scent and it's gentle on the skin. Scent is very fresh.
Avon Clearskin Blackhead Clearing Daily Cleanser
Now that one is more like a scrub to me. It has small particles that gently exfoliate the skin and it's very fresh scented. I like this one for when I feel that my skin's texture is a bit uneven or especially in hotter months when oil production can make blackheads look even worse. It seems to make blackheads look clearer, but the effect doesn't really last.
Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash and Mask
I think this product is very well known and somewhat popular drugstore choice. I go for this, when I have problems with breakouts. Whenever I have more than one breakout, I love using these kind of products as a second cleanse, because I feel like it also tones the skin a bit. I also use it as a mask, but mostly only on the spot that has the breakout, because it feels like it dries it out faster. It has thicker white clay like texture that dries to a dry clay finish. The scent is fresh.
This has also become one of those product that I start to panic once I'm out of it. It's my chemical exfoliant that helps to keep my skin's surface smooth and prevents me from getting milia. It contains BHA and AHAs. The scent is very strong and of tea tree, so if you're sensitive to scent, you probably won't like it. It's transparent liquid and very gentle, it doesn't sting my skin at all. I use this usually in the evening, but if I have problems with breakouts, I'll also use it in the morning in place of a toner.
L'Occitane Gentle Toner Enriched With Shea
I use this in the morning as a moisturizing toner. It's transparent liquid with a very soothing and gentle scent. I feel like this is a great gentle moisturizing toner that gives the skin back that first layer of moisture that has been lost after cleansing it. It's basic, but lovely.
Avon Naturals Hydrating Aloe & Cotton Face Spritz
I actually used this up already and only have regular water in it for the plants, but I wanted to feature it here, because I really like it. Especially in summer months. This is a liquid spray that I used as a moisturizing toner in the morning. It also contains AHA. It has a lovely sort of sleepy soothing scent with a bit of herbal freshness to it that I really liked. It doesn't feel like much on the skin, but it's a nice basic toner.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The Ordinary is probably one of the hottest and most talked about skin care brands at the moment. The reason being that they offer very pure ingredients at very low prices. This is described as a blemish formula. Niacinamides (Vitamin B3) are commonly used in whitening products and should tackle sallow tone and hyper pigmentation. They're apparently also good for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. This product is intended to reduce blemishes and congestion. It also controls sebum production and heals the skin with the combination of zinc. Some also report pores getting smaller.
I bought it as a blemish prevention formula and it works good. I use it only on my T zone where I get oily. So far I've noticed that if I use this daily, I don't get as many blemishes as I did before. It also helps a little with the production of sebum as I don't get as oily on certain parts, as I did before. I haven't noticed my pores appearing smaller, because I think there's nothing you can do about them. The reason that I also wanted this product is because I have sallow skin around my mouth. As I've been using it a bit more, I can see slight difference in it becoming slightly lighter, but it's still pretty much visible. I personally would recommend you getting this, if you want something that will control oils on your face and act as a prevention method from getting blemishes. It is slightly white tinted slimy liquid gel with no scent. It needs a bit of time to soak into skin completely, because it can feel just slightly sticky to the touch. I have noticed that if I use too much of it, it can sometimes peel off, if I don't wait a while for it to dry down.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Hyaluronic acid is a very well know ingredient in skin care. It can attract up to 1000 times its weight in water. So it's initially an agent that helps to adhere water to it. Apparently this formula combines low, medium and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which means it should penetrate in all layers of skin. Vitamin B5 is added as an ingredient that also enhances surface hydration. Most skin care brands use hyaluronic acid in small quantities and usually it just sits on the skin and draws all of the moisture out of the skin, to make surface seem temporarily hydrated. Apparently this formula works way better.
This is one of those products that you don't realize it works until you're without it. I repurchase my second bottle and while I was without, I really noticed my skin turning back to being drier. It definitely works on my skin. I use this in the morning and in the evening after toner. This helps to make skin plumper and hydrated. I haven't had any dry patches this winter, which is a miracle on its own. I also always use hydrating creams and oils on top of it, to make sure that I lock in added moisture. I've heard that if you don't use hydrating products on top of it, it may just evaporate from the skin and not give you all the moisture that it can. It also has that same transparent liquid slimy gel consistency that applies really smooth to the skin and soaks in quickly. It has no scent and no residue.
I really like that this brand came out with such simple and potent concentrations of ingredients that work in their pure form. The fact that their prices are so low is an embarrassment to all high end brands that try to sell us products with nice packaging, basic ingredients and throw in huge budgets of marketing to convince us all that they're the best. I'm by no means saying that all high end products are bad, but let's be honest...you do usually overpay for what you actually get.
Essentiq Centella & Kelp Antiage Eye Cream
Eye creams are one of those product that I still don't have a favorite. I'm trying to find something that is moisturizing and something that will sort of diminish my first small lines. I've tried a few, but never thought that any were impressive enough to repurchase. This is natural and organic one and it works nice. It has slightly yellow thin consistency and it feels moisturizing enough, but not too greasy. I like that it's not like a gel, because it has a bit of that nourishing layer to it. I wear it under makeup and in the evening. It has a natural herbal scent to it.
La Roche-Posay Nutritic Intense In-Depth Nutri-Reconstructing Cream
La Roche-Posay is one of the best brands that you can go to, if you have sensitive skin. Their formulas are in general very soothing and hydrating. This is thicker white cream that feels light on the skin, but leaves you with a slightly nourishing layer on top. It's not greasy looking, but it's also not like a basic gel formula. It soaks into the skin quickly and feels very soothing on skin. Especially if you're skin is irritated or you need something very basic. It has slightly sweet soothing scent to ti.
This is my current favorite face cream and I have repurchased quite a few pots already. It's thin white milky consistency that has a lot of nourishing kind of greasy layer to it. It makes the skin really glowy, so if you don't like that, you won't love it. I do, because it really moisturizes my skin and keeps it moisturized through the day. It does affect makeup a bit, since it acts as a dewy primer. I use this all through the year, except in really hot summer months. It also has SPF of 15 which is so convenient, especially in the winter. It means I can skip another layer of sunscreen. It has lovely gentle soothing scent.
For the really hot and sweaty summer days, I use this one. It's more like a transparent gel, not greasy and shiny at all, but just moisturizing enough. It's very light and would probably be great for combination skin. This one doesn't contains SPF, so you can also use it in the evening. It has that same soothing gentle scent.
Avon Nutra Effects Radiance Renewing Night Cream
This is like a slightly lighter version of Hydration Daily Cream. It's not as greasy looking, but has that same nourishing slightly greasy layer, although it sinks into the skin faster. I use this at night, when I don't want something too nourishing and greasy. It has lovely fruity sweet scent and it gives me enough nourishment through the night. In the morning my skin is moisturized and soft.
It has thick slightly yellow tinted consistency and it has quite nourishing greasy layer. I use this in colder months and when I have something that needs healing. The more I use it, the more I like it. It actually helps to speed up any healing processes on the skin and it provides lovely nourishment to the skin. In the morning my skin is always plump, moisturized and overall looks smooth and soft. The scent is very natural, strong and herbal - my boyfriend hates it.
Avon Nutra Effects Miracle Glow Lightweight Facial Oil
Very ligthweight and quickly absorbing oil. It almost feels like a dry oil. I like to use this in warmer months, when you don't want something too greasy on the skin. I find that it nourishes skin well and makes it plump. I usually use oils only at night. It has very liquid and light consistency. I also really like the scent of it, it's very subtle and kind of sweet. It almost doesn't leave any greasy residue on the skin.
This is one of those miracle products. It's described as a serum, but is in fact oil in every aspect. It has yellow tinted greasy liquid consistency and feels very oily on the skin. It has strong natural rose hip scent. I love this, because this heals any scaring and makes the skin nourishes as well as moisturized. It almost feels like it just speeds up any healing processes on the skin. I really like it and use it sparingly.
It can be used on face, body and hair. I use it only for face and sometimes I use leftovers on my hair. It's a dry oil, so it doesn't feel oily on the skin. It has slightly yellow tinted liquid consistency and it soaks into the skin well. This is the best oil if you want to make your skin really soft. It nourishes it and makes it plump. I love to use this on daily bases as a basic oil at the end of my evening routine. It has the most amazing sort of sweet nutty oriental scent.
So far, this is my favorite sunscreen for the face. I use it once the sun and weather gets harsher and stronger, so more in spring and summer months. I love it, because it's milky liquid, doesn't leave a white cast, has SPF of 50+ and doesn't make my skin too greasy. I wouldn't say that it's great for greasy skin, because it still leaves a bit of layer to the skin, but it doesn't interfere with my makeup. I also use it on the sea, every year and I never get sunburn on my face.
Laboratories de Biarritz Creme Solaire Alga Maris
This is a thicker white consistency and it's a lot greasier. It's a bit whiter as well, but it actually soaks into the skin well. Keep in mind that it leaves behind a very shiny layer, so this would be better for dry skin. I tend to use it in colder months, when my skin is drier. It has an SPF of 30 and such a gorgeous tropical scent that kind of reminds me of pineapple and coconut.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch
It's one of those products that I wasn't expecting to work, but it does. I bought a small size with only one sheet, but there are larger packs available. You get three different sizes of patches so that you can use bigger on big pimples and smaller on small pimples. I use this when I have those gross huge yellow breakouts that just leave a crater on my skin. You apply transparent patch on the pimple (I usually pick on it before, because I can't help myself) and I leave it on over night. This sticks to the skin really well and doesn't fall off. By the morning you'll see the patch go white where the breakout was and it sort of sucks out all the dirt from it. If you have breakout that tends to look like acne, you may need to apply a second one to get it all out. But this definitely speeds up the process and helps it dry sooner.
Prepare for a gross demonstration. I wanted to show you how the patch looks like in the morning - see the white ball in the center? That's my breakout and how it looks like after I remove it. It sort of shrinks it and it get all crinkled up.
Avon Planet Spa Treasures Of The Dessert With Moroccan Argan Oil Rhassoul Clay Face Mask
It's one of the thickest clay masks that I've tried from Avon. It's still easy enough to spread on the face and it dries down fairy quick to an orange brown shade. It has very oriental scent, that's definitely due to an argan oil in it. I find that it doesn't dry out my skin too much, like certain clay masks do. It still seems to clear the pores well and keeps the skin soft.
Avon Planet Spa Herbal Steam Bath With Cedar and Eucalyptus Deep Cleansing Clay Face Mask
This is one of my favorite from Avon. It has a lot thinner consistency for a clay mask, which I like. It also dries down to that clay finish with a mint color. The scent of this one reminds me of men perfumes, especially because of the cedar. It's very woody and fresh. I like this one most for cleaning out the pores, when you feel like you're skin is stuffed with dirt. It cleans it out well and doesn't leave it too dry.
Avon Planet Spa Thailand Lotus Flower Deep Pore Cleansing Face Mask
It was my first mask from Avon. This one is also clay based and it has light lavender shade, but it dries down white. It's the best for cleaning out little blackheads on the nose. The clean effect doesn't last a long time on my skin, but I really like using it when my blackheads are getting darker. It also has thinner consistency and a sweet flower scent. It's actually my favorite scent out of all other Avon masks.
Avon Planet Spa Amazonian Treasures With Brazilian Acai & Berries Hydrating Face Mask
I don't really like this one. At first it seemed nice, but when I used it again, it sort of made my skin red and irritated. Aside from that, this is berry tinted gel mask that sits on the skin and is supposed to hydrate it. In my opinion this isn't nearly as good as sheet masks, but it does provide small amount of moisture to the skin. It's a bit too thin for my liking and more like a light cream. It has fruity berry scent that is not too strong.
Avon Planet Spa Blissfully Nourishing With African Shea Butter Nourishing Face Mask
On the contrary to Amazonian Treasures mask, this one is actually really thick and balmy. This one actually feels like it hydrates the skin and I like that it leaves behind a slight layer of greasiness on the skin. I am a fan of buttery products in general and shea butter seems to give my skin protective layer and makes it softer. It's not super hydrating, but it does the job good. I don't particularly like that nutty shea butter scent that it has.
Avon Planet Spa Perfectly Purifying With Dead Sea Minerals Gommage Face Mask
It's like a chemical exfoliant in a mask. It has transparent thicker gel like texture that you apply on the skin and when you take it off, it sort of takes off your dead skin cells and makes your skin texture a bit more even. This I use when my skin gets rough, which is in the winter months or in the summer, when I don't use as many BHA and AHAs. Out of all Avon masks, this one has the most chemical scent to it.
I don't get that same chemical exfoliating feeling with this one as I do with Perfectly Purifying mask. It's better as a hydrating mask, since it seems to nourish the skin well and makes it very soft. It has thicker yellow cream consistency and smells of citrus fruit. It is also very gentle for something that has fruit acids in it.
L'Oreal Pure Clay Glow Mask
Yet another basic clay mask that cleans out skin well, but doesn't leave it too stripped down. This one has a thinner creamy consistency that spread on the skin well. It dries down to that really drying clay layer. The scent is kind of funny to me. It's sort of old school and herbal like, but I like it.
Avon Anew Clinical Hydra Recovery Overnight Mask
I really wanted to try overnight mask, as those are really popular in Korean skin care. This one is formulated with hyaluronic acid, shea butter and herbal ceramides. It has transparent gel consistency that has small white particles of shea butter, which degrades as you massage it into the skin. It's very lightweight mask and almost feels like a moisturizing cream. You can use it in the place of cream in the morning too. I use it at night and my skin is plump and well hydrated in the morning. This would be great for those of you that hate balmy and heavier hydrating products.
Garnier Moisture Aqua Bomb Tissue Mask Super Hydarting & Repulping
It has a protective foil on one side of the mask, which makes unfolding it easier. It also has a hole for ears that you can tuck it over, but it didn't work on my face. The sheet mask was too small for that and my ears hurt really bad. I also find that eye holes are too small for my liking. Almost all sheet masks stick out from my nose, which is due to me having huge nose and is probably my fault entirely. It's very hydrated with serum, but for some reason it gets dry on my skin really fast. That makes me believe that the formula is not the best and it evaporates too quickly. It has such an artificial scent that it's kind of sickening. It's somewhat fresh, but so unnatural. On the skin it feels soothing and refreshing. However, it kind of stung my skin a bit, which means it's not sensitive approved for me. After you take the sheet off, the skin is hydrated well, but it's also sticky. If you apply too much of this serum in the mask, it starts to peel of the skin. There's so much serum left in the bag that you can use it for a week. Unfortunately, I didn't like it, so I won't be buying it again.
Balea Vital Touchmaske (Sheet Mask)
I've already talked about Balea Aqua Touchmaske which I still like and is a great basic hydrating mask. I saw that they made another version, a bit more anti age for deep wrinkles and decided to try it out. It contains argan oil, hyaluronic acid and pro vitamin B5. It has a more milky white texture and is well hydrated with the serum. This one feel very soothing and moisturizing on the skin. It also has that sleepy soothing scent to it. I really like it, because once I took it off, my skin was so well hydrated and the serum made it really soft. I've also been using left over serum for a couple of other days and it's such a good hydrating essence to use under the makeup. This sheet mask also has big enough holes for eyes and it sticks to the skin well. It doesn't dry out as fast as the one from Garnier.
Innisfree It's Real Squeeze Mask Bamboo and Green Tea
Hands down, these are currently my favorite sheet masks. Sheet mask is thin and sticks to the skin well. Holes for the eyes are big enough and mask is really well saturated with serum. There is also a lot of serum left in the bag, which I then to use as essence for the next few days, after applying toner. These feel the most hydrating out of all the masks and really plump up your skin. I find that the effect of moisture lasts longer and they feel so soothing on the skin. So far I've tried Bamboo scent, which is very fresh and kind of herbal, but soothing. I also tried Green Tea which is my favorite scent, because I love how soothing green tea scent it. In terms of what these do, they both feel similar to me. They're both very hydrating.
DM Sundance Lippen Balsam SPF 30
This has been my last year's SPF protection for lips in the summer. I like it, because it has thicker yellow consistency and it feels slightly sticky, which means it adheres to lips well, even when you're by the pool or on the sea. It has lovely subtle vanilla scent and doesn't leave your lips with a dead white cast.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula With Vitamin E Swivel Stick Ultimate Moisture
Apparently this is a multi-purpose product for any part of the skin that feels dry. I use it as a lip balm through the day, when I need something light. It has light, but balmy texture that smells lovely of cocoa. It's one of my favorite scented lip products. I like that it sticks to the lips well, but you do need to reapply every now and then.
These come in a ball like shape and in a stick form. I prefer the stick form, because it's slightly more nourishing and buttery. Ball shape is more for occasional uses through the day. This is my favorite scent, because it smells of green tea. These are not too greasy, but still have a butter layer that goes on the lips and moisturizes them. They're also based on natural ingredients.
This is a thicker formula that doesn't leave white cast on the lips. It has a sort of sweeter fruity scent and I use it on daily basis in summer to protect my lips. It's not as nourishing as some others from this brand.
Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm
This is again one of my favorite brands for lip care. I like this classic honey version, because it's buttery and slightly thicker. It has a very strong honey scent and is great for when you need something heavier on the lips.
Sierra Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm
Sierra Bees has a ton of different scents of these lip balms. These are again one of my favorites, because they are balmy, a bit greasier and still fairly light. I really like this fruity pomegranate scent. I've also had cocoa butter, but didn't like it. The scent was nothing like cocoa. I want to try some of their more interesting scents like creme brulee.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant
This is my when-all-else-fails product. It's currently my favorite lip treatment. It's meant to be used on dry patches on any part of the skin. Texture is kind of like a thicker orange tinted lip gloss. It's very shiny on the lips and can in fact be used as a lip gloss on top of other products. It feels the most nourishing on my lips and it helps to heal them quicker. I use this every morning and at the evening before going to sleep. I won't say that this prevents me from getting dry and chapped lips, but it helps to restore them. I am not a fan of scent, because it's very strong and kind of oriental in a way. I've gotten used to it, because I use it so much. They also have unscented version, but it's more expensive.
My Skincare Wishlist
Let's conclude this very long post with my skin care wishlist. These are some of the products that I really want to try out. Some I might even get and some are just out of my budget for now. If you tried any of these already, let me know if they are worth getting.
- First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser
- COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
- COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
- The Ordinary Magnesium Ascorbyl Phospate 10%
- The Ordinary The Buffet
- Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum
- Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator
- Liole Rizette Magic Whitening Cream
- Tonymoly Panda's Dream White Magic Cream
- L'Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream
- COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask
- Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
- Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Shea Butter and Vitamin E
- Now Solutions Pure Lanolin
- Elizbaeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Fragrance Free
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