The Skincare Products I Keep Buying Again & Again.
As mentioned in my previous post, I am skincare obsessed, so much so that I have even gotten the HUBS to care about his grooming routine. And after extensive research that stemmed back to my anti-wrinkle crusade back in my twenties, these are the products that I use.
Every. Single. Day. Year. After. Year.
MORNING ROUTINE
This product was a life saver in college. I had terrible cheek, t-zone, face, back & neck acne. I would hide from the camera because my face would look swollen from all the zits back then. I tried everything (except Acutane) back then multiple types of antibiotics, salicylic acid products, creams after creams. I was already a hairy Indian girl with glasses - acne just made it SO MUCH WORSE. I couldn't hide because the acne created this radioactive glow about my face. JK but seriously it was bad. I had pretty much accepted defeat when my junior year my mom found this at COSTCO. Deal breaker. I have been using it ever since everyday. So that makes about 10 years of using this cleanser. Yep. 10 years.
After about a year of using this cleanser my skin stabilized. I wasn't breaking out at all with the occasional exception (maybe like 6X/year). The best part is now you can readily find it at most grocery stores, target, walmart, and amazon!
Occasionally I will get a random pimple here and there (ladies, you can relate). If I am able to catch it early, I just treat it with some of this spot treatment and it goes away within 24 hours. One of my roommates in college introduced me to this stuff so again I have been using this product for about 10 years now. I keep a tube in my travel toiletries bag, on my counter, and even in my parents house (just in case!).
Again this product is readily available in most drugstores, grocery stores, Target, Walmart & Amazon.
If you haven't read about Hyaluronic acid you should. This amazing skincare saver has been around since the 80's, helps skin absorb up to 1000X more water (aka more hydrated skin) and has been one of the most effective injectables for a LONG time (hello Juvaderm & Restylane).
Although HA can often be found in many moisturizers, I have found it to be more effective when used prior to and independent from moisturizing. Initially, I tried a couple different less expensive products before finally pulling the plunge on this one.
So why do I consistently buy this more expensive HA? First, its the only product on the market that is 75% HA in solution - meaning 75% of the serum is PURE 100% HA. All of the other HA formulas I had previously found were super deceptive by saying they were 100% HA, but in the fine print the percent of HA in solution of the serum was 5% or less. 🤦🏽♀️
I have been using this product for 5 years now. One bottle lasts about 4 - 6 months. I apply it in the morning right after washing my face and before applying moisturizer. Sometimes I just apply this alone. It leaves my skin feeling SO supple and hydrated. I usually buy it from here, but you can also find it here at Sephora.
As many of you have read at this point, I am not a fan of conventional sunscreens. I hate the oily feel, and white ghostly residue they leave behind on darker skin tones. I didn't wear sunscreen until my mid-twenties because I could never find a product that worked for me. I did some research of products on google. Basically I was looking for a moisturizer that had hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, and at least an SPF of 30. That may seem like a lot of demands, but there are so many skincare brands these days, I thought well surely this exists, right 🤷🏽♀️?). Turns out this moisturizer meets every last demand, and more.
This moisturizer is the consistency of a gel-like lotion, 1 tube used daily lasts about 4-6 months, and it doesn't leave behind that annoying white film. If it could get any greater, its ingredients include an impressive amount of great skin savers including Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins A, C, E, and SPF45. Boom.
I have been using this for 3 years now. It is the only face sunscreen I use ( the HUBS uses it too!). I always buy it here, but you can also purchase it here or directly from PCA.
Occasionally I find myself needed a deeper moisturizer than the one above. This primarily happens during the winter months, or in extreme climates (like PHX for instance) or chill wind like NYC/BOSTON/CHICAGO during winter. I got it as a free sample from Sephora right before I moved to NYC. I tried it out one morning post shower. The next day post workout, my skin was still hydrated! From one application! Oh and it smells like cucumbers 🤗. When I was living in NYC, this moisturizer was my saving grace during the winter months. People warned me to be prepared for cold weather by stocking up on leggings, thermal underwear, lots and lots of tights. But no one told me that you NEED a thick moisturizer for the wind tunnels that will literally cut your cheeks in the cold. To this day this is my go to winter moisturizer.
DAILY NON-SUNSCREEN MOISTURIZER
If I am planning on staying in and do not need sunscreen, I tend to use this moisturizer. Its cost effective (hello drugstore steal), has ceramides & hyaluronic acid (yes please!), and comes in an easy pump bottle (necessary for the HUBS). I've been using this product for about 3 years now, since my mom introduced it to me.
This moisturizer can be purchased at most drugstores, Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
**I am NOT a fan of the sunscreen version of this product - I find it to be sticky.
I am absolutely in love with Facial Oil. I really find it to be a game changer in the brightness, dewiness of my skin. Every morning I take one drop of this facial oil and mix it in with my moisturizer before applying to my face. Similarly, 1 night a week I apply this facial oil to my face before I sleep. When I wake up, my skin has a "glow" according to the HUBS.
NIGHTLY ROUTINE
After all my exhaustive research about skincare, the one thing I missed was that nights are the perfect time to let your skin catch up & renew. For most of my 20's I wasn't utilizing nights, but a about 2 years ago I really started regimenting my nightly routine. Though its not nearly as thorough as my morning routine, these are the products I find myself continuously buying and using.
VITAMIN C
I try to use Vitamin C once week at night. I find it to really brighten & refresh my skin while noticeably reducing the fine lines I have on my forehead. I love to really seal this in with my facial oil and seal that in with the cream below haha. It seems excessive, but my skin is SO radiant in the morning. When it comes to Vitamin C there are some products that are more pure and effective. I really loved the Body Shop vitamin C pods (which have been discontinued). These are the only brand that I have found similar (with similar ingredients) to the body shop ones that I love.
OMG. A couple years ago I read this article about how Sephora had a hard time keeping this item stocked. Naturally I was curious. I went to Sephora to try the product out for myself. It felt so good, I immediately purchased the jar. Let's just say I have a hard time sharing this product with the HUBS. It smells like roses. Its a gel cream with small capsules of ceramides in it. One application made my skin so bright that I have been using it for 2 years now. I use it about 2X/week. I probably should be using more, but I am still working on consistency at night.
I have had so many friends ask what I've been using I figured I'd share. The best part is that several of these (ceramide cream, deep moisturizer, and the hyaluronic acid) are on sale starting tomorrow at Sephora by using the code INSIDER15! 🤗
As always, be mindful of allergies by testing a product first on a test spot like your forearm. I have normal to oily skin - these recommendations are based on my skin type. Hope this helps and is informative!
What are some of your favorite skin care products? I'd love to hear your recommendations below👇🏽!