Happy December guys!
The Feels
My apologies! It’s been so long since I last posted. I have tried to draft content for the last couple of months, but none of it really felt right. I’ve been extremely mopey lately and haven’t really had the motivation to do much at all. Then during the long weekend following Thanksgiving my computer had a hardware malfunction somewhere. Seeing as it broke during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, it almost seemed like the perfect excuse for me to finally indulge in the laptop I’ve been talking about for years.
Life Update
For the last year or so, my skin has been pretty temperamental. It has been a common theme for me to experience texture along my jawline as well as across my forehead. The culprit is usually the use of a face mask (COVID threat), stress/anxiety, and terrible sleeping habits. I’ve tried many many products, AHAs, BHAs, enzymatic powders, scrubs, exfoliating toners and loads of other grime reducing products. However, I started to encounter another issue — as the texture on one part of my face would reduce I would notice texture growing in a different area.
Can you take a stab at what may be causing this?
•••
If you guessed over-exfoliation, then you are correct.
Due to my constant use of acids, physical agents as well as exfoliating ingredients, my healthy lipids were slowly deteriorating. My skin did not have enough recovery time to push a stronger and healthier barrier that would be an equal contender to the elements.
Stop & Breathe
The damage is done, so now what?
Initially, any application of product would aggravate my skin. I would start off very slow, just a simple cleanse and a moisturizer to get my skin to balance as much as it could on it’s own before trying to overwhelm it with reparative ingredients.
5 Months Later, Current Daytime Skincare Routine
Please note that I did not forget a cleanser, I simply just don’t use a cleanser in the morning due to the excessive dryness from the heat in my apartment. If you tend to have an accumulation of oil or don’t enjoy washing your pillow cases often then cleansing your face in the morning will prevent breakouts from occurring.
Product #1:
Herbivore Rose Hibiscus Coconut Water Hydration Mist $32
I’ve done dedicated reviews on this product which can be found here. If you want to see me dive into the ingredients and read about how this toner can actually hydrate and treat bacterial acne at the same time, then definitely take a read for a deeper understanding of this product. For me, it serves as a balancing toner that also perks me up in the mornings.
Product #2:
Glamglow Brighteyes Illuminating Anti-fatigue Eye Cream $39
The next product I apply is this brightening eye cream. This Brighteyes cream is very reminiscent of another best seller, the Origins Ginzing eye cream. This product has a thicker, creamier consistency so it is significantly more hydrating than the Origins Ginzing.
The Brighteyes formulation contains quite a few ingredients notable ingredients such as caffeine, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and illuminating spheres. The caffeine helps to energize the skin and rid the under-eye area of any puffiness. (Tip: If you find yourself in a pinch with eye bags, look for caffeine in eye products for a quick fix.)
The following two ingredients, hyaluronic acid and peptides will hydrate, plump and firm the under-eye area. It will ease the makeup application process and also retain moisture in the skin all day long. Lastly, the illuminating spheres, upon application you can see that the cream blends out not only smoothly, but also has a light peachy tint to it which will provide very natural color correction to the area.
Product #3
Farmacy Filling Good Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum $44
As previously discussed in the eye cream section, the hyaluronic acid in this facial serum will perform in a similar way. Within the last few months, my skin has been quite reactive to the texture of a product more-so than any other factor. This Farmacy serum has a light gel/milk consistency that absorbs into the skin seamlessly and leaves behind a little bit of glow to the skin. It penetrates quickly and will instantly re-invigorate the skin with a healthy glow. Aside from the hyaluronic acid, it also contains vegan collagen peptides which will support healthier skin cell growth.
The only downside to this product is the scent. It smells quite unusual, almost like raw honey with a dash of thyme. The scent is very mild and dissipates quickly, but it can be nuisance for some.
Product #4
Drunk Elephant Intensive Hydration Serum $48
Drunk Elephant’s line markets this as a hydration serum within their regimes. However, I often use this as the moisturizer step in my layered skincare routine.
This product contains pineapple ceramide which help to protect the skin’s barrier. It also contains sodium hyaluronate to help retain moisture throughout the day. And lastly, it includes Provitamin B5 which serves as a humectant to draw moisture from the air to ensure that the skin stays hydrated.
Product #5
Rohto Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Essence SPF 50+ $15
The texture of this sunscreen is extremely comfortable. Not only is it light, it absorbs really quickly and doesn’t leave behind residue that usually results in pilling. Since the consistency is so light, it doesn’t leave a white cast on my light-medium skin tone.
This sunscreen is free of colorants, fragrances and mineral oils. It is perfect as a SPF topper if you have oily or combo skin. The only downside in terms of ingredients is that this sunscreen contains methylparaben. It doesn’t bother me too much in this case since it’s sitting on the top of all of my other skincare products and at the very bottom of the ingredient list.
Conclusion:
I hope that you enjoyed viewing some of my everyday products that I have been currently enjoying. This holiday season has been a questionable one, but definitely more hopeful than the last. Stay tuned as I embark on my Christmas Curated Gift Guides in the month of December! See you all again and thank you again for taking the time out to read!