1. My Go-To Cleanser
I have been using the Purity Cleanser for the last two years. I love that it's a makeup remover and a cleanser in one. It eliminates one step and that's always good in my book. It leaves your skin feeling clean but still soft (not squeaky clean and tight). It has an interesting, almost "natural" smell to it. I don't love it but I don't mind it either haha. My favorite way to use the cleanser is with my Clarisonic Mia 2. I got this a few years ago for my birthday and I LOVE it! I heard so many great things before I got it but I was nervous about the "purging" stage that tends to happen within the first few weeks of use. Surprisingly enough that never happened to me! YAY! I use it once a day (at night) and sometimes I skip a day. It honestly depends on how tired I am when I'm getting ready for bed haha.
2. Exfoliating is Key
I have very oily skin especially in the humidity. Sometimes oily skin can mimic dry skin (in patches) when you have a build-up of dead skin on your face. I know, gross right? This tends to happen to me around my nose so it's super important that I exfoliate a few times a week to help. **I'm not an esthetician, I'm just relaying information I've learned from lots of reading on the subject. I have used the Lush Sea Salt and I really like it but it can be a little harsh if I use it too often. Lately, I have been using the Yes to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub. It's gentle enough to use everyday and it smells heavenly. Plus the $7 price tag doesn't hurt either!
3. Mask Fun
I really love doing facial masks a few times a week. Maybe it's the routine of it or how they make my face feel so smooth and fresh...either way they are my jam. I alternate between a few masks but my favorite is the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment. It's pricey but it is the best mud mask I have ever used. It pulls out all the gunk in your pores and just makes your face feel fresh and detoxed. I also use it as a spot treatment for those irritable breakouts that seem to pop up overnight. I just put a little bit on the problem area and rinse it off in the morning. Even though it has a hefty price tag you only use a small amount on each application. My mother-in-law bought me the last two jars and each one has almost lasted a year! It's worth every penny.
The Murad Blackhead and Pore Clearing Duo is a newer purchase but quickly became an essential. You take the Step 1 jar and apply a thin layer to any area that has blackheads. After ten minutes you gently massage the scrub into the area and rinse it off. This detoxifies and extracts oil and other build up within your pores. After patting your face dry you apply a thin layer of the Pore Refining Sealer. This helps to tighten pores and reduce the formation of new blackheads in that area. You can see immediate results with these products. I'm excited to see what the areas will look like after using them both for a few months.
I also love the Mario Badescu Cucumber Mask. This is a much more soothing mask with anti-inflammatory properties. It's very calming and non-drying like some of the more detoxifying masks. This mask has a great price point as does most of the Mario Badescu line. There are several more products in the collection that I would love to purchase.
4. A New Found Serum
I've never used a serum before purchasing this little guy. I guess I didn't really understand what they were for and what I would want to target. I'm not saying I don't have problem areas, because I most definitely do, I just think it's hard to find a good serum for oily skin. A few bloggers and YouTubers I follow have raved about the Midnight Recovery Concentrate by Kiehls. They even claimed it was life-changing (for skin of course) so I thought what the heck, I'll give it a chance. I bought it a few weeks ago and I can happily say it's great. It makes my skin feel replenished and smooth in the morning and not overly oily. The smell is a little funky but I'm slowly getting use to it. It can seem counter-intuitive to put an oil on oily skin but it actually helps balance the natural oil production. Weird, I know.
5. Moisturizer
I have tried LOTS and LOTS of moisturizers but I haven't really found the one yet. Lately I have really been liking the First Aid Beauty Oil-Free Mattifying Gel. It's super lightweight but actually keeps my skin moisturized all day long. I don't know if it's totally mattifying but it's better than most others in this area. I've heard the Simple Gel Moisturizer is really good so that's next on my list to try.
**I also use an eye cream as often as I can but the one I'm using right now isn't my favorite. It doesn't have any anti-aging properties, which is a bummer. It just depuffs and brightens. I'm working on using it up so I can buy one that does a little more for my under eye area.
So I'm sure this sounds like a TON of products but these are things I've gotten over the last year(s) and I use slowly. I don't do all of these things in one day or even in one week. I alternate between products and just try to do the most that I can for my skin. I've definitely seen an improvement over the last year so something must be working! :)
What are your favorite skincare products?
