skin care

Sometime in the last few years, skincare has become a Big Deal to me. I've always been blessed with pretty non-reactive skin, getting the occasional pimple in my teen years and having a disgustingly oily T zone for a long time, but overall I had combination skin that didn't seem too irritable. However, around 2 or 3 years ago, I was having a tough time with my depression resurfacing and my skin took a real hit. I think I was stress eating and trying out new skincare products at the same time, which in retrospect seems like a risky combination just because I had a tendency to break out because of my stress eating diet anyways, and I couldn't really assess the real impact of the products.

I remember trying out some kind of lavender-scented face scrub from Lush for a few days straight, and I think that was the final step in really leading to some of the worst months of my life in terms of skin. I broke out very badly, and for the first time I got acne scarring. I was embarrassed and insecure about my skin, and vowed to both never use Lush face products again, and to just never use skincare products again without researching them first.

 And so, after much research and many months, I've developed a skincare routine that is perfect for me and has helped my acne scars heal significantly. My skin is now happy, healthy, and glowing! Here is a list of the products I'm using right now, some new things I've been trying out, and why I like each of them.

Cleanser

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, $6.97 on Amazon.ca 

This cleanser is a pretty standard one but I think it does its job really well. I usually like to double cleanse, so that means I use olive or baby oil first to scrub my makeup off, and then I clean it all off with some of this.

Exfoliator 

Paula's Choice 2% Salicylic Acid Liquid Exfoliator, 4oz for $28

This exfoliator is the love of my life. I honestly think this was the key product that has helped my acne scarring and my oily T-zone as well. A little bit goes a long way, and I tried the trial size before I used this. However, unless you're getting the trial size free like I did, I don't think it's worth shelling out $9 for just because it's so small. I would get the full size and just make the return if it doesn't work for you, or even better, try the really small sample size. You can also use this link to get $10 off, and they have free shipping pretty often!

Moisturizer 

My skin is still combination so I use different products depending on what it needs.

Cerave Facial Moisturizing Lotion, SPF 30, $27.65 on Amazon.ca

I wear this moisturizer/sunscreen every. Single. Day. It's SPF 30, and although I've heard that you need to have a white film left on your skin in order for sunscreen to be at its most effective, I feel like that's a bit impossible to do on your face (especially if you're as dark as me) and I think this still does a pretty good job of moisturizing. It's lightweight and unscented, which sold it for me, next to its affordable price tag! (It's way cheaper at your local drugstore than it is on Canadian Amazon. I believe I bought mine for around $10.)

Paula's Choice PC4Men Night-time Repair Cream, 1.7oz for $27

Honestly speaking, this thing is a bit pricey for my usual budget, but it is so worth it. This formula is super lightweight and perfect for summer. It doesn't feel greasy at all, and I use it during the day sometimes as well--with sunscreen as well of course.

Serum

Paula's Choice Resist Anti Aging Serum, 1oz for $36

This stuff is so luxurious. I only use it once in a while ('cause of dat price tag) when my skin is in need of a real boost, and it feels very smooth and light. I think if I used it more regularly, in combination with the exfoliator it would work really well to give me smooth skin.

That's about it for my regular skincare routine--I don't use toner because I think exfoliator does essentially the same thing and I also think it's better to keep my routine simple. I use an eye cream and a spot cream occasionally (both from Paula's Choice, my holy grail), but it's pretty rare. Here are also some new products I've been trying, and what I think of them! 

Rose Face Mask by Fresh, 100ml for $72

I got this mask as a birthday gift from Sephora, and excuse my language but it's the shit. It makes my skin SO happy. I apply a really thin layer on my face, let it sit for around 10 minutes, and wash it off. Baby skin for the next few days!

Organic Coconut Oil by Nutriva, $12.99 for 14oz

I've been using organic coconut oil as a very gentle cleanser, and I have to say I really like it. I use this to remove my makeup at the end of the day, and then use my other cleanser to remove the oil from my face to leave some baby-soft skin. Once in a while I've tried leaving coconut oil on as a moisturizer overnight, but I haven't really liked that as much as using my regular moisturizers. I do like to use this to moisturize my super dry and relatively pasty legs though. Baby-soft, I'm telling you.