skin care update

My skincare routine has changed dramatically since I last posted about it in 2014. This is all thanks to Arabelle Sicardi, the only person whose skin care recommendations I actually trust. I mostly got stuff from this affordable skincare products post, if you'd like to take a look. I also religiously use Beautypedia to make sure that what I'm using on my face is actually good for my face. It rates products on their ingredients and performance. I've noticed that when I use products that are rated highly on Beautypedia my skin looks and feels so much healthier. So here are the products I'm currently using and my thoughts about them.

Morning Routine (cleanser + cleanser + eye patch + moisturizer)

Garnier Skin Micellar Cleansing Water (~$9 from Wal Mart)

I use this all over my face morning and night and I absolutely love it. This removes my makeup fairly easily and leaves my skin feeling clean and nourished. I remember the first time I used this I was so surprised at how soft my skin felt afterwards.

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser (~$12 from London Drugs)

This cleanser is awesome! It feels really rich when I'm massaging it on my face and it makes my face feel really soft. It's also very well priced for the amount you get aaaand has a really high rating on Beautypedia which means it's really good for your skin. All in all, a very solid cleanser.

PETITEFEE Black Pearl & Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch (60 sheets for $11.61 at amazon.ca)

These are great! I actually notice a quite a dramatic difference after I use these--the skin under my eyes is much more moisturized, less discoloured and less sunken in. I definitely look more awake. I use them around 2 or 3 times a week, mostly depending on when I have the time to use them. I keep the patches on from 30 minutes to an hour and I use a tiny bit of the serum in the container on the rest of my face. I usually try to use these in the morning because my concealer always looks really good after I've used this mask. I've noticed that the effects usually last for around a day.

Paula's Choice Resist Moisturizer with SPF 30

This moisturizer is tinted too darkly for my skin tone in the winter, so I only use this in the summer. The tint doesn't provide any coverage, it just matches the colour of my face to the rest of my body when I've got a bit of a tan. It goes on very smoothly and sits nicely on the skin. My t-zone does still get oily throughout the day but I don't think there's a moisturizer in the world that could fix that. It's a really nice moisturizer but I probably wouldn't buy it again because it only works for me 2-3 months out of the year and it's not easily accessible. I recently bought the CeraVe AM moisturizer for normal to oily skin to try out when my tan fades in the fall because I've been loving their PM moisturizer.


Nighttime Routine (cleanser + cleanser + peeling gel + exfoliant + moisturizer)

Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel ($26.18 at amazon.ca)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THIS STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's amazing. Thank you Arabelle from the bottom of my heart. I think this is the most expensive part of my skincare regimen (since I used promo codes and coupons for my PC stuff, and I bought it when the dollar wasn't so bad) but it was so, so, so worth it. It's has quite a runny consistency, which I wasn't expecting since it's called a gel. Once you put it on your face and start to smooth it in, it lifts all the dead skin on your face and it collects into little white clumps. You can see all the dead skin on your face which is pretty cool/gross. You can tell that it's working which is a major plus. Also, it is soooooo gentle! There's no beads or anything abrasive in the gel. And afterwards my skin looked so healthy--it was so bright and clear. It also made my face makeup apply really smoothly the following morning. I use this every 4ish days just because it's not necessary to use any more than that. Usually I use it at night but sometimes I'll use it in the morning. I would 100% recommend this to every single human being.

Paula's Choice 1% BHA Lotion Exfoliant

I bought this exfoliator around a year ago and I'm still using it! I'm so impressed with how long it's lasting. I only use this at night even though it's gentle enough to use twice a day, I just don't think it's necessary. The bottle is opaque so I can't tell how much is left but it's probably going to run out pretty soon (which is why I bought another exfoliant, I can't live without one). This was the first exfoliant I ever tried. Instantly, I was impressed. I rarely deal with acne now (knock on wood) and this helps clear up my existing acne and prevents acne from occurring in the first place. I definitely don't have as much acne as I used to a year ago and I think it's mostly due to this product. Around 8-10 months after I started using this product, I noticed that it wasn't quite as effective as it had been at first. I feel like this often happens to me with skincare products. Recently, thanks to a tip from Arabelle, I started waiting around 20-30 minutes from the time I applied my exfoliant to when I apply my nighttime moisturizer. Letting the exfoliant sink in is really important for it to be effective. After doing this I noticed an improvement in my skin's overall health. A chemical exfoliant is a crucial part of my skin care routine and I cannot recommend them enough. I think this product in particular is a really good option for people who are trying chemical exfoliants for the first time because the BHA makes up a very low percentage of the entire product. If you want to know more about chemical exfoliants I would recommend watching Kaya Empire's video about chemical verses physical exfoliation and, of course, checking out Arabelle's skincare tag for mentions of chemical exfoliation.

Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner ($18.19 at amazon.ca)

Since my PC chemical exfoliant hasn't run out yet, I've only used this maybe 5 or 6 times. I can't find the exact percentage of AHA/BHA in this product but I think it's 10%. Anyways, it's definitely much higher than 1% so I'm currently using it twice a week only at nighttime. On the nights I don't use this I use my PC exfoliant. The first time I used this my skin looked AMAZING the next day--clear, bright and smooth. I'm really excited to use this more. I usually use this after I use the peeling gel, I find that it absorbs really nicely into my skin this way. The only thing I'm not a giant fan of is that it's liquid which means I have to use a cotton pad to apply it.

CeraVe PM Moisturizing Lotion (~$13 from Superstore)

A very solid nighttime moisturizer, probably my favourite I've ever tried. It's sort of a gel consistency, it definitely doesn't feel like a typical lotion. I really enjoy the texture, it glides nicely onto the skin and doesn't feel heavy at all. When I wake up my face isn't super oily or super dry, it always feels nicely moisturized.