My skincare journey today is a little different from you what you’ve probably read in Part 1 and Part 2. You’ll have noticed that in the beginning of my skincare journey, I started off with normal/combination skin as an adolescent, which slowly turned to combination/oily skin as a young adult in university with breakout problems searching for the best acne solutions. With the help of a good skincare routine and acne spot treatments, my skin slowly got better but to my frustration, the breakouts didn’t completely go away until almost 8 years later and I still have 1 or 2 occasional and unpleasant pimples appear on my skin almost once a month.
How My Skincare Has Expanded
So yes, I still use acne spot treatments and always need it in my skincare arsenal. But at least now I don’t have to just stick with cleansers, toners, and moisturizers specifically for acne and problem skin. I’ve been able to try other skincare products for normal and even dry skin which also allowed me to expand my knowledge on these products and do more product testing. I have also since implemented eye cream, serums, acids, scrubs, oils, peels, masks, and occasional facials at professional spas.
How My Skin Changed
I now use normal/combination type of skincare products in my day-to-day routine during spring, summer, and fall. Although I usually change my skincare products and try a new brand or product as soon as I’ve finished them, I find there are some I always go back to and have in rotation. I’ll list one product from each category so you can get a quick idea but I’ll expand on a full list for each category in later blog posts!
Face Wash
Fresh Soy Makeup Removing Face Wash – great for everyday use at morning and night and is very smooth on the face. It gently dissolves makeup as well and is light and refreshing with a cucumber scent.
Scrub
Clinique Exfoliating Scrub – I find this exfoliating agent’s texture a little rougher than other scrubs I’ve tried, but I kind of like it that way as it really does clean. The refreshing mint feeling is super rejuvenating for me. You only need to use it a maximum of 4 times a week.
Eye Cream
Tarte Maracuja C-Bright Eye Treatment – one of the few eye creams that have worked for my dark circles, and is of decent price. It’s also hydrating enough all year round. I’ve purchased this a few times and will always go back to it.
Serum
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA – this serum helps with dark spots and hyperpigmentation leftover from acne scars. It helps with evening the skin tone as well and is super affordable!
Moisturizer
Tarte SEA Drink of H20 Hydrating Boost Moisturizer – this is a gel moisturizer that isn’t sticky or greasy. I love the smooth texture of this gel and it reminds me of vacation times. It has hyaluronic acid for hydration and antioxidant-rich algae to fight free radicals and helps with fine lines.
Oil
Tarte Maracuja Oil – I was always hesitant to use oils as I don’t want to break out, but it actually helps take away pimples while helping with moisture, and even reduces dark spots. I usually mix a bit with my cream so it’s not too heavy or sometimes I use it as a serum before my moisturizer.
You may have noticed I left out toner as it’s always been a back-and-forth for me whether or not I really need it in my skincare routine and I’m still on the search for my favourite ones. I’m currently using Kiehl’s Calendula Toner and Cucumber Herbal Toner and will be testing other toners out once I’m finished. (Leave a comment below if you want to share toner suggestions!) I’ve also left out face masks as I am too impatient and don’t want to deal with the mess unless it’s those 15 minute K-Beauty sheet masks, or the kind you leave on overnight and wash off in the morning.
Winter Skincare Woes
Over the past 3 years as I got older, my skin has not been reacting well to the harsh winters in Canada. This includes my not only my face, but my body and sometimes scalp as well. The winter months used to not affect me and I’d still be using the same skincare products as I did during the summer, but age is a nasty thing and I think that has to be the reason why I’m having such difficulties now.
For my winter skincare routine, I now have to use moisturizers, serums, or oils that provide a lot of hydration during these months. This winter in particular, my skin would have dry patches and no matter what I used they wouldn’t go away or would only be a quick fix that didn’t last long.
I started adding hyaluronic acids to my skincare routine which actually helped quite a bit, but not enough if not used in conjunction with a really effective hydrating moisturizer. Here are 2 serums and 2 moisturizers I found that did the trick:
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum – this line of skincare came out not too long ago, and for the price I thought it was well worth the try. After a few uses, it started to really help my skin lessen and almost completely get rid of the dry patches I had on my forehead.
Clara’s New York Moisturizing Rosehip Facial Oil Serum – I got this in my January 2021’s IPSY glam bag (you can use my referral link if you want to sign up for monthly customized IPSY glam bags!) I’ve been meaning to try a rosehip oil so it was a pleasant surprise to get this in my glam bag and it came in handy. The scent was very nice and light. It was very moisturizing but not overwhelming where you might think an oil will break you out – but it won’t. It also quickly helped reduce the dark spots leftover by random pimples not too long ago.
Using these serums before my moisturizer provided the hydration my skin needed and with continual use, my skin was getting back to normal. The 2 moisturizers that worked really well for me were very hydrating, but not heavy.
Wishful Honey Balm Jelly Moisturizer – I really wanted to try more Wishful Skincare products out as the packaging is just so simple but luxurious-looking and I really liked the iridescent accent. I found this on sale at Sephora and thought it was the best time to give it a try. I have to say I am in love with this moisturizer and this will definitely be a staple in my skincare routine, or at least have an emergency jar in my backstock at all times. Even though it’s a “balm”, it’s not heavy in the slightest and goes on your skin so effortlessly and instantly makes your skin smooth with an almost security blanket-like layer of moisture, especially for dehydrated skin. With using this moisturizer, my skin no longer had dry patches.
Clinique Moisture Surge – I’ve used this moisturizer over and over throughout the years and I always come back to it (luckily I had an extra one in my stock). It’s a cream-gel so it feels very light and personally, I didn’t think it would be moisturizing enough for my skin after I finished the jar of Wishful Skincare. Surprisingly, it is! Not as hydrating as The Honey Balm, but it’s definitely doing its job better than other moisturizers I had tried lately. Originally, I had pulled out the Kylie Skin Face Moisturizer to use but after two tries, I knew it wasn’t hydrating enough for winter and had to put it back to use when spring comes.
The Adventure Continues
And there you have it, this is where my 10+ year skincare journey has taken me today in a 3 part series! Thank you for sticking with me and I hope that my experience, the skincare products I’ve recommended, the understanding of how skin changes as we grow older, adapting to frustrating skin problems, and my persistent search for a skincare solution at every step was useful.
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s explore together on this wonderful adventure called life in my lifestyle blog!