Beauty Products You Are Loving...

[ckrickett]

I am really loving the Cure Exfoliating water gel. I like how gentle it is. Is it working well for you Chrono

 

[chrono]

I am really loving the Cure Exfoliating water gel. I like how gentle it is. Is it working well for you Chrono

Fabulous! How long have you been using it?

 

[ckrickett]

I am really loving the Cure Exfoliating water gel. I like how gentle it is. Is it working well for you Chrono

Fabulous! How long have you been using it?

Like over 2 months now. I use it 3 times a week. Its wonderful! (and really neat)

 

[ckrickett]

I got some new products to try out soon. Not sure when I will incorporate them, but it will be soon.

Cosrx BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum and Elizavecca Witch Piggy Hell Pore Control Serum

 

[momhappy]

Can someone recommend a good toner? I cleanse (twice) and then I apply my SK-II Treatment Essence and then I wait a little bit and apply my SK-II moisturizer. Do I need toner in between my cleanser and treatment Essence? Does a toner exist that boots the effectiveness of your products?

 

[chrono]

Can someone recommend a good toner? I cleanse (twice) and then I apply my SK-II Treatment Essence and then I wait a little bit and apply my SK-II moisturizer. Do I need toner in between my cleanser and treatment Essence? Does a toner exist that boots the effectiveness of your products?

Definitely! I didn't believe it at first but once I tried Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin, I find that my products absorb so much better. You can find it on Amazon. The perfume is a bit strong for me and there is a tiny bit of alcohol, but my skin tolerates it surprisingly well.

 

[Yimmers]

I just started using a Corsyx centrella alcohol free toner. Minimal scent and I've had no reaction to it so far.

 

[packrat]

I have some questions. Not having the slightest clue about hair things I thought I would ask. My hair is short-growing out from a pixie while I contemplate what bit of randomness I will do to it this time. In the meantime..sometimes it doesn't look as nice as it probably could. Could I use a flat iron or curling iron to make it lay nicer? Since my hair is shorter, do they make thin flat/curling irons? I know there are different kinds too, ceramic, tourmaline etc. That kinda throws me off too. Any thoughts or ideas for a hair challenged person?

 

[ckrickett]

I Love the Benton BHA Aloe Toner as well! Its really good for my sensitive skin. I alternate between that and the SK-II Facial Treatment Lotion
https://us.memebox.com/brands/benton/aloe-bha-skin-toner?pdref=category

 

[House Cat]

I have some questions. Not having the slightest clue about hair things I thought I would ask. My hair is short-growing out from a pixie while I contemplate what bit of randomness I will do to it this time. In the meantime..sometimes it doesn't look as nice as it probably could. Could I use a flat iron or curling iron to make it lay nicer? Since my hair is shorter, do they make thin flat/curling irons? I know there are different kinds too, ceramic, tourmaline etc. That kinda throws me off too. Any thoughts or ideas for a hair challenged person?

How long is your hair?

They do have flat irons that are as small as 1/2 inch wide. YouTube videos might help a lot with this. I would search "how to flat iron short hair" or something like that...

I do think flat ironing would make it "lay" nicer. If you curl, it might poof.

 

[packrat]

My bangs are not quite to my nose. Then it graduates down, so that the hair in front of my ears is about to the bottom of my lobes.

 

[House Cat]

My bangs are not quite to my nose. Then it graduates down, so that the hair in front of my ears is about to the bottom of my lobes.

Oh, much longer than I thought. I think even a one inch flat iron might work. I have one that was very reasonable and very good. I will link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BB...words=remington+pearl+flat+iron&pi=SY200_QL40

 

[Amber St. Clare]

A recommendation and a question:

I've discovered Biore's Baking Soda Pore Cleanser and I am really pleased with it. My skin feels really clean after it but not stripped or dry. I am an ISOMERS girl {have been for 19 LONG years} and I have no problem not using any kind of base or foundation. My skin is that good. It was cheap {about $7} and has a gel-like consistency.

So now my question:

A using oil on the face: Do you use it after cleansing before or after or instead of serums/moisturizer? I have a "dry oil" and am hesitant to use it. So any info you can give me will be appreciated!

 

[momhappy]

^It depends on what type of oil products you are talking about. There are oil-based cleansers and then there are oils that are meant to be moisturizing. It sounds like you are referring to using oils as moisturizers and in which case, you'd use it just like you would any other moisturizer (after cleansing).

 

[Amber St. Clare]

thank you! I'll try it tonite.

 

[Yimmers]

I like to mix my oil with my moisturizer, which I use after a serum. In order of absorption, go light to heavy.

 

[packrat]

My bangs are not quite to my nose. Then it graduates down, so that the hair in front of my ears is about to the bottom of my lobes.

Oh, much longer than I thought. I think even a one inch flat iron might work. I have one that was very reasonable and very good. I will link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BB...words=remington+pearl+flat+iron&pi=SY200_QL40

Thanks HC, I will check it out!

 

[chrono]

This thread seems to have died out but I'm reviving it. Being away in the topics for weeks soothed my skin and the only issue I'm working on is to fade old stubborn hyper pigmentation. No more redness, bumpy skin, nor breakouts. My routine is also now very simple (due to the summer weather), fully tested for more than a month without any changes and finalized. With my skin behaving well, I opt not to use any actives or acids and the rest of the routine is focused on hydration and evening out my skin tone. It also has the benefit of taking no more than 5 minutes total for the daytime routine.

A.M.
1. Cleanse: Water
2. Toner: Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion
3. Essence: Holy Snail Snowbang
4. Serum: Holy Snail Shark Sauce and Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum
5. Lotion: Hada Labo Gokujyun Arbutin Milk
6. Sunscreen: Innisfree Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock SPF50+/+++

P.M.
1. Oil Cleanse: Botanic Farm Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet
2. Low pH Cleanse: Hada Labo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Cleansing Foam
* Weekly Exfoliation: Skin Food Rice Mask Wash Off *
3. Toner: Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion
4. Serum: Stratia Rewind
* As needed Sheet Mask: Freeset Donkey Milk Healing / Aqua / Whitening *
5. Lotion: Stratia Liquid Gold

How is everyone doing?

 

[PierreBear]

Hi PS Friends. I find this to be an interesting thread but haven't read through all the details yet. I do get excited about products and find myself at Sephora feeling overwhelmed. I asked my dermatologist (sorry gross but I got a wart removed so I don't frequent this type of DR often) about what products he would recommend and he essentially told me that all/most of these products don't help.

He said sunscreen is the best thing you can do for your face. No need to spend and get something top of the line on a cleanser or moisturizer. He lastly said, don't spend your money on this and just get a bottle of wine. Being stress free is good for the skin. Any thoughts? Not sure what to believe? Do you really see a difference on the products used? I'll have to admit that I've tried samples and bought things before and it might have made a very very minor difference that only I would notice because I was looking for it?

 

[chrono]

Do you really see a difference on the products used?

For me, most products either didn't do anything or made my skin react in a bad way, which is why I have my list of items that work for me and is geared towards skin issues that I am concerned about. The cleanser is very gentle, has low PH and cleans my skin well without stripping my skin. The moisturizer is very basic but gentle and does its job well for my skin type. The rest in the middle contain niacinamide to reduce pigmentation, which I've seen it work in as little as 2 weeks. My family can attest to seeing the difference.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12100180
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19845667

 

[marymm]

Hi PS Friends. I find this to be an interesting thread but haven't read through all the details yet. I do get excited about products and find myself at Sephora feeling overwhelmed. I asked my dermatologist (sorry gross but I got a wart removed so I don't frequent this type of DR often) about what products he would recommend and he essentially told me that all/most of these products don't help.

He said sunscreen is the best thing you can do for your face. No need to spend and get something top of the line on a cleanser or moisturizer. He lastly said, don't spend your money on this and just get a bottle of wine. Being stress free is good for the skin. Any thoughts? Not sure what to believe? Do you really see a difference on the products used? I'll have to admit that I've tried samples and bought things before and it might have made a very very minor difference that only I would notice because I was looking for it?

Well, your dermatologist is very right in saying that sunscreen is the best thing you can do for your face.

Sound sleep, enough water and nutritious food also do a lot for your skin.

Still, you need to wash your face every day, and moisturize it at night with something appropriate for your particular skin (not a sunscreen). And, depending on whether you have acne/dry spots/sun spots/scars/wrinkles/aging/reactive skin issues, there are other products that may be helpful. Many people use different products in summer and winter. Some people just do the basics, other people enjoy weekly facial masks, and still others prefer elaborate care routines involving many products.

Perhaps most helpful is a dedication to daily using whatever system works for you and being open to adding/subtracting/substituting products depending on what your skin is telling you.

 

[Yimmers]

Hmmmm, frankly, if my dermatologist told me that, I'd find a new one. It amazes me how many people say, "Just reduce your stress, and everything will be better." No sh*t Sherlock, of course we'd al like to reduce stress. But it's not such an easy thing to do, and some of us just can't up and quit our jobs, etc.
It also doesn't address the fact that he's not taking into account your specific skin type. Depending on what type of skin you have, you need to figure out what it needs in terms of moisturizers. Until I found this thread, it never occurred to me that I had sensitivities to niacinamide. Guess what? Almost all of Philosophy's line of products contain that ingredient! No wonder I was no longer able to tolerate their lotions.
Furthermore, how's his skin?

That being said, I don't think we all use expensive skincare products, frankly, because it's a hard habit to keep up.
However, my skin has vastly improved moving to a two step cleanse at night because I wear base makeup, and for years, never fully cleansed my face. While I do use an expensive serum in the morning, I alternate with a cheaper one at night. I also use a drug store brand night cream and just mix in a oil at night. So, I don't think you need to get everything from Sephora. But it's good to think about what you can use to improve the texture and tone of your skin. It also takes awhile to see improvement. But now my skin is mostly free from redness and irritation, a far cry from the beginning of this year.

AM:
Bioderma senso-bio micellar water
Tatcha soothing rice enzyme exfoliant
Corsyx centella toner
May Coop raw sauce
Drunk Elephant c-firma day serum
Philosophy eye cream (not sure I'm going to repurchase)
Belif creamy deep relief moisturizer (cheeks only)
Aromatica calendula lotion (rest of face)
Sunscreen

PM:
Clinique eye makeup remover
Banila cleanse it zero
Cerave moisturizing cleanser
Corsyx toner
Raw sauce
Scinic serum (can't recall which one right now)
Eye cream
Cerave night cream with a drop of Perseid Oil or Rose hip oil

 

[Yimmers]

Chrono, do you like the drunk elephant?

 

[packrat]

Everybody's skin is different and everyone needs different things, besides good/enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating right etc. Exercise is wonderful for your skin. I *can't* just wear sunscreen. Hell, even sunscreen makes my face break out and turn into a worse grease ball than what it already is. Stress is a part of life and everyone reacts differently to it. My skin reacts horribly to everything. The stress of looking in the mirror is enough to drive me to drink and not care about how I look, so maybe a bottle of wine would be good for that.

 

[ckrickett]

Hmmmm, frankly, if my dermatologist told me that, I'd find a new one. It amazes me how many people say, "Just reduce your stress, and everything will be better." No sh*t Sherlock, of course we'd al like to reduce stress. But it's not such an easy thing to do, and some of us just can't up and quit our jobs, etc.
It also doesn't address the fact that he's not taking into account your specific skin type. Depending on what type of skin you have, you need to figure out what it needs in terms of moisturizers. Until I found this thread, it never occurred to me that I had sensitivities to niacinamide. Guess what? Almost all of Philosophy's line of products contain that ingredient! No wonder I was no longer able to tolerate their lotions.
Furthermore, how's his skin?

That being said, I don't think we all use expensive skincare products, frankly, because it's a hard habit to keep up.
However, my skin has vastly improved moving to a two step cleanse at night because I wear base makeup, and for years, never fully cleansed my face. While I do use an expensive serum in the morning, I alternate with a cheaper one at night. I also use a drug store brand night cream and just mix in a oil at night. So, I don't think you need to get everything from Sephora. But it's good to think about what you can use to improve the texture and tone of your skin. It also takes awhile to see improvement. But now my skin is mostly free from redness and irritation, a far cry from the beginning of this year.

AM:
Bioderma senso-bio micellar water
Tatcha soothing rice enzyme exfoliant
Corsyx centella toner
May Coop raw sauce
Drunk Elephant c-firma day serum
Philosophy eye cream (not sure I'm going to repurchase)
Belif creamy deep relief moisturizer (cheeks only)
Aromatica calendula lotion (rest of face)
Sunscreen

PM:
Clinique eye makeup remover
Banila cleanse it zero
Cerave moisturizing cleanser
Corsyx toner
Raw sauce
Scinic serum (can't recall which one right now)
Eye cream
Cerave night cream with a drop of Perseid Oil or Rose hip oil

Bingo, and I think using expensive skincare products for the sake of expensive skincare is silly. I think using what works best for you is what people need to really work on. Not on a luxury brand hype machine. But if Luxury works, and you can afford it go for it!

 

[yanaazul]

Sunscreen really is a vital thing we can do for our skin. Ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure and all that. But – sunscreen can’t alleviate the dryness of my skin, or calm the red bumpy irritation caused by dehydration, or reinforce my moisture barrier so that I am less prone to dryness/irritation. So no, spending a lot of money is not necessary. But there are good products out there that are worth it to address individual skin needs.

What skin concerns are you trying to address?

In response to Chrono's check in question: I tried to step up my AHA exfoliating to 3x week, and my skin let me know in no uncertain terms it was unhappy with that (tiny blisters everywhere!) Oops. So I scaled everything back and I’m finally back to normal. I haven’t used AHA or BHA in six weeks, and you know, I think my skin is fine with that? I still use the SK-II Clear Lotion, which has tiny amounts of BHA and Lactic AHA, but seriously, tiny amounts – listed after the preservatives – so I’m not sure if that counts as exfoliating. But my skin is smooth and soft even without the 2% BHA and 10% AHA I had been using.

I have started using the Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion – omg. It’s like I’m in Hawai’i humidity!

I’ve decided my skin must haves are: (i) Vitamin C (ii) Niacinamide (iii) Ceramides. It’s all about retaining/generating collagen and ceramides. I don’t know if I’ll ever re-introduce active-strength BHA/AHA. I’ll probably re-introduce retinol at some point, also for collagen synthesis/elasticity purposes. My current routine without BHA/AHA/retinol:

AM:

1. Cleanse: Paula's Choice Resist Replenishing Toner (pH 5.5)
2. pH Adjust: SK-II Clear Lotion (pH 3.9)
3. Vitamin C: Paula's Choice C-15 (wait 10 minutes after applying)
4. Essence: SK-II
5. Serum: Paula’s Choice Calm Repairing Serum (ceramides 3, 6-11, 9)
6. Serum: Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion
7. Moisturize: Rice Bran Oil + Tsubaki Oil + SK-II Essence, mixed
8. Sunscreen: Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
9. Sunscreen: MD SolarSciences Mineral Beauty Balm SPF 50 mixed with IT Cosmetics BB Cream SPF 50.

PM:

1. Cleanse: Hada Labo Gokujyun Cleansing Oil
2. Cleanse: Paula's Choice Resist Replenishing Toner in lieu of a foaming cleanser
3. pH Adjust: SK-II Clear Lotion (pH 3.9)
4. Exfoliate: On Hold
5. Essence: SK-II
6. Serum: Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster
7. Serum: Paula’s Choice Calm Repairing Serum with ceramides
8. Serum: Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion
9. Moisturize (emollient): Rice Bran Oil + Tsubaki Oil + SK-II Essence, mixed
10. Retinol: On Hold
11. Moisturize (occlusive): CeraVe PM

 

[packrat]

Ohhh random quick question. We're going on vacation Saturday for a week and will be outside on water most of the day. I have a GAWD awful hat and will do what I can w/long sleeves and pants, but still, when I need to not be completely covered and sweltering, we need sunscreen. I need something that hopefully will be gentle on my face-I'd gotten some lotion that was tinted w/a 50 spf, but it makes my face break out like crazy so I got rid of it. And I got it from the skin place where I went to get those peels-Revision it's called. I've looked at this kind called Sun Bum or something, when we're at Scheel's. I looked at a list of the worst sunscreens last year after we got back from vacation, and all the ones I had were on that dang list and I tossed them.

 

[yanaazul]

Do you know if the sunscreens you've been trying have chemical filters, physical-only, or a combination of the two? A lot of people who break out from sunscreen find that they cannot use any of the chemical sunscreens. Do you still have the tube/box for it of whatever it is you got from the skin place?

If the active ingredients say something like: avobenzone/homosalate/octocrylene/octinoxinate -- those are chemical sunscreens. If that's what you have, then I would look for something that has physical blockers only: titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide. Some sunscreens are a mix (in lower percentages of each) of both the chemical and physicals -- if that's what you have, I still would try physical-only options as your next step. Look for "sensitive" or "baby" labels. I've also noticed that sunscreens labeled "organic" are almost always physical-only.

It's a little trickier if the one you tried already is a physical-only sunscreen. I'd venture that it's one of the non-sunscreen ingredients breaking you out, then. You could try one with chemical sunscreen ingredients, but I'd be wary. Maybe try one labeled for "baby" with the idea being the ingredient list should be simpler.

Lastly, since you will be outside in a wet and physical activity (sweaty!) environment, you should be looking for dedicated sunscreens that are water/sweat-resistant, not the ones that are positioned as tinted moisturizers as part of a cosmetic routine. You still have to reapply every two hours!

 

[momhappy]

Ohhh random quick question. We're going on vacation Saturday for a week and will be outside on water most of the day. I have a GAWD awful hat and will do what I can w/long sleeves and pants, but still, when I need to not be completely covered and sweltering, we need sunscreen. I need something that hopefully will be gentle on my face-I'd gotten some lotion that was tinted w/a 50 spf, but it makes my face break out like crazy so I got rid of it. And I got it from the skin place where I went to get those peels-Revision it's called. I've looked at this kind called Sun Bum or something, when we're at Scheel's. I looked at a list of the worst sunscreens last year after we got back from vacation, and all the ones I had were on that dang list and I tossed them.

Elta MD is one of my all-time favorite sunscreens. The UV Clear version is made specifically for skin types that are prone to acne. They make a tinted version, which I wear almost daily (it's SPF 46). Two of my other favorites are Algenist Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50 and SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 (tinted). I wear them daily, to the pool, at the beach, doing sweaty yard work, etc. so just because a sunscreen might be tinted, doesn't necessarily mean that it's not an actual SPF product (as opposed to a beauty product/moisturizer with SPF)

 

[lyra]

I have dry skin with some pink discolourations here and there. I just started an AM/PM skin routine with all new products. I've had amazing results so far. I'm going to get a referral to my dermatologist and try Retin-A. I probably should have done that in my 40's. At least I've spent my life out of the sun, so it's not all a lost cause.

I found the skincare routine videos by Stephanie Nicole and HotandFlashy to be particularly insightful. I've borrowed from both. I use physical sunblock daily, as chemical bothers my skin. Check these ladies out. They have somewhat involved routines, but lots of information.

Besides an extra gentle cleanser and gel toner, I'm now using Paula's Choice AHA 8%, Timeless Vitamin C+e+ferrulic acid serum, Skin Deva CoQ10 serum, Caudalie night oil and Caudalie grape water. I have a cheap drugstore moisturizer (No.7 for night time) which mimics my Estee Lauder Daywear. I'm awaiting P50 acid toner. The acids have really cleared up the discolourations and rough texture patches I had. I am not having any problems with dryness now. My skin looks better than ever. So I guess exfoliation is what I was missing big time, and hydration using oils was necessary for my dryness. My approach is to try and go mid-price as much as possible. I'm in my 50's so I need to be more serious about this stuff.