All my lovely moisturizers emptied in 2020

For a long time I was intimated by skincare because it seemed very expensive and overwhelming. How do I know what to buy 🤷🏻‍♀️ When I started noticing wrinkles that was enough of a push for me to invest in skincare. Here’s some great lessons I’ve learned to build your skincare routine affordably: 1. Research to figure out what you need- here’s where my love of @cheriestarted! I read lots of reviews, advice, so I knew what type of products I should buy and what ingredients I should focus on. 2. Keep it Simple It’s easy to want to buy new products, adding new steps or ingredients to your routine, or try out the hype after reading reviews! Focus on your concerns and add slowly to give your skin time to adjust and see what’s working. It’s better to have a few great products that you love than many products you don’t use. I started with: Cleanse AM antioxidant serum, PM anti-aging serum Moisturizer Sunscreen Toners, eye cream, facial oil, and masks can be extras if you are looking to save money 3. Spend your money on the middle - if you can only splurge on one product make it the serum! This has the most benefit. Drugstore cleansers, moisturizers, and spf are great! 4. Try some great affordable brands such as The Ordinary, The Inkey List, Versed, or CeraVe 5. Buy trial size first, Value Sets or better free rewards before investing in a new product 6. Once you’ve found your Holy Grails keep your eyes open for sales to stock up, join the brands mailing list or reward program, buy value size Here’s my current skincare line-up and how much it cost me: CLINIQUE - Jumbo Liquid Facial Soap Mild Use AM & PM Bought on sale for $27 for 13.5oz CLINIQUE - Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Use PM Free from Clinique rewards pixi - Glow Tonic pixi - Milky Tonic Rotate PM Bought multi-pack on sale for $22 OLE HENRIKSEN - Banana Bright Eye Crème Use AM and / or PM Bought on sale $25 The Ordinary - Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Use AM $6.80 VERSED - STROKE OF BRILLIANCE Brightening Serum Use AM $26.99 OLAY - Wrinkle Correction Serum with Vitamin B3+ Collagen Peptides Use PM Bought on sale for $32 BIOSSANCE - Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum Use PM 1-2 times per week Free from Sephora Rewards Bazaar CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator Use AM & PM Free gift with purchase from Clinique CAUDALIE - Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Moisturizer Use PM when not using lactic acid Free offer with purchase from Sephora The Ordinary - 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil Use PM $9.90 (Not pictured) currently using my kids Banana Boat Kids Simply Protect SPF 50 as my sunscreen

I want to move towards a clean skincare routine. My current products were not purchased with clean skincare in mind, but I want to know how many of the Dirty Dozen chemicals are in my skincare. See my previous clean skincare posts for more details. Dirty Dozen Chemicals to Avoid: 1. Coal Tar Dyes 2. DEA / MEA / TEA 3. Phthalates / Parfum / fragrence 4. Formaldehyde releasing perservatives 5. Parabens 6. PEG compounds 7. Petrolatum 8. Siloxanes 9. Sulfates 10. Triclosan 11. Talc 12. Hydroquinone A quick summary, almost every product contains PEGs! PEGs (polyethylene glycols) are petroleum-based compounds that are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers. Depending on manufacturing processes, PEGs may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, known human carcinogens. 1,4-dioxane can be removed from cosmetics during the manufacturing process by vacuum stripping, but there is no easy way for consumers to know whether products containing PEGs have undergone this process. Here’s what’s in my current products: The Ordinary - Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG ✅ clean The Ordinary - 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil ✅ clean CLINIQUE - Dramatically Different Oil-Free Gel ❌ contains paraffin ❌contains Petrolatum (Also contains dyes) Kate Somerville - Liquid ExfoliKate Triple Acid Resurfacing Treatment ✅ clean of dirty dozen SUNDAY RILEY - Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment ❌ contains PEG-100, PEG-75 CLINIQUE - Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm ❌contains PEGs CLINIQUE - All About Eyes ❌contains PEGs ❌contains Petrolatum CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator ❌ contains PEGs (Also contains dyes) CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate ❌contains PEGs (Also contains dyes) CLINIQUE - Jumbo Liquid Facial Soap Oily Skin Formula ❌contains sulfates ❌contains PEGs CLINIQUE - Smart Custom-Repair Serum ❌contains PEGs (Also contains dyes) VERSED - STROKE OF BRILLIANCE Brightening Serum ✅ clean from dirty dozen I’m new to reading labels, so if I’ve missed something let me know! What’s in your skincare?

here are all of my 2020 empties!!! i went ahead and categorized them by brand so that i dont get things mixed up. etude house ——————— ETUDE - SoonJung pH6.5 Whip Cleanser my favorite fungal acne safe cleanser!! its perfect for dry combo skin! ETUDE - Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner a great fungal acne safe hydrating toner! better for dry skin, it would sometimes leave me oily at the end of the day. drunk elephant ————————— DRUNK ELEPHANT - B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum although this serum isn’t fungal acne safe, my skin seems to enjoy it. it has a gel texture and actually regulates my oily forehead DRUNK ELEPHANT - Lala Retro Whipped Cream another non fungal acne safe products. BUT doesn’t cause me to have breakouts!! its a thicc cream but doesn’t leave me feeling oily!! DRUNK ELEPHANT - Protini Polypeptide Cream Deluxe Sample again... not fungal acne safe but STILL didn’t cause me to have any breakouts!! the protini feels similar in terms of thickness and the over all feeling on the skin but it feels more “ wearable “ first aid beauty ————————— FIRST AID BEAUTY - Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer i was super excited to tey this out because the ingredients are fungal acne safe and the claims were ideal for my skin type but sadly i was disappointed 😞 it didn’t control my oil but rather left mw with this shine on my forehead! and it didn’t moisture my dry cheeks. epic fail FIRST AID BEAUTY - Hello FAB Coconut Water Cream this is a very basic fungal acne safe moisturizer i recommend to literally every one. i do like it and all but i find my skin still breaking out while i use this product. i would give it a 3 1/2 stars but i cant. CUROLOGY!!!! ———————— Curology - Curology formula Curology - Curology formula if you have fungal acne THIS is the treatment you NEED to try!!! my holy grail!! naturium ————— NATURIUM - Marine Hyaluronic Water Cream NATURIUM - Marine Hyaluronic Water Cream technically this moisturizer isn’t fungal acne safe because it contains polysorbate HOWEVER its one of the last ingredients listed so its not likely to have any affect. this is my FAVORITE MOISTURIZER!!! super affordable and feels luxurious and its amazing on my combo skin NATURIUM - Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% my favorite fungal acne safe niacinamide serum!!! its affordable and it does exactly what it claims to do. literally cant get any better than this other lonely products ————————————- boscia - Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer this is a fungal acne safe moisturizer however its not very good at moisturizing or controlling oil 😕 but the packaging is cute i guess

I’ve used up the entire mini size and have to admit that I’ve enjoyed using it. It feels very light but acts very hydrating. A little bit of this goes a long way. I definitely saw the plumping effect and the ingredient list does not include anything that I noticed to be irritating I’m on an in between for my purchase/pass due to the current drama regarding this brand and their ethical sourcing. What are your thoughts? DRUNK ELEPHANT - Protini Polypeptide Cream Deluxe Sample Pros: smooth and plumping light and hydrating fragrance free great for day/night Cons: brand dilemma on the expensive side of skincare (full size retails at $68)

First Impression: I opened the box and WOW is this small for $20! I never shop at Sephora and the only reason I bought this was because I received a $25 gift card recently but I was at least expecting this to be a little bit bigger. Like .5 fl oz instead of .34 maybe? I have heard amazing things from dozens of skincare sites so I couldn’t wait to try it! Opening: When I opened the tin, it looked thick due to its color, but once I put some on it was VERY thin. When I use my regular Clinique Moisture Surge (which is super hydrating) it is very lightweight but still a little bit heavier than this. Smells great! Next day: I have to say the combo of this and THE BODY SHOP - Jumbo Tea Tree Oil has me waking up with the smoothest skin but lately my skin has been feeling much drier due to the cold (not on just my face) and I don’t think it is as hydrating as I expected it to be. The cream dries very quickly which makes me want to put another layer on and when I wake up I still have dry spots. Like I said I feel VERY smooth but not as hydrated as I’d like. Verdict: I feel like this would definitely benefit me better around the summer/springtime when I’m not looking for complete re-hydration of my skin and more of a moisturizer but I do not think this is the holy grail I was expecting it to be. Try it out if you get the opportunity because all skin is different! But for my combination skin and hormonal acne, it’s gonna be a no from me, dawg :(

These are my empty moisturizers! 😩 I love these products dearly. They’re all lightweight in texture yet super hydrating 🤍 @freshbeauty Lotus youth preserve moisturizer- this moisturizer is packed with antioxidants and it helps prevents signs of visible aging. fresh - Lotus Anti- Aging Daily Moisturizer 🤍 @youthtothepeople superfood air-whip moisture cream- I’m definitely getting this in it’s bigger size. You all know #yttp delivers all the time and this moisturizer is no exception. This moisturizer is packed with antioxidants-rich superfood such as kale, hyaluronic acid and green tea. It is said to help fight free radicals while replenishing and supporting the skin barrier function and its also great for every skin type 😍 YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE - Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream 💙 @belifcanada true cream- You all know how I feel about this cream. I love how it leaves my skin supple, smooth and deeply nourished. Great for all skin types belif - The True Cream-Moisturizing Bomb 💚 @farmacybeauty Daily Greens gel moisturizer- this is definitely getting repurchased. This is an oil free moisturizer that delivers lasting hydration while clearing pores and reducing shine. This moisturizer is great for combination and oily skin.FARMACY - Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer with Moringa and Papaya

First, follow me for more content like this 💖 *DISCLOSURE: Not full size* So I’ve used both the Belif aqua bomb and moisturizing bomb, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I love the aqua bomb more. But before I get into why, let’s break down the differences. Aqua bomb 💙gel cream 💙water based 💙great for normal, oily, and combo 💙solution for dryness, pores, and dullness and uneven texture 💙blue in color Moisturizing bomb 🤍cream texture 🤍great for normal and dry skin 🤍solution for dryness and loss of firmness 🤍white in color While I do like both and they are both great products, the aqua bomb is more catered to the concerns that I have. I love that it gives my face a literal drink of water. I feel so refreshed and my skin feels so smooth. I feel super hydrated all day. I can feel the moisturizing bomb sitting on my face while with the aqua bomb it melts into the skin. In my opinion the aqua bomb is better, but it’s to you and your skin concerns. If you’re more in the drier side, the moisturizing bomb is definitely for you, but if you’re like me and have normal to oily skin definitely pick up the aqua bomb. Or Try both and see how you feel. Both products are $22. I hope this helps🥺💖belif - The True Cream-Moisturizing Bomb belif - The True Cream Aqua Bomb

My overall feeling is they are quite potent whatever the product is. They do their jobs effectively. You will feel being treated really.

Peter Thomas Roth is definitely a more luxury skincare brand, but are the products worth the money spent. I tried these four minis in order to see. The results were hit and miss, however, this is a common occurrence since there isn’t a perfect brand. PETER THOMAS ROTH - Cucumber Gel Masque This is supposedly a calming mask that is supposed to reduce redness, however, the ingredient list is very contradictory. Citrus extracts are very irritating to the skin and are more commonly used in exfoliating products for their properties. While the product does contain very good soothing ingredients such as allantoin, aloe, sugar cane extract and cucumber extract. It also contains lemon, orange, pineapple and papaya extracts which as mentioned before, are irritating ingredients. The product also contains dyes which can also cause irritation. PETER THOMAS ROTH - Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream This moisturizer has a very unique soft gel cream texture that glides over the skin and absorbs quickly. It leaves the skin feeling very soft and hydrated. Mica is included in the ingredients which adds a very soft glow to the skin. This product is fragrance-free which is amazing! Included in this product are hyaluronic acid, a vast amount of ceramides, and glycerin. These are amazing ingredients for hydrating and restoring the skin. The brand claims that the product provides continuous hydration which lasts up to 72 hours. However, there are no clinical studies to support this claim. Furthermore, the brand recommends applying the moisturizer twice a day for the best results which is confusing. So does the hydration provided really last 72 hours? PETER THOMAS ROTH - Water Drench Cloud Cream Cleanser This is a fragrance-free cleanser with a very gentle formula that is more suitable for combination to oily skin. It cleanses the skin well without leaving a tight feeling. It’s a pretty simple cleanser so there’s not much to say. There are superior cleansers out there at a much more affordable price point. PETER THOMAS ROTH - Firmx Peeling Gel This product relies heavily on fruit based enzymes for exfoliation. While these enzymes can exfoliate dead skin cells, it is very difficult to keep these enzyme stable in formulations. This means that the results aren’t as reliable as AHA and BHA exfoliating products. This product acts more like a scrub than a traditional peeling gel and as such, it’s the scrubbing action that makes skin feel smoother. This is a very overpriced product for what is essentially a scrub. The brand also claims that the product can decongest pores, but a scrub is not a good option to use against blemishes. It is fragrance-free so a point for that! PETER THOMAS ROTH - Jet, Set, Facial! Kit Will I repurchase any of these products? Nope.