What To Look for in a Shampoo for Oily Hair and Sensitive Scalp

In my opinion, all skin is sensitive- but people with particularly reactive skin have to take extra caution, especially when you have a condition like eczema (hey fam!) and rosacea. Personally, I have combination sensitive skin and eczema, but nowadays my skin is pretty normal. Here’s some tips to follow when building your basic skincare routine... • Don’t: Jump into a ten-step routine. Overwhelming skin with so many products can easily aggravate sensitive skin, while also making it harder to figure out what one is irritating your skin. Take your time. • Do: Iron out the basics! Before introducing serums, make sure to find a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen combination that gently nourishes skin. Avoid exfoliants in these so that they’re a safe fall-back if your skin starts flaring up. My favourite sensitive skin cleansers are HOLI FROG - Tashmoo Water Lily Nourishing Milky Wash and PAULA'S CHOICE - RESIST Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser , as they cleanse without stripping skin of protective oils. My go-to sensitive skin (and all skin) sunscreens are PAULA'S CHOICE - Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 (mineral) and PAULA'S CHOICE - YOUTH-EXTENDING DAILY HYDRATING FLUID SPF 50 (chemical). • Don’t: Use products with fragrance, alcohol, or essential oils. Alcohol is drying and can weaken the skin barrier, your skin’s defense against environmental damage. Fragrance and essential oils not only have a high chance of irritating skin, but also oxidize upon contact with the air, releasing free radicals that break down collagen. Avoid these. • Do: Incorporate antioxidants. Antioxidants battle environmental aggressors, neutralize free radicals, soothe skin, and calm redness. These and a good sunscreen are going to be your best combination for calm, youthful skin! I utilize a couple drops of The Ordinary - Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% on mornings I forgo vitamin c, but I also enjoy the silky texture of PAULA'S CHOICE - Retinol Super Antioxidant Serum for a gentle, moisturizing retinol that is also loaded with antioxidants. • Don’t: Try to smother skin into submission. Piling on layers of the heaviest cream may provide temporary relief, but it can lead to congestion and acne, which will only inflame skin more in the long-term. • Do: Combine fatty acids, ceramides, peptides, and/or hyaluronic acid treatments to repair the skin barrier, promoting moisture retainment in multiple levels. Layering different types of hydration/moisture from thinnest to thickest is better for your skin and will promote healing the root cause versus treating the symptoms. I love combining PAULA'S CHOICE - Resist Anti-Ageing Omega+ Complex Serum and NIOD - Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex underneath my moisturizer to hydrate + nourish my skin and reduce frequency of my eczema flare-ups.

Sunscreen is the last and most important part of my AM routine. It protects skin from UV rays and prevents uneven skintone, dark spots, and aging from sun damage. I make sure to re-apply it every 2 hours even when it’s cloudy/rainy! That being said: This tinted moisturizer is my favourite SPF!! It's perfect for my oily-combo skin. The slight tint gives a sheer coverage and evens out my skin tone a little, and the matte finish keeps it from looking greasy. It’s easy to blend and absorb into skin due to its light texture. I still apply moisturizer beforehand cause I feel like it's not enough to moisturize my skin but overall I’d say this one is sooo worth the try!

I’ve got very dry skin in the colder months. I also live in a dry environment. I’ve put together some general do’s and donts that work for me when my skin is seriously dry. Now, please note that I enjoy 99% of the products I’m going to mention, but some I just have to reserve for using in warmer months when my skin is less dry. DO pay attention to what kind of first cleanse you use. I like FORMULA 10.0.6 - Bare Face Beauty Skin-Hydrating Cleansing Oil because it breaks down my makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft. DON’T use a first cleanse that dries your skin out like the GOOD MOLECULES - Instant Cleansing Balm (a little bit drying) DO look at ingredients lists and brand descriptions of cleansers. Opt for something with a gel or milky texture that either doesn’t lather are all, or barely lathers. I enjoy the bareMinerals - PURENESS GEL CLEANSER (but not if you’re sensitive to coconut). DON’T use a cleanser with harsh acids, such as salicylic acid in the TRULY - CBD Jelly Anti Acne Facial Cleanser , because they can dry out your skin even more. DO use a hydrating toner. I love the PAULA'S CHOICE - Resist Advanced Replenshing Toner because it contains hyaluronic acid and has a soothing, milky texture. DON’T use toners with astringent properties or essential oils like the MARIO BADESCU - Witch Hazel & Lavender Toner (I steaigjt is just don’t really like this even when my skin isn’t super dry). Toners with those ingredients can dry your skin out further. DO layer and mix serums (make sure you do some research first!). I enjoy the Wyldflower Labs - Sunshine Serum - Multitasking Day Repair Serum and LILY SADO - Green Tea + Vitamin C Super Serum . DO use some chemical exfoliants when experiencing a breakout, but be careful to use a concentrated spot application. I like the PAULA'S CHOICE - SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA LIQUID EXFOLIANT because it is effective and can be easily applied in an affected area. I use this 1-3x/wk in the PM. DON’T use harsh chemical exfoliants and don’t use them too frequently. The YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE - Kombucha + 11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner is very strong. It can cause irritation, especially on dry areas, and if used to often has caused white heads. DO moisturize! I love the pixi - Rose Ceramide Cream when I have stubborn dry patches that won’t go away. I also like the unscented, soothing GOOD MOLECULES - Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer . DON’T use a moisturizer that’s not geared towards extra dry skin like the Clark's Botanicals - Jasmine Vital Cream While this is a nice moisturizer, its light gel texture is more suited for normal-oily skin, or dry skin in the summer. #CherieCreator

I recently started having some health problems and started developing allergic reactions to most mascaras and eye makeup. Basically my eyes would get itchy, eczema breakouts, flake, and my eyelashes would fall out in clumps (I lead a glamorous life, I know). The only mascara I found I could use without issue was Lush’s mascara and I just stuck to that baby until (whomp-whomp) they discontinued it. I think I’ll do a post on my favorite discontinued products later (RIP). I heard some good things about friends about Physician’s Formula and that it’s formulated with sensitive and allergenic skin in mind. I tried this mascara yesterday and wore it a full day full of errands and sweating and it stays on and no allergic reaction!!! Like all more plant-derived mascaras, the formula is more runny and can be quite wet upon application but their brush really helps keep the lashes from sticking together. If you’re going to compare this to some other mascaras on the market (like They’re Real!, Better Than Sex, etc.) you’ll probably not be happy with these aspects of the formula BUT if you’re like me and haven’t even wore mascara for over six months due to severe allergic reactions and eczema flares this is a damn lifesaver. I have very blonde body hair and have missed having visible curled lashes! Love this product! PHYSICIANS FORMULA - Organic Wear Natural Origin Mascara In Black

I’m always one to be open to trying new products to see how they can benefit my skin. If it doesn’t work, I simply move onto the next product. If I ever come across something that works extremely well, I’ll add it to my list of must haves and will usually not steer away from that product unless I happen to stumble across a better working product. ESTĒE LAUDER - Advanced Night Repair Limited Edition ESTĒE LAUDER - Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Crème For my skin care routine to keep my skin hydrated, I’ve consistently been using Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night repair and their Revitalizing Supreme+. These two have worked great in keeping my skin hydrated which helps keep my dry skin away and whenever my skin is more hydrated, I look younger. These two also have great anti-aging affects on your skin, and you can really see the difference after a few applications. Your lines and wrinkles start to disappear after a few application, that along with the more hydrated skin really makes your skin feel amazing. The Revitalizing Supreme+ creme is non-acnegenic, so it doesn’t clog my pores and helps me reduce my acne. This works great with the advanced night repair because that serum is oil free. I’ve always had acne prone skin, so using these two has helped my acne and even helped reduce breakouts. I highly recommend these two products if you have acne prone skin, dry skin, or have dehydration. These two products go hand in hand and will work wonders for anyone with similar skin issues as me. Results may not show right away, but constant application will show great results!