A Chemist Answers All My Questions About Clean Beauty
Clean beauty; a trend or a necessity? As someone who never truly understood it, I turned to an expert to help answer my most pressing questions.
Mar. 12, 2020
Best Reviews
resolve to rock a red lip and worry less 💋
💋😘 These are some of my absolute favorites! What’s your favorite red lipstick?
In order of appearance
PAT McGRATH LABS - MatteTrance Lipstick Elson 2
Pat McGrath Venom
MAKE UP FOR EVER - Rouge Artist Lipstick Mat, M402
ciaté - Liquid Velvet , Diva
SEPHORA COLLECTION - Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick , Always Red
NARS - Powermatte Lip Pigment , Starwoman
NYX - Intense Butter Gloss , Apple Crisp
are pore bubbling masks worth it? 🧼🛁💬
since COVID has started, I know many people are on new (or refining old) skincare journeys and I’ve recently been experiencing some dryness/dehydrating as the winter rolls around, which also aggravates my already oily skin. I’ve worked in the beauty industry for a while and also was formerly an esthetician, so I can get picky with skincare and ingredients.
‼️for reference, my skin type is: combo (oily/dehydrated), formerly acneic, hyperpigmentation prone, and sensitive
🔬I’ve used Dr. Jart in the past and love that it’s a Korean, science-backed brand so I was stoked to try this Porecting Solution Mask! this mask promises fresh, clear glowing skin that deeply cleanses and purifies pores. the mask contains charcoal and saponine, which creates the bubbling effect you see in the above photo. this product does not contain sulfates, paragons, are phthalates.
🛁when I first took it out of its package, I thought there were *two* masks per package instead of one, but if you read the instructions, there’s actually a “mask film” on the actual mask itself that you’re supposed to remove, so make sure to do that! the actual mask is thick and full of product while the mask film is thinner and lighter in color. the directions also give you a tip to massage the mask to release the bubbling/foaming effect - I did this mask with my mom at the same time in separate rooms and she totally didn’t read the instructions so her mask didn’t bubble at all, so I would suggest to definitely massage the mask.
💬I left it on for 20 minutes and it continued to bubble about 5-10 minutes in, then stopped bubbling. you can hear the bubbles pop as the mask sits on your face, which is kinda weird but cool. the mask didn’t slip off AT ALL which is also a huge, even when I put a sweatshirt on over my head. after taking it off, the serum took about another 10 minutes to soak into my skin and my face felt super smooth and my pores looked tighter and more clean. I have a few sebaceous filaments on my nose that I sometimes pick at and as I was rubbing the serum into my skin, I saw that some of the sebaceous filaments on my nose were sloughing off (which is gross, but speaks to how well the product worked)!
overall, I would definitely recommend and use this again! if you have oily skin or otherwise clogged pores, sebaceous filaments, blackheads, etc. I would suggest this for you. even if you have dry/normal skin, this would be a good option since my skin didn’t feel dried out at all afterward, even in my dry spell now, and felt rather hydrated and plump.
five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The best workout hairstyle!
Hairstyles for the gym don’t have to be cute - but it’s nice when they are!!
Here is a SUPER easy Dutch braid into a bun - perfect for the gym when you don’t want your hair getting in your face when you’re moving around!
Begin with the Dutch braid which is a 3 strand braid taking pieces from either side of your head, UNDER the middle strand of hair. Then fluff it out by pulling on the braid strands and then take all of that and put into a half bun, wrap the extra hair and you’re done!!!
Literally so easy yall and SO STINKING CUTE!!
Xo,
Johanna
Cleanse your skin like a pro
Cleansing is the first step of any skin regime, and it's essential to your skin's health that it is done correctly.
Cleansing the skin removes makeup, sunscreen, and impurities/pollution built up from the day.
Always use a Ph balanced cleanser to avoid compromising your skin's barrier.
I generally switch out my gel cleanser for milk or balm in the winter months as my skin becomes drier. I find milk or balms more hydrating and soothing for the skin.
My go-to right now is BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE - Lait Vip O2 Oxygenating Milk Cleanser paired with either the mini glove Biologique Recherche or the Luna Cleaning tool FOREO - LUNA Mini 2 Facial Cleansing Brush Fuchsia to aid deeper cleaning and increase blood circulation while massaging the skin.
Try not to skip cleansing at night no matter how sleepy you are, sleeping with your makeup on goes far beyond clogged pores. Sleeping with your makeup on in the long term will prematurely age your skin due to the breakdown of collagen from environmental pollutants left on the skin.
Always cleanse your skin twice at night. Double cleansing is key in removing makeup and sunscreen effectively.
Makeup and sunscreen are designed to stick to the skin, and one cleanse just not going to cut it.
Use colder water, never hot water to cleanse your skin. Heat is not your skin's friend; it can cause tewl (transepidermal water loss), lead to irritation, dehydration and sensitivity.
Avoid cleansing the skin in the shower, the water is generally too hot, and the shower's pressure can lead to burst vessels.
Pat dry, do not aggressively rub your skin with a towel - I hear too many times people rub their skin aggressively with a dry face cloth to exfoliate the skin - stop it. Be gentle with your skin; there are better ways to exfoliate your skin - trust me.
Which moves me on to P50 lotions BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE - LOTION P50 PIGM 400 Follow your cleansing routine with the correct P50 lotion for your skin type.
P50 lotion is a gentle but effective way to exfoliate, hydrate the skin while maintaining the skin's Ph and respecting its barrier function.
My go-to P50 right now is Pig400 which also targets hyperpigmentation concerns.
More tips and tricks on cleansing the skin below
https://www.kimberlydematos.com/post/the-art-of-cleansing
Dm for p50 recommendations.
My Top 5 Foundations for Oily Skin
Here are my top 5 foundations for oily/combination/acne prone skin! These are by no means my only favorite foundations, just the ones I keep going back to.
1. ESTĒE LAUDER - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation This matte, oil-free foundation controls oil all day. It’s sweat, heat and humidity-resistant, waterproof and 24-hour colour true. With buildable, medium-to-full coverage that feels lightweight and so comfortable. No touchups needed. Best for hot weather/ holidays. The only Downside is that it doesn’t come with a pump
2. MAYBELLINE - Fit Me! Matte & Poreless Foundation This foundation is a must have if you are looking for a good drugstore option for oily skin. It’s super affordable and gives a beautiful finish without feeling heavy on the skin.
3. HUDA BEAUTY - Fauxfilter Foundation is perfect for you if you are looking for full coverage. Just a couple of pumps go a long way. However, the formula isn’t ideal for anyone with dry skin or for people sensitive to string fragrances.
4. L'ORÉAL - Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Longwear Foundation This formula blends unbelievably well and you can build this to completely full coverage! ! I'm beyond impressed for this being drugstore.
5. The Ordinary - Colours Coverage Foundation with SPF 15 this is my everyday foundation and gives good enough coverage. I just have to mix two different shades to get my color as the range is quiet limited but for the price I pay, I don’t mind.
Always stay away form words like “dewy”, “luminous”, “shiny” , “glowy” if you have oily skin.
Let me know if you have any questions.
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