Urban Skin RX Even Tone... The Ultimate Dark Spot Fader?

The short answer is maybe. Here's the long answer. First, let's find out what salicylic acid is. Salicylic acid is a lipid soluble beta hydroxy acid which has comedolytic (inhibits formation of comedones) and desmolytic (breaks the junctions between corneocyte cells in the stratum corneum) properties. How does it work? The molecular structure of salicylic acid is what makes it lipid soluble, allowing it to penetrate the lipid layers between skin cells and dissolve debris in pores. This is how it's able to prevent the formation of comedones (blackheads and whitehead). Furthermore, salicylic acid breaks down the "glue" that holds corneocyte cells together, resulting in the softening and sloughing off of the very top layer of skin cells from the top layer of skin known as the stratum corneum. This is known as exfoliation. Exfoliation helps prevents accumulation of dead skin cells, sebum, makeup, etc. In plain English, it gets down deep into your skin, clears out your pores, and keeps all that gunk from getting back into you pores by not allowing it to build up on your skin. So to answer the title question, if blackheads and whiteheads are an issue for you, yes, salicylic acid may be a great ingredient to incorporate into your skincare routine. NOW, HERE'S THE CATCH. Salicylic acid can absolutely help you on your way to clear skin, BUT you need to use it properly, patiently, and persistently. How to use it: READ AND FOLLOW PRODUCT DIRECTIONS first and foremost to make sure you are properly using each product. Also, consider patch testing the product before putting it on the affected are. If using in wash form, it may help to leave it on your skin for a couple minutes to let the salicylic acid be in contact with your skin longer, then wash off completely. If using in a spot treatment, tread lightly until you know how your skin will react. you also definitely need to makes sure you keep your skin moisturized as salicylic acid can be very drying. And as always, use sunscreen every day. Failure to properly use products containing salicylic acid may result in skin injury!!! How long to use it: Providing it's well tolerated, it's important to give salicylic acid time to work. Trying a product for a week and giving up is common, but salicylic acid can take up to 6 weeks to give you the full result. 6 WEEKS. So if you find a product that you tolerate well, give it time, sis. Be patient. For best results be persistent, trust the process, and don't get discouraged. Taking a "before" picture will help you monitor your progress. Look out for: -allergic reaction -tingling -itching -peeling *make sure to talk to your doctor before using salicylic acid during pregnancy Lastly, the product pictured is Zapzyt, my all time favorite salicylic acid acne wash. It's fragrance free and very gentle on my sensitive skin. You can expect to pay no more than $10 USD and it lasts for months. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk 📢😂 and happy skincare hunting!

As you all probably know, I’m more of a skincare person over makeup. I’m a totally beginner who doesn’t like to spend a lot of time of my face so once I find something that does the trick I’m usually set on it. So maybe the title was a little bit of a stretch cause the primer is $30, but honestly the foundation ($7) is amazing on its own too ✨ I’m a huge fan of The Ordinary - Colours Coverage Foundation with SPF 15 and wanted to show it in action the comparison is NIOD - Photography Fluid, Opacity 12% and TO foundation ONLY 😍 FOUNDATION : 💪🏼 |PERFORMANCE| This water based foundation glides evenly and smoothly over skin. It gives great coverage, and effectively covers my redness and hyperpigmentation! I like the final look that is more of a matte finish. My skin can get oily, so I typically use a setting powder and powder contour to finish off. 🤲🏻 |TEXTURE| the texture is thinner then most foundations I’ve used in the past but by no means runny. Personally I think it’s a really nice consistency. Their website describes it as a lightweight, non-oily cream 🌿 👃🏻|SCENT| This product doesn’t really give off anything other then like regular makeup smell ? Haha 💦 |INGREDIENTS| I feel like their aren’t any super notable or beneficial ingredients in these formulas ( other then having SPF of course which is always a bonus) but there also aren’t any ingredients that are going to cause harm to your skin 💛 💸 |VALUE| for $6.90 to me this foundation is a no brainer, it’s great value, and works like a charm. PRIMER: 💪🏼 |PERFORMANCE| I Reaaally like this product. As a person who’s skin has a lot of red undertones, I find this primer super useful for skin correcting. In the summertime I typically apply it just under some powder foundation and am impressed with the results. Initially when applied it almost looks sparkly and you can tell that is all the small particles catching the light so I think it needs to be covered with a light powder so that those particles can just sneak through at all the right times (especially when it comes to taking photos) 🤲🏻 |TEXTURE| a little bit thicker than a serum I would say, spreads nicely and sticks to skin and stays in place. Just be careful around eyebrows and hair line as it will stick to anything porous. 👃🏻|SCENT| this product is unscented, but does have an extremely light but pleasant cosmetic kind of smell. 💦 |INGREDIENTS| the ingredients in this product are vegan and cruelty free . NIOD as a brand overall is very science driven and I have a lot of respect for their trailblazing formulas and ingredients. 💸 |VALUE| the price of this bottle was $30 Canadian for 30ml, I find a little goes along way and you if we’re using it every single day it would probably still last you a couple months. This is my go to primer whenever I am wearing makeup and will continue to keep it as a staple in my makeup routine ❤️

Everyday, I sit scrolling through Cherie, and I see all of you posting about The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid 2% Mask and how it compares to their Salicylic Acid Solution. I hadn’t tried either of these products, but after the 1000th post, I decided I had to try out the Salicylic Acid Mask. WHAT IS SALICYLIC ACID? 💧 Salicylic Acid is a Beta Hydroxide Acid (BHAs). It’s used for reducing acne by diving deep into your skin, exfoliating it, and keeping your pores nice and clear. In other words... it’s a game changer for blackheads and whiteheads especially. THE PRODUCT:🧴 The Ordinary - Salicylic Acid 2% Masque The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is used to target tone and textural irregularities. The mask is infused with charcoal and clays which really help do the job of deep cleansing. It’s a rinse-off formula and is quite thick and grainy in texture. HOW I USE THE PRODUCT: 👸🏻 I follow the instructions on the back of the bottle quite strictly... I apply the mask once a week to cleansed skin and leave it on for no longer than 10 minutes. I then rinse it off with warm water, and apply a moisturizer. I usually do this in the evenings whilst doing my weekly pamper routine. MY THOUGHTS ON THE PRODUCT: 💭 I can definitely see some minor changes in the texture of my skin however, I don’t think it’s necessarily helped my acne issues or blackheads. I haven’t been using the mask for very long but I’m excited to see whether my skin will change even more as I continue to use this mask. Thank you to all the Cherie users for making me do it! Lots of love! 💛 Paula x

Surely you have heard of tinted moisturizers, as they have been a revolution in the cosmetics market in recent years and have been popularized by many celebrities by the hand of great stylists and makeup artists. Color moisturizers arise from the need to combine in a single product the ability to moisturize and protect of a cream and the aesthetic possibility of giving a touch of color and correcting that makeup provides. Since its inception, there have been many different types of tinted moisturizers that have appeared on the market, but they all have a common purpose: the protection of the skin and bring beauty to the face. That said, when choosing a tinted moisturizer we must focus our attention mainly on the benefits it will bring to our skin. Hydration capacity Generally speaking, facial moisturizers are created with formulas that integrate different active ingredients that serve mainly three purposes: moisturize, nourish, and protect the dermis. In addition, depending on specific uses, they may be enriched with other ingredients or elements that provide them with additional properties that vary depending on the type of skin on which it is to be applied. This is going to be a determining factor when selecting one product or another, because depending on whether we have dry, sensitive skin or oily skin, the type of color moisturizer we will choose will have to meet the needs of that type of skin. Protection factor According to numerous dermatologists, the best antiaging is photoprotective, especially if it is for daily use. This is because one of the main factors of skin aging is ultraviolet rays (UV), as they are able to damage the elastin and collagen of the dermis, which favors the appearance of wrinkles, in addition to being able to cause the appearance of spots and other lesions. Color and luminosity If we are talking about the benefits of a tinted moisturizer, precisely color is an important part, one of the reasons for being of the moisturizer with color, was to adopt at the same time the characteristics of a moisturizer and provide the color and corrective capacity of makeup. Skin tone is a point to keep in mind when choosing our cream. Ideally, the cream tone is identical to the tone of our skin, so it is advisable to do tests to check it. The cheek area is the most appropriate area to do this type of test. Within the different types of color moisturizer that exist, we can meet BB Cream or CC Cream depending on their corrective capacity and other properties. The second photo is the difference between a bb cream and a foundation: As you can see, the bb cream, which is a sort of tinted moisturizer is far more natural than the foundation.  I personally use the NYX bb cream. “bare with me”. I have dry skin and this is perfect for me.  With this tinted moisturizer, this is the finished result that I get: a very lightweight yet radiant look that covers my imperfections.

Skincare-makeup hybrids help protect and hydrate skin, while blurring away imperfections. Because we lead busy lives too, we understand how important time is. So when we look out for beauty products, we are drawn to those that multi-task and work well in order to save us precious time. it Cosmetics - Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer Price: $26💵 IT Cosmetics is known for skin-boosting makeup and this award-winning concealer is no exception. I have been using this product for nearly a year I have been using it for dark pigmentation on my nose and upper lip and it certainly works and gives good coverage I have spent so much money on concealers in the past that haven't worked . You only need a small amount for best results warm it on the top of your hand by just working into the skin with your fingertips and work it into your skin gently you only need very little of the product and you will not need any foundation. I use loose powder afterwards as l like a Matt finish. In addition, to dark-circle-covering pigment, this concealer is a serving of everything your delicate under-eye area could want — peptides, vitamins, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and hydrolyzed collagen. LANCÔME - Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint Price: $23 💵 It's a hydrating skin tint for a no-makeup look, infused with skin-loving ingredients that put our skin first with sheer-to-buildable natural coverage. I bought this to replace my empty Urban Decay One and Done and while I thought that was the perfect tinted moisturizer, I think this might be better! Light coverage, but skin perfecting. Smell is good but not strong and fades quickly. I’ll probably end up using this all summer, and for more relaxed days. No issues with breakouts/irritation, but I don’t have sensitive skin so usually not an issue. Would highly recommend if you want something lighter that really makes your skin look perfect. 〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️ Skincare-makeup hybrid products rise in popularity is only natural, seeing as if you love both skin care products and makeup, the only thing that could be better is combining the two. Instead of taking the time to go through an entire skin care routine, followed by a multitude of makeup application rituals, you can use products that serve double-duty—addressing your complexion concerns while covering up imperfections and playing up your best features. What’s not to love?