Best CGM tips on cherie

I finally tried this mask for the first time as SO many people have raves about it online!! Ive heard everybody saying nothing but good things about it- so I had to give it a go! 🙊 I have acne prone skin and have had acne scars ever since I was 15, with my pores getting bigger as I get older so this mask sounded like a miracle! 😝 My best friend brought it online and got 2 so gave one to me for around $35NZD, so seemed like an awesome deal considering this bad boy was sold out everywhere at one point it was that popular! The size of the tub is huge too so will definitely last me for ages! 😍 It was amazing to smooth onto my face, and I loved the green colour. You just mix with a bit of water or apple cider vinegar and stir (avoiding metal as this can alter the performance or the clay). I left my mask on for 20minutes as I don’t have sensitive skin- if you do have sensitive skin you leave it on for around 10minutes. It changes colour to a slightly lighter green as it dries and starts cracking after a few minutes- I love the look of the cracked clay 🙊 I loved the tightening feeling of this after around 8minutes- I could barely move my face but I loved that sensation! 🙊 It made it feel like it was really sucking out my pores and getting rid of any nasties. After I washed it off with warm water and a flannel I had only a little redness, but holy moly my skin felt SO soft and smooth and my pores appeared smaller already!! Also my skin felt tighter (it was!) after the mask and my fine lines wern’t as noticeable because of that 😍 I can’t wait to try out this mask more to see if it clears any of my active breakouts and blackheads. Definitely recommend so far, but I will keep you posted again on how it goes for me 😊❤️ AZTEC SECRET - Indian Healing Clay

The best concealer application makes you look awake, brightened up, and doesn’t age you by settling into your creases! Since I truly believe the magic is in the application, the concealer you have is probably just fine. That said, I really love the Kosas Revealer Concealer because is nourishing to the under eyes and the formula dries down nicely while still looking like skin! Kosas products are formulated without fragrance, talc, parabens, and dimethicone/cyclic silicon’s just to name a few. They are also cruelty-free. My skin tone is fair, and my skin type is normal to dry. I like to use my concealer for the occasional blemish and to brighten up my under eyes but the tips below are still applicable for wherever you might apply your concealer. For flawless concealer application: 1.     Don’t apply too much product. I try not to apply the product directly to my face but instead to the back of my hand. 2.     You could use your finger to tap a teeny bit of the product on the desired areas but using a Real Techniques beauty sponge to thin the product out on the back of my hand first (by blotting), then apply to the face delivers best results and is much faster. 3.     Avoid applying directly under your eyes, smile lines, forehead wrinkles, etc. If you MUST have concealer on one of these “creasy” spots, go light. 4.     Set it! Use a good setting powder to set immediately. For those areas like under my eyes where I want to conceal (even knowing I have wrinkles there) I use a setting powder to avoid creasing. I love the Aisling Organic Rice Setting Powder. Since its translucent it will work on most skin tones. It goes on light and I love the blurring properties it has.

Just because Summer is coming to an end, your love affair with daily UV protection never should. These are the sunscreens I tried this year that I wanted to share with you guys. 🌤An obvious disclaimer: my skin is very pale & I can’t totally predict how these products will blend into deep skin tones regarding “white cast” (the washing out effect that zinc based sunscreens can have) But I tried my best to give an idea of the texture before & after blending/absorbing, check out the slides🤍 KINSHIP - Self Reflect Probiotic Moisturzing Sunscreen Zinc Oxide SPF 32 Texture: creamy & moisturizing Finish: very dewy/shiny SPF: 32 Type: Zinc Oxide 22.4% I did a thorough review of this probiotic moisturizing sunscreen in a previous post, it’s very detailed⚡️ Has a light natural vanilla-oatmeal scent & a slight beige tint. I love this one for being so moisturizing & comfortable to wear, but the finish is quite dewy, so I feel I need powder over this to wear it in public. sun bum - Mineral Face Lotion SPF 30 Texture: creamy & lightweight Finish: matte SPF: 30 Type: Titanium Dioxide 5.3% /Zinc Oxide 2.4% This is such a great inexpensive option for a matte, mineral sunscreen that leaves very minimal white cast. The cast is slightly blue, though it blends away on my skin, this could be problematic for darker tones. The texture is so creamy yet very lightweight, it reminds me of makeup primer. It’s quite moisturizing, has no scent & is the most matte out of the 3. SHISEIDO - Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen SPF 42 Texture: liquidy & lightweight Finish: matte SPF: 42 Type: Zinc Oxide 12.5% /Octinoxate 4.9% /Octocrylene 3% This has been my go-to for years. It’s a combination of mineral & chemical sunscreens, & is oil free. You have to shake the contents really well first, but it has a little shaker ball inside to help. I love the texture of this, really light & absorbs well without being overly matte. I do always need moisturizer on under this though. The white cast is really minimal even with reapplication, & it’s never irritated my dry skin. Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray SPF 45 Texture: lightweight liquid aerosol Finish: satin/semi sheen SPF: 45 Type: Homosalate 15% /Oxybenzone 6% /Octisalate 5% /Avobenzone 3% /Octocrylene 2.35% Honestly this makes my skin feel itchy & tight after applying, even after I moisturize. I’ve been steering away from purely chemical sunscreen formulas like this, but chemical sunscreens do work better for sone people. I wouldn’t recommend for dry or sensitive skin. sun bum - Mineral Continuous Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 Texture: creamy, medium weight aerosol Finish: velvet matte SPF: 30 Type: Zinc Oxide 14% Has a sort of tropical scent & feels good on the skin. Though some white cast, it’s not the ‘blue’ tint the face lotion has. Full review in a previous post.

So for the past month my skin has really been going thru it. I’ve been having acne and closed comedones all along my cheek, chin, and jaw, to the point where my skin almost feels like sand paper. Truthfully, I don’t let it affect me too much. I know I’m a human being and acne is completely normal. So there’s no need to take it out on my self confidence or self worth that I worked so hard on! That being said it’s still my body talking to me, and it’s still something to treat! If you sprained your ankle and knee accidents happen and everything will be ok, you’d still treat it! So even though I know I’m still ok and healthy and my skin is going thru a phase, I can’t ignore that it needs treatment. I have a pretty great skincare routine. YTTP kale cleanser, chemical exfoliant 1-2x a week, top tier moisturizers and serums and evening curology! But for the past month NONE of them have worked on me! So I finally went to a dermatologist because this clearly is way above my knowledge as a self-proclaimed skincare junkie. I did a televise and paid my insurance co-pay if $20, and after sending my derm photos of my skincare and a ton of other info on my the verdict was..... Hormonal acne caused by too much testosterone production! My doctor let me know that the placement of my acne, along the cheek, jaw, and chin, is 100% hormonal and that acne that closed comodones and acne he was seeing on my face is due to over production of sebum because of my body overproducing testosterone. He also said that this is super common among women over 25! I felt relieved to finally pinpoint what exactly was causing my acne (because I didn’t change anything in my diet or routine and just months before my skin was clear) and I was prescribed epiduo forte Spironolactane, a pill that blocks testosterone He also advised me to chuck my skincare routine and just use CeraVe - Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser as a wash and CeraVe - PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion along with the AM version as well. I am so happy I went to a derm because I would’ve been trying product after product feeling hopeless! I should receive my prescription later this weekend and I also have a 6-week check in coming up, so I will let you guys know how it goes :) If you have any q’s about seeing a dermatologist IRL or online, drop them below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Let‘s talk about aging and damaged skin‘s saving grace: retinol and retin-A. Though they are both in the vitamin A family, there is one obvious difference that is worth mentioning right away. Retin-A is actually the brand name for tretinoin (retinoid acid), which requires a prescription from your dermatologist (Differin is the only retinoid that is found OTC DIFFERIN - Acne Treatment Gel). You may hear Retin-A used interchangeably with retinoid, however Retin-A is a type of retinoid. Retinoid refers to the class of vitamin A derivatives. Retinol is a type of retinoid that is easily available since it is found over the counter. I personally use the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum. CeraVe - Retinol Face Serum For Post-Acne Marks As mentioned above, tretinoin and retinol are both types of retinoids. Retinoids are a derivative of vitamin A. Vitamin A occurs naturally in our body. It has many functions, but with regard to our skin, it works as an antioxidant to help fight cell damage and also to promote the turnover of epithelial (skin) cells. In addition it helps brighten skin tone and help with acne. Why it‘s so good for acne is unknown, however by boosting cell renewal, the appearance of acne scars is greatly reduced. Tretinoin (aka Retin-A) and retinols are often confused with one another. Think of them like cousins, rather than twins. The biochemical difference is that retinol must be converted to retinoic acid, whereas tretinoin is already a retinoic acid and does not need to be converted to anything. Retinoic acid is the active metabolite that will directly affect the skin cells. Because of this conversion, retinol yields a lower concentration of retinoic acid and therefore is not as strong as tretinoin. So, if you feel as though you need something stronger, Retin-A might be the better match for you. Incorporating retinoids into your skincare routine is easy. Using it in your nighttime routine is more favorable, because retinoids make your skin more sensitive to burning. That’s why it’s also important to wear an SPF in the morning. It pairs great with products containing niacinamide. Try to avoid using it with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide or AHAs. Remember, you can first try an OTC retinol and then talk to your dermatologist to work your way up to something stronger, should you feel like you need that. Retinoids and easily available and applying one every night can make all the difference. Just as we want to take care of our heart or liver, we should take care of our skin, too! It is the largest organ and protects us from so much everyday. —————- Thank you for giving my post a read! I am new to the platform and am excited to share my thoughts on topics I am passionate about. If you'd like to follow me on my medical school journey, follow me on TikTok: @louisatarrasch. :)