Winter Skincare Update

Since the advent of colder weather, I have had to reign in my skincare and keep it simple - and moisture focused. But before that, I had a trouble spot where it was a break-out cycle, non stop. No matter what I tried (medicated, deep cleansing, masks), I still had residents on my face. Then some research later, I realized I was probably not clearing out my pores as well as I could and that I needed to drink at LOT MORE WATER.

1. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 

All the hype surrounding serums over the past couple of years got me thinking. I have used a couple before but it was because I bought them on a whim, and they were Hyaluronic Acids for (or so they claimed) blemish reduction and even skin tone. Meh. They were okay. But THIS. Has changed the game. Deciem is a company that I did a bit of research on before - they have some brilliant product lines, and one of them is The Ordinaries. They stand for simple, affordable skincare and do NOT charge atrocious prices (Glossier, I love you, but some of your stuff is a bit pricey). This serum in particular has been pit against the Glossier Super Pure serum and I have definitely noticed a difference. Zinc deficiency can cause breakouts and this helped me close and clear my pores post CTM (Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize) routine. 

2. Letigo Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush- Dupe for the Luna Foreo

There's been a lot going around about the Luna Foreo and it's contemporaries. When I first saw videos about it I was very very skeptical. Pulsing sonic technology? Sounded gimmicky. And plus, the brand names were all $120 plus. When I found that simple cleansing wasn't doing the trick, I started shopping around for konjac sponges - they're great but they also have a shelf life. This popped up and I started doing my research - Youtube reviews, Amazon reviews, the works. It seemed to be a proper dupe for the Foreo and it was a fraction of the cost ($19.80). I ordered it and figured if it was a total bust, I'd just return it. It's been a good two months now and I cannot LIVE without it. I can see the difference and feel it too. My skin feels so much cleaner when I cleanse with the cleansing brush than when I just use my hands. I've used my cleansers and exfoliators with this and it's worked brilliantly. Highly recommend.

3. Clean and Clear Deep action cream cleanser

Such an oldie in my stash but a goodie. I probably switched around between way too many deep cleansers/exfoliators when it came to double cleansing - and this really did the job of getting all that residual make-up out and leaving a clean tingly feeling in my pores. I would recommend using this with a cleansing brush or a konjac sponge for the best use of product.

4. Belif Problem-Solution essence

I've always loved layering skincare - serums, essences and creams. It's a bother to start off with, but when you get into a routine - you realize that it's so calming and the benefits outweigh the solid 15 minutes you invest in your skincare every night. Since I've been breaking out a bit, I find that putting this over my serum does wonders for my skin. It reduces the inflammation and calms the redness.

Happy Saturday!