If you follow me on Instagram, then you know how much I love skin care products. You guys have been complimenting my skin and asking what products I’m currently using. I’m planning on doing an updated post on both my morning and skin care routines, but wanted to share the 5 products that have really changed my skin for the better.
PHOTOGRAPHY // Erica J. Simmons
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Eye Serum
While I do believe most people should use an eye cream, an eye serum has really been the game changer for me. To be clear, I only use an eye serum – not both. I’ve been loving the Dermalogica Biolumin-C Vitamin C Eye Serum. It has vitamin C – which brightens and I think that has helped brighten my face up. It also contains Tremella mushroom extract which hydrates, reduces inflammation and gently exfoliates. Texture is my skin’s vice, so something that hydrates and exfoliates is a winner in my book. I use this eye serum both morning and night.
Vitamin C
Because vitamin C worked so well under my eyes, I was determined to slather it all over my face. Enter the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum. I’ve always been a huge fan of Drunk Elephant and this serum is another reason why. It’s brightens (thanks, vitamin C) while dissolving dead surface skin cells and minimizing the appearance of pores (shout-out to the pumpkin ferment & pomegranate extract). This is a very potent and concentrated product – it has 15% L-Asorbic acid plus fertile acid. It firms, it brightens and it exfoliates which is the holy trinity of a good vitamin C product. I only use this product in my morning skin care routine.
Sheet Masks
I absolutely love sheet masks! Blame Korean beauty routines – they know what they’re talking about. I love both the pricey and drugstore sheet masks, but the Tony Moly I’m Real Nourishing Honey sheet mask has been my go to lately. It’s very moisturizing and gentle. I don’t have a set schedule for how often I sheet mask so even if I use this mask on back to back days, my skin doesn’t go crazy because of how gentle it is. It’s really the most refreshing 20 minutes. Again, it really helps smooth out the texture of my skin and leaves my skin feeling balanced – moisturizer without feeling oily or greasy. It’s the best $4 you’ll spend on skin care if you ask me.
Bakuchiol
One pitfall of pregnancy and breastfeeding is not being able to use retinol. And I love retinol. It is the Benjamin Button skincare product. It stops aging and once you use it, it’s so good to you that you never wanna leave it. So when I got pregnant, I set out to find something that would still do retinol’s job. Turns out that there’s a vegan alternative – bakuchiol. Be clear, it is noticeably not as strong as retinol. But if you use it consistently, this plant based retinol alternative will leave your skin looking amazing. I’ve been using the Herbivore Bakuchiol Natural Retinol Alternative and I’m a fan. It not only hydrates (yes!) but it minimizes the appearance of fine lines. This product is great for you if you have sensitive skin and retinol is too much for you. While retinol accelerates the anti aging process, bakuchiol proves that slow and steady can still win the race.
Essence
I’ve only been using an essence for the last couple of months (I recently mentioned it in my favorites) and my skin has been reaping the benefits. The SKII Facial Treatment Essence is everything it’s hyped up to be. No, truly…honestly. SKII’s power ingredient Pitera was discovered after SKII learned that many of the older workers in a Japanese brewery had extremely youthful hands thanks to the fermented yeast. They tweaked the recipe to youthfulness and this essence literally clears up your skin, hydrates, smooths and enhances radiance. I put it on after my toner with 2-3 pumps in my hand (don’t you dare waste this product on a cotton pad!) and pat into my face and neck for 60 seconds. It’s a pricey product, but so worth it. So, so worth it.
Those are the 5 beauty products that have changed my skin for the better. What’s your holy grail skin care product of the moment?
