Which Sun Care Products Am I Using Now? 🤔

I tried using mineral sunscreens, but it just didn’t work. So I’m still using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 (mainly around my eye area) because it doesn’t sting my eyes compared to a chemical-based sunscreen. I might even purchase it again since it’s pretty affordable for a mineral sunscreen/skin care product. It seems to work on my skin. I haven’t had any allergic reactions to it. As for Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50, I stopped using it. Maybe I’ll use it as a makeup primer or something like it. It seems to work well for that purpose.

So what sunscreen am I using now? I went back to using a chemical-based sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens were so drying that it made my skin look parched and crusty. It made my makeup application look terrible. It accentuated every single dry skin and pore on my face too. Ugh! And fine lines and wrinkles. Chemical-based sunscreens are more moisturizing. SO! I started using La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 again. It’s the most moisturizing without making my face appear too greasy. I tried using Altruist SPF 50 again, but that sunscreen made my skin look even more greasy. I prefer La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 instead. My skin always looks good with this sunscreen. It’s a moisturizer + sunscreen in one. But, once again, I don’t use sunscreen every single day. I only use it when I’m outdoors exposed to UV rays.

All in all, it wouldn’t hurt to use up all of the sunscreens I have right now. I haven’t spent any money on sunscreens ever since I decreased my sunscreen use. Not that I’m not using it. I am. As I mentioned, I only use it when I’m exposed to UV rays…but also when my skin feels a bit dry from my acne cream. I really wish LRP would come out with a moisturizer like this (the SPF 100 sunscreen product) but without the SPF. I can only hope. Oh well. I’ll use whatever I have in the meantime.

Sunscreen Update: My Experience with Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

I used Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 this week in place of Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50. Here’s my experience…

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 is a zinc, mineral-based sunscreen. It contains 21.6% zinc oxide. It’s a pure mineral sunscreen. The texture of the sunscreen was sticky and became easier to apply each time. Still, sticky. It doesn’t irritate the skin or dry the skin out. It does accentuate dry patches on the skin if there are any. I noticed that I had some dry patches on the skin along my jawline and forehead. Even with the dry patches of skin, the sunscreen left my skin feeling moisturized. It was the combination of moisturized skin and dry patches of skin coming to light when applied to the skin.

The stickiness of the sunscreen bothered me. My makeup products had a difficult time setting on my skin. It smeared and didn’t look good. The sunscreen made my face appear shiny and weird-looking. I didn’t like it. There was also an obvious white cast that I couldn’t tame. Every makeup product I applied appeared lighter than it was supposed to. That’s something I didn’t like either. But it is a pure mineral sunscreen that I’m willing to put up with.

Fortunately, I didn’t break out when using it. It felt like it could clog my pores, but it didn’t. I didn’t use it every day, but I used it most of the week. All went well when it came to developing breakouts or not. This sunscreen worked for me. I’m still not sure if I can keep using it on my face. The stickiness, and shininess of the product really get to me. If I can’t find anything else, I might just try my best to make it work. It’s a non-chemical sunscreen that’s non-drying. I can’t seem to find any other mineral sunscreen that’s moisturizing and doesn’t cause breakouts. This one should work for now. I’m not sure what the future will hold for it. We’ll have to see, haha. So far, it’s been alright.

Update: Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 + Switching to Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

Here’s my update on Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50!

I’ve been using Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 as my main sunscreen. Sometimes I used La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100. Just to finish it up. I have a few bottles that I need to knock out. But I’m going to focus on Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 in this post. 🙂

The texture of the sunscreen is very nice. It’s very silicone-like, which I love. I love the smooth, soft, silky texture of this sunscreen. It glides and melts over my skin like no other sunscreen I’ve used before. Well, besides Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40. I miss that sunscreen. I never went back to purchase another one, ha! Maybe next time. So Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 didn’t clog my pores (yay!) and worked well underneath makeup. Also, it’s a hybrid sunscreen. Yes, it left somewhat of a white cast on my skin. That didn’t bother me much. All I did was use a bb cream to blend the white cast away. It helped a little bit. The sunscreen + bb cream leaves my skin looking more even-toned and more awake. Less dull. Not too bad.

Since it’s not entirely a mineral-based sunscreen, my skin burns a little bit after I use a chemical exfoliant. I would also have to opt for a sunscreen that was more moisturizing when Cetaphil dries my skin out. It makes the appearance of my skin look even drier. Ugh, I can see dry patches of dead skin hanging on my face. I tried using a physical exfoliant to remove the dead skin, but that didn’t work. The sunscreen just clings onto dry patches and makes my skin look DRY. Not a good look. So, I’m thinking about switching out for another mineral sunscreen since this one just isn’t working. I’m thinking about trying Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 again. I know I’ve tried this sunscreen out plenty of times. I still have some product left of this sunscreen. Since I don’t use sunscreen every day anymore, we’ll see if it works when I use it only when I’m outdoors or exposed to UV. That may make a difference.

Update: Skin Care Routine

I did an update not too long ago, but here’s my current routine. I change it up every time when necessary, haha.

My eye care routine <<<

Update: Eye Care Products <<<

*My New Skin Care Routine*

Face Wash: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free

I’ve been using this face wash for quite some time. It’s still working. It feels a little bit drying sometimes. It hasn’t clogged my pores or caused any skin irritation. Maybe I should stick with it. It is what it is for now. I haven’t ventured to any other face wash since. I just don’t feel like looking anymore. If it works, it works until it gets discontinued, LOL. RIP my past facial cleanser. It was good while it lasted.

Eye Care: Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream

I started using Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream again. I only use it for the skin around my eyes. It dried out pretty badly without it. So it seems like the cream is keeping my skin moisturized. It’s also extremely affordable. That’s why I decided to stick with it. It’s an inexpensive, pretty effective cream that works for me. It’s good for now.

Skin Treatments: Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment

I stopped using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid. It was great at first, but I noticed that it was making my skin very oily. I also noticed new breakouts out of nowhere. This used to be a HG for me. I don’t know what happened. Well! That means fewer products in my routine. Yay! I’m happy about that. I’m trying to keep things to a minimum anyway. I am still using Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment. I use it whenever my skin gets oily and when I notice new breakouts. It’s still good at preventing acne and fighting acne.

Sunscreen: Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50

It took me a while to pick out a sunscreen to use. I finally settled on Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50. Remember Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30?? That sunscreen felt thick and was supposed to moisturize the skin. It didn’t. It dried my skin out like crazy. My skin looked so wrinkled when using it. I stopped using it anywhere near my face. Even though Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 is not a true mineral sunscreen, it’s working for me. I haven’t had any irritation, or breakouts using it. Maybe that one time when I was using it was a fluke. It’s working now, haha. Some quick thoughts on this sunscreen: Wish it was 100% mineral, leaves a white cast but brightens my skin, can accentuate dry skin if the skin is flaking off or dry, smooths out the skin (silicones!), makes my makeup and skin look better due to the silkiness of the product, runny but easy to apply, doesn’t look cakey on the skin, SPF 50. It’s a good sunscreen for now. Winter is coming soon and I’m hardly ever outdoors anyways. It’s better than nothing.

A new update when it changes. 🙂

My Hair Care Routine + Reviews (Aussie, Kirkland, Nexxus, OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair Mask)

I stopped using Aussie hair care products. My hair didn’t like those products at all after months and months of using them. My hair would get extremely dry, crispy, and feel coarse from the shampoo. I had issues using it on my scalp as well. It dried out my scalp and made it itchy. The conditioner didn’t leave my hair moisturized. My hair just felt like hay using these products. It felt and looked awful. I didn’t see improvements in my hair. Aussie is a pretty inexpensive brand, but I can’t do this to my hair anymore. I needed to dump these hair care products and…yes…spend a little bit more.

I ended up trying Kirkland Signature Professional Salon Formula Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner. This shampoo and conditioner were a total failure. It felt like it cleansed my hair without stripping it dry at first, but it was because my previous shampoo and conditioner did more damage to my hair. Kirkland worked a tad better for my hair. But it wasn’t for me after using it for some time. I finished them and tossed them out. I needed products that was even more moisturizing. I didn’t purchase it again. I searched for something else…

So! I picked up Nexxus Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner. I’ve been using it for most of the summer and now in the fall. The difference in my hair between switching to the Nexxus Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner from Aussie hair care products was night and day. My hair didn’t feel as dry anymore. My scalp felt healthier. The itchiness and dryness stopped. My hair started to feel more full and lively. Not heavy. The Nexxus shampoo and conditioner smells really good. It’s fresh and light. It’s not heavily scented. Perfect as is. My hair looked much smoother and healthier. I loved the results.

But! I wish it was a little bit more moisturizing. I wasn’t getting it from the Neexxus shampoo and conditioner. I went out and purchased OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair Mask. This is an affordable hair mask. I needed a hair mask quick because my hair needed a little pick-me-up. I mean, a ton of help, haha. This is what OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair Mask is supposed to do:

• Hydrate, smooth, repair
• Keep strands smooth and hydrated
• Protect and soften strands with argan oil of Morocco and silk proteins
• Replenish and soften strands with a luxurious fragrance
• Paraben-free
• Safe for color-treated hair
• Best for dry, damaged hair

I’ve been using OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair Mask for nearly a month now. I don’t use it every day. I use it once a week. It’s been OK. The smell of the product is pretty overwhelming (to me). I wish it was more moisturizing. Maybe my hair is just too dry right now. Maybe I need to bump up my usage to twice a week. I’ve been dealing with dry ends for a while. I need something to revive them a ton. Once I finish OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair Mask, I won’t purchase it again. I just think it’s OK. I want to try out other hair masks/deep conditioning treatments first.

I did purchase a new set of shampoo and conditioner. They are artnaturals Argan Oil & Aloe Shampoo and Conditioner.

• For dry brittle hair, flaky dry scalp
• Rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, fatty acids, Moroccan argan oil
• Restores balance to hair and scalp
• Moisturizing dry scalp
• Protects hair from damage and breakage

That sounds perfect! I’ve only used it for less than a week. So far, it’s been alright. The shampoo doesn’t foam up that much. Seems like I need to use a little bit more to clean my hair. I have a lot of hair. At first, I used 1 pump of shampoo and tried to distribute the product all over my scalp and down to my hair strands. It wasn’t enough. 2 pumps of product is where it’s at for my hair. I wish it was more foamy, but that’s OK. I can deal with it as long as it leaves my hair clean. It has for the times I used it. As for the conditioner, I wish more product would come out. Once again, I have a lot of hair, long hair. I tend to use more conditioner than shampoo. I’m not too impressed with the conditioner. I’ll have to use it a bit longer to see if it’s good or not. Both products haven’t dried out my hair. My hair feels moisturized and clean. Not too bad yet. But we’ll have to see when I use it for a bit longer.

I did pick up another deep conditioning treatment. I haven’t used it yet. It’s the Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask. It’s a deep conditioning and hydrating treatment for softer, silkier, and healthier looking hair (as it says on the packaging). I haven’t even opened it yet. Here it is.

Let’s see how this one goes…next time… 🙂