February Skin Care Empties

Here’s my list of February empties! The list is pretty short this month. I slowed down on using my skin care products. I’ll try my best to pick it back up next month!

Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask:

I finished my last bottle of Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask. I tried using this moisturizer on my face so many times, but it never worked completely. I noticed that it would brighten my skin up at times (contains niacinamide and rice extract). The brightening effect did not last. My skin would revert back to what it was before. It never helped with acne marks either. My skin ended up breaking out due to the oils (sunflower seed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil) in the product. It didn’t work for me in the end. I used several bottles too. I used the rest of what I have left on my body and hands. I’m glad I’m done with it.

Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30:

I finished one of the two bottles of Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 this month. Yay! This used to be my HG sunscreen (or moisturizer with SPF). It was the only moisturizer/sunscreen product that didn’t break me out. It’s not the best. I noticed some burning and freckles while using it. Whatever. I couldn’t use anything else due to breakouts. This was my only choice. My experience with it this time was not like it used to be. It used to be decent. Now, I’m just not impressed anymore. I find it to be too moisturizing (makes my skin oily) and burns my eyes. I tried applying the product a little bit away from my eyes, but it seems to get in my eyes regardless. Since this sunscreen isn’t reliable or that effective, I don’t care much for it anymore. I experimented with it indoors (not outdoors). It is what is it. I have one bottle left and won’t repurchase again. I can’t anyways, haha. It’s been discontinued. I wonder why…lol.

RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream:

No more RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream! I’m done with it. I’m happy to be done with it. I used the rest of the product on my body, especially my feet. This eye cream was OK at first until my eyes started burning from it (new formula?). It irritated the crap out of my eyes and gave me an allergic reaction. My eyes were so swollen and puffy.

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum:

I was able to finish a bottle of Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum this month. I didn’t even realize I was running low until I finished it. So with this serum, I haven’t been using it on my face. It’s not a good facial serum for me. I remember getting blackheads and other breakouts from it, which is surprising because it absorbs quickly and feels very lightweight on the skin. I guess my skin just doesn’t like facial serums or maybe it’s just this one. I’ve been using this serum after my showers on my body. Honestly, I can’t tell if it’s making a difference, but I love how weightless and how fast it absorbs into the skin. Well, I have to use it for something. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m about to open a new bottle, haha.

For more skin care empties…

August Skin Care Empties! 

September Skin Care Empties 

November Skin Care Empties 

December Skin Care Empties 

More December Skin Care Empties!

January Skin Care Empties!

Update: My Skin Care Routine

Not shown in photo: Taz & BP

Here’s 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 a little over 2 months now. I love how it foams up and feels soft on the skin as I wash my face. It cleanses the skin nicely. But, I feel like it’s kind of drying my skin out. It cleanses my skin very well, but my skin feels a little dry afterwards. It feels chapped. I don’t feel like switching cleansers right now, but I’ll use what I have left. I might search for another cleanser when I’m done. We’ll see what happens.

Skin Treatments: Taz & BP (Acne) & L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum (Brightening)

I’m only using taz and bp (not together, separately) 1-2 times a week. My goal is once per week. I also spot treat with bp when I see any pimples forming. As for the vitamin c serum, I’ve been using it on my cheekbones and lightly tap it under my eyes. I noticed brighter under eyes after doing this so I continued to use it this way. I use it on my neck too. I can’t use it on my face because it clogs my pores. This vitamin c serum has a silicone feel to it, and it makes my skin feel very soft, smooth, and silky. It’s been working great for those areas of my skin. Unfortunately, just not my face.

Sunscreen: CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint & Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40

I have two sunscreens that I’m using right now. It’s the CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint and Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40. I use CeraVe most of the week, but if I feel like it, I use Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s sunscreen leaves my skin feeling moisturized and protected at the same time. It works great as a makeup primer too. My skin feels so silky smooth after I use it.

I’m still trying to keep my skin care routine short and minimal. I’m really not into extensive skin care routines anymore. haha. I tried it. It didn’t work for me. I prefer to keep my skin care routine as simple as possible. It seems like my skin starts to break out when I’m layering on too many products. By the way, I stopped using moisturizer on my face. It’s time to call it quits. I’ve been trying to make it work for so long that it’s just not working. I keep getting random breakouts whenever I try to moisturize my skin. I decided to just leave my skin alone. I never used moisturizers years before either. I guess some people just can’t use moisturizers (like me). 🤷🏻‍♀️

That’s my updated skin care routine! Hope this was helpful. Have an amazing day! 😄

January Skin Care Empties!

Here are my January 2023 skin care empties! 🎉

Mizon Peptide Ampoule Cream:

I finished Mizon Peptide Ampoule Cream! This cream did nothing for my skin. I’m glad I’m done with it. This cream contains ingredients, such as (to name a few) cocoa extract, sodium hyaluronate, copper tripeptide-1 (20 ppm), centella asiatica extract, beta-glucan, cranberry fruit extract. The ingredients are nice, but I didn’t see any changes in my skin. It’s just another moisturizer. I didn’t think it kept my skin that moisturized either. It’s a very lightweight cream. I used almost all of it on my neck and chest area. As mentioned in my previous review, the product irritated my eyes. I couldn’t continue to use it on my face. It contains lavender oil, which I thought was very irritating. I really don’t like products that contain lavender oil. It gives me mad migraines. This is possibly one of the worse products I have encountered and tried. I won’t ever purchase it again. Once again, it’s a waste of money. No results.

Purito Centella Green Level Eye Cream:

I finished my last tube of Purito Centella Green Level Eye Cream. I’m so happy that I’m done with it. I have no intentions in purchasing it again. I didn’t see any results while using it. I’ve gone through so many tubes of this eye cream too. The ingredients looked soooo good! It contains centella asiatica extract, shea butter, peptides, madecassic acid, and so much more! But, it didn’t do anything for fine lines and wrinkles. It didn’t feel moisturizing either. I prefer eye creams that are thick, rich, and moisturizing. The skin around my eyes become dehydrated quick. This eye cream didn’t do it for me.

Cosrx Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap):

I’m finally on my last bottle of Cosrx Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap). I finished a bottle this month. Yay! I’m not a fan of this moisturizer. It feels lightweight and lightly moisturizes the skin. It doesn’t do much for my skin. I didn’t see improvements in the texture or moisture in my skin. It smells very nice though. It smells citrus-y and contains tea tree oil in it. I’m just not impressed with this moisturizer to use it daily on my face. The bottle/packaging of this product is very annoying. Product gets stuck inside the bottle and there’s no way to get it out. Seems like a waste of product. I can’t wait to finish my last bottle. Another product that I won’t be purchasing again. I’ve been using it as a body moisturizer. It’s not doing a great job moisturizing the skin on my body either. At least it’s not breaking me out or causing any other skin issues.

Benton Fermentation Essence:

I’ve been waiting to finish Benton Fermentation Essence for ages. This essence contains beneficial skin care ingredients like galactomyces ferment filtrate, bifida ferment lysate, ceramide np, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate, and so many more. The product is lightweight and sinks into the skin quickly. It leaves the skin feeling soft and silky after application. I didn’t see results using it though. I’ve gone through bottles of this essence with little results. It feels like I’m applying water to my skin. When I was using it, I noticed that it had shimmering sparkles in it. Just an observation. I won’t purchase this essence again. It was nice to try it out for a while. It’s officially done. Moving on..

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG:

I still have a bunch of The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG left. Another bottle of this caffeine eye solution down (more like a gel eye care product). So I didn’t use this product for the eye area. I used the rest of it on my body. I find that this eye product dries out my eye area and didn’t do anything for the skin around my eyes. I didn’t see any changes in dark circles or fine lines/wrinkles. It just didn’t do anything that I stopped using it. Also, it was very drying even with moisturizer and pilled with other skin care products. I didn’t think it was worth it. I’m still using what I have left on my body. What else to use it for? I can’t wait to finish this product. Let’s see how long it takes, lol.

iUNIK Beta-Glucan Power Moisture Serum:

I finished my last bottle of iUNIK Beta-Glucan Power Mositure Serum! Yessssssss!!! This serum never worked on my skin. It dried my skin out rather than moisturize it. I’m glad I’m done with it. Being a product that contains very few ingredients, it contains only 6 ingredients in it (Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Beta-Glucan, Sodium PCA), I thought it wouldn’t do my skin any harm. Nope, it made my skin feel soooo dry! I would wake up the next morning with red, dry, irritated skin. Ugh! I thought it was doing my skin some good at first. No, not at all. I’m not going to purchase it again. There’s nothing really special about this product. It didn’t work for me.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream:

I finished one of my bottles of First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Creams. It took me about almost 2 months to finish it. I didn’t hold back using this cream. I made sure I used it every night and whenever my skin was dry. After finishing my first bottle, my thoughts on this product is the same as before. It’s a creamy, thick, moisturizing cream, but I can’t use it on my facial skin. I used all of it on my body after realizing that it clogs my pores and gives me blackheads. It worked great on my legs. Left my skin feeling moisturized and protected. It absorbs fast too and doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind. It worked great on my body. It’s just not meant for my face. Would I purchase it again? It’s still a no, but I have one more tube of this cream left to try. Let’s see if it changes my mind!

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++:

I’m so close to finishing the rest of my Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ sunscreens! I have 3 left (including the new one I recently just opened!). I’m not currently using this sunscreen on my face right now. I was trying it out again on my face, but that didn’t work out. My skin dried out once again. Even when I used a mositurizer underneath, my skin didn’t like it at all. I love how it’s lightweight, absorbs quick, and doesn’t leave the skin feeling sticky and tacky. It feels like I don’t even have sunscreen on compared to the other sunscreens I use. But, from my experience using it so far, it doesn’t agree with my skin. It’s so drying and makes my skin feel terrible. It doesn’t provide good protection either. My skin tanned while using it. I reapplied consistently throughout the day too. That didn’t help with the dryness either, LOL. My skin looked so flaky and chapped. I’ll finish what I have. Most likely as a body sunscreen.

For more skin care empties…

August Skin Care Empties! 

September Skin Care Empties 

November Skin Care Empties 

December Skin Care Empties 

More December Skin Care Empties!

Review: L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum

So I wanted to try a new vitamin c product out. I haven’t found one that worked on my skin just yet. The vitamin c product that I picked up was the L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum. On the packaging, it says that this is a lightweight 10% vitamin c concentrate that helps to restore skin’s radiance in 1 week and reduces wrinkles. The serum was formulated without water and packaged in an air-tight metal tube. It’s sealed and ready to use. Produced in controlled conditions to minimize oxygen exposure. It’s fragrance-free, dye-free, and paraben-free. Contains no mineral oil or synthetic dyes. Suitable for sensitive skin. Did it work? Keeping reading to find out! Here’s my experience with the L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum!

My Experience with L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum:

Texture & Application

The product comes in a sealed metal tube (1 fl. oz/30 mL of product). I only used a small pea-sized amount for the whole face and neck/chest area. The texture and consistency of the serum feels like silicones. Looking at the ingredients, I’m not shocked that it felt like I was applying silicones to my face. The texture of the serum is VERY silicone-y. I’m not a fan of products that are too silicone-like due to it potentially clogging my pores (from my past experience with silicone-based products). Besides the fact that it feels like silicones, the serum blends and smooths over the skin easily. It absorbs pretty quick. After application, the serum didn’t feel sticky or tacky. It vanishes into the skin and feels like I have no product on my skin. When I was applying the serum to my face, it feels moisturizing. Once the product dries, it left my skin feeling rather dry. My skin felt dry for hours after. I started to develop flakes and crusties all over my facial skin, especially my jawline area. This serum does contain 10% vitamin c in the form of ascorbic acid. And vitamin c serums can dry out the skin in higher concentrations, from my experience. It’ll be a good idea to use a moisturizer afterwards to prevent dryness.

Results..

I only lasted a week using this product. I used it twice a day, morning and night. Here are my results!

What the product claims…

1 Week: Brightens, more youthful and radiant skin. Skin looks more refined, looks more vibrant and smoother.

2 Weeks: Fine lines and uneven skin tone are visibly reduced.

4 Weeks: Wrinkles appear reduced. Dark spots and pores look less noticeable.

What happened…

Within one week of using this vitamin c serum, my skin looked brighter and more radiant. I actually noticed brighter and more radiant skin before it reached one week. It was after a few days. Oooo brighter and glowy skin! Since the serum dried my skin out, I didn’t experience smoother skin. I tried using a moisturizer after applying the serum too. Nope, my skin was still dry, flaky, and crusty. It felt really rough on the surface. This serum really did a number on my skin. So freaking dry! I would’ve continued to use it along with a moisturizer to see if it works or not on my skin. My skin was already brighter within a few days. What other results could it bring? Also, this vitamin c serum didn’t turn my face orange. Most vitamin c products do. I was very happy to notice a brighter, glowy complexion without the orange face, lol. BUT, I had to stop using the serum because…yeah…breakouts…

Breakouts?

This vitamin c serum ended up clogging my pores. I figured it was this product. Once I removed it from my routine, the breakouts disappeared. And, it’s most likely the silicones. There’s so much of it! My oily skin and this serum just didn’t go well together. I noticed an increase in blackheads on my nose when using it and some other breakouts on my chin, forehead, and cheeks. They just popped out of nowhere. I stopped using this serum, and my skin looks clearer now. No new random breakouts.

Final Thoughts

The L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum didn’t work on my skin. It’s too drying, contains too many silicones, and ended up clogging my pores. The product claims that it won’t clog pores, but it clogged my pores. I noticed breakouts pretty early on but dismissed that it could be this vitamin c product. I used it twice a day, morning and night, too. Hoping that it would fade some acne marks, brighten up my complexion (which it did), and vitamin c is simply just a nice antioxidant to have in a skin care routine. I’m glad I figured out early on that this product isn’t compatible with my skin type. It would suck even more if I kept using it and ruined my skin. I might just go back to my previous vitamin c product or search for a new one.

This is what the vitamin c serum looks like. The product comes sealed and comes in metal tube. The applicator of the product is very nice. It makes it easy to dispense a specific amount of product. 👌🏻 I’m seriously in love with this type of packaging. 🥰

Review: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane

I’ve had this serum for a while, but I never used it on my face. I was just using it on my body to finish it up. Well, that all changed when I decided to use it on my face instead and see if my skin would benefit from it. I’m not blown away with the results I’m getting from my other acne skin care products, so I thought I would give this serum a try before I eliminate it from my life. This is the Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane from The Ordinary. The purpose of this serum is to target textural irregularities and signs of aging. It helps to improve the appearance of fine lines and dynamic lines that arise from loss of collagen and elastin while evening out the skin texture and skin tone. It’s suited for dry skin and comes in an anhydrous formula. The key ingredients in this product are Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Squalane. Now on to my experience!

My Experience with The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane:

Texture & Application

The texture of the serum is oily. The first ingredient in this product is squalane. It also contains jojoba seed oil. I was aware that the serum would be oily on the skin, but I wanted to try it out anyways. With this serum, I used only a few drops for the whole face including the neck and chest area. It’s not necessary to use that much product. The serum is easy to spread across the skin due to the oils in the product. The serum made my skin feel moisturized, but it left my skin feeling greasy. My skin appeared shiny after application. I didn’t like the way it felt or looked on my skin. It seems like it didn’t fully absorb into my skin. The product just sat on top of my skin. Sleeping with this serum on my face at night was uncomfortable. I dreaded every single second of it. On the bright side, my skin didn’t feel dry using this serum at all even when it contains 5% granactive retinoid. I didn’t have to moisturize my skin with another product afterwards. This serum alone provided my skin with enough moisture.

Results…

I only used this product for 1 night. I tried using it the next night, but I had to rinse it off my face (more on this in the breakouts section). This serum is very gentle on the skin. I didn’t have any type of irritation or even redness. My skin tolerated the active ingredient in this product. No itchiness or burning. Nothing. And that’s a good thing. As for results, I noticed an immediate brightening effect in my skin after applying it. My skin glowed. It looked more even. Am I just seeing things? No, it’s really this serum. My skin appeared brighter instantly. I wasn’t able to use it for too long, so it’s very difficult for me to say if it helped with fine lines or other wrinkles. I wished I was able to use it, but let’s move on to why I stopped using it.

Breakouts?

After using it the first night, my skin was more even and bright. I was so surprised how good my skin looked. By the second night, I applied the serum as usual. But, I noticed my skin felt like it was clogging up. I had hard sebum plugs in my skin. I was able to pick them out easily. That’s when I knew I was breaking out from this serum. *sigh* It’s not a purge. I’m actually breaking out from this product. I think it’s the oily texture of the product that’s damaging my skin. Squalane? Jojoba seed oil? Possibly other ingredients clogging my pores? Yep, loved how it brightened up my skin instantly and moisturized my skin, but this serum triggered my acne. Acne is what caused me to drop this serum. Here goes another The Ordinary serum that doesn’t work on my face. It’s the last from what I have.

Final Thoughts

I was so excited to try this serum out. It’s a gentle, non-irritating form of retinoid. It’s available over the counter. It’s always sold out! I just purchased it because I wanted to try different formulations of retinol/retinoid out. It was a gamble. I loved how it brightened my skin. My skin appeared smoother and glowy. But once again, another serum that my skin dislikes. Acne, acne, and more acne when I used it. Maybe my skin just doesn’t like squalane and oily skin care products. I really thought this could be different, but I guess not. What to do with it now? Use the rest of it on my body. It’s not a terrible product. It just didn’t work for my skin type (oily). I think this would work better for someone with sensitive, dry skin. If you have oily skin, it just adds on top of the oils that the skin naturally produces. Oh, well. It’s time to move on…

Here are the ingredients in this product if you’re interested:

Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bisabolol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone.