3 Sunscreens I Used This Week: La Roche-Posay SPF 100, Altruist SPF 50, Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50

Here are my thoughts on 3 sunscreens I’ve been using. They are La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100, Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50, and Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100:

I used La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 twice this week. With this sunscreen, I love the texture of this sunscreen. It’s soft, melts into the skin, absorbs nicely, moisturizes, and leaves my skin feeling so supple afterward. If LRP made a moisturizer like this (without the SPF), I would buy it. Moisturizers never work on my skin, but this product works when I experience dry skin from my acne products. I always enjoy applying this product to my skin. As for the SPF, I still wish it wasn’t a chemical sunscreen. It stung my eyes. I wish it was mineral-based instead. But it would have a white cast. Oh well, I wouldn’t mind. I didn’t have any issues besides stinging of the eyes. I still won’t purchase it again after I finish it because I’m trying to move away from chemical-based sunscreens. I can’t use it daily. I develop headaches and other health issues because of it. I can’t wait to be done with it. At the rate I’m going, it’s going to take a while.

Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50:

I was going to stick to the Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 at first, but it started to feel very sticky and greasy on my skin. It also didn’t leave my skin feeling moisturized either. So do I have to put up with the stickiness and greasiness of this sunscreen? Also, it doesn’t provide any moisture when it’s sitting on my skin, and when I remove it? Nah. I love the high SPF (UVB and UVA), but it’s not working for me. It burns my eyes as well. It makes my skin appear extremely shiny and awful. I’m going to use the rest of this sunscreen on my body. Just not my face. I developed a few pimples from it too. Pus-filled ones. sigh I tried to make it work. Maybe I’ll bring it back when I think it could work for me again, lol.

Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50:

I currently don’t have a to-go-to mineral sunscreen. I thought I would give Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 a try. Yes, again. It’s not a 100% mineral sunscreen but a hybrid. But whatever. It could work, haha. I really don’t know what to use anymore. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. The sunscreen feels silky and smooth. Hmmm, silicones! My skin loved it! It made the texture of my skin appear smoother and so glassy. My skin was glowing! Ha! I really liked the final result of it besides the white cast. I was able to put up with the white cast since I’m pretty pale anyway. That didn’t bother me much. I used this sunscreen 3 days in a row due to being outdoors for a bit. It seems like I can’t use it that often. I noticed some tiny blemishes. Ugh! Yeah, if you are acne-prone, this might cause some clogged pores. At least they weren’t cystic acne or a cluster of pimples. The pimples vanished the next day. I guess I can use this sunscreen on and off like my other sunscreens. My skin doesn’t like any sunscreens. I’ll use whatever I have for the time being.

And I’m still in search of the perfect sunscreen (which doesn’t exist), haha.

My Updated Experience with Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 & How I’m Using Sunscreen

I’ve been using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 for 1 week. I didn’t use it every day. I stopped using sunscreen every day. I only use it when my skin is directly exposed to the sun, which is when I’m outdoors. When I’m indoors, I don’t even bother. I’m pretty good at remembering when to wear sunscreen. I don’t need to make it a habit. I’ve been wearing sunscreen for so many years already. I decided to just leave my skin alone and not waste money on excessive use of sunscreen products. Also, I haven’t noticed much difference in my skin when doing this. My skin looks fine without using sunscreen every day when I’m indoors. I have curtains that block out the sun anyway. All I noticed when applying sunscreen every day even when indoors was a decrease in my bank account. That sucked. I’m glad I made this change.

From how things are going using sunscreen like this, my skin looks so much better. I haven’t experienced major breakouts. I was dealing with breakouts from mineral sunscreens and wondered if they caused clogged pores. Now I know that they do. I had to stop using mineral sunscreens until I find one that’s suitable for my skin type. If that ever happens, lol. In the meantime, I guess I’ll use what I have — Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50. I’m thinking about re-adding La Roche Posay SPF 100 back in my routine too since I don’t use SPF every day. I also quit re-applying unless I’m outdoors for long periods of time, which is very few days in a month. Yes, in a single month. Not a week. I’m rarely outdoors that much.

Here are my thoughts on Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50…

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 for 1 week. This sunscreen feels just like how I remembered it. It feels like a lightweight lotion when applied to the skin. It absorbs pretty well into the skin. I didn’t have any issues rubbing the product into my skin. I still have to watch the eye area because the sunscreen burns the eyes if it gets in it. It also burns the eyes if it gets near it. So! I used a mineral-based sunscreen for the eye area instead. At least I’m using up my mineral sunscreens!

Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 feels greasy on the skin with the proper amount of product. I wish that it wasn’t that greasy. It left my skin looking shiny all day. I love the UVA and UVB protection, but it feels heavy on the skin. My hair would stick to my face. Unfortunately, if it’s really hot, humid, my skin starts to over-react to the humidity. On top of that, I do have oily skin, which makes heavy products look extremely shiny on my skin. It’s going to get cooler sooner so that shouldn’t be a problem. Another issue I had with this sunscreen that I haven’t experience in a while is pilling. I was applying the sunscreen this morning (after having no issues), and it rolled off my face! I don’t even use that many products in the morning. Only a salicylic acid toner and benzoyl peroxide for acne. I don’t know what happened. I gave up using it for today and used La Roche-Posay SPF 100 instead. I’ll make an update on La Roche-Posay SPF 100 next time again.

See everyone there! 🙂

Another Update on Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30!

I’ve been using Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 consistently. I used it every morning. I didn’t reapply throughout the day. I didn’t think I needed to. I’m rarely outdoors during this time in my life, haha. I’ve been trying to make a mineral-based sunscreen work. But after weeks of using Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30, my skin became very dry. The sunscreen does give off a sense of moisturization when applied to the skin, but it has left my skin feeling extremely dry and tight after it settles into the skin. I can’t even move my face without feeling uncomfortable. It accentuates every fine line and pore. It makes my skin look awful. I’m not a fan at this point. I wish it were more moisturizing.

Another thing with the Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 is that I get a few clogged pores from using it. I’m able to take care of the clogged pores. I just wished that it didn’t clog my pores. A product should not be clogging any pores. So I’ve stopped using Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 for the time being and see what happens. I don’t want to continue to experience clogged pores.

Since my skin became so dry, I started using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50. It’s a hybrid sunscreen (mineral + chemical). I wasn’t able to use any mineral-based sunscreens due to the dryness. My skin couldn’t endure it any longer. So! Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 is moisturizing, but it’s a bit on the greasy side. Be careful when using it near the eyes. My eyes burned a bit. I accidentally got a little bit of the product in my eyes. It somehow leaked into it. My skin looked shiny throughout the day, but it felt moisturized. It wasn’t dry and tight. I liked the way it felt on my skin for a change. By the end of the day, my skin looked so much better. Zinc oxide did a number on my skin. My skin looked terrible using it every single day. I know that zinc oxide has astringent properties, but the sunscreen was supposed to be moisturizing. It’s just not. I’ll use Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 for UV protection (for now) while I search for another mineral-based sunscreen.

Those are my thoughts on Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30. Hey, I gave it a shot. I’ll use the rest on my body or something. Gotta use the rest up!

May & June Skin Care Empties

I’ve gone through a bunch of skin care products. Let’s get started!

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream:

I was able to finish one jar of Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream. I have one more and am trying to finish that one too. So my thoughts on this product are not so good. I thought it was working out for me in the beginning, but it was making my skin worse. It didn’t leave my skin feeling moisturized either. Just greasy and oily. It made me break out as well. I tried using it only as an eye/neck cream. I didn’t like it as an eye cream. As a neck cream, it works, but it’s not the best, moisturizing neck cream I have used. The ingredients in this product are nice. It contains shea butter, beta-carotene, ubiquinone, and vitamin E, to name a few. It just didn’t live up to what it claims to do. I didn’t get any results from it but clogged pores and greasy skin.

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%:

This serum has a watery texture that easily absorbs into the skin. It’s supposed to help with dynamic lines on the forehead and smile lines. I didn’t see any results using it. I loved how fast it absorbs and isn’t sticky on the skin, but it did nothing for me. I have one more bottle of the serum that I’m still trying to use up.

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50:

I was so happy when I finished a bottle of this sunscreen. It’s taking me forever to finish it up for many reasons. Honestly, I really don’t like this sunscreen. It smells awful, feels greasy and heavy on the skin, leaves an obvious white cast, clogs my pores, and is difficult to spread on the skin. I love that it’s 21.6% Zinc Oxide and is SPF 50, but I stopped using it on my face for the reasons mentioned. It feels very uncomfortable on the skin. I have one more bottle of this sunscreen and won’t repurchase it when I finish it. I don’t even know how I’m going to use the last bottle. Wish me luck!

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5:

I’m done with The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5! This is my last bottle and I’m over it! It did NOTHING for my skin. It feels like I’m applying expensive water to my face. I will not repurchase. What a waste of money!

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%:

I finished another bottle of The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%. I don’t really hate this serum. It just didn’t work on my face. It’s too greasy and oily. It made me break out. I didn’t know I was breaking out from using it until I stopped using it. It was one of the many causes of my breakouts. But, I started using it on my body consistently instead. I really like it as a body serum. Not too bad. So I stopped using it on my face and kept using it on my body instead. I might keep using it for that reason. I have a few bottles left to test it out and see if I like it.

Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm Orange:

I’ve been using this bb cream for years and finally finished my last bottle of the product. I noticed that I stopped getting breakouts from it after I started using my acne cream. This isn’t a bad bb cream. It’s one of my favorites, but it’s not like what it used to be. I love how it controls oil on my skin. I have very oily skin and this bb cream seems to work for my skin type. But, the one I received was much different. I have a sample of this bb cream and it seems to have a different texture compared to the full-size bottle that I just finished up. Maybe I received a fake? Maybe they changed the formula? I don’t know. I think it’s time to move on to something new…

Andalou Naturals Clear Skin Kombucha Enzyme Exfoliating Mask:

I haven’t talked about this product yet. I was going to, but I got really busy. So this is an exfoliating mask. I’ve been using it to just use it up, lol. It contains argan stem cells, grapefruit kombucha, pineapple, and papaya enzymes to exfoliate and dissolve dull, dry surface cells. It’s supposed to help unclog pores and help with breakouts. I didn’t see any results from this exfoliating mask. It was fun to use, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t waste my money on it again.

CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Face Sheer Tint:

Another product that I wished I didn’t stock up on, lol. It’s the CeraVe Hydrating Face Sheer Tint. This sunscreen product is awful on my skin. I was a dedicated user. In the end, it caused me to break out without realizing that it was one of the main causes of my breakouts. I even tried it again and noticed breakouts. What is it with CeraVe that causes my skin to dislike it so much? Since it causes acne, I’ve been trying to use it up, but it’s been a pain in the butt. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone with acne-prone skin. Do a patch test first to see if you have any reactions to it. I wished I did.

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

No more leftovers of this sunscreen! I finished them all!!!! It didn’t work for me at all. It dries out my skin, leaves my skin looking like plastic, and sun protection is poor (didn’t work for me). I noticed it making my skin look very aged. It must be the dryness or something. I tried using it with a moisturizer underneath. That didn’t work either. This sunscreen product is just not for me. Very overhyped for the price. Not worth it, in my opinion.

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum:

I shouldn’t have bought so many of the Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum. It is a calming and soothing serum, but it didn’t do much for my facial skin. I’ve been using the rest of what I have. I’ve been very generous with it too. This serum sucks. I’m over it and just in the process of finishing them up and tossing them out, haha.

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG:

I was going to keep The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG in my routine, but I never saw any true results with this eye serum. I just wanted it to work and kept using it. It feels pretty drying too even with moisturizer. I gave up on it. Here’s to another product that I’m trying to finish up. I think I have at least 1 more bottle of this serum left…

Eucerin Advanced Hydration SPF 50 Sunscreen Spray with Hyaluronic Acid + Humectants:

I’m not big on spray sunscreens but gave this one a shot. I thought it could work on my face. The sunscreen sprayed out nicely and was very easy to use, but it felt and looked greasy on my skin. It burned my eyes. It has a strong sunscreen smell to it. This would work better as a body sunscreen than a sunscreen for the face. Since it’s alcohol-free, it feels greasy as mentioned. I was hoping that it would work on my facial skin. Oh well. Moving on…

Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen Stick Broad Spectrum SPF 50+:

I finally finished my last tube of this sunscreen stick. It’s not for me. It’s greasy and oily. It gets everywhere. It feels sticky on the skin. I just didn’t like it. I can’t imagine using this on a daily basis. Maybe if I’m at the beach but there are so many options out there that I’m not even thinking about purchasing this sunscreen again.

Up & Up Sport Sunscreen Lip: Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 50:

This is my current lip balm with SPF 50. It’s cheap. lol, that’s the reason why I use it. I would love to switch over to a mineral-based sunscreen, but I haven’t found one that works for me. It is what it is. It’s a lip balm with SPF.

Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40:

I ran out of Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40! I’m not sure if I’m going to pick up some more. My current SPF product is working for me, and I just don’t feel like going to the store to get more, haha. But, this sunscreen is pretty decent. I wish the SPF was a little higher.

Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50:

I finished my second bottle of Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50. I don’t use this sunscreen on my facial skin. I use it around my eyes. It’s greasy on my face but works on the skin around my eyes and neck, so that’s what I use it for. I’m not even sure I’m going to stick with it. I have 2 more bottles left and just using it because it’s supposed to be a high UVA sunscreen. We’ll see if it works or not!

GUERISSON 9 Complex Cream:

I’m glad to be done with this cream. It didn’t do much for my skin. It’s a pretty heavy product. I honestly don’t care much for it. I almost forgot about it and decided to slather my body with it for weeks until the jar was empty. Wouldn’t purchase it again, to be honest.

Coppertone Defend & Care Clear Zinc 50:

Another sunscreen that I finished. Coppertone Defend & Care Clear Zinc 50 smells like plastic and left a white cast on my skin. I used most of it on my body since my face hated it. It’s not a sunscreen that I would purchase again. It’s affordable, but I can’t stand using it. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience.

PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash (4%):

I was hoping that a benzoyl peroxide-based face wash would work instead of my current face wash. It didn’t work. PanOxyl did nothing for my skin. It didn’t even clean it well. I’m better off sticking to benzoyl peroxide topical treatments to target my acne-prone skin. This face wash may work for others, but it didn’t for me.

Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment:

Love this product. It cleared my skin after months of using it. I noticed results very early on (a few weeks). It sinks into the skin nicely and doesn’t leave residue behind. I love it. I’m currently using it in the morning to control sebum and prevent breakouts while using SPF. My sunscreens tend to be greasier and the acne treatment helps to decrease the grease on my face, haha. I finished one bottle of the acne treatment. Now I’m on to my second bottle! Wow, this stuff is amazing at fighting acne. I’m going to keep using it.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50:

I thought this would be my HG sunscreen, but I’m so over it. It’s a mineral sunscreen and I really wanted it to work. The texture of the sunscreen is very soft, smooth, and elegant. It’s easy to blend into the skin. It does leave a white cast on the skin, which I didn’t like. It’s a very noticeable white cast. I prefer a more moisturizing sunscreen that doesn’t leave my skin looking extremely white. This was just too much and noticeable. It’s quite embarrassing. I can’t go anywhere using this sunscreen. It’s hilarious, haha.

Aussie Total Miracle Conditioner with Apricot For Damage Hair:

I was able to finish the Aussie Conditioner (Apricot). Another brand that I’m over with. The conditioner didn’t do much for my hair. It feels like it’s moisturizing when I’m using it, but it left my hair looking frizzy and gross afterward. I didn’t like the results of it. I guess it’s affordable for a reason. Next…

Catch up on my skin care empties right here!

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!

February Skin Care Empties

March & April Skin Care Empties!

My Skin Care Routine & How I Cleared My Skin

Here’s my new skin care routine!! 🙂

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

I’m almost done with my second bottle of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free. I’m not having any issues with it. I tried switching over to a benzoyl peroxide-based face wash. The benzoyl peroxide-based face wash did nothing for my skin. It didn’t clean my skin well and didn’t help with acne at all. It was such a waste. Here’s the benzoyl peroxide-based face wash I was using — PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash (4%). I’m better off just sticking to a leave-on benzoyl peroxide product. And that’s what I exactly did. So I’m going to keep using Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free. It works on my skin. It doesn’t dry my skin out, moisturizes, and hasn’t caused any breakouts. Yay! It works! I’m moving on to my third bottle soon. I think I found the one.

Skin Treatments: Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment & Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10

I started using Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment two months ago. This was after I stopped using other skin care products on my skin. After switching to the Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment, I started seeing results within the first 2 WEEKS!! It helped to decrease sebum in my skin and reduce blemishes. This BP treatment absorbed so much faster and better compared to my Acne.org BP Treatment Gel that I was using for many years. I thought about purchasing the Acne.org BP Treatment Gel again but decided to try something new. I needed something quick. I ran to the store and picked up the Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment. So far, it’s been working very well. My skin stays clear when I use it. I stopped using it a few days and that resulted in my skin going back to extremely oily with a few blemishes. Once I start using it again, my acne vanishes. I’m trying my best to use it as often as I can. I’m currently using it mostly in the morning while I use something else at night…

At night, I use Clean & Clear Persa-Gel. I don’t really need to use Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment twice a day. I know it says AM treatment, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s just a benzoyl peroxide treatment product. As for Clean & Clear Persa-Gel, this product brings back so many memories! I’ve been using it for so many years. I guess it’s back! I use this product to treat stubborn areas like my nose (blackheads begone!) and any blemishes that pop up out of nowhere. The 10% is much stronger and more effective on very stubborn acne. With this combination of acne topicals, my skin is clear. I couldn’t believe it either. I’ve been struggling with acne for years now. I can actually look at my skin in the mirror now.

Sunscreen: Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 & La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 & Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50

I’m currently using 3 sunscreens. It’s Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 (not pictured, I ran out), La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100, and Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50. Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40 works on my skin now, haha. It’s great since it’s silky smooth and easy to apply. It doesn’t burn my eyes and that’s awesome. La Roche-Posay SPF 100 is my favorite sunscreen right now. It’s moisturizing, hasn’t caused any breakouts, and the high SPF is much better for my complexion! I was still getting freckles when I was using SPF 30 and SPF 50. I decided to bump it up to SPF 100 and noticed that my skin feels and looks better. I like it a lot more EXCEPT for the fact that it burns my eyes. I only use it on my face. I have another sunscreen that I use around my eyes and that is Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50. I’m not a huge fan of using this sunscreen on my face. It’s greasy, causes acne, and makes my face look very shiny and oily. I only use it around my eyes and neck/body. I love that it’s high UVA. So those are the 3 sunscreens that work on my skin.

That’s all I use. I thought about adding at least a serum in, but I’m so afraid that it might cause breakouts. I am very acne-prone. I don’t want to make any changes that’ll revert my skin back to a field of acne. I’ll wait it out just a little bit more.