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!

Review: The Ordinary Products (What I’m Trying to Finish)

Here’s a list of The Ordinary skin care products I’m trying to finish. I’ve been trying to use them every night. I couldn’t use most of them during the day. The texture of most of these serums are too thick, heavy, and greasy on my skin. I started to get itchy from them too due to the oiliness of the serums. But I’ve been trying to purge these products from my life. But since I’ve been using them consistently, what are my thoughts on them now? Are they any good? Will I try them out again or just drop them from my routine? Keep reading to find out!

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%:

I remember when I first purchased this serum. I thought it would work well with my other antioxidants. The product advertised itself to recycle oxidized vitamin c. It’s supposed to help hydrate the skin and improve skin elasticity. Also, scavenge free radicals and so much more. When I was using vitamin c serums, my face was darker than the rest of my body. My facial skin was literally a pumpkin. 🎃 Who knows if the pycnogenol serum did anything to help recycle oxidized vitamin c. The overall formulation of this product is moisturizing, but it’s more on the greasy, heavy side. It didn’t help to rejuvenate my skin or improve skin elasticity. I didn’t notice any changes in my skin. Why did I purchase this again? lol. The bottle of the serum is tiny. It comes in a 0.5 fl. oz (50 mL) glass dropper bottle. It’s cute and all, but it’s not worth it for me. It did nothing for my skin. I’ve been using more than one drop (more than I usually use) to finish it up. Still, it’s taking forever to finish it. It lasts forever. I guess that’s a good thing if you’re interested in this product. I’m on my last bottle and can’t wait to be done with it!

Hylamide Booster Glow:

Before I begin, this product is a self-tanning serum. It contains a raspberry derived alternative instead of self-tanning ingredient DHA to build pigment in the skin. The purpose of this product is to give the skin some radiance, golden glow after 2-3 days of use. I made a mistake of purchasing this product thinking that it would help fade some acne marks and skin discolorations. It’s a self-tanning product, not a product to help fade acne marks or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The last time I used a self-tanning product was when I was a teenager. That was when it was all about having that bronze, glowing tanned skin for me. Since I’ve only used self-tanning products to get a tan, I think I saved my skin from UV damage over the years. Looking back, I’m pretty happy with most of my skin care decisions. haha. I said most, lol.

When I first opened this product, it smelled so bad. I almost vomited. The smell of the product just gives me headaches as I continued to use it. The smell lingers on the skin too. I haven’t used this on my face in months due to it having an awful smell. But also, I didn’t really like the results. The times I used it on my face, I took a few drops and pat the serum into my skin, twice a day. After a few days, I noticed some color in my skin. It really does add some pigment into the skin. Unfortunately, it made my skin extremely yellow (just like the color of the serum). I was expecting a more natural, less-yellowish hue to my skin. More like a light tan, bronze shade that I got from my past tanning products. I didn’t get those results from this product. I stopped using it. It takes some time for the color to fade, so my skin was just bright yellow for a while. I don’t remember how long it lasted, but I could clearly recall how yellow my face was. I’ve always liked the smell of tanning products but this one just stinks. 🤢

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane:

I used to love squalane in products when I first started off with skin care. I was able to use them without clogging my pores. But it seems like pure 100% squalane does a number on my skin. The oil sits on top of my skin and doesn’t absorb as quickly. The product claims that this serum is a fast-absorbing oil-like serum. No, it didn’t absorb fast. It felt heavy and greasy on my skin. It saturates the top layer of my skin and just sits there. It just makes my skin appear more oily. It doesn’t hydrate or moisturize my skin either. Maybe oils are just not for me. This squalane oil serum didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the way it felt on my skin. I’ve been using it on my feet to get rid of it, lol. I can’t use it on my upper body. It sticks to everythinga and (once again) it doesn’t sink into the skin properly.

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5:

One of The Ordinary products that feels like water. 💧 The purpose of this serum is to add hydration to the skin. The key ingredients are Betaine, Arginine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, and PCA. It also contains other amino acids, to name a few, Valine, Proline, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, and Threonine. The product is called ‘Amino Acids’ for a reason. It contains a bunch of amino acids in it. B5 or panthenol is a b vitamin. Panthenol is an ingredient that soothes, moisturizes, and strengthens the skin. I love skin care products with this ingredient. It’s non-irritating and leaves my skin in good condition. But, this serum didn’t live up to my expectations. As I mentioned, the serum feels like I’m applying water to my skin. It didn’t leave my skin feeling hydrated at all. I tried applying it once (didn’t hydrate my skin well) and applying layers of the product to my skin (no hydration or extra hydration, just wasted product). Honestly, I didn’t think this serum did anything special for my skin including something as basic as hydration. It absorbs into the skin quick, but I didn’t see any noticeable improvements in my skin. This serum was a waste of time and money. On my skin, at least.

The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane:

The purpose of this retinol product is to help with uneven skin tone, texture irregularities, signs of aging, and dryness. Bingo. That’s what retinol does for the skin. For me, even though this is advertised as high-strength retinol, I thought it was too gentle on my skin. I wasn’t able to use it for too long due to the other ingredients being incompatible with my skin type. I thought the texture and consistency of the serum was too oily. The first ingredient in this product is squalane. And I know that squalane won’t work on my skin if it’s the first ingredient or base of the serum. It also contains jojoba seed oil and tomato fruit extract. I wish the ingredients were even shorter for my acne-prone skin. This serum ended up breaking me out (not a purge). It clogged my pores, and my skin never improved using it due to the breakouts. I don’t think this is a terrible product. If your skin can handle the other ingredients besides retinol in this product, it could work for you. My skin didn’t like the overall formulation of this retinol product. So, as you can see, I’ve been using it on my body instead.

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%:

So the purpose of this serum is to help with dullness and target the signs of aging. I’m a fan of resveratrol and ferulic acid. And I was madly in love with this antioxidant serum for a while. I kept trying it over and over again. I even tried it on my face again not so long ago. I was hoping that it would work on my skin because it’s an affordable serum and contains resveratrol and ferulic acid. Nope, too bad, my skin rejected this serum. I started breaking out in acne out of nowhere. I didn’t have to use this serum for too long to develop breakouts. I think I’m finally over this serum. I don’t have the urge to use it on my facial skin anymore, lol. I love the active ingredients in it, but the overall formulation of the product is too heavy and greasy for my oily skin. It makes my skin even more greasy and shiny. So I’m glad I have finally detached myself from using it ever again (on my face). I thought about purchasing it for the skin on my body (haha!), but I can’t seem to get over how greasy it is. It’s official. I’m over it. It’s time to move on.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%:

Another product that I kept on going back to like the Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid is the Ascorbic Acid & Alpha Arbutin. The purpose of this serum is to even out the skin tone, combat signs of aging and dullness, and it’s also an antioxidant (woohoo vitamin c!!). I was in deep denial when I was using this serum (not the first time, lol). With this serum, I didn’t notice much brightening in my skin. I didn’t notice fading of acne marks or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation either. My skin actually turned orange. It made my face darker than the rest of my body. I just kept using it because it was affordable and contains vitamin c plus alpha arbutin. I didn’t think it was worth using anymore due to poor results. But also, the serum has a greasy, heavy feel to it (like a bunch of other The Ordinary skin care products). I was using it in combination with the Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid serum, and it was a huge disappointment. I can’t believe I stuck with it for years! This serum isn’t coming back to my routine. Once I’m done with it, it’s done.

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA:

I really love lactic acid. It’s one of my favorite aha products. It’s gentle, works to exfoliate the skin, leaves the skin looking glowy and smooth. It’s just amazing. I’ll choose it over glycolic acid any day. It simply works better on my skin with less irritation. So this lactic acid serum is a high-strength exfoliator that works to reveal smoother skin. It’s for uneven skin tone, texture irregularities, and skin dullness. All I needed was a few drops for the whole face, pat it into the skin, and that’s it! It absorbs pretty fast into the skin without leaving any sticky residue and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy on the skin. It’s not like the other The Ordinary serums that I’ve talked about. This one is lightweight and feels decent after application. I’ve used this product on and off over the years. The first time I used it was a mess. My skin was just terrible and nothing was working. Not even this lactic acid serum alone. I stopped using it for a while. I started using it again, and it seemed like it worked better on my skin this time around! I was shocked and excited at the same time. My skin was actually peeling like it’s supposed to when using a chemical exfoliator. Keep in mind that this is the 10% formula. It’s much stronger. If you’re not experienced with lactic acid, The Ordinary has the 5% formula. I haven’t tried the 5% yet. I’ve only used the 10%. I stopped using this product because I went on to use other products to treat my acne like salicylic acid. They seem to work better for my acne than lactic acid. So, in saying that, I would definitely give this serum a try again if it comes to it. That’s if my other acne products stop working. I’m currently using this product up right now because I don’t want to let it expire. It’ll be a waste.

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%:

This product is advertised as a ‘non-injective’ solution for dynamic lines. It’s supposed to treat crow’s feet and signs of aging. Some say it’s ‘botox in a bottle’. The star ingredient in this product is Acetyl Hexapeptide-8. I don’t have major dynamic wrinkles, but the product did claim that it’ll help with signs of aging. I have some signs of aging that I could tackle or at least prevent. The serum is a watery liquid and very easy to use. It absorbs into the skin fast and leaves the skin feeling like there’s nothing on the skin. It felt like I was applying water to my skin. As for the results, I didn’t like what it did to my skin. I noticed my skin started to look droopy and saggy. Like, what, what’s going on? I stopped using it immediately, but that was after going through a more than a few bottles. ha! *sigh* My skin bounced back to what it was before using the product. Thank goodness! While using this serum, I would like to mention that my skin didn’t freeze or feel motionless. From my experience with this product, I won’t purchase again. Honestly, I don’t care much about it anymore. Just trying to finish up what I have now (not on my face).

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA:

With The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%, I used the Matrixyl 10%. The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA is a skin-firming serum that targets fine lines and signs of aging. This product contains peptides, such as Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38. I’ve gone through several bottles of this serum too. I’m not sure if it did anything for my skin. In my mind, I was hoping that it did and will. 😁 It’s an affordable product that contains peptides. I stopped using this product on my face. My skin doesn’t like the texture of the serum. It’s a gel that blends into the skin well, but it seems to dry out my facial skin and irritates it to no end. After quitting this serum for months, maybe I should try it again? lol. Not on my face but the skin around my eyes. I have some fine lines that I want to get rid of or at least diminish. Hopefully it’ll help with the ‘signs of aging’ too. Why not? I still have it. I think this is the only serum I’ll make an update on soon! Counting down the days and look forward to a new review on The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% HA!!

I do have more products from The Ordinary that weren’t included on this list like The Ordinary EUK 134 0.1% and The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA. They’re on my list to finish up, but I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of products I’m using right now. 😮‍💨 I’ll get to them when I can. More reviews coming up soon!

Skin Care Products I’m Using 🥰 + What I’m Doing for My Acne

I talked about skin care products I stopped using. Here are products that I’m still using (for now). I’ve definitely cut down on a bunch of skin care products. If you missed out on products I’m using to moisturize my skin, go here. I’m not going to go too much into detail on those products, since I’ve already talked about them in another post. I’m here to share the other products that I use that’s not in my moisturizing routine.

Let’s start off with The Ordinary products…

I’m only use 3 products from The Ordinary. They are The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%, The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA, and The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 that I mentioned in my moisturizing routine. The first two (Argireline and Matrixyl) are my favorite The Ordinary products. I don’t have much to say about the Amino Acids + B5. I’ve noticed better results from Argireline and Matrixyl. Well, I hope it’s actually working. My skin just looks good when I use them both. The three The Ordinary products that I mentioned are the only ones that haven’t broken me out. Now more about The Ordinary products and breakouts!

I actually stopped using The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2% and The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3% on my face. It’s because both serums are way too oily on my face. I kept getting breakouts. The breakouts were really bad too. Left long-lasting acne marks behind too. I’m very disappointed in that. My face would just look like pure grease when I used these serums. It looks good at first. The serums made my skin look softer, dewy, and glowy. Also, a little tan. My complexion looked darker using these serums. That was kind of weird. But, by the end of the day, my skin looked like an oily mess. As mentioned, greasy. And the breakouts were too much for my skin to handle. I love the ingredients in these products. I just couldn’t deal with the oiliness and breakouts any longer. I really wanted them to work. They just didn’t.

Vitamin C & Sunscreen 🌞

Melano CC Vitamin C Essence is my favorite vitamin c serum that I use only in the morning. I stopped using it at night due to not seeing results using it twice a day. I really can’t tell if it’s working or not, to be honest, but it doesn’t break me out. I like this vitamin c product more than the other ones I have used in the past. I’m going to stick with it. No breakouts from it. 🙂 It’s also very affordable. Great for travel too. ✈️

I have some sunscreens that I use (more than one!). They are…

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ in Clear

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ in White

I use them both. The Clear version works better than the White. It glides on the skin much easier and absorbs into the skin better. It doesn’t leave a white cast behind and leaves the skin looking silky and dewy. It also works well as a makeup primer too. I haven’t had any breakouts from the Clear version. I’m really happy about that. I’ve gone through multiple tubes of the Clear by now. It works amazingly on my acne-prone skin! Much better than other sunscreens I’ve used.

I also have the White version. I recently just finished a tube of the White. At first, I didn’t like it that much. It leaves a noticeable white cast behind even though it sort of helps to even out a dull complexion. It’s also drier on the skin and accentuates dry patches due to the dryness (higher concentration of titanium dioxide). I like it just a little bit, but I don’t like it as much as the Clear. Unfortunately, I went overboard and purchased a ton of the White version. I’m going to have to live with it and use them all, ha! We’ll see if my thoughts change on them or not. We’ll see soon…

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Lotion SPF 15 Sunscreen

Here’s another sunscreen I’m using. I don’t use it on my facial skin. It breaks me out due to how moisturizing it is. I wish it worked on my facial skin, but I’m prone to breakouts. Sucks, I know. So I’ve been using this sunscreen on my neck and upper chest. I love how moisturizing it is in those areas of my body. Also, sometimes I use this sunscreen around my eyes too. It’s just super moisturizing, so it works perfectly for that area of my face. Yes, it’s SPF 15, so it’s not a high SPF sunscreen. Don’t worry, I use Canmake on my neck and upper chest too. I just like the moisture from this product. It works if you have dry skin.

Acne Treatments

I only use tret once a week. I still have it, so I thought I would continue to use it. I tried using it twice a week, and it didn’t work out, lol. My skin started to breakout and looked so bad. It wasn’t the type of breakout where it’s just purging for the moment. My skin just looked terrible. Just random breakouts. Once I stopped using tret, my skin looked better. I know for sure that it wasn’t an initial breakout. I’m not going to wait it out this time either. It’s been over a year on tret. Possibly longer. I think that’s more than enough time to know if tret works for my acne or not. I’ve used tret many years ago before this too, and it worked during that time. I guess it doesn’t work for my acne anymore. But, I’m really over it. Since I still have the product, I’m going to stick to using it once a week. That’s more than enough. I’m done with the weird things that tret does to my skin when I use it more often.

My main acne treatment is benzoyl peroxide. I stopped using salicylic acid, by the way. It did nothing for my acne. It made my blackheads worse. It gave me blackheads. Ugh! With benzoyl peroxide, I only use it whenever my skin needs it. I’m guessing 1-2 times a week. Sometimes 3. But it seems like 1-2 times week is all my skin needs. I just monitor my skin and see how much benzoyl peroxide it can take. So I apply benzoyl peroxide all over my face now and spot treat on days when I take a break from it. The day after using benzoyl peroxide, I’ve been getting breakouts and clearing up at the same time. My skin also peels. It’s working like how tret is supposed to work. Exfoliating my skin. lol. I remember using benzoyl peroxide to treat my acne years ago, and it cleared up my skin due to how it was peeling my skin. I hope it works the same way this time. So far, with BP, my skin has been looking wayyyyy better. It’s the best acne treatment ever for my skin. I’m just crossing my fingers that it’ll give me awesome results again. Not only does it make my skin peel, it kills bacteria too. It zaps away those nasty cysts and pus-filled pimples quickly. Works wonders over night! Wish me luck!

I didn’t go over my favorite eye creams in this post. I think I’m going to save that for another time. If my face skin care routine changes, I’ll make an update. But what I’m doing right now is working very well. Benzoyl peroxide changed the game. I just hope my skin doesn’t dry out! Ahhhhh! More coming up soon! 🙂

Update: My Moisturizing Skin Care Products

Since I’ve removed a ton of skin care products from my skin care routine (thank goodness!!!), I’ve rounded up what moisturizing skin care products I have left. Well, look at that, about 7-8 products. I mean, it’s not the most minimal, but it’s much better compared to what I was doing before. To think of it, I’m just laughing my butt off because there is such a thing as too much. What I was doing was too much. It wrecked havoc in my skin, and it was also taking up a lot of space in my bathroom. ha! So! These are the moisturizing skin care products I’m using. There’s a chance that I might even remove more products if I don’t see results from them or don’t need them. Time will only tell. 🙂

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Before I get into Cosrx Snail Essence, I did remove Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence from my routine. Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence is just a basic hyaluronic acid product. There’s not much to call home about it. Nothing about it stood out to me when I was using it. Even though it’s an essence, it feels more like a gel. It would come out in blobs and feel a bit sticky. So I didn’t think I needed it anymore, since I have other products that contain hyaluronic acid. This ingredient is like everywhere. It would just be too redundant keeping it in my routine. It’s also not that moisturizing. I wasn’t impressed by it. I think it’s time for me to stop spending money on this stuff.

Now on to Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence…

Between the hyaluronic and snail essence, I prefer the snail essence. It’s lightweight and absorbs into my skin very well. It’s perfect for my oily, problematic skin. And I only use a single drop for the whole face in the morning and at night. It’s a little bit more moisturizing compared to the hyaluronic acid, in my opinion, but not by much. I need some moisture in my routine, so I decided to stick with the snail essence rather than the hyaluronic acid essence. This is the only snail essence I’m using too. If I could find a better snail essence product, I would switch because the packaging of this product irks me.

Cos De BAHA MA Peptide Facial Toner

I didn’t think I would like this facial toner. It’s called a toner, but it’s really a gel. It also comes in a 200 mL bottle compared to my Cosrx essences that are only 100 mL. It’s a pretty good deal for a gel moisturizing product. I haven’t had any issues with it. I’ve been using it twice a day without developing any breakouts like blackheads and cysts. It’s not the most moisturizing, since it’s a gel, but I need some type of moisture and this seems to do the trick for the moment. The ingredients are pretty good too. It contains aloe, betaine, sodium hyaluronate, matrixyl 3000, peptides, beta-glucan, and so on. Just looking at the ingredients makes me think how redundant these ingredients are in a lot of my skin care products. So far, with this product, I like it, I’ll keep using it.

Benton Fermentation Essence

This is one of my favorite skin care products. I love, love, LOVE this essence!!! 💗 It contains galactomyces ferment filtrate, bifida ferment lysate, sh-oligopeptide-1, and ceramide np. Love the ingredients! The product does come out as a liquid. Once again, I know I mentioned this several times in the past, the product shoots out straight from the pump. Make sure to shoot it in the palm of your hand! As for the product itself, it feels liquid-like and silky, and it goes on the skin feeling soft, smooth, and silky too. It’s another essence that isn’t that moisturizing, but since I have oily skin, it’s decent. I haven’t had any breakouts from it either.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion

This is my main hyaluronic acid product. I like it much more compared to Cosrx’s hyaluronic acid essence. It contains different types of hyaluronic acid. When dispensed, it comes out as a gel. I don’t need a lot of product to cover my whole face either. Just 1-2 drops of product. It’s more moisturizing too and makes my skin look super glowy and dewy. Feels a little bit sticky though. That’s not a huge issue as of yet, lol. Just like other gel moisturizing products, it’s not as moisturizing compared to a cream. I think I’ve accepted that by now. I rather have some moisture than breakouts caused by using a heavier, richer product. This one works pretty well. I like it.

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum

I started using Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum again last year to heal my skin. My skin was such a mess from a bunch of stuff going on. I wasn’t happy with my skin, and it needed to be repaired and needed time to heal. Since this serum contains centella, ceramide np, sodium hyaluronate, asiaticoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, peptides, and a bunch of other skin care goodies, this serum looked like it could repair and heal skin. I don’t remember it burning my skin in the past when I used it, so I decided to use it again. With this serum, it helped to provide some moisture (not the most moisturizing, again), but it was a product that helped to heal and repair my moisture barrier for the time being. After my skin healed, I decided to keep using it because it hasn’t done any harm to my skin. It lightly hydrates, provides my skin with healthy skin repairing ingredients and leaves my skin feeling, I guess, rather nice. It’s a nice serum to keep around for now. I think I’m going to keep it in my routine since I haven’t experienced breakouts or clogged pores.

SOME BY MI Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream

I purchased this product on a whim without thinking much about it. I’m glad I did. I’ve been using it for nearly half a year already. Around there. Once again, like all of the moisturizing gels, it doesn’t moisturize the skin too well. I have oily skin, so that doesn’t bother me too much. I just don’t want to get breakouts or bad acne from a moisturizing product, which happens way too often. Fortunately, this gel moisturizer hasn’t broken me out at all. Yay! I remember using it for the first couple of weeks and it brightened my skin. I’m on my second jar of the product, and I don’t think my skin is any brighter. I was hoping that it’ll help get rid of some acne marks, but I haven’t noticed that either. I feel like the best thing for me to do to get rid of acne marks is to simply eat a healthy diet and let the acne marks fade on their own. I haven’t encountered a product that helped with acne marks yet, and I’ve used plenty. Let’s see what this product can do. I’m almost done with my second jar. I don’t mind using it or having it in my routine right now.

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5

Look what I have! Yep, The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5! I remember this serum breaking me out last summer. This time, it seems to be going well! I haven’t had any breakouts from it! But it doesn’t leave my skin drenched in moisture like I wanted. It’s just another lightweight moisturizing serum with amino acids. But that’s OK! I decided to keep it in my routine because it’s very lightweight and hasn’t caused any issues. Also, it’s a super affordable serum too. With this serum, I only use 1-2 drops for my whole face and neck. It’s another product that’s going to last forever. I hope, haha! I can’t say much about the results besides the very lightweight moisture it provides. I’ll make another update when I’m done with the bottle.

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I mentioned in another post that I am using Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream when I use my acne treatment to prevent my skin from drying out. Don’t forget to check out that post!

Another moisturizing product I removed (almost forgot this one!!) is Cosrx Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap). I debated if I should keep this product in my routine or not. Well, I decided to stop using it on my face. I think I have more than enough moisturizing products. Maybe a little too much still. I just feel like this moisturizing lotion, even though it doesn’t break me out and does moisturize my skin, is just another excess product that I don’t need. Also, I disliked the packaging of the product by a ton. I can’t seem to get to the very last drop no matter what. I’m not smashing bottles. lol. 😂

That’s all of my moisturizing skin care products. I might eliminate some of them if necessary. I’m not trying to complicate my life and skin care routine. But so far, this looks pretty good. Life has been so much easier just cutting out products. Plus, I haven’t spent a dime on a new skin care product as of late. It’s pretty shocking because I would throw my cash to try something new, lol. This is a nice change in life. ✨

I’m Hooked on The Ordinary. 😲 What I’m Using…

So I’ve been using The Ordinary skin care products for so many years. I recently, well not too recent, but I’ve been adding my leftover The Ordinary skin care products back into my routine. It started off with The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA and The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%. Next, The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5. Now I’m also using The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%, The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%, and The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%. I have a couple of others that I’m using too. It’s unstoppable at this point. These serums are amazing and are doing wonders for my skin as we speak. I hope what I’m saying won’t backfire, and the products stop working, lol. But, I like what I’m seeing when I use The Ordinary serums. It’s amazing how effective they are for the price. Super, super affordable compared to the higher end stuff I used to use YEARS ago. This is so awesome! Now let’s do a quick recap on these serums and how it’s going for my skin.

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA:

This is a lightweight serum that comes out in blobs. Don’t be alarmed how it’s not a runny liquid or serum-textured serum. It feels like it’s in between a serum and a gel. It doesn’t feel sticky on the skin. Doesn’t leave any residue on the skin after application. The serum just absorbs into the skin nicely and leaves the skin feeling like there’s nothing on it. I’m nearing a month using this serum, and I can’t believe how well it’s working on my skin. I think it’s doing something because my skin does look a lot better after a few days of using it. It’s supposed to be good for fine line and wrinkles, so I’m going to keep using it for that. I like it so far! No breakouts from it either. Love it!

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%:

This is another anti-aging serum that’s supposed to be like botox-in-a-bottle. It’s supposed to help with fine lines and wrinkles too. Using the Argireline Solution 10% in combination with the Matrixyl + HA has been amazing. My skin looked pretty good after using these two together. I noticed a softer, smoother, and more youthful complexion. It took a week or two to see some results with the Argireline Solution 10%. Since I’m nearing a month soon of using this serum, I can see some changes in my skin. It’s another good serum from The Ordinary that feels lightweight and absorbs into the skin well. It doesn’t leave any stickiness behind. It just sinks into the skin and works well with my other skin care products. I’ve had zero issues with this serum so far. Awesome stuff! But is it like botox? I’ve never had botox done before, but I will have to say no just by looking at people who have had botox. It’s a skin care product. I mean, it’s a good alternative that’s not invasive if that’s what you’re looking for. The results won’t be the same as botox, obviously.

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5:

This is a lightweight, runny, liquid serum. It absorbs into the skin very well. It feels like I’m applying water to my skin. 💦 I guess it hydrates my skin a little bit. Not too much. With this serum, I can’t tell if it has done anything, but it doesn’t hurt to keep it in my routine. It hasn’t clogged my pores at all like I thought it did before. It’s been pretty good using it daily. No harm done. I just hope it does something positive for my skin in the long run. I’ll keep using it for the time being.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%:

I thought I would never use The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2% ever again. Now here I am using it every single day without any issues. This vitamin c serum with alpha arbutin has not cause my skin to breakout. No irritation. Nothing bad at all. Since it has an oily feel to it, it leaves my skin feeling moisturized and silky. I’m not a huge fan of the serum feeling oily, but it hasn’t done any harm. I’m nearing 2 weeks on using it. So far, everything is going well. I hope everything goes smoothly as I keep using it. I can’t wait to see results! I’m definitely a fan of vitamin c serums. I feel like this might be staple in my routine soon!

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%:

Just like The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%, The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3% has that oily feel to it too, but it hasn’t done anything bad to my skin. It hasn’t clogged my pores, no irritation, nothing. Everything is going well. With this serum, I just can’t tell if it’s doing anything. I’m just using it because it’s an antioxidant serum with resveratrol and ferulic acid. And ferulic acid and ascorbic acid go very well together. This is something I’ll keep using just because. Let’s go for it!

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%:

Here goes to another serum that I can’t tell if it’s doing anything for my skin. It also has a oily feel to it. Hasn’t clogged my pores either. No skin irritations. No redness. All is good! But does it work? Who knows. I have a couple of bottles of The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5% to use up. I’ll continue to use it just because too. I have it, so why not? Let’s see what it can do. If I can ever visually see the effects it has on my skin, lol.

That’s my update on my The Ordinary skin care products/serums! Look forward to a new update on them soon! I’m very excited for the results, since my skin has improved so much since! 🙂