Update: My Skin Care Routine!

Here’s another update on my skincare routine! This photo was one of my previous skincare routines. I’m still using the same face wash and benzoyl peroxide acne treatment. The 2 sunscreens pictured (LRP SPF 100, Altruist SPF 50)…I still have it and use it. Read more about it in this post! Lastly, I finished the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10. I stopped purchasing it because I liked the Neutrogena BP product a lot more. It seems to work better on my acne.

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

I’m using the same face wash as before. Same old. It’s the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free. This product seems to work for me. It doesn’t help with acne, but it doesn’t break me out. It works to cleanse my skin. It’s fragrance-free. I love the big bottle. It lasts for months. I tend to be very generous with the amount I use also, haha. But at least I’m using it. If it works, why fix it? I guess I’ll stick with it. 😀

Eye Care: Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream is moisturizing and affordable. It doesn’t do much for wrinkles or fine lines. I like using it because it leaves the skin around my eyes moisturized. It’s perfect for that. Once again, it’s affordable. I don’t feel like spending that much on an eye cream anyway. From my experience, they don’t do much but keep the skin around the eyes moisturized. This is good enough for now.

Acne Care: Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment 

I use Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment as an all-over acne treatment and a spot treatment. I’m leaning toward a spot treatment. But I use it as an all-over acne treatment when needed. My skin loooveesss benzoyl peroxide. Possibly the only acne product that works on my skin over so many years!

Sunscreen: Whatever sunscreen I have. *See the list below*

I’ve been experimenting with sunscreens. Here’s a list of sunscreens I use. I switch it up.

• La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100
• Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
• Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50
• Altruist SPF 50
• Vanicream Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

I haven’t used Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 on my face in a while, but I thought I would toss it on the list of sunscreens to use. I like that it’s lightweight, a mineral sunscreen, and contains SPF 50. It’s not a full mineral sunscreen, but it’s better than nothing. This sunscreen works great as a makeup primer as well. It tends to dry out the skin a bit and accentuate dry patches though. That is why I’m not purchasing it again after I finish it.

I wish LRP SPF 100 was a mineral sunscreen. Too bad that it’s a chemical-based sunscreen. This sunscreen seems to work some days. On other days, it doesn’t. On the good days, it leaves my skin moisturized, smooth, and protected. I have no issues with it. On the bad days, it gives me really terrible headaches that it’s making me think if I should continue to use it. I haven’t used it since, but it’s there. I most likely won’t stick to this sunscreen when I finish it. Something is off about this sunscreen. The headaches are just so bad. Maybe it’s something else…I don’t know…

I’m only using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 only on the skin around my eyes. It doesn’t dry it out or make it look bad. It works. I think I may have found a sunscreen for the eyes. Just not my face because it accentuates skin dryness, makes my skin flake, and just makes it look awful. I tried. It just didn’t work for me. It’s an affordable sunscreen to use around the eyes. Hey! Even my neck. And it’s a 100% mineral-based sunscreen. 🙂

Sometimes I use Altruist SPF 50. It’s a bit heavier on the skin. It leaves my skin greasy when used often. I might as well use it so it won’t go to waste. It’s a lot more moisturizing compared to my mineral sunscreens. It doesn’t give me a headache like the LRP SPF 100 does. Seems to work better during the colder months since it’s dryer.

So I haven’t spent a single dollar on a new sunscreen. I really still don’t feel like it. I think it’s a waste of money, especially when I have a bunch of sunscreens to finish. I’ll try my best to use what I have before I try another new sunscreen. This works for now, I guess.

Which Sun Care Products Am I Using Now? 🤔

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!