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 Daily 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.

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!

Updated Skin Care Routine! Only 4 Products!!

My new routine…

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

I’ve thought about switching face washes since forever. But I’m still using the same face wash. I haven’t had any issues with it yet. I guess I’m going to stick with it. It’s a gel-type, foamy, non-drying face wash that gently removes excess sebum from my skin. It doesn’t strip my skin. It’s also affordable. I love that it has a fragrance-free version.

Skin Treatments: Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment & Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid

Benzoyl peroxide is still a part of my skin care routine. It’s an awesome acne treatment. If it weren’t for benzoyl peroxide, my skin would be a mess right now. I think it’s a huge part of my skin care routine. Helped tremendously with my acnegenic skin. I use it as much as I need to, especially to keep my oily skin at bay to prevent new breakouts or diminishing existing breakouts at a faster pace. The best over the counter benzoyl peroxide I have used so far! It absorbs into the skin quick for mornings!

Another acne product I started using is Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid. When I started using this product again, my skin broke out a bit in my blemish-prone areas. After breaking out, my skin cleared up. It didn’t take too long for my skin to adjust since my acne issues were very few. I like using this salicylic acid product to decrease sebum and clear up difficult to treat areas of my skin. Just like benzoyl peroxide, I use it as often as I need it. Sometimes, I even use it at the same time as benzoyl peroxide. I haven’t had any issues with dry skin. My skin is tolerating both pretty well.

Sunscreen: Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

I have purged chemical-based sunscreens from my routine. I stopped using Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 for a while. I started using it again and actually finished a bottle of this stuff recently. It seems to work when I use benzoyl peroxide underneath it. I haven’t experienced major breakouts compared to my experience before. Maybe it might work. I know it’s only SPF 30, but I’m using whatever SPF that works on my skin for the time being. With this sunscreen, I also noticed that it feels moisturizing on the skin, but it doesn’t truly moisturize the skin compared to what I was using before (La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100). La Roche Posay SPF 100 moisturized my skin upon application and afterwards. My skin was left feeling soft. With Vanicream Mineral SPF 30, my skin doesn’t feel moisturized whatsoever. The product is shiny on my skin, but it’s terrible at keeping my skin feeling nice, soft, and moisturized. But I’ll keep using it since I can’t find another mineral sunscreen that is suitable for my skin at the moment. This is it for now, haha. We’ll see how it goes.

That’s all I’m using to maintain healthy acne-free skin. 🙂 I’m keeping my skin care routine to a minimum. My skin prefers a minimalistic approach.

Review: Vanicream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+

If you missed out on my thoughts on Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 and Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 <<<

I did an update on Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 <<<

On to the next mineral sunscreen I tried…

It’s the Vanicream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+!

• Non-nano zinc oxide
• Prevents sunburn, protects from UVA and UVB rays
• Broad spectrum SPF 50+
• Decreases the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun
• Water resistant (80 minutes)
• Non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
• Dye-free
• Fragrance-free
• Lanolin-free
• Paraben-free
• Formaldehyde-free
• Botanical Extract-free
• Non-greasy
• Gluten-free

I was very excited to try Vanicream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+, since it provides higher sun protection. The sunscreen felt lightweight on the skin. It contains only 12% zinc oxide. Hmmm! Yes, it does contain Butyloctyl Salicylate. This ingredient is second on the ingredient list. So, it’s not a true mineral sunscreen. It’s a hybrid. Ugh! Not this crap again! I glanced at the ingredient list before purchasing. I was going to make peace with this ingredient if the product worked out. It had so many good reviews that I couldn’t pass up trying it!

Once again, it’s lightweight on the skin. It’s not a thick zinc-based sunscreen. It’s very light and smooths over the skin nicely. It does leave a bit of a white cast on my skin. If you have deeper, richer complexion, it may leave your skin with a very white cast. I’m pretty pale. I thought this sunscreen made my skin too white. It was unnatural-looking. I didn’t like it. The texture was nice, but it had some flaws as mentioned.

The sunscreen left my skin looking very shiny. Not glowly. Extremely shiny. How am I supposed to re-apply if it makes my skin look awful, lol. So after a day of using Vanicream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+, it gave my the worse type of acne. And that is, cystic acne. So much for the non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) claim! Yeah, it didn’t work on my acne-prone skin. This sunscreen is pore-clogging from my own experience. I immediately rinsed it off and stopped using it. If you have acne-prone skin, do a patch test first. It was pore-clogging on my skin.

Here’s to another Vanicream sunscreen product that didn’t work on my skin. First it was Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30. Now it’s Vanicream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+. This is what happened. It’s time to move on…

Update: Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

It hasn’t been too long since I reviewed Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30. But I’m ready to do another update on this product. 

I was hoping that Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 would be my main moisturizer and sunscreen for mornings, but it didn’t work out like I thought it would. It’s moisturizing and provides SPF 30 with 19.5% zinc oxide. I love that it’s a true mineral sunscreen. That’s exactly what I was looking for! When applied to the skin, the sunscreen feels sticky and heavy. It’s moisturizing, but it left my skin looking very shiny. The more product I applied, my skin looked even more shiny. It wasn’t a pleasant look. I don’t want to walk around with an extremely shiny face.

That’s not the reason why I stopped using it. I would’ve kept using it even though it was shiny on my skin. The reason why I stopped using it was because it irritated my skin and caused breakouts. The sunscreen clogged my pores. It’s labeled as non-comedogenic, but it wasn’t on my skin. It’s way too thick on the skin and messed up my skin. I ended up with some breakouts and redness out of the blue. I didn’t think it was the sunscreen because I wanted it to work. I kept using it until I finally convinced myself that the new breakouts, redness, and skin irritation was from the sunscreen. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 didn’t work on my skin. I have a ton of product left that I can use…I guess…in my dry areas such as my eye area and neck. But I’m never using it on my facial skin ever again. The ingredients are nice in this product. Check out the ingredients right here:

purified water, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, isopentyldiol, squalane, glycerin, coco-caprylate/caprate, bis-octyldodecyl dimer dilinoleate/propanediol copolymer, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, polyhydroxystearic acid, cetearyl alcohol, sucrose stearate, ceramide EOP, ceramide NG, ceramide NP, ceramide AS, ceramide AP, carnosine, phytosterols, hydrogenated lecithin, dimethicone, triethoxycaprylylsilane, polyacrylate crosspolymer-11, caprylyl glycol, 1,2-hexanediol

The formulation wasn’t compatible with my skin type. I love the moisture that it provided my skin. With my skin type (oily skin that’s acne-prone), it wasn’t happening. This sunscreen would probably work better on someone that doesn’t experience breakouts and have dry skin. I won’t purchase this sunscreen again. Very disappointed this time around.