Review: CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

I finished using CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum. It lasted about 7-8 months. Just a guess. I’ve been using it on and off for a while. More on this product….

• Defends the skin against free radicals
• Antioxidant
• Skin brightening
• Improves the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, and uneven skin tone
• Contains 10% vitamin c (L-ascorbic acid)
• Visibly brighten complexion
• Soft, radiant, and healthy-looking skin
• Contains 3 essential ceramides to restore protective skin barrier
• Hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 for hydration
• MVE Technology for controlled release for all day hydration
• For all skin types
• For sensitive skin
• Protective packaging to prevent oxidation
• Non-comedogenic
• Paraben-free
• Fragrance-free

I was very excited about this vitamin c serum since it contains 10% L-ascorbic acid, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. After skimming the ingredient list, I noticed that it contains ingredients that are not suitable for my skin type. I didn’t use it on my face for that reason. I ended up using it on my neck and chest area only. Here are my thoughts on the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum!

My Experience with CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum:

Texture & Application

As mentioned before, I didn’t use this vitamin c product on my face. The product contains denatured alcohol and isopropyl myristate. These ingredients are not compatible with my skin. Denatured alcohol dries my skin out and irritates it. Isopropyl myristate clogs my pores from my own personal experience. I debated whether to use the serum on my face or not. When I first purchased it, I was looking for a vitamin c serum that I could incorporate into my skincare routine. In the end, I decided not to. The idea floated in my mind for a bit. I wanted to make the right decision. I didn’t want to suffer from breakouts. So my experience using the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum is on my body (neck and chest area).

The texture of the vitamin c serum is soft and smooth. It blends into the skin nicely and absorbs quickly. It’s very moisturizing. It didn’t leave my skin red, irritated, or dry. But, that’s just on my neck and chest skin. It could be different if I used it on my face, which is more sensitive compared to the skin on my neck and chest area. I really liked the texture and consistency of this product. It was very easy to use. Just dispense the product out of the tube and seal it with the cap. My skin didn’t turn orange using this serum either. It’s been a very nice experience using this vitamin c serum. I wish I could use it on my face. That will only happen if they remove the ingredients I mentioned.

It’s moisturizing!

Even though this vitamin c serum contains denatured alcohol, it’s moisturizing. My skin didn’t dry out or become irritated. I’m not going to test it on my face though. I wish I could, but it’s not going to happen.

Breakouts?

Same with breakouts, I didn’t see any breakouts on my neck or chest. But I don’t break out on my neck or chest often or at all. Once again, I would love to try it out on my face if it didn’t contain denatured alcohol and isopropyl myristate. Isopropyl myristate is at the end of the ingredient list, but I don’t want to bother with it and cause clogged pores. All products I have used in the past that contain isopropyl myristate ended up clogging my pores.

Results…

It’s difficult to tell if the vitamin c serum is doing anything for my neck and chest area. I guess it looks a little brighter and smoother. I can’t tell, haha. I enjoy using it. That’s all that really matters. I’ve had no issues like redness, itchiness, or any other signs of irritation. It’s a nice antioxidant product that’s moisturizing.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t use this product on my face, but my experience using it on my neck and chest area has been positive. It’s a nice moisturizing vitamin c product (10%) to incorporate in a skin care routine. I love that it contains 3 essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid. I wish CeraVe would reformulate the vitamin c serum and remove the 2 ingredients my skin dislikes (denatured alcohol and isopropyl myristate). Since I can’t use this vitamin c serum on my face, I most likely won’t purchase it again.

Update: My Skin Care Routine

Not shown in photo: Taz & BP

Here’s my new skin care routine. 🙂

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More December Skin Care Empties! 🥳

I didn’t expect to finish more skin care items after posting my December Skin Care Empties. Here’s more!

RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream:

I have 2 tubes of the RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream left. I finished one this month. I stopped using it on my eyes a while ago due to skin irritation and burning. It made my eyes look super swollen. Since I’m trying to use it up, I’ve been using it on my body. I haven’t had any issues with using it on my body. It’s such a waste using this product like this. This is supposed to be an eye cream. Who wants to use a 0.5 fl. oz. (15 mL) product on their body? Definitely not a product I would purchase again. Don’t waste your money.

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

I really liked the texture and consistency of this sunscreen. It’s soft, soothing, and moisturizing on the skin. It’s full of silicones, lol. Yeah, the silicone texture was way too much for my skin. But, the sunscreen was super easy to apply and blend into the skin. It smooths over the skin and vanishes nicely. It’s clear and doesn’t leave any cast behind. It works great as a makeup primer too. It makes the skin appear softer and blurs a few imperfections here and there. Also, it’s broad spectrum and SPF 40. I finished my last bottle of the Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40. Will I purchase it again? With this sunscreen, sometimes it breaks me out, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not sure if I’ll buy it again. Maybe if I’m at Trader Joe’s and shopping for groceries. It’s not a bad sunscreen product, to be honest.

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream:

I finished a jar of Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream this month. I stopped using this face cream on my face so long ago that I don’t remember when. So this is a heavier cream made for the facial skin. I used this face cream for quite some time. I eventually stopped using it due to it clogging my pores. It’s just too heavy for my facial skin and didn’t do much for my skin. My skin never felt truly moisturized. It felt heavy and cakey on the skin. I didn’t see improvements in my skin while using it. I just stuck to it for so long because I needed a moisturizer and couldn’t find one that’ suitable for my skin type. Many times, I thought it worked on my skin. It just didn’t after plenty attempts. I have 2 jars of this face cream left and am trying to finish it up. I know for sure that I won’t repurchase again. Out it goes!

Melano CC Vitamin C Essence:

Finally, another tube of Melano CC Vitamin C Essence down! I think I have 4 more left! 😭 I’ve tried using this essence on my face so many times that I gave up. It just doesn’t work for my skin type. It doesn’t brighten my skin like I thought it did. I used it then stopped using it. There was no difference in my skin before and after. I haven’t noticed a reduction in acne marks or evening of the skin tone when using it. I never liked the oily, grimy texture that it leaves behind either. It leaves a matte finish, but there’s some odd residue texture thing going on after application. I need to find a new vitamin c product. This one isn’t working for me.

For more skin care empties…

August Skin Care Empties! 🧴

September Skin Care Empties 😎

November Skin Care Empties 🦃

December Skin Care Empties 🎄

I Finally Tried CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! Here’s My 1 Week Experience!

I picked up CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! I’ve been thinking about trying this cleanser out for ages! I mean, years. I’ve read about it and heard good things about it. I’ve also seen pretty bad reviews on it too. Like how this cleanser gave people acne. 😲 The CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser was constantly on my mind. But, my experience with CeraVe products (cleansers in this case) have been pretty bad. I’ve tried the Hydrating Facial Cleanser and Foaming Facial Cleanser. Both of these cleansers did not cleanse my skin well. They both left residue on my skin, and I ended up breaking out in acne. I tried the Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser too. With this cleanser also, it didn’t clean my skin well and did nothing for my acne. What a waste. Now I’m using the Renewing SA Cleanser. Here are my day to day thoughts on this cleanser. I wonder if I’ll last a week. By the way, my previous cleanser is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free. Don’t forget to check out my review on that product! A new update on it coming up soon! The reason why I’m using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser now is because I wanted something less drying. Yeah, so weird because the Renewing SA Cleanser has salicylic acid in it. But, it also contains ceramides to moisturize the skin. Neutrogena doesn’t have any of that.

Let’s start! Here’s my first day experience!

Day 1:

I started using the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser at night. I debated for hours before taking the plunge. I was so hesitant and afraid of using this cleanser on my skin even though I purchased it already. Is it going to dry my skin out (contains salicylic, think it’s 0.5% or less than 1%). So, that’s not a high percentage. My bha liquid is 2%. I do pretty good on it too. Is the cleanser going to break me out? My skin is decent right now. I didn’t want to go through another breakout from this cleanser. Putting my fears away, I tried it. This cleanser is a gel. The pump/dispenser comes with a lock. Opening it was annoying. The first pump took a while to come out. I used 2 pumps for my whole face. It slightly lathered up and foamed with water. The product felt soft and soothing on my skin. I really enjoyed it. I loved the way it felt on my skin. Once I rinsed the cleanser off, my skin felt clean, a little moisturized, and not dry at all. It seems like CeraVe is more moisturizing than Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel. Hmmmm! By the way, if you’re new to my blog, I have very oily skin that can become dehydrated fast. This cleanser wasn’t drying on my skin after a single use. Who knows what might happens the next day or in the next few days.

Day 2:

I thought to myself, should I use this cleanser twice a day or once a day? What to do? Since I’m already in it to win it, I decided to use it twice a day. Neutrogena was a tad bit drying too, but it cleaned my skin and didn’t cause breakouts. Not a bad cleanser, from my skin’s perspective. I used CeraVe this morning with good results. The cleanser actually is the foamy, lathery type of cleanser. Full-on foam all over my face! I loved it! It was a great experience. It’s been so darn long that I’ve experienced a cleanser this foamy and so lathery. I’m freaking excited! I massaged the cleanser into my skin and let it do its thing. Felt a bit tingly this time. I didn’t notice it the first time. Also, don’t open your eyes when using this cleanser, it burns. Once I rinsed it off, my skin felt clean but not tight or dry. My skin looked so glowy, smooth, and hydrated. Keep in mind, I’m not even using a moisturizer right now, and my skin didn’t even dry out. I won’t get my moisturizer until tomorrow (Day 3). Can’t wait! But my skin loved the results this morning. At night, the effect was the same! The cleanser left my skin feeling clean without drying my skin out. The difference is that I noticed some hard sebum plugs falling out of my pores. I was able to pick them out. Is my skin purging or is the cleanser clogging my pores? I don’t know yet. It’s only been 2 days. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Day 3:

I didn’t wake up to new breakouts this morning. I left the cleanser on my skin a little bit longer than usual to give the salicylic acid some time to do its job. My skin didn’t feel dry or tight from doing this. Once I washed my face, it felt the same as before. It felt clean. This cleanser is not drying out my skin at all (as of yet). It feels very nice. I love that it actually cleans my face. This is the first for a CeraVe cleanser. At night, I noticed some blemishes. Uh oh. 😲 They weren’t there this morning. The blemishes are in my breakout-prone areas like my chin. I’ve been dealing with closed comedones in that area of my face for years. I’m not getting new breakouts. Well, it doesn’t look like it. It looks like the pimples were already there and now moving up to the surface (so I hope!). I just hope that it’s just my skin purging. It’s only day 3, so it’s difficult to tell. I’ll have to keep using this product. But, so far, I’m really enjoying this face wash. It’s still not drying out my skin using it twice a day yesterday and today. Everything is going well so far. And guess what arrived today? My moisturizer! Now I have a moisturizer that I can use at night. I’m not sure if I’ll use it in the morning. We’ll see what happens. It’s nice to add some moisture back to the skin. 😌 It makes my skin look more healthy and balanced.

Day 4:

Let the purge begin!! I had one single pimple that came to a head this morning (chin area). It popped when I was washing my face, lol. I thought that was the only pimple I had. But, by night, I noticed more pimples. I had some closed comedones on my upper lip and more on my chin. Those closed comedones moved up and turned white. I developed one cyst. It was a tiny pimple. Now it’s a gigantic cyst. So, from what’s going on, it looks like my skin is purging. It took 4 days to reach this stage. I mean, I noticed some pimples days before, but now they’re really turning into actual pimples. Much bigger ones. Whiteheads and one cyst. I really hope this is a short purge and not just breaking out. I’ll stick it out. I’m already 4 days in. I was really generous with the cleanser at night too, lol. I’m so glad I purchased the value size, haha. After cleansing my skin at night, that cyst shrunk in size. It seems like it’s working.

Day 5:

I woke up with a new pimple on my cheek. I wonder where that came from. It appeared out of thin air! I also noticed some on the side of my face and forehead. Just tiny little ones. They’re more like hard sebum plugs. I could easily pick them out. So the pimples that popped up yesterday have reduced in size dramatically. That one cyst from yesterday isn’t swelling as much anymore and diminished in size even more too. CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser still leaves my skin feeling clean and doesn’t dry out my skin, but I feel like there’s thick layer of dead skin on my face. I might have to add an acne leave-on treatment into my skin care routine to remove the dead skin and to prevent pores from clogging. I haven’t used any since a week ago. I took a break to heal my skin. The salicylic acid in the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser doesn’t seem to be enough. CeraVe doesn’t specify the percentage of salicylic, so I’m going to assume it’s a low percentage. Seems like it’s working to unclog my pores, but I need something stronger to tame my acne throughout the day. Lol, I was hoping that this face wash would do all of the work. I just hoped, haha.

I started using a 2% bha liquid tonight along with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. To some this may be overkill, but my skin feels too moist. I wonder if it’s the new moisturizer I’m using. It’s a mattifying moisturizer too. I funny thing is that I didn’t think it felt too moisturizing on the skin. It sits on my skin pretty well and doesn’t leave my skin feeling or looking oily. So good, so far when it comes to not making my skin feel too heavy or greasy. Breakouts? Who knows! Another product I have in my routine is a vitamin c serum. This product could be causing breakouts too. I started using it almost around the same time as the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. So, I don’t know which product it is that could be causing breakouts. Hopefully it’s not CeraVe, haha. Between the two, I decided to stop using the vitamin c serum. I’m not a fan of the texture of the serum. Thankfully, that’s all I’m using on my skin besides sunscreen. My skin care routine is still minimal, which makes it easier to pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. Goodbye vitamin c. 👋🏻 For now.

Day 6:

When I was washing my face this morning, I noticed ZERO new pimples. I think I eliminated the product that was clogging my pores this whole time! Maybe it was part purging from CeraVe and part vitamin c serum clogging my pores. I was getting weird random breakouts in the past few days. Now, they’re gone! I used 2% bha liquid last night and this morning. I didn’t experience any dryness or irritation. No itchy skin. Before washing my face tonight (still using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser twice a day!!), I didn’t notice any new breakouts. My skin looks good. What is this madness??!! lol. My skin is almost clear! I still have some tiny little closed comedones, but I have no new active pimples. No whiteheads, pustules, or cysts. That vitamin c serum really did me wrong. Now I have to see if my new moisturizer is working on my skin or not. I’ve used it 7 times already. It’s going well so far. I’m currently using it twice a day without any issues. Hopefully no breakouts from it. Skin looks pretty good at day 6, but I still have a long way to go!

Day 7:

It’s the 7th day using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I’m still using it twice a day, morning and night. I made it to the 7th day! I didn’t expect this to happen. Usually my skin would have retaliated by now. So this cleanser seems to be working on my skin. I haven’t noticed any new pimples after ditching the vitamin c serum. The breakouts must’ve been from the vitamin c product rather than the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. That’s unfortunate to know, but I’m glad it’s been figured out. I can continue on with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. With this cleanser, every time I use it, I notice an increase in skin brightening and glow to my skin. The cleanser hasn’t dried my skin out yet. It doesn’t seem like it will. It’s been 7 days of using it already. But, I’m going to keep my eye on my skin. My overall experience with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser has been good. It’s gentle, soothing, and moisturizing. There was a tingling sensation, but I haven’t experienced any of that as the days went on. My skin just looks better whenever I use this cleanser. I’m already thinking of making it my main facial cleanser if it keeps on working and doesn’t clog my pores!

That’s my 1 week experience with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! Stay tuned for my WEEK 2 experience. Coming up next week! I hope this was helpful. 🙂

The vitamin c serum I was using ~ L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum

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

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

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

Texture & Application

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

Results..

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

What the product claims…

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

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

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

What happened…

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

Breakouts?

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

Final Thoughts

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

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