My Favorite Skincare Products!! (Also some skincare tips)

I present to you all: the winner of my last poll! But fear not, I will still write about the other topics you voted for (which ended up being "What's in my purse" and "Korean Cosmetics.) So don't worry lovely readers, you will get to read those posts too. Thank you so much to everyone that voted!! I want to try to give you guys a say in what I write and that gets hard when people don't tell me what they prefer. I am always up for suggestions!

This will be long, my regular readers will know that I am the queen of long posts. But I get that way when I am passionate about something. I love skincare. To my friends, I am a guru of it and they all come to me with any skin issue. This list is forever changing, I always try new products when able. I'm also still experimenting and trying to find the perfect routine. I am in my early 20s, my skin's needs are different than when I was a teenager. When I was a teen, I had near perfect skin save for the redness I have always had. When I hit 19 or 20 my skin changed pretty drastically. In a few years I will have to start using some anti aging products for preventative measures.

Your skin will change with age and even the seasons. Stress is also a huge factor. My skin definitely changes with season being dry during the winter and combination (a bit oily in some spots with normal to dry spots) in the summer. Back to the point of this post (shut up Heather, you'e rambling!). I constantly get told that my skin looks perfect and asked what my secret is. This (along with concealer/foundation to cover redness. I don't bullshit anyone!) list is my secret. Taking good care of my skin as well as butt loads of SPF and staying out of the sun (yay pale girl problems!)


Cleansers

First step to good skin - washing!! Use the correct type of cleanser for your skin type and make sure to wash off all of your makeup.

Lush Ocean Salt

My pot if it has a lot of wear and tear..but because I love it so much! 

I love Lush so so much. They make natural, vegetarian and mostly vegan skincare. They are huge on cruelty free cosmetics/skincare and they even protest against animal testing. I spend forever roaming this store. I could easily work there, as I am very knowledgeable about their products. I would love to work there. You can test all of their products out in store and even have the employees give you free samples. One summer I hung out at the mall so much that I would just walk by Lush and a few of their employees would be at the window or door waving at me, saying hi.

ANYWAY back on topic. Ocean Salt is an exfoliating cleanser composed of sea salt, vodka, lime and some other ingredients. It smells like a margarita. Exfoliation is important for soft, smooth skin and to get rid of dead skin cells. You should exfoliate at least once a week, I do every other day to every two days. Ocean Salt is the absolute best exfoliating cleanser. It is the only one that I use that didn't have exfoliating beads so small it barely did anything or a sharp unsafe exfoliant that wrecked my skin. (Be careful of ST. Ives scrubs. They use sharp exfoliants that will cause micro tears to your skin). It's great for any skin type especially oily.

Philosophy Purity

This is truly a holy grail cleanser. It cleans really well getting rid of makeup and moisturizes. This was my first high end cleanser and still one of the best. It also lathers very nicely. You don't need a lot. It is perfect for those with dry skin.

Soap and Glory Face Soap and Clarity

This cleanser cleans very well and leaves your face feeling fresh. You can get travel sized tube for just $3 at Sephora! When I have particularly caked my face with makeup (like when I use liquid latex) I will use this cleanser along with my Olay Pro - X brush to get my skin back to normal.

Olay Pro - X Advanced Cleansing System Brush

This is a dupe for the Clairisonic. I know I sure as hell can't afford a $100+ brush to wash my face with so I use this Olay one. In my opinion it's just as good and makes my skin so much cleaner than it would be if I just used a cleanser alone. It has 2 speeds and you can change the brush head. For the $20 that I payed for it, it's a steal.


Moisturizers

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + 

This is my holy grail moisturizer. This is the reformulated version Clinique started putting out a few years ago. I never tried the original formula. It moisturizes my skin so well and it's light weight. The perfect moisturizer for winter. Unfortunately I can't always wear it in the summer. In the summer I tend to use Olay Fresh Effects Long Live Moisture. This moisturizer is like all Clinique products hypoallergenic and formulated for sensitive skin. They also make a formula for oily skin, which I believe is a gel moisturizer.

Simple Rich Replenishing Moisturizer

This is my favorite for wearing under my makeup. It's moisturizing, sinks in quickly and is light weight. I don't have my own picture here, I need a new bottle.

Tarte Maracuja Oil

This stuff is fantastic for your skin. Tarte puts it in nearly all of their products. I sometimes like mixing a drop or two in with my moisturizer for a boost.

Toner

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2

I don't understand why Clinique calls this a lotion when it's a toner. My aunt gave me a sample sized bottle of this that she got from a Clinique counter. I have been using it sparingly until I can get a full sized bottle. This is the best toner I have ever used. It cleans all the leftover gunk from my pores and leaves my skin feeling fresh. You apply toner with a clean cloth/cotton ball after washing your face to get all of the gunk from your pores that cleansing missed and to help minimize/close pores.

Acne treatment

I didn't start getting breakouts until I was about 19, with all of the increased stress my life took on. They came rarely in my teen years. I don't seem to constantly have them like I did for a few years but when I do get a zit, I use this:

Lush Grease Lightning

Lush categorizes this as a cleanser. It really has multiple benefits/uses. I use it as a spot treatment, it gets rid of pimples very well for me. Two of my Lush addict friends with more problematic skin swear by this. It can be applied as a spot treatment, oil minimizer and even used on mosquito bites.

Makeup remover

See The Dawn Cherish face cream

This is an indie natural skincare brand. My mom knows the lady that created the brand. She gave us some jars of this product and I am in love with it. It truly is my favorite makeup remover. This product is a face cream and it has so many different uses. It can be used as a moisturizer, skin soother and of course a makeup remover. It has super simple ingredients ( lavender floral water, almond oil beeswax and lavender essential oil. That's it!) and has a lovely lavender scent (I love lavender).

It can be used on the body was well. This removes my makeup phenomenally! I will rub a little into my skin to break down my makeup and wipe off with a warm wet washcloth. It removes every trace and moisturizes! It's perfect for when I'm feeling lazy with my skincare regimen.

I have used it on sunburn and when I have accidentally burned myself while waxing my eyebrows. It really helped with the irritation. This company is also cruelty free certified by Peta.

If you want to see their other products/order go to: seethedawn.biz

Lush Ultrabland 

Ultrabland is a makeup remover similar to Cherish. Rub it onto your face to break down makeup and wipe to remove. It doesn't have the beautiful lavender scent though. It is a really good makeup remover and removes every trace.

Face Masks

I love my face masks, they pack so many benefits for the skin. I try to do at least 1 a week. Sometimes I do them twice a week, or I will use a few different ones with different benefits on the same night. My favorite combination is a pore clearing one, exfoliating one then a moisturizing one. 

Glam Glow Thirstymud

I don't have my own image of this as I don't have any. I got a sample of this from Sephora and fell in love. Though the price is steep, I plan to buy it. I know it's hard to justify a face mask so pricey. My secret is to just not wash it off. I exfoliate my skin then apply this mask, normally before bed and sleep with it on. It works much better this way rather than washing it off. No other product hydrates my skin so well or makes it so smooth and soft. It truly is astounding.

Tony Moly Tomatox

This is a Korean skincare product, I will discuss it further in a future post. It is meant to brighten skin. It does a good job at brightening the redness in my skin as well as makes it feel soft. It's a very soothing mask.

Pure Tree Sheet Masks

These are my favorite sheet masks.They are Korean. This will be discussed further in a future post as well. They do some great things for skin and are super relaxing/soothing. The aloe and the green tea ones are my favorite.

Freeman Pineapple Enzyme Mask

This is an exfoliating face mask. It contains not only exfoliating beads but also enzymes to exfoliate. It exfoliates so well! I love using it right before I use Thirstymud. It also deliciously smells like Pineapple. It's super affordable and comes in a huge tube.

Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Shine Away Mask

This is a charcoal clay mask. It will pull out all of the blackheads and dirt lodged deep in your pores. The cool (to me) and gross (not to me) part is you can see little dots where all of the junk was pulled. It is the best mask of the sort that I've used. If you have oily, acne prone  skin or just want a good clean use this. I need another tube, but amazon doesn't sell it and the closest store that does is in another town ;____;


Bodily skincare

Although facial skincare is focused on the most, so is skincare for the rest of your body. It really doesn't take much work - just a good soap and lotion.

Bath and Body Works Shower gels and Lotions

I love Bath and Body Works. If there's a good sale (there is almost all the time) I will splurge. There are always sales and coupons (their after Christmas clearance and the clearance sale they have in the summer being the best.) I once was able to get $60-$70 worth of products for $20. I love going with my best friend and fellow B&BW enthusiast Vicky, we will easily spend two hours in that store. Okay, enough rambling. This is a topic to not get me started on - you'll never get me to shut up.

Their shower gels may seem over priced but a little bit goes a very long way, it lathers up very well. A bottle really does last a long time given you don't use too much. Their lotions are fantastic too and well worth it. The scent from the lotions really does stick. I have stopped buying drugstore body was and lotions, as I get far better results from Bath and Body Works. My favorite scents include: Vanilla Bean Noel, Winter Candy Apple, Beautiful Day and Honey Sweetheart.

Lush Sea Vegetable soap

Yes, I am rather obsessed with Lush. I am also lucky to have friends (though with my doing) that are equally as obsessed. I'm such such a good friend/skincare guru hahaha! One of mt close friends got me a bar of this soap as a gift. I had used Lush's Shower Jelly (they are SO fun and unique! Anyone want me to write a review about them?) But never their other soaps. I officially want to just buy all of their bars of soap. I love them! This particular scent makes me smell like a mermaid and leaves me feeling fresh and clean. It doesn't dry out my skin and it lathers well. Lush also tends to standardly cut their soaps into pretty decent slices so it will last a long time. I really want to get more of these!

Lush Dream Cream

I get bad eczema on my arms during the summer. I don't like going to the dermatologist, they like to prescribe harsh steroids that will wreak your skin. I heard about this product from a Lush employee and got a sample to use during my next break out. I used it last summer and it is a life saver! With every use my eczema gradually disappeared! It has lavender and oatmeal to calm irritated skin. I will apply this to my face after waxing my eyebrows (I do my own). I like using it in combination with Dream Wash on eczema

Lush Lemony Flutter

A thick, lemon fruity pebbles scented cuticle butter. Totally saves my nails/nail beds each winter. I also like using this as a lip balm.

Lip care is important too. Exfoliate (I love Lush lip scrubs), use a moisturizing lip balm (I love Nivea Kiss of Smoothness and the Softlips Cube) and before sleeping, top with Vaseline to seal in moisture. Do these steps and kiss chapped lips goodbye!

I know that was hella long so thanks to those that stuck with it! Skincare is really important to not only keeping yourself looking your best but keeping your skin healthy. The earlier you start practicing good skincare, the less you will visibly age. Hence why I am 21 going on 22 and still get told I look 16...I even somehow get 13 sometimes. It is even important (and not to worry: acceptable!) for men to take care of their skin. Guys: Sephora as well as Dove and Nivea have wonderful lines for you to care for your skin. More and more men are starting to use skincare products.

Have any skincare questions or want product recommendations? Comment, email or tweet me!

Xoxo
Moom prism power makeup!