The Skin Care Line up: March 26th, 2021

Let’s talk skin care. We all know by now it is a topic I can talk about for hours as I find the ingredients endlessly fascinating. While the products each have their own dedicated post discussing the ingredients and details (once they’ve gone through the full trial), this is more of a general feel for the products I am using as they are being used.

The products:

Make Up Remover: Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm from Banila Co with Klorane Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

Cleanser: La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying Foam Cleanser

Exfoliator: Didn’t use a physical exfoliator this week

Toner: Akar Skin Balancing Toning Mist

Essence: Finished the Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence and will start the Byroe Bitter Greens Toning Essence

Serum: (can’t talk about until March 31^st)

Retinol: Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum (Tuesday and Thursday nights)

Oil: Earth Harbor Marina Biome Brightening Ampule (after retinol)

AHA: Good Genes Sunday Riley (on the mornings after using retinol)

Eye Cream: Perricone MD Soothing Hydrating Eye Cream

Moisturizer: 111 Skin Y Theorem Day Cream

Night Cream/Mask: Pearl Brightening mask from Lapcos

Lip Scrub and Mask: Hanalei Sugar lip scrub and Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

Neck: Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum

Deodorant: Native Water Lily and Orchid Natural Deodorant.

While the Klorane eye makeup remover is usually something I hold on to for removing difficult makeup, I found myself using it a lot more this week as the Clean it Zero cleansing balm sort of stings my eyes a bit.  What I found myself doing was using the cleansing balm on the lower half of my face and then finishing it off and using the Klorane to get all eye makeup off so that my eyes wouldn’t sting.  Then I would go in with the wet Makeup Eraser to get anything that was missed before washing my face. (By the way currently Makeup Eraser sends 10% of it’s proceeds to clean water initiatives. You can click on the link to go and look at more details if you are interested.)

I really like the La Roche Posay Purifying Foam Cleanser, which really shouldn’t be a surprise as any time I run out of the cleanser I’m using and I haven’t thought to order another one or have none in my skin care drawer I tend to pick the La Roche Posay up at Target. 

It is a really good cleanser.  I damp my skin and rub it on in its cream like form.  I like to make sure everything is covered and this is how I do it.  Then it foams up when you add more water during rinsing.  It is a very gentle cleanser and I can also use it post gym work out to remove sweat and have no worries of over drying my skin.  I am a big fan.

I also wanted a cleanser I could trust as I start to go back to the gym.  I’m working out with a mask on and I can see several breakouts thinking about rising from the increased masking time.  Thus far I’ve been able to deal with them without a major outbreak, but it made the cleanser a really important element (not that it isn’t always) in my routine.  I have several cleansers I need to try out, so I may have to pause my use of this bottle at some point to try something new, but I wanted something I knew my skin liked.  Sometimes tried and true does beat new.

The toner I am using from Akar is working well.  I tried the sample size of this a while ago and liked it.  I’ll have to do a full review on this when I’m done but I’m kind of on the fence about the product. There are some things I’ve noticed using it for a longer period that didn’t really show up in the trial size. I do however like the fact that it is a spray toner.  I am finding that with the reusable rounds replacing my disposable cotton rounds, the reusable ones soak up a lot more product, so you have to use more to get the same results.  With a spray it is less of an issue as I spray my face and then go in with the cotton round. It is a bit of an adjustment, but I like using the reusable rounds so I am okay with adjusting.

I finally finished up the last of my Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence.  The link will take you to the full review of it.  I am now rotating in the Byroe Bitter Greens toning essence.  You will notice that it is not full once I show the initial picture next week. (I didn’t put it in the line up pics because I haven’t officially rolled it into the line up yet.) 

I tried this as a toner a while back and wasn’t sure I liked it as a toner (technically it is a toner and essence in one).  As I needed to think about it a bit, I set it to the side.  I am going to try it as an essence and see how it works with using the Akar as the toner.  I might have to play around with the two to see what I prefer, but I will start roll the Byroe into my line up this evening.

Everything else is chugging along and working fairly well.  I suspect the Pearl Night mask won’t last the weekend so I will have to decide what to replace it with.  I’m not entirely certain I like the Pearl Night Mask.  It is one of those products that has it’s pros and cons.  The final review of it will go out next week as I rotate in a new, as yet to be determined product.  I am thinking of raiding my samples and seeing what night masks lurk.  Because I am using a day cream as my moisturizer I will certainly have to have a different product to use at night.  The Y Theorem day Cream by 111 Skin is definitely a day cream.

My deodorant is still holding up well. when I switched to the Native in the summer I was concerned about the wet armpits, however after a few weeks of use the sweat became less as my body adjusted. It hasn’t been an issue at all lately. Part of that is of course the cooler temps of autumn and winter. I think some of the sweat was the summer sun and some of it was my body adjusting. As the temps heat back up (admittedly in fits and spurts right now) I’ll be keeping a close eye on it. The scent of this Water Lily and Orchid is fine. I like the scent, but I think I might try a different scent when this one runs out. As they generally have several to choose from, I’m sure I’ll find another one to try. I suspect I will end up eventually going back to the Cucumber and Mint, but I want to try out some of the others first.

Over all everything seems to be working well.  I have a few more potential break outs from wearing my mask more but thus far they are under control.  I will be using the Herbal Dynamics Beauty Chamomile and Cacao Clearing mask this afternoon in an attempt to take care of them further, but none of the products is causing me any major issues. At the moment, I think my skin isn’t looking too bad.