Every Single Product I Use And Why
Over the holidays I had several family members ask me about my skin and what products I use. This is a common question I get, and while I’ve done posts on this topic before, I’m always changing up what I’m doing. I test A LOT of different products and in the past have had a pretty lengthy skincare routine. One of my goals for 2019 is to declutter and minimize. Living in a tiny NYC apartment, I’m very limited on the space I have for “stuff”. We are fortunate in that we actually have a pretty large mirrored medicine cabinet in our bathroom, which is very helpful for storing all of my skincare essentials. But I did a big clean out right at the first of the year and threw out or donated a ton of items I just wasn’t using or didn’t need. Now all of my skincare items are organized, easy to see, and I’ve streamlined my routine down to just the products I truly love. So, because I was going to pull together an e-mail with all of my current skincare items to send to those who asked, I thought you guys might be curious as well, so I thought I would share here too. Welcome to my medicine cabinet! The first thing you should know is that I’m not brand loyal. While many brands have standout products, overall I feel that there are very few brands out there that do every single product they offer well. Don’t be afraid to mix and match to find a skincare routine that works for you. I also try to work in as many “clean beauty” products as I can. And while not everything I use is 100% natural, the majority of it is. You’ll also notice that very little in my medicine cabinet are drugstore products. While there probably are some great drugstore standouts (Olay comes to mind) I personally prefer to invest in my skincare, particularly with science-backed brands like Biossance. Here is my comprehensive skincare guide with all of the products in my current rotation and a little bit about why I love them.
Make-Up Remover/Cleanser-
This is the area that I think you can go drugstore when it comes to your skincare routine. The main goal with these products is to clean your skin, and soap is soap. I will either use some of this on a cotton pad or this balm to remove my makeup. To cleanse my skin, I love this simple cleanser and will sometimes double cleanse with this. Similar to your shampoo bottle instructing you to wash, rinse, repeat, double cleansing just ensures your skin is very clean, and allows your skincare products to be the most effective.
Toner-
I love this one. It is a soothing natural treatment that cleanses, tones and soothes your skin. It comes in a variety of formulas, but I like the rose petal one best. Apply a little product to a cotton pad and swipe on freshly cleaned skin prior to applying your skincare.
Eye Cream-
I use this one in the morning and this one at night. I’ve been using the Origins one for YEARS and don’t see myself ever changing that anytime soon. I like it because it sinks into the skin quickly and has the tiniest bit of shimmer making you instantly look more awake. Who doesn’t want that? I’ve only been using the Kiehl’s one for a few months, but I really like how thick and hydrating it is. It’s perfect for nighttime, but I’m not sure I would use it in the morning if I was going to immediately put on makeup because it’s pretty thick and takes awhile to really sink in to your skin.
Serum-
Right now I’m using a pump of this one every morning. It smells AMAZING! Like a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It is a powerful anti-aging serum formulated with vitamin C and collagen for brightening and all-day hydration. I feel that it just really makes my skin glow.
Oils-
Don’t be afraid of using oils on your face. They were a game-changer for hydrating my super dry skin when I started incorporating them into my routine several years ago. I have several on hand that I rotate between, but I typically use this one in the morning and this one at night. If my skin is feeling particularly dry I switch to this one because it’s a bit heavier than the others. I also have this one that I love and can be used on your face, body and hair. The Biossance Vitamin C Rose Oil has a dose of brightening power with vitamin C, plus rose oil, which has been revered for centuries to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles. The Kiehl’s oil is another one of those products I have used for years and have re-purchased countless times. It has lavender oil in it, which is very relaxing, so every night i put a few drops on the palm of my hand, briefly rub my hands together and bring them up to my nose and inhale a big deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before I apply the oil to my face. Since I do this nightly, I think it’s become a trigger for my brain to start winding down and get ready for bed. A few drops of oil is all of you need, seriously just 2-3, so all of these bottles last forever.
Moisturizer-
Lately I’ve been using this one every morning and this one every night. Because I also layer on oils, I don’t feel the need for a super thick and heavy moisturizer, so neither of these are. The Biossance one is a lightweight gel and leaves my skin feeling visibly brighter and it helps to eliminate some of the redness my skin has. The Embryolisse is a good medium-weight all around moisturizer that I think works well for any skin type.
Extras-
There are a few products I have on hand but do not use on a daily basis. I love this beauty elixir for a little mid-day refresher or I’ll do a spritz before applying makeup. I like this spray from Primally Pure for the same reason. Of the two I probably prefer the Caudalie, but Shelby is the opposite. They are both great though. This lactic acid treatment helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and just improves the look and feel of your skin overall. I have sensitive skin so I tend to only use this 1-2 times a week. Face Masks. There are endless options these days, and the best ones for you depend on what issues you are trying to target. There are so many I love, but right now I have this one (hydrating) and this one (exfoliating) on hand from Summer Fridays. This color-changing one is fun and this one from Herbivore both help with brightening. Glam Glow does great firming masks that are peel-off which I love. And I’ll use any sheet mask out there, but these from Sephora are probably my favorites.
I hope that you enjoyed this peek into my medicine cabinet and hopefully found a new product or two that you are interested in giving a try!
-Ash
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Please note this post is not sponsored. All of these products I have purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own. The products in this post are linked using affiliate links which means we earn a small commission every time you click thru and make a purchase.
