I’ll be completely honest, I’m terrible about skin care. Like, I often sleep in makeup…I know, totally breaking that cardinal rule insert cringing emoji here …but in the last 4-5 years, my skin has changed drastically!
Fortunately, I’ve always had great skin, in that I haven’t struggled much acne, etc. I can’t be sure exactly why, but I do take precautions to protect my skin from things like sun and too many products. The only real issue I’ve had with my skin is that it’s very and dry and it’s very sensitive. I can’t switch up products a lot and when I find something that doesn’t irritate my skin, I have to stick with it. Which is the main reason I don’t try a lot of skin care products out, it’s just too much on my skin. I have several allergic skin conditions, which I won’t get into here, but it can be challenging. So my skin care isn’t terribly exciting or in-depth, due to the fact that I can’t use a lot of products, but I’ll share what I’ve come up with that works for me!
While pregnant with Lark, I developed oily skin, which I blame mostly on hormones (but also partly on age…sigh)…Ever since then, I’ve battled with the worst combination skin and breakouts caused by oil buildup. Prior to being pregnant with Arlo, I used the Neutrogena Grapefruit face wash or their foaming face wash, because it was the only thing that didn’t irritate my skin much, but the grapefruit smell made me sick while pregnant with him and I haven’t been able to go back. I’ve tried a few things since, but haven’t found an option I love.
Until now…
The lovely people at Skinceuticals offered to send me some of their face wash to test out and I was immediately hesitant, because I can’t trust products to not affect my skin negatively. But after reading about their company on their website, I agreed. I’m so glad I did, because this Replenishing Cream Face Wash is amazing! It’s the only thing I’ve used that controls the oil all day! Not to mention, it leaves my skin so soft! After using it for awhile now, it hasn’t irritated my skin at all and even helped clear some stress break outs from recent travel. So yes, Skinceuticals sent me the product, but these opinions are 100% my own and I wouldn’t tout it without having tried (and loved) it…
From Skinceuticals:
Replenishing Cleanser is a face wash for combination skin formulated with a rich amino acid based surfactant system and a 15% concentration of key ingredients combining ceramides, panthenol, glycerin, and essential oils to deliver deep facial cleansing while maintaining essential moisture. This creamy face wash lathers into a rich foam to remove dirt, debris, impurities, and long-wear makeup without stripping natural oils. Replenishing Cleanser rinses clear of residue while locking in hydration and priming skin for at-home cosmeceutical use.
- Delivers deep facial cleansing while maintaining moisture
- Removes long-wear face makeup
- Paraben-, sulfate-, synthetic-fragrance-, dye- and alcohol-free
- Suitable for dry, normal, oily, and combination skin
I love that it’s free from many harmful chemicals and also contains essential oils, as I’ve been trying to better about using less-damaging products on my body. I then follow up with a moisturizer, but after using this face wash, I can say that I require less moisturizer as usual, which could also contribute to the less oily nature of my skin as of late. I notice a lot of moisturizers add oil, which helps my dry patches, but doesn’t help my oily patches. I love the packaging as well, because it’s slim enough to fit in my shower caddy, since I love washing my face while in the shower. I’ve also made the switch to mineral powder foundation in an effort to let my skin breathe freely a bit more these days. I also enjoy a face mask from time-to-time, typically something clarifying that helps with blackheads, since that’s a minor issue I deal with as well. But I don’t do them often, because too much of them causes a lot of redness and red patches in my skin. I also apply coconut oil at times, if I have excessive dry patches, and it also works as a great makeup remover. I’m hoping that with this facial cleanser, my dry patches will completely clear up!
Now that I love Skinceuticals face wash, I’m anxious to try some of their other products! Especially due to their “anti-aging” philosophy, if you get my drift…I ain’t gettin’ any younger over here!
What are some of your favorite facial products? I’m curious to know what others use, since I still feel fairly out-of-the-loop when it comes to skincare since I’ve not had to put much effort forth until this point in my life…Oh, and if you have a good suggestion for shampoo and conditioner that work well with hard water, let me know! That’s the next beauty issue in plan to tackle since our hard water is so harsh on my hair…