Throughout my life, people have always complimented me on my skin: the texture, softness, overall look, etc. When I say, "People" I am referring to friends, family and random strangers. Seriously. It is something I have encountered since a young age. They also ask me things like, "What products do you use?" and "Are they expensive?". Sometimes, my answers vary depending on my skin's mood, the season or simply because I ran out of my favorite product and have been substituting with another one. Mostly, my regimen has stayed the same since I was about 10 years old. Yep, 10! Hard to believe I have been taking diligent care of my skin for almost 30 years. Yikes! Am I that old already? Why, yes I am. You just can't tell from looking at me. How old am I? Let's just say I am closer to 40 than I would prefer to be. Moving on...
This is a blog I have been wanting to write for some time now. The next time someone asks me (because believe me, it happens a couple of times per week), I plan on directing them here - to this cheat-sheet of sorts. Reviews of products with prices and links to where those products can be purchased is something I would love to have when shopping. Just saying.
I will try and keep this list in the order I use the products, but I may stray a bit. Also, let me preface this my saying I have super sensitive skin. Like SUPER SENSITIVE. So sensitive that I have slowly had to switch entirely to almost all fragrance-free products. So, if you have sensitive skin like I do, this list may help you even more than the average fragrance-tolerant person.
The following are my favorite facial skin care products. With the exception of the blemish control product, I actually use these products on a daily basis. Like as in every single day. Sometimes more than twice, because I like to take baths and stuff.
Facial Soap
I use this at least twice per day. Morning and night. I have tried quite a few facial soaps, both liquid and bar and this is hands-down my absolute favorite one. It washes makeup off completely and does not leave my face feeling tight and dry like some others have. I have not noticed any type of scent while using this, either. I usually plan my Clinique shopping around the annual campaigns most department stores run each season (Hello, freebies!), but recently due to an injury, I was unable to leave my house and decided to order directly from the Clinique website. On the plus side, shipping was free (I had a code via email for free shipping) and it arrived in a timely fashion.
Toner aka Clarifying Lotion
Back in the day, I used to swear by a product called, Sea Breeze. I used it religiously for the better part of 15 years. Then, one day my skin started feeling dry. That was the end of my obsession with Sea Breeze. Well, kind of. For many years after that, I would still use it as a spot treatment for blemishes. Until I found my new fave - more on that later. I now use Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion after cleansing. Every. Single. Time. It helps tone, prevent blemishes and deep clean your pores without stripping your skin.
Moisturizer
I used to only use Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizer, but one day my skin changed. It was as if the moisturizer was no longer doing its job as well as it had in the past. I was out of town and really didn't have the time to run out and buy another facial cream. What I did have with me was my tired and trusted Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion. Up until that point, I had only ever used it on my body, but I figured it was my best bet and I have never looked back. Not even once. There is a reason this stuff wins awards. Not only is it less expensive than my former fave, it truly moisturizes my skin better. Seriously.
Side note: I buy mine at Sams Club & Costco, where you can get two large bottles of this for around the same price as one regular sized bottle from your local drug store.
Eye Makeup Remover
I don't usually wear much makeup, but when I do go all out with mascara, liner and shadow - this is my absolute fave product. It removes everything in about two swipes with a cotton pad. Also, it has never, ever once burned or bothered my eyes in the least. It is also great for removing lipstick and lipgloss; hence the name, "Lids, Lashes & Lips".
Blemish Control
I swear by this. So much, that I have converted many friends to this product.
It contains benzoyl peroxide, which I have found to be a better alternative for my skin than salicylic acid. Anytime I feel a blemish coming, I dab this on clean skin and I rarely see the blemish appear. If it does, it is gone within a couple of days. Also, this small tube lasts for months. Months. Well worth the price tag in my opinion.
Well, there you have it. My list of tried and tested, facial care products I am pretty sure I could not live without. If you are thinking, "Wait a minute, what about body care products?!?", don't despair - I plan on making this a two-part series. The next entry will cover my favorite sensitive skin body care products. **Update: click here to read about my favorite sensitive skin body care products.**
Do you use any of these products? Do you have other facial care products you prefer for sensitive skin? Comment below and let the world know.
As always, thanks for reading! :)
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