6 Months of Empties!

 

Hello my beauties!!! 😊😊😊

So today I've got another 'Empties' blog post for you which includes all the products I've been using over the last 6 months. I had a damaged skin barrier for a few of those months so I stripped my routine right back and only used cleanser and moisturiser for 6 weeks. It's been a hard graft but I feel like my skin is slowly getting back to "normal", although I still can't use actives or anything with fragrance 😞 On a more positive note I'm going to give you a run down of all the products I've been using and loving- plus a few that were total fails. I'll be reviewing them in order of application (cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser and sunscreen). So let's just dive right in...!

Aqua Sens Cooling Mist Spray (x3): There's not much to say about this other than it being the perfect mist for dampening the face between products, such as serums. It is cool and refreshing and helps all my other products to absorb into the skin. Will keep repurchasing for as long as it's cheap! (10/10, Holy Grail)

Nivea Soothing Micellar Water: This is a micellar water that's super gentle on the eye area and helps to break down and remove makeup. I only use it on my eyes and it's never irritated me or made them sting. Does exactly what I want it to do, although I do find that I'm always left with traces of mascara the next day (8/10, WRP)

TIA'M Snail and Azulene Low pH Cleanser: I loved using this cleanser as it has a light foaming action when lathered and cleans out my pores. I used this as my AM cleanser as it says it has a low pH and is non-stripping. I've never used a cleanser with snail secretion filtrate as an ingredient before but I didn't really notice any of the benefits that it offers. An all-round effective and gentle foaming cleanser which I would happily use again- if the price is right! (8/10, MRP)

I'm From Rice Toner: I used this toner in the winter/spring and I loved how moisturising it was! It has a lovely milky consistency which is really nourishing and has just the right amount of moisture. It's made with rice bran extract which is known for its brightening and hydrating properties. Although I didn't notice any brightening, I did find it really locks in hydration! It's the perfect toner for the colder months when you need something that's abit more rich and moisturising (9/10, WRP)

iUnik Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum: If you'd asked me my thoughts on this product a few months ago, I would have told you it was amazing and one of my Holy Grails. However, since healing my skin barrier I've recently discovered that my skin no longer tolerates this serum. I think it might be the bergamot essential oil that's in it that my skin doesn't like. This is quite upsetting as I've never had any issues with this serum and have been using and loving it for 3 years now 😢 I'm not going to rate this product as I might be able to use it again in the future when my barrier is stronger.

Purito Centella Unscented Serum: I haven't been using this for a few months due to my weakened barrier but this used to be a Holy Grail. I haven't tried using it again as I'm currently using the Aveeno Triple Oat serum for its barrier strengthening benefits. However I did notice that this product has recently been reformulated. Apparently the formula is mostly the same apart from there being higher levels of centella extracts in it. Also, according to Kelly Driscoll, the consistency is thinner which I don't like the sound of as it took me awhile to get used to the old version. Again, not going to rate this as I don't know whether my skin still likes it or not.

Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum: I've used this serum before and have emptied a few bottles of it already. I've been using this serum to help strengthen my skin barrier. It has a creamy gel consistency which is both hydrating and moisturising. It uses oat for its soothing benefits and makes my skin feel soft and supple. I also like that it has no active ingredients in the formula which makes it super gentle. Would definitely consider giving this Holy Grail status (9/10, WRP)

Biossance Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum: I'm just going to come out and say it: this product is most definitely the cause of my damaged skin barrier. I'd never used 10% lactic acid before but I thought if I only used it twice a week then it wouldn't irritate my skin. How wrong I was! It made my skin tingle and had a funky smell to it. To be completely honest I probably had the product for a couple of years (as part of a Biossance giftset) before I started using it. So it might just have been that the formula had gone bad. Anyway, I probably used it for around 12 weeks- on and off- before I stopped completely. I've now learnt my lesson and, when I can tolerate actives again, I'm going to stick to lower percentages that I know my skin can handle (0/10, WNRP)

Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream (x2): I've probably used about 2 jars and 2 tubes of this product by now. I received it as a present from my bestie last March and have kept repurchasing it ever since! I love the thick gel cream texture that just melts into the skin. It's super moisturising and helps to lock in all my other products. It's also quite affordable on Stylevana and comes in a whopping 130ml jar which lasts me ages! I think it's better suited to my PM routine though, as it's quite thick for a gel cream (9/10, Holy Grail)

Purito Deep Sea Pure Water Cream: I liked the texture of this which is quite similar to the Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream. However I don't think "water cream" is the most accurate name for it. It's more of a thick gel cream which I found way too heavy for the AM. For this reason I probably won't buy it again as it didn't live up to my expectations 😕 (5/10, WNRP)

Naturium Niacinamide Gel Cream: Whilst I loved the lightweight gel texture of this moisturiser I found it left my skin feeling dry afterwards. It would also pill really badly when sunscreen was applied on top. Was really excited about this product but unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype (2/10, WNRP)

Soon Jung Cica Balm: I used this product when my skin was feeling sensitive and irritated and needed some extra TLC. Simple product but was very effective whilst I was repairing my skin barrier (8/10, MRP)

Missha Aqua Sun Gel SPF50 PA++++ (x2): Not sure what to say about this product as I haven't been using it for the past few months. However this did used to be one of my Holy Grails, so hopefully I can use it again one day (it does contain fragrance though).

Farmstay Premium Rolling Eye Serum: I initially liked the roller ball as it felt cooling under the eye but eventually I realised that it was making my undereye area feel sore, so I applied it with my fingertips instead. It has a nice gel texture but it also has fragrance which I don't think is necessary in an eye cream as it's the most sensitive area (3/10, WNRP)

Carmex 'Peach & Mango Burst' and Eucerin Acute Lip Balm: These are both very moisturising lip balms and have been my Holy Grails for many years. Out of all the lip balms I've tried these are the 2 that really stand out for me. I love how occlusive they are and how nourished my lips feel after applying. I recently bought the 'Wild Berry' version of Carmex and it wasn't the same experience at all! It's quite oily feeling and rubs off really quickly (9/10, Holy Grails)

Boyfriend Skincare Corner

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser: "Doesn't make me break out and controls my oil levels. Deeply cleans my pores and has a gentle, non-stripping formula" (WRP, 10/10)

L'Oreal Hydra Genius Aloe Water (Normal & Combination): "Hydrating and makes my skin feel soft. Like a drink of water for your face. Does what it's meant to do!" (WRP, 10/10)

I hope you enjoyed hearing about all my skincare hits and misses. I feel like there were alot more misses this time around as I tried a few new products which didn't impress me very much. Or, in the case of the Biossance Lactic Acid Serum, ruined my skin barrier 😞 I've spent months trying to get my skin back to a strong and healthy place again but the progress has been slow. I've just been reintroducing products every 2 weeks and am currently back to doing a full routine (minus eye cream and a second serum). I tried using my Geek & Gorgeous APad Serum but it made my skin tingle for ages and the next day I had all these tiny pimples on my cheek. So I'm just going to stick to the Aveeno Triple Oat Serum until I've used it up and then try the Simple Ceramide Booster Serum. Then I want to try and use a low strength vitamin C serum that uses a derivative (sodium ascorbyl phosphate) which is another Simple booster serum. 

Wish me luck and I'll update you once I've been using both serums for at least 8 weeks 😊 [Watch this space!]

Who Cares, We Care, Skincare :)