Below are all the products Iāve used or currently use in my skincare routine. Some do their job but are nothing fancy, some are bad purchases, and some Iāll actually repurchase.Ā
My skin type is combination/oily, and I get acne when Iām stressed (not all over my face though, just 1-3 big pimples). I also have milia all over my cheekbones, and Iām looking into a way to have them removed by a professional since I wasnāt able to get rid of them on my own.
Currently using: Purity by Philosophy
It does its job, but I donāt think it worked better than a Garnier cleanser I tried a year ago, and itās more expensive. Also, the smell is a bit odd. Clean, but odd. I got this as a free gift for signing up for an Ulta credit card, and itās definitely smooth and feels good rubbing into my skin. This will probably work fine on most skin types. However, for the price tag (and my skin type), thereās probably something better out there for me.Ā
Currently using: Daily Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash (Philosophy)
Itās a gentle-enough exfoliant that I can use it every morning as a cleanser in place of Purity (though if this is a big skincare mistake, someone please let me know!) It smells a bit like oranges and has a thick jelly texture. It feels refreshing and all, but again, Iām not sure how much itās doing given the fact that I get breakouts whenever Iām stressed and I have to use other products to even out my skin tone again and get rid of acne. It does its job, but for the price, I could probably find something better for my specific skincare needs. That being said, I got the full size on sale for $15 at Christmas last year (normally $42) and it lasts a long time.Ā
Trial: Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser by Drunk Elephant
Everyone can get their hands on this in one of the options for your free birthday gift at Sephora this year. If you missed your birthday, you can still get your gift by going on sephora.com and logging into your Beauty Insider account to temporarily change your birth date before you go shopping. Not a huge fan of the packaging, since itās a little messy when my hands are wet from washing my face and I donāt want to get cleanser all over the sink and itās hard to close if your fingers are slippery (if youāve used this, you probably know what Iām talking about). Like Purity, the smell is a bit funky, but that could be a good sign since things that smell good usually have fragrance that can cause irritation. Still trying this though, will update later.
Sample: Kiehlās Cucumber Herbal Conditioning Cleanser
Only had a sample size that lasted a week, but I liked this when I used it. You didnāt need much product to cleanse your whole face, and it smelled really clean and refreshing but not overpowering. Lathered nice, and Iāll probably try this someday when I get more than a little sample packet.Ā
Garnier SkinActive Micellar Foaming Wash
For a drugstore product, I really liked using this. The only reason I stopped was to try out the Philosophy products. My skin felt tight and clean after using this, and I could really lather to remove dirt and excess makeup. This is kind of my fallback, and my sister (age 20, combo skin) and my mom (age 50+, combo skin and rosacea) both like it too. Garnier also sells one in a blue bottle with aloe, but itās not as good as this one and doesnāt have the micellar water.Ā
Currently using: Thayers Witch Hazel & Rose Petal Toner
Does its job, doesnāt irritate, is inexpensive, and you can find it at the drugstore and Target. In the future I want to try a toner more targeted to my acne-prone oilier skin, but this toner is a catch-all, and overall a solid option in online reviews.Ā
Sample: Kiehlās Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion
I only got a baby sample that lasted 3 days, but this was really nice when I used it. Itās definitely for oily skin since it has alcohol in it, but it didnāt dry me out and made my pores feel nice and tight. Wish I could review more in-depth, but didnāt get a chance to use this long enough.
Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
I guess it worked (itās been over a year since Iāve used this, though) and the smell was good, but I remember liking the Thayers better so I switched. Didnāt irritate or anything, nothing badĀ to say, but it didnāt leave an impression.
Currently using: The Ordinaryās Lactic Acid 10% + HA
For my first real foray into serums, this has worked pretty well. I wanted to increase my skin turnover rate and bring my milia to the surface, and this works well, is under $10, and is gentle enough to use every night. I didnāt want to try anything too drastic since I hadnāt used serum before, and this one was great. Will keep using, and will likely try other products from The Ordinary in the future.
Sample: Kiehlās Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate
I got a small sample packet of this when I went to a Kiehlās store for a free consultation, and it lasted about a week. I started to see results, but I ran out of the sample and went with The Ordinary since this little sucker is expensive. Seems like a great product, but not good on the budget.Ā
Sample: Kiehlās Hydro-Plumping Re-texturizing Serum Concentrate
Seems like a good product, and I liked it for the week I used it. No smell, smooth texture, all good. However, the price is steep, so I donāt think Iāll be buying this anytime soon.Ā
Currently using: Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel
I just bought this yesterday, so Iāll post more of a review after at least a week. First impressions: this is a spot treatment, and I donāt know who would use this all over their face like the box says you can do. Itās strong and a bit sticky (like superglue?) and you have to be careful not to touch your eyes or anything while you have some on your fingertips. It absorbs quickly, and while itās definitely drying, you can put moisturizer over it just fine.Ā
Clindamycin Phosphate Topical Gel
I feel like I canātĀ ārateā this since itās not OTC and I got it through a doctorās prescription, but I loved this and if the doctor I switched to this past year hadnāt screwed up, Iād still be using it twice a day. Gentle, didnāt smell like anything, and kept my acne away pretty well. More of a preventative measure than something to use once you already have the acne.
Currently using: Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturizer
I started using this a month ago, and I really like it, especially for a light morning moisturizer in the summer. It feels so smooth when you put it on, and the citrus smell is amazing. I like this one better than the Drunk Elephant one (below), and itās half the price. I donāt think Iāll use this in the dry winter months, but itās been great in warm temperatures and sunshine.
Trial: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
For the price, I donāt understand the hype here. Yeah, itās a nice thick creamy moisturizer, but it doesnāt smell fabulous and I donāt think it works better than other moisturizers that are under $40. However, my sister is in love with this stuff, so maybe itās just me.Ā
Trial: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
I picked this one up at Ulta yesterday, so I havenāt had a long enough time to test it. However, it gets rave reviews, and my first impression was that it went on smoothly and felt nice, but Iāll have more to say later.
Sample: Kiehlās Skin Rescuer Moisturizer
I liked this moisturizer a lot better than the other one I got as a free sample from Kiehlās (below). No strong smell, applied smoothly (Iām saying this a lot, but thereās a reason), but I didnāt notice anyĀ āstress-minimizingā.Ā
Sample: Kiehlās Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm
Not for me. Didnāt go on my skin smoothly, I didnāt like the smell (vaguely oat-like? Or am I crazy?), didnāt feel great on my skin. I still had some left in the sample when I threw it out, it just isnāt for anyone with oily skin. Not sure why the girl at Kiehlās gave me this, but whatever.
Garnier Skin Active Soothing 3-in-1 Face Moisturizer with Rosewater
Not good in the summer. I might go back to it in the winter, but this probably just made the milia on the thin skin under my eyes worse when it was humid out. More for dry skin, and the fragrance was a bit strong. Also, I felt like you needed a lot of product to use on your whole face, since it didnāt glide on like some of the more gel-textured moisturizers Iāve tried. Not too bad for the drugstore, though.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Combination Skin
I liked this, it definitely mattified my oily t-zone. The only reason I really stopped using it was because I wanted to try a moisturizer with SPF...
Neutrogena Moisturizer, SPF 15
This didnāt work for me. The SPF made it more irritating if I got it close to my eyes or touched my eyes too soon after applying, and my nose in particular seemed really oily when I used this. Maybe only use this if you have normal-dry skin?
Currently using: St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub
I use this about 3 times a week at night, and I donāt find it too irritating like some people say the apricot or walnut scrub is. Pretty sure the beads in here are silicone, so it doesnāt tear up my face. I stopped using this for a few weeks, and when I picked it back up to try and get rid of an acne flare-up, it really helped. I definitely noticed that it was doingĀ something when I went off it for a bit. Drugstore BHA (Salicylic Acid) that works for me.
Freeman Charcoal + Black Sugar Gel Mask and Scrub
Are you a scrub? Are you a mask? Make up your mind. It doesnāt really work as either, with a weird thick jelly texture and huge scrub beads. Only used twice, maybe Iām jumping to conclusions, but even though this didnāt break me out or anything, it didnāt seem to do anything at all. Weird product.
GlamGlow Super-Clearing Mud Mask Treatment
For the price and with all the ingredients including a blend of AHAs, I thought this would do more. Itās satisfying to watch the mask turn lighter gray as it dries on your face, but youāre only supposed to use it once a week, and I havenāt noticed results after a month. A fun mask to try, but I wonāt be repurchasing since itās too expensive for not enough of a result.
Burtās Bees Conditioning Lip Scrub
Chapstick would accomplish pretty much the same thing this does. Itās hard to scrub it into your lips, since the honeyĀ ābeadsā like to congeal into larger blobs, and itās surprisingly expensive for a small little container at the drugstore. There have to be better lip scrubs out there, save your money.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray with RosewaterĀ
A nice product, but I donāt get the hype or cult status. Good for a refreshing pick-me-up, but I donāt notice anything different when I donāt use it. Not really a setting spray, just extra hydration during the day if youāre into that. Good for wetting a beauty blender, though.
