Skincare: can’t live with it, can’t live without it, am I right? Skincare advice seems to be the number one most written about topic recently. You can’t open up an online magazine, Pinterest, or YouTube without seeing more and more advice about skincare. It is honestly hard to know where to spend your money, especially when it comes to the high price tag attached to buzz-worthy products. I struggled a lot with my skin in high school and that journey did not end with buying the absolute perfect skincare product regimen from the department store counter. My three-year acne journey ended with six months of Accutane and that is just the cold hard truth. I had oily skin before my medication and now I have dry skin! Science is wild, man.
I often times find myself enraged when I see products touting that their regimen can “cure” acne. The majority of painful acne stems from the inside out (aka. diet and hormones) which most likely can’t be treated topically! I really have tried it all and been through everything, so I take it personally with products that claim the impossible. Store bought products can help in a good amount of cases, but it just takes that push from the inside out. After I cleared my skin, I became obsessed and spent large sums of time researching the best products for me. Over the last year, I have concluded that these five products actually do what they say they will… which can be rare to find. I encourage anyone who struggles with their skin to do their own research. Everyone’s skin type is different and can even change with the seasons, age, region, time of day or month etc, etc. So consider my suggestions and find what works best for you!
1. Kheil’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
$47 This stuff is amazing and I will continue to purchase this forever. I place a few drops of this on my face each night and wake up with beautifully hydrated, soft skin. It smells slightly like lavender so it’s very calming especially before bed. I purchased this in December and have used about half of the bottle. This will last and really does a lot for your skin with little to no effort on your part. If you have dry patches on your face this can help a lot too.
2. Milk Makeup Cooling Water
$24
For months I walked by this product in Sephoraand thought it looked so fun. I also assumed it wouldn’t do a single thing for my under eye bags. However, I received it as a gift and never looked back. When you first swipe this on in the morning it will exaggerate your under eye area tremendously. Then magically two minutes later the applied area looks and feels tighter. While no product is a miracle, this one does significantly reduce my bags.
3. EltaMD UV Physical Broad-Spectrum SPF 41
$30
For years I would use drugstore face sunscreens, but they would always break me out. I heard about this one from my favorite YouTuber Tati Westbrook, but the price tag scared me away for months. When I eventually bought it, I was disappointed because it was slightly tinted. However, I have come to live and die by this sunblock the last few months. It is perfect for daily wear because it does not turn my face white upon application. The tint actually helps it sink nicely into my skin without that white cast. Also, I have never broken out which is amazing!
4. Hey Honey “Come Clean” Propolis & Mineral Scrub
$24
I use this about two to three times a week and it revives my skin. It comes out of the tube looking like a sugar scrub but the times I have accidentally gotten this in my mouth it’s actually super salty which is weird. In my head I thought it would be like putting honey on my face but no. It is the most gentle exfoliant I have ever used. I have recently tried to switch to a drugstore brand and found my skin to have more rough spots than usual. Long story short I switched back and my face is glowing. This pampers my skin leaving it nourished after exfoliating instead of stripped and dry.
5. Nurse Jamie UpLiftFacial Massaging Roller
$69
Okay, this is the one that people will probably be the maddest at. Yes, I purchased an almost 70 dollar metal stick. However, before you attack me and my brand, this thing makes me feel great. At first, I convinced myself this product was really only giving me the placebo effect. I thought this would just kind of bring me confidence and not really do anything at all. Now every morning I roll this on my skin and I’m instantly de-puffed and firmed. Also, it makes me like a very fancy lady.
So if you are looking to splurge I hope this list helped you out! Also maybe do some research into your own skin to find the perfect splurge for you. I have plenty of drugstore products that do absolute wonders for my skin so don’t feel like you have to break the bank to have great skin. However, if I can roll out of my house with some Miranda Priestly energy I’ll take all of it I can get. The skin at the end of the day doesn’t matter that much but I know it really affected my self-image and confidence which is not fun!! Just know you are a queen no matter what your skin is doing or anything else in life for that matter. Keep slaying my sisters, peace.