If you are someone who has relentlessly researched skincare products and purchased far too many over the years, or you know nothing about skincare and want some useful yet easy resources to turn to, you’ve come to the right place. As someone who is deeply passionate about skincare and has been trying to perfect my routine for quite some time now, I always am trying to learn more. Our skin is our biggest organ so it is crucial to take good care of it and preserve it as long as possible.
I wanted to share some resources that I have found along this journey that have had such a positive impact on my knowledge of skincare and my complexion. First, is a website, SkinCarisma.com. I somehow stumbled upon this gem over the summer and now use it frequently. This website allows you to type in pretty much any mainstream cosmetic product and gives you the full list of ingredients, product notes (paraben free, cruelty free, etc.), ingredients related to skin types (good for dry skin), notable effects and ingredients (acne-fighting), and a percentage of what ingredients are “low risk”, “moderate risk”, “high risk”, and “unknown.” The website goes into detail about the individual ingredients and their functions. Ratings and reviews are provided as well as where products are available to purchase with links to websites comparing different prices. If you don’t have a specific product you are researching, you can browse the website by skincare goal, ingredients, product category, and brands. The website has a section of “community collections” which are real life peoples skincare routines that they post to the site. My favorite tool that the site has is being able to compare two products in the same category. If you are debating between two cleansers and are unsure which one is a better fit for you, you are able to type both in and it will give you a side by side detailed comparison. This is how I have made many decisions on what I will spend my money on.
Another resource I have loved using to learn more about ingredient benefits, what ingredients pair well with others, how to properly apply products, etc. is the YouTube channel, Beauty Within by Felicia Lee and Rowena Tsai. These girls have a variety of informational yet easy to understand videos all about skincare. The videos average from about 20-30 mins long. If you are a skincare junkie who loves absorbing as much knowledge as possible or just want to learn more about your skin type or what products you need, I highly recommend subscribing to this channel.
I want to mention some brands that I have personally been loving recently, none of this is sponsored. I have explored many brands throughout the years and genuinely trust these ones due to their impeccable reputations and the thought they put into each of their products. I use the brand, Paula’s Choice because they have so many different skincare collections that no matter what your concern, you will be able to find products that are beneficial for you. I like how they have quizzes on their website you can take for how to find your routine or how to decode your skin if you are unaware of your skin type. They sell travel sized products so you don’t need to commit to full size when trying new products out which is amazing with skin care because you never know how your body will react to a foreign product. What makes Paula’s Choice unique is they have a section under each product where their research is listed which makes the consumer feel secure in knowing that they are truly knowledgeable about the ingredients they use and what goes well together. I currently use the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Pore-Reducing Toner, Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, and Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide.
The other brand I want to bring attention to is a newer one, Naturium. The reason I respect this brand is because of the details they put into their products, especially their packaging. In the inside of their packaging of each product they have information about the ingredients, pH levels, and claims. There is an ingredient library on their website where they tell the source of each ingredient they use, whether it is synthetic, natural, or derived, and what it does. They also have a section called, The Lab Journal where they have articles posted all about skin care relating to their products. My favorite thing about this brand though is how they give back to the environment. They partnered with the company, One Tree Planted so 3% of their proceeds are donated to them. I currently use Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream, and Vitamin C Super Serum Plus.
I hope you learned something from this article that will help in the future. Whether you now dont feel so lost in the wide world of skincare, or you just want to learn more than you already know. I think that is what is so amazing about this topic is that you truly never stop learning. My routine is not perfect and never will be because our bodies are always fluctuating due to our environments, diets, health, hormones, and many other factors. It is fun to explore new brands (especially smaller ones, there are so many out there I want to try!), products, tools, and techniques. Drink water and glow on!