Hey guys! Long time no see. Or read. I have been wanting to post for a while but I haven’t had much to say. That is until I realized, to my horror, how out-of-date my skincare routine is! Since my last post, I had the opportunity to work at Follain, a clean beauty retailer, and learn a lot more about what makes products work. I was able to try out so many amazing products (that I would never buy for myself lol), it was an absolute dream. So, welcome to another three part breakdown of everything I put on my skin! I hope you enjoy and learn something. As always, if you click on the photos you’ll be directed to the product page.

Why I love it:

I find cleansing balms are easier to massage into the skin than oil cleansers, but equally as gentle and hydrating. The original formulation is also pretty affordable at $19.

Tips: Even if you’re not wearing any makeup it is still important to use an oil-based cleanser because it removes sunscreen (which you should be wearing everyday!) and other kinds of grime that water-based cleansers can’t. aka. DON’T SKIP THIS STEP

Star Ingredient: Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Seed Oil and Lycopene (Tomato)

Why I love it: It is a best-seller for a reason. It uses Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Seed Oil and Lycopene (Tomato) derived vitamin C to obtain its brightening properties. As an added bonus, the strawberry seed oil provides a slightly sweet and fruity scent.

Tips: you can use it as a mask! Obviously it is not as effective as a real mask, but in the shower I’ll leave it on for a couple of minutes for some added brightening.

Negatives: The only downside I’ve experienced with it is that it can be stripping and makes my skin a little dry after use. I have pretty dry skin though so take that with a grain of salt.

Star Ingredient: Aloe Vera

Why I Love it: The aloe base is gentle and produces a light foam, but I was most impressed at how my face got that “clean” feeling without being stripped and dry after washing. I also like using aloe based products since my skin is constantly exposed to the Californian sun.

Star Ingredient: Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Sodium Hyaluronate

Why I love it: This is going to sound strange but it is the perfect misty texture. That is due to the bottle not so much the product but it makes an impact! This is an essence, not just a mist so is masterfully formualted and loaded with hydrating ingredients. It looks, feels, and smells like luxury.

Negatives: it is priced like luxury too. At $102 I will not be repurchasing

Tips: I will, however, be purchasing the Heritage Rose Water and Glycerin facial mist and refilling the Tata Harper bottle. The Heritage mist is a great dupe because its ingredients are so similar! Both products contain a Rose Flower Water as a main ingredient. The dupe uses Glycerin instead of Sodium Hyaluronate, but they are both humectants and similar enough for the purposes of a mist that will only be on the skin briefly.

Star Ingredients: Vitamins C (15% L-ascorbic acid), E and Ferulic Acid

Why I love it: I didn’t realize it at the time of purchasing but this is a remarkable dupe for the holy grail Skinceuticals Vitamin C serum. That serum is so incredible that its formulation is patented! It uses 15 percent L-ascorbic acid, 1 percent vitamin E, and 0.5 percent ferulic acid. The Maelove Glow Maker also features 15% L-ascorbic acid, and an undefined about of vitamin E and ferulic acid.

Tips: it comes in a semi-clear bottle which is very bad for l-ascorbic acid based serums because they are extremely light sensitive. So my tip, which is more of a mandate, is to store this somewhere dark and cool, otherwise it will not function properly.

Star Ingredient: Sodium Hyaluronate

Why I love it: this is definitely one of the best hyaluronic acid serums on the market. It is sustainable, luxurious, and well formulated. It uses three molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to deliver a boost in hydration. I feel like my skin definitely has an added bounce when I have been using this regularly.

Tips: a little goes a long way! Use too much and the rest of your products will pill.

Negative: once again, it is priced like luxury. At $88 I most likely will not be able to repurchase it as much as I love it.

Star Ingredient: Bakuchiol

Why I love it: Bakuchiol is a plant derived alternative to Retinol. It works, as the name of the product indicates, to smooth and firm skin by promoting collogen production. In my previous skincare routine I used the herbivore bakuchiol serum but I noticed more improvements from this serum, and it also happens to be less expensive!

Negatives: Bakuchiol is derived from the Psoralea Corylifolia plant and due to high demand for its ‘anti-aging’ properties it has become overharvested, sometimes illegally. I’m too young to start using a real retinol but do your research to make sure the Bakuchiol on your products is ethically sourced. I reached out to Follain and they said that their manufacturer is EWG certified and only works with sustainably ad ethically sourced ingredients.

Thanks for reading! Part two will include everything that provides hydration + sunscreen!