I have hated my skin for a long time. When I hit the magical age of “becoming a woman,” my skin started breaking out with the occasional pimple. When I hit 16, my chin started to rage with painful cystic acne. I tried all the over-the-counter treatments, including ProActiv, and even got a prescription acne cream from my doctor. Unfortunately, nothing helped. If anything it made my skin more angry from all the salicylic acid and chemicals. When I turned 21, I found Biotin, a hair, skin, and nail vitamin, which is the only thing I could find to calm my skin. (sidenote: There are mixed consumer reviews on Biotin. While it worked great for my skin, as well as making my hair grow and making my nails stronger, others found it made their skin worse. Use at your own risk.) After my wedding, I stopped using Biotin merely because I fell out of the habit of taking it nightly. My breakouts have calmed down in the past 2 years, but i still get painful, hormonal chin breakouts at least once a month and the occasional whitehead in between.
If there is one thing I want you to take from this post its this: the right skin care products matter! If you find that your skin is sensitive, chances are drugstore-brand skincare products are not going to work for you. If you find that your skin is dry, products made with alcohol or salicylic acid will not work well for you. If you have oily skin, oil-based products and heavily moisturizing products are not ideal for your skin type. I could go on and on about the right products for your skin type, if you would like more information on this topic, leave a comment below.
It has taken me nearly 24 years to realize how important a good skin routine is. As a teen, I would bake in the sun and in tanning beds, I would go to bed with makeup on, I wouldn’t exfoliate, etc. So today I thought I would share some of my favorite skin care products with you. Keep in mind, I have sensitive, combination skin. (Combination meaning my T-Zone is oily, while other parts of my face are dry.) Therefore, these products may not be ideal for all skin types.
Let me start off by saying, I have nothing against drugstore-brand skin care. If you have a drugstore brand product that works well for you, by all means continue using it. Personally, I have found that my skin does better with high-end products and therefore that is what I am featuring today.
First Aid Beauty is one of my absolute favorite brands for skin care items. Their products are safe for sensitive skin, allergy-tested, and fragrance free. I got an amazing gift set of First Aid Beauty products for Christmas and will continue to use their products until my skin has an adverse reaction. The two products pictured above are the Facial Radiance Pads and the Ultra Repair Cream. The Facial Radiance Pads are used to exfoliate, tone, and brighten. I use these after I have washed my face, but before I moisturize. The Ultra Repair Cream is an intense moisturizer. This product is used to “hydrate dry, parched skin, relieve minor irritation and itching due to eczema and other conditions.” The Ultra Repair Cream is paraben-free, has no harsh chemicals or colorants, and contains a wide variety of natural ingredients including colloidal oatmeal and eucalyptus oil. This can be used on the face and elsewhere on the body. Keep in mind, this is a deep moisturizing product and may not be suitable for oily skin.
The next three First Aid Beauty products are the Ultra Repair Lip Therapy, Face Cleanser, and Eye Duty Triple Remedy. During the winter months, my lips get dry as can be. I am constantly quenching my dry lips with balms and chapsticks, but nothing heals my lips like this Lip Therapy. It is petroleum-free and is made to to “moisturize, protect, and repair dry, chapped lips.” This product goes on clear and has a soft mint scent. The Face Cleanser is one of my absolute favorites to use. It removes makeup, surface oils, and dirt and grime. The formula is a smooth cream that is “infused with a blend of botanical antioxidants to stave off abuse of the elements.” This cleanser would be great for any skin type, and is very gentle and refreshing on the skin. Last, we have the Eye Duty Triple Remedy. This product is great for anyone who has trouble with under-eye bags, puffiness, or fine lines around the eyes. The cream is a sheer, skin-toned formula that instantly brightens the eye area. The metal applicator is used to blend the product while de-puffing the surrounding skin of the eye. This is an ideal product for anyone with mature skin.
This is one of the most recent, and most important, additions to my skin care routine. This is the Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System. This product is incredibly similar to the Clairsonic cleansing system, but at a fraction of the price. This product feature two speeds, is water resistant, (so it can be used in the shower,) and has replaceable heads. I haven’t tried the sample exfoliating renewal cleanser yet, but I LOVE this cleansing system. I feel like it really deep cleans my skin and gets rids of any makeup residue or oils while also softly exfoliating the skin. While this can be used daily, I plan to use mine every other day as I don’t want to over exfoliate. If you’ve been in the market to try one of these, I highly recommend this one. I feel like it is as good, if not better, than a Clairisonic and the price is unbeatable.
Even if you’re new to the beauty world, chances are you have heard of the Philosophy brand and this Purity cleanser. Almost every YouTube and Makeup Guru out there will tell you that this facial cleanser can’t be beat. And they are right. I can’t say enough good things about this product. While it is a little pricy, the product inside the bottle is worth it. While the directions say to apply a generous amount, I find that a quarter-sized amount is plenty for me. This product rinses off easily and leaves no residue. It is great for all skin types and isn’t over-drying or over-moisturizing. Sephora sells 3 fl. oz. sample sized bottles for $10 dollars if you are interested in trying this out.
This is just a small peek into the skin care world and the products I have found that work best for me. Walk into your local beauty store and you will see aisle after aisle of products that are the “best on the market.” I have really taken an interest in to bettering my skin and will continue to post more as long as there are those that are interested. Leave me a comment if you would like to see more. Thanks for reading!
Southern Radiance 
