My skin’s condition at the time:
Normal and slightly dehydrated with emerging Rosacea symptoms that had not yet come to head. My focus was on maintaining my clear skin post-Accutane and keeping it hydrated and free from irritation. I live in the Pacific Northeast so Summers are fairly hot and humid (avg. 76 °F/24.4 °C, 69% humidity) with a high UV index. If you’d like to know more about my skin-type and concerns, please visit the About Me page.
I will grade each product on a scale based on whether I would repurchase using the following ratings:
Hard Pass, Probably Not, Maybe, Absolutely!
(Note: None of the links included below are affiliate links and I receive no benefit/commission from mentioning the following products. The links I provide are either official brand websites or based on availability and best price.)
- First Cleanse
Manyo Factory Pure Cleansing Oil
Would I repurchase? Absolutely!
I would consider this one of my Holy Grails, actually. It has a clean ingredients list free of fragrance and essential oils, doesn’t sting/cloud eyes, and removes makeup and impurities like a champ. - Second Cleanse
The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Foam Cleanser
RP? Maybe.
It’s a very decent cleansing foam that’s gentle and non-stripping. However, these days I’m experimenting with non-foaming second cleansers. - Mist
Herbivore Botanicals Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist
RP? Maybe.
This is a very lovely mist. I actually have repurchased this several times in the past. But these days, I’m trying to steer clear of witch hazel, which is a potential irritant for my rosacea-prone skin. But I would recommend this to others without a sensitivity to WH or anything else in the ingredients list. - Tone
Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner
RP? Probably not.
This raved-about toner was my gateway drug to hydrating toners. I very much enjoyed it at the time, but in comparison to my now HGs, it doesn’t stand out. Also contains essential oils, which is something to keep in mind if you’re sensitive to EOs. - Essence
LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence
RP? Probably not.
This is a nice watery essence that is extremely lightweight and therefore great for summertime and oily skin-types. But other than basic hydration and perhaps very slight redness reduction, the effects weren’t visible enough to justify a repurchase. - Vitamin C
Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
RP? Hard pass.
This was my first AB Vitamin B serum but sadly it didn’t live up to the hype. First, it has a very oily texture that takes a while to sink in. Second, I noticed no brightening effects. - Serum
Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum
RP? Maybe.
This hydrated and plumped up my skin nicely with fast absorption. My only qualm with it is that it contains essential oils (which are necessarily bad for everyone, but can be an issue for sensitive skin). - Moisturize
Primary Raw DoYou Azulene Gel Cream
RP? Probably not.
I received this as a gift. It’s very cooling and extremely lightweight. It’s one of those “water-burst” type gels that turns into what feels like water upon application to the skin. Going forward, I probably won’t go out of my way to repurchase since it would suit oily/combo people better and contains witch hazel. - Eye Cream
Benton Fermentation Eye Cream
RP? Maybe.
I’m still working on finishing this, believe it or not. It’s a good eye cream that appears thick at first but becomes creamy and blendable once warmed up between the fingers. - SPF
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30
RP? Absolutely!
This is an all-in-one physical sunscreen with a green tint that corrects redness and serves as a makeup base. It has a “tone-up” effect that might give a white cast to deeper skin tones. But for me, it works really well as everyday sun protection combined with light coverage to even out my complexion.
Note that I didn’t/don’t do all 10 steps each night and there was some variation, but I can no longer remember the exact products I threw in each night. But these were the staples. I also used sheet masks on a regular basis, as I normally do. When using sheet masks, I add those either after my essence or serum step at night.
I will soon post my Fall/Winter 2017-2018 Skincare Routine in a similar format. Thanks for stopping by and stay posted!