Hey everyone, let’s talk skincare!
I want to bring up the topic of skin care on this blog post and just see if anyone benefits from hearing my skin care story! I will also be doing a full review below of the products I am currently using. I really want this post to be one that people feel comfortable to discuss. So, message me or comment below to share skin care suggestions, stories, tips and tricks, anything that you would like to share with me or others.
My Skincare Story:
Here’s a quick background on my skin care story…….well, that’s about it. Lol. My skin care routine before now has been pretty much nonexistent. Growing up, I really didn’t do anything with my skin. Both my parents had fairly nice skin throughout their lives, with very little acne and normal to combination type of skin. My siblings and I got the same type of skin situation. Because of the skin I have, I never struggled massively with acne growing up, or any other major skin issues that I thought only needed a skin care routine, so therefore, I never really took care of my skin.
I grew up just waking up in the morning, splashing water on my face and going about my day. I maybe had a cleanser or exfoliator in the shower that I applied on my face once a week – at most. I know people who are religious with their skin care routines or struggle with difficult skin are probably seriously annoyed at me by saying all of this but it’s true. The skin I’ve been given isn’t too difficult which always resulted in me not taking care of it growing up.
Over the years though, I started realizing the importance of having a skin care routine. Being a beauty lover and into natural products and really anything that was just good for me and my health – I always wanted to get into skincare! I really did. But, as I figured out how important it was and as my interest in it increased, I soon learned what my biggest issue with it was – consistency. I lacked consistency with following a skin care routine like it was my job. I couldn’t stick to grabbing my cleanser each night or even putting on a moisturizer each day – and I’m a VERY routine based, organized person, so this was even shocking to me.
But now, and especially within the past year, my mindset has changed towards my skin care routine. I finally have been getting more determined to stick to a routine and look into products that work well for me.
I used to work at an Aveda salon for six years and currently work at one on the side, so I’ve picked the brains of multiple estheticians there recently. They suggested products for my skin and narrowed down what I can use in order to benefit from my skin care routine. My main goals are:
- Anti-aging (I want to start early)
- Cleaning my skin and just overall taking care of it
- Working to clean my pores and remove some blackheads located in my T-zone.
The estheticians picked out multiple Aveda products that would work for me, as well as a few items from a high quality, Australian skin care line called, Ultraceuticals. I got so excited hearing about these products and actually LEARNING about skincare more. I purchased the products these professionals recommended to me right away, stored them under my bathroom sink and plan to use them once I finish my current products.
So, as of right now, I’m finishing up using my anti-aging line by Ole Henriksen, as well as a Cetaphil Cleanser and Aveda Exfoliant. I’m going to get through these items before I use more of the Aveda products that were recommended to me. These current products I’ve been using are still very new, I’ve only just opened them about a month ago. So, I still really want to take this line seriously and see how it works for me. I want to see how my skin reacts to just the general use of skincare products like this after not having used anything previously.
Like I said earlier, I most importantly want to open the floor for the conversation of skin care. What do you use that works well for you? What products ACTUALLY show you results? Are those jade face rollers I’m seeing around bullshit? How often do you exfoliate for normal to combination skin? Any products you swear by that I should try? Any tips that you could share with me or that others should know? I would love to get some responses and share them to my Instagram stories to help out someone who’s in the same boat as me. Someone who’s new at this, like way late to the game, didn’t always take care of their skin, really want to get into it now, and has normal to combination skin. And trust me, I know how behind I am on this. I bet so many women reading this are just shaking their heads at me right now probably saying, “HELLO, have you been living under a rock?” But hey, this is my story and I’m here to share it!
There’s a new year coming right around the corner and that means the start of new resolutions and positive changes. So, I’m happy to be sharing my skin care journey starting now with you guys!
The Products I’m Currently Using:
Like I said, I was recommended a few Aveda and Ultraceuticals skincare products by the esthetician who works at the Aveda salon with me. But, those are to be used in a few months. Before I begin using those recommended products, I will be finishing up the Ole Henriksen Anti-Aging line, as well as the Cetaphil Cleanser which are very new to me. I just started using them a month ago. Here’s my review on the products on my shelf:
- Ole Henriksen Transform Plus (Anti Aging line)
I got this skincare line as a gift. I had been saying over and over again how I wanted to get into skincare so my sister went ahead and got me my first set! I really do like this line. I love that it is anti-aging and has retinol in two out of the three products. I also love the smell of it, it has a clean and refreshing scent. I’ve been using this for about a month now, and do I see any changes to my skin? No, not really. But it’s anti-aging, so it prevents aging, so I don’t really know what I expected to see at 22 lol.
- Glow OH Dark Spot Toner
- Genuinely, I don’t really even know what a toner does lol. But here I am using it! (If anyone would like to share please leave a comment). But, honestly, this toner spells really nice and it gives me a very refreshing feeling after. I’ve seen many influencers rave about this toner so I may love it even more after a few more months of use.
- Glow Cycle Retinal-ALT Power Serum
- I love to see retinal in my products since one of the biggest skin aspects I want to tackle, or I should say prevent, is aging in my skin.
- The bottle on this is a bit weird though, the product gets a little stuck and squirts out super fast when you finally unjam it – so, just be aware of that.
- Goodnight Glow Retin-ALT Sleeping Creme
- Same with the serum above, this creme has retinol in it so it combats aging. It’s also pretty thick, so if you get oily from thicker creams or moisturizers, I would try opting for a different one. I love this one though, it feels great to put on my neck and face before bed.
- I apply this creme at night and do feel it on my skin a bit in the morning – is that normal for most thicker cremes? I feel like its not fully soaking in so that may be a downfall to this product.
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- Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
- I started using this cleanser at the same time I got my Ole Henriksen anti aging line. I knew I needed a cleanser to actually clean my skin and get the gunk out of my pores, and I remember this one being recommended by a ton of dermatologists and two of my friends who have acne prone skin. I used it when I was younger (yes, that cleanser in the shower that was used once a week? Yep. This was it) and was aware that it was on the lighter side, gentle and affordable, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong.
- I like this cleanser but honestly, there’s not much to it. It takes “simple and light” to a whole new level. I honestly don’t feel like I’m cleaning my skin that much when I use it. The esthetician I spoke with said the same thing – that it’s light, but almost too light that it’s not going to do that much for you. And, it’s not packed with that many good ingredients for your skin – it’s not packed with bad ingredients – but it also doesn’t have many antioxidants or beneficial skin ingredients – it’s just very plain and simple. Which may be great for sensitive skin users, but for me, I really want to feel like I’m cleaning my skin and getting a benefit from using a product. So, with that being said I’m excited to finish this up and switch over to my Aveda Exfoliating Cleanser that was recommended for me to use instead.
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- No. 7 Restore & Renew Eye Cream
- This is basically just for my own conscious lol. I don’t see much from this eye cream but I try to always use one since I have dark circles and am very protective of my under eyes aging wise.
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- Origins Plantscriptions SPF 25 Power Anti-Aging Cream
- I had this from an old Origins Anti-Aging line and still have some left over. I use this as my day moisturizer since it has SPF in it. No complaints!
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- Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant
- So this is actually a new product I purchased per recommendation from the esthetician I spoke with. I bought this right away and started using it since I didn’t have an exfoliator at the time to go with my cleanser.
- I would say that I like this exfoliator, I do, it helps remove the layers of dead skin cells on your face – but – I don’t really “feel” it working. I am someone who likes a scrub exfoliator and likes to feel like I’m really cleaning out my pores, but since this is a liquid formula that you simply apply to your skin with a cotton ball, I don’t really feel that way.
- I have heard great things about this exfoliator and that’s why I’ll still use it, but I am still on the fence if I like the liquid, water-like consistency for an exfoliator.
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- Face Scrubber (Blue silicone scrubber)
- I love this little thing! It’s perfect for cleansing my face, especially since the Cetaphil Cleanser is so light that I don’t feel like I’m really cleaning my pores enough. This scrubber helps with that. This thing is great at getting the dirt out of my pores and it feels really rejuvenating.
- Question for YOU: Is this okay to use on your face? I feel like scrubs and brushes like this get mixed reviews. Some are way too harsh on your skin and some are fine – so I’ve heard. Anyone know anything about these that they would like to share?
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The Rest of the Products on My Skincare Shelf:
- Aveda Shampure Composition Oil
- Love this composition oil! You really can’t go wrong with it. Aveda is known for their Shampure scent and it’s truly amazing. You can use this oil on your body, in your hair, on your nails, whatever you may need. I love to rub it on my temples when I have a headache.
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- No. 3 Multi-Use Oil (Urban Outfitters)
- This is by far my favorite scent. The oil can be used in your hair, on your cuticles or on your body. It’s a multi-use aroma body oil that I use strictly as a perfume. I feel like I finally found my “signature scent” with this. It’s very versatile and the smell is pretty heavy for an oil, so I use just a little bit. This is my go-to scent for going out, heading to events, or anything nicer and out and about. (No longer sold at Urban Outfitters).
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- Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater
- I love this spray in the morning when I need a refresh and a little help waking up. The mist gives a lot of hydration and also a dewy finish. I love the rosewater scent too.
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- Herbivore Coconut Body Oil
- Love this body oil! I use this as a daily or nightly body oil, whereas for the Urban Outfitters No. 3 Multi Use Oil, I use it for specific occasions due to its heavier aroma. This Herbivore Body Oil is very light and smells like coconuts, but not overbearing. It’s a perfect body oil to use at any time. I normally prefer body oils over lotions, cause they’re lighter, not as sticky and soak into my skin faster than a lotion does.
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Future Products:
These are not on the shelf but were recommended to me to use after I finish my current products. I already bought some of these and have them ready to use in a few months! Comment below if you want a review on these skincare products once I start using them:
- Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliating Creme Cleanser
- Aveda Botanical Kinetics Intense Hydrating Rich Creme
- Ultraceuticals Ultra Protective Antioxidant Complex
- Ultraceuticals Ultra UV Protective Mineral Defense SPF 50+
- Ultraceuticals Ultra Dual Microfoliant
Skincare Organizers:
- Wood Stand
- TJ Maxx: Of course this is from TJ Maxx! If you follow me on Instagram (@katerinaharos) you know that I am TJ Maxx obsessed! I find almost all of my home décor there. See the before and after photo of my skincare shelf update below:
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- Cotton Ball Jar
- TJ Maxx: Yes, TJ Maxx again.
Let me know if you enjoyed this blog post! More skincare updates to come in the future.
– Kat
