Sea Buckthorn Oil Benefits

With the abundance of facial oils available today, from fan favourites like coconut to argan oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil is one I feel is often overlooked. It is not only a great facial oil for skin, but its inherent benefits also play a role in maintaining optimal internal health as well. In this post I will be shining the spotlight on sea buckthorn oil benefits for both skin and health.

What is Sea Buckthorn Oil?

Despite what its name may lead you to believe, sea buckthorn oil derives from the sea buckthorn shrub (also known as sandthorn, sallow thorn, seaberry or Siberian pineapple).

There are a variety of medicinal purposes for the use of the leaves, seeds and fruit of the plant. Its medicinal powers have been known for centuries and have been used in formularies from ancient Greece to ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Sea buckthorn oil can be extracted from both the fruit or the seed. This is done by cold pressing the fruit or seed followed by filtration.

The odour is musky and although they share similarities in their nutritional content, their nutrient profiles differ slightly. They also differ in colour and texture. The fruit oil is darker red colour and more viscous, while the seed oil is paler orange and thinner in consistency.

Sea Buckthorn Oil Benefits for Skin

Sea buckthorn oil promotes maintenance of healthy skin due to its nutrient rich composition and fatty acid profile.

Fatty Acids Keep Skin Smooth

The fatty acids in oil create an occlusive film over the skin to reduce trans epidermal water loss and maintain skin’s hydration levels. Palmitic and stearic acid are saturated fatty acids in sea buckthorn oil. They smooth and soften skin while forming an occlusive layer to reinforce the protective skin barrier.

Omega Fatty Acids for Visible Skin Benefits

Sea buckthorn oil has a unique fatty acid profile in comparison to other plant oils. In fact, it may be one of the only plants to contain all four omegas – omega 3,6, 7 and 9. Typically omega supplements will boast the content of omega 3, 6 and 9 that we might entirely overlook omega 7 as a nutrient at all.

Omega fatty acids are extremely important ingredients for skin. They serve as essential building material of skin’s surface and build cell membranes. They create a more youthful looking, smoother complexion and increase skin hydration. Calming signs of redness and sensitivity, they also defend skin from environmental damage.

The rare omega 7 (aka palmitoleic acid) is a relatively new fatty acid discovery. It is a monounsaturated fatty acid and component of skin lipids and facilitate the communication between fat and muscle tissue in the body. It helps to stimulate skin regenerative processes and wound healing. Therefore sea buckthorn oil has the potential to reduce the look of scars and wounds.

Suitable for Oily Skin Types

Gamma linoleic acid (omega 6) improves blood circulation, which in turn assists with the removal of toxins and delivers oxygen to cells. The GLA in sea buckthorn oil penetrates into skin’s deeper layers, stimulates cell regeneration, relieves inflammation, slows ageing and even regulates skin sebum production. Due to the presence of omega 6, it is also suitable for oily skin types.

Typically oily skin types are reluctant to use facial oils on their skin, however sea buckthorn oil may prove beneficial for oily skin. Linolic acid found in sea buckthorn oil plays a key role in skin health. It regulates skin metabolism and sebum production, thus reducing pore blockage and blackheads.

Sea buckthorn oil also contains phospholipids and glycolipids which aid in moisturising and softening the epidermis, as well as improving skin elasticity and cell renewal. They have the propensity to reduce skin inflammation and slow the ageing process. Furthermore, sterols in the oil strengthen the lipid barrier and improve skin elasticity and firmness.

Fatty Acids in Sea Buckthorn Oil Benefits:

• Saturated fatty acids soften skin and prevent trans epidermal water loss.
• Sea buckthorn oil contains an abundance of omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9.
• These omega fatty acids reinforce and smooth skin’s surface.
• They increase skin hydration and visibly strengthen skin.
• They have regenerative properties and heal wounds.
• Regulate the function of skin’s sebaceous glands.
• Protects against infections, soothes inflammation and slows ageing.
• Moisturises skin, reduces inflammation and improves skin elasticity.

Powerful Nutritional Profile of Sea Buckthorn

Sea buckthorn oil benefits are largely due to its diverse cocktail of vitamins and nutrients. It is particularly rich in a number of vitamins A, C, D, E, F, K, P and B complex vitamins as well carotenoids, antioxidants, flavonoids, fruit acids, anthocyanins, and minerals. Essentially, it is a recipe for extraordinary healing.

Packed with polyphenols, vitamins A, C and E, carotenoids, tocopherols and flavonols, sea buckthorn oil is a cocktail of antioxidant goodness. Sea buckthorn oil’s potent antioxidant profile combats free radicals. And thus it prevents premature cell ageing and helps to regenerate cells.

The vitamin C content of sea buckthorn oil is 15 times higher than that of an orange. It will protect against UV damage and help to even out the complexion. Read this vitamin C article for more about vitamin C’s amazing effect on skin.

In a nutshell, sea buckthorn oil fights free radicals, protects against harmful UV rays, regenerates cells and slows skin ageing. It supports wound healing, treats scars and reduces pigmentation. What’s more, it may also have a role in treating inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema.

Sea Buckthorn Oil Benefits for Health

Due to its abundance in nutrients and essential fats, sea buckthorn oil has a significant positive effect on human health. Because of this, it has been used for centuries in ancient medicine and is now gaining popularity as a functional food and nutraceutical.

Antioxidants in sea buckthorn support the immune system and help to fight infection. Taken internally they will also help to promote healthy skin and hair.

Omega fatty acids encourage healthy cardiovascular function and support the brain and nervous system.

Omega 7 contained in sea buckthorn oil fights inflammation, lowers blood glucose and insulin resistance, as well as suppresses fat accumulation.

Flavonoids promote healthy immune system function and cell rejuvenation, as well as slow premature ageing.

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, sea buckthorn can provide pain relief and aid in lessening inflammatory conditions such as GI tract issues, liver inflammation and sore joints.

Products for Sea Buckthorn Oil Benefits

There are a number of skincare products and supplements containing sea buckthorn oil that will provide you with a myriad of sea buckthorn oil benefits. 

Trilogy Very Gentle Restoring Oil

The Ordinary Sea Buckthorn Oil

100% Sea Buckthorn Oil

Oribe Golden Face Oil

Leahlani Siren Serum

Sea buckthorn oil benefits are nothing short of extraordinary. And as more research emerges on the benefits of this wonderful plant and omega 7, I am sure we will be hearing a lot more about it over time.

Are you going to try incorporating sea buckthorn oil into your beauty routine? How about trying an omega 7 or sea buckthorn supplement?

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

The advice in this article is not a substitute for advice from your medical or healthcare provider. Unauthorised use and/or distribution of this material is strictly prohibited.

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Amazon Skin Care Tools Every Girl Needs

Amazon truly is the Everything Store. It is a place where you can purchase anything from spare light bulbs to toothpaste to baby nappies, and have them all conveniently delivered to your door within 24 hours. This phenomenon would have positively been considered witchcraft mere decades back. Yet, here it is today. And because it is the Everything Store, there is plenty opportunity for lovers of Beauty and Skin Care, like you and I, to take advantage and throw in some beauty goodies to our next Amazon delivery. This blog post is all about the amazon skin care tools that every girl needs.

SILK PILLOWCASE

We spend a third of our lives sleeping. That’s a whole lot of time with our heads planted in a pillow. If you are a back sleeper, I salute you. However, there are benefits with detoxification to sleeping on your side (I can cover that in a separate post). The repeated action of your face up against a surface, day after day, year after year causes creasing in your skin, and over time leads to the formation of unwanted lines and wrinkles.

A silk pillowcase will not leach moisture from your skin like a cotton pillow case. You will no longer have to wake up with crazy creases on the side of your face before you head out to work. You’ll find less hair breakage because of the soft surface. A silk pillowcase is a must-have the sake of your anti-ageing strategy, and for your beauty. Even more so if you, like me, prefer to sleep on your side for as many hours as possible. 

GUA SHA

If you read my travel skin care essentials post, I explained the benefits of facial massage after long haul flights. You can use a Gua Sha skin care tool to promote lymphatic drainage and effectively de-puff the face. 

Gua sha is an alternative therapy method used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a means of promoting circulation and redirecting energy flow in the body. It can help promote healing, reduce inflammation and stimulate the lymphatic system.

The daily ritual of Gua Sha can provide a multitude of long term skin benefits. Gua sha use can reduce wrinkles, firm and tone, even out complexion, define the jaw line, de-puff and combat pigmentation and puffy eyes. Gua sha can also be used to relieve tension and relax the muscles.

This tool from Amazon is a great, inexpensive option if you would like to try out Gua Sha but do not want a substantial expense before deciding if you like the results from Gua Sha. But trust that if you are consistent with this practice, your skin results will soon speak for itself.

JADE ROLLER

Jade rolling is another way to stimulate the lymphatic system and reduce puffiness in the face. It consists of a larger roller on one side and a smaller roller on the other, for more targeted areas such as around the eyes. In some respects, it requires less of a skilled technique than Gua Sha and is an extremely gentle approach.

You should use the jade roller on clean skin. For extra coolness you can store it in the fridge before use. You want to make sure you are draining down the neck and towards the lymph nodes. It should feel cooling and relaxing on the face. And if anything, it is a perfectly calming ritual to add to your self-care routine.

FOREO FACIAL BRUSH

A Foreo is the ultimate cleansing and massage device for your skin. I have toyed with a number of cleansing devices in the past, including the Clarisonic. While I thoroughly enjoyed using the Clarisonic, the constant need to change brush heads became far too cumbersome and uneconomical (£20 per brush head?!) It just didn’t make sense anymore for me to continue purchasing brush head after brush head, when I had already invested a significant amount of money on the brush body to begin with.

The Foreo is made of silicone. This makes it far more hygienic and convenient as you will not have to constantly replace brush heads every six weeks.  It will really give a deep cleanse to the skin and pull every last trace of makeup from your pores. They even have adorable mini versions of the Foreo so you can leave your main cleansing brush at home and take along with you a convenient, portable one on your travels. It will soon be one of your must have Amazon skin care tools.

KONJAC SPONGE

Perhaps you are not sold on the idea of an electronic skin cleansing device. Maybe they are a little out of your budget. Or perhaps the case is just that you are an eco conscious consumer. Konjac sponges tick all the boxes and are a biodegradable, inexpensive alternative.

Konjac sponges are a popular Japanese means of cleaning the skin. They are completely vegan and eco-friendly approach to your cleansing routine. Made from the konjac root, these sponges are hard when dry and become soft and sponge-like when soaked with water for cleansing.

These sponges are very gentle and non-abrasive on the skin, while still being effective at cleansing and removing makeup. There are various properties infused into different konjac sponges, such as charcoal for detoxifying the skin.

The sponge allows you to use less cleanser per use, so your product goes further. It is also biodegradable, so once the time comes to replace it at 6-8 weeks, it can be easily composted. These sponges are economical, environmentally friendly, and do wonders for your skin too. What’s not to love?

FACIAL HAIR REMOVER

These little razors are very useful to have on hand at all times. For ladies who experience a little peach fuzz they don’t particularly enjoy, or some rogue eyebrows or upper lip hair, these razors work like a charm.

Some women swear by shaving their face and claim that makeup applies much more smoothly to a hairless complexion. There is also the argument that men age more slowly than women due to their daily shaving practices, which provide additional exfoliation. I do not dispute that, but I have fortunately never felt the need to shave my own face. If you are someone who would like to begin shaving your peach fuzz, using a little tool like this will be of great use to you.

Even if you have no interest in shaving your entire face, these razors can be used to groom around eyebrows and upper lip area between waxing appointments. And who knows what else.

Amongst all the Amazon skin care tools, there is also this inexpensive, cute electric pink facial hair remover. If you have decided that you do enjoy the results you see from shaving your peach fuzz, you’ll love this handy little device. It can be easily cleaned under running water and has a handy LED light for use in even dimly light environments.

TANNING GLOVE

If you are a user of self-tanners, you will recognise the importance of using a glove to cover your palms while you apply the tanner to your body. You will also be aware of how gross these mitts get after only a few uses and how they don’t last.

This luxury velvet self-tan mitt will last you far longer than other conventional tanning mitts. It will apply any self-tan formula from mousses to creams and lotions. It is also soft and velvety, so will smoothly apply product for a streak-free finish.

FACE WASH HEADBAND

We all know the struggle of attempting to wash our face while trying not to wet our hair. These flannel headbands will absorb any water and keep it off your hair, so you can soundly wash your face without worrying about ruining your hair or having to dry it afterwards. You can also use it while applying makeup to keep flyaway hairs from your face and prevent any foundation and other products from getting in your hair.

DRY BODY BRUSH

A dry body brush is a great way to exfoliate the skin and encourage blood circulation as well as remove toxins from the body. Because it stimulates blood flow, it plays a role in diminishing the look of cellulite and promoting a smooth, soft skin.

Dry body brushing is invigorating and energising because it speeds up the delivery of oxygen and nutrient to cells. When brushing your limbs, make sure you are brushing in an upwards motion towards the heart.

MIRCROFIBRE FACE CLOTH

It can be a pain having to re-purchase makeup remover products. Not to mention, they quickly run out if you wear makeup on the daily. A microfibre face cloth will remove your makeup easily, with only water, no product needed. It simply needs to be wet in order to remove your makeup. You can then easily wash and re-use it. No more having to reach for the makeup wipes, or cotton pads and makeup remover solution.

BRUSH FOR FACIAL MASKS

If you’re a fan of beauty self-care and facial masks, you’ll definitely want a brush on hand. The brush will distribute the mask evenly over the face far more effectively than hands alone. And it can be used to mix the ingredients before application. It’s just a handy tool for your lazy Sundays or Friday nights in when you just fancy a little extra pampering.

HUMIDIFIER

The days are becoming colder and drier. Pretty soon Winter leave your skin parched and screaming for hydration. This cold, dry air steals moisture from your skin and damages your skin care efforts. If you live in arid regions, a humidifier is a must.

The humidifier will introduce moisture back into the air so that your skin does not dry out overnight. Products like hyaluronic acid can actually work to attract moisture from the air to your skin. So you do ideally want some level of humidity for best results. Read this post on how hyaluronic acid benefits your skin and how you should be using it.

FACIAL FLANNEL

These are boring but so necessary. I recommend you use a new flannel every time you wash your face to minimise the introduction of any bacteria to your skin. Your regular bath towel that you use for a week straight will not suffice as a face towel. Hand towels and body towels used multiple times become a breeding ground for bacteria and trust me, you do not want that on your face.

EXTRACTION TOOL

Mama said not to pick your face, but sometimes we can’t help it. Sometimes it’s a straight up emergency and you need to be somewhere and look cute. And you most definitely cannot have Mr Zit looking like he’s ready to erupt in front of the whole world to see. It’s understandable.

This extraction kit will make sure you are hygienically doing away with Mr Zit, without encouraging the proliferation of further bacteria to your skin. It is one of those Amazon skin care tools you should probably have on hand for emergencies.

TONGUE SCRAPER

But these don’t count as Amazon skin care tools, you say. Well hear me out. This is a wellness tool that you absolutely need to have because when you promote health within, it shows on the outside. Tongue scraping is a necessary hygiene step that not enough people do. 

No one wants a build up of toxins and bad breath. Or even worse, that foul coating some people have over their tongues. Tongue scraping can help prevent bacteria from proliferating, causing gum disease and infections in the mouth (gross!), and promotes overall oral health.

It is believed in Ayurveda that this movement cleanses digestive tissues and internal organs. Anything that promotes health on the inside will reflect to what you see on the outside. A healthy internal environment will reflect in your skin. So get to tongue scraping, girlfriend.

NAIL CUTICLE KIT

Not all of us have the time, nor do we have the finances to head to a weekly manicure appointment. Especially during this time of year in the colder weather, your cuticles can get dry, flaky and far less than cute. This little rose gold cuticle kit will keep your cuticles maintained and ensure you do not have to deal with pesky dry nail beds.

LIGHT UP MIRROR

Doing your face makeup in a dimly lit room is less than conducive to a good makeup day. If the lighting in your house is terrible, natural window light is not an option or you typically have to get ready before sunrise or after the sun goes down, you need a light up mirror.

A lighted mirror will make doing your makeup and other facial grooming tasks infinitely easier. This mirror has one side with 1x magnification and the other with 10x magnification. I think this quality is essential when choosing a makeup mirror because the extra magnification really helps you to scrutinise the little details when it comes to makeup or just tweezing your eyebrows.

TWEEZERS

Every lady knows tweezers are an absolute essential. We should have one in our skin care cabinet, on our counter, in our makeup bags and in our purses at all times. We all know those emergencies. 

Tweezerman is by far my favourite brand of tweezers. Their blades are sharp and precise and easy to use with even the smallest hairs. I have tried my fair share of cheap tweezers and most of them are too blunt and cannot grasp small hairs or remove them in one piece.

I personally use and love these little tweezers and make sure to have a set with me at all times.

Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Makeup Brush Set

Of course, a brush set is essential for every beauty lover out there. Brushes are must have Amazon skin care tools because they encourage hygienic makeup application (just remember to wash them!). Nothing quite changes your beauty game like brushes. 

This brush set includes my favourite tools for a perfect everyday face. I really do not think you would need more than these brushes on a daily basis. Despite what you may see in makeup tutorials and on social media, you do not need dozens of brushes for a makeup look.

On the contrary, I often use only 2 makeup brushes on an everyday basis (both of which are from Real Techniques). Yes, downsizing your makeup brushes is absolutely possible. It is never about a lack of resources, or in this case makeup brushes, but about how you are resourceful with the brushes you have.

This Everyday Essentials makeup brush set contains four brushes and a sponge, all of which are my favourite brushes to use and all you will need for an everyday look. Great looking skin should be the focal point of an everyday makeup look and this set has some excellent face brushes. 

Durable and affordable makeup brushes

Real Techniques was one of the first makeup brush lines I purchased from, over 6 years ago when I first started to properly wear makeup. I will tell you with all earnestness, that these brushes are the best affordable brushes you will invest in.

I have washed them countless times and they have never once failed me, shed profusely or broken apart. Unlike some makeup brushes I own from other companies (I am looking at you, Morphe), they are extremely durable. They wash well, are cruelty free and will last you.

This set comes with the blush brush, face sponge, setting brush, deluxe crease brush and expert face brush. I use the blush brush and expert face brush every single day. Whether I am doing a more natural makeup look or a more polished makeup. If I am trying to look a little more dolled up, I will add the setting brush, eye brush and sponge too.

Face brushes

The blush brush is the perfect large fluffy brush for bronzer and blusher application. On an everyday basis I do not want harsh lines or streaks on my face, so I use the blush brush to diffuse colour around my face after foundation, to revive my complexion but not make it appear as though I am wearing a lot of bronzer or blusher. Just looking healthy.

I primarily use my ring finger to disperse concealer under my eyes. However, when I am aiming to look more “done up” I will use the face sponge for this task. It also does a perfect job at pushing liquid foundation or creams into the skin so that you do not appear streaky or unblended. I will always make sure my sponge is wet before use as the dry sponge soaks too much product.

Lastly, the expert face brush. This is a flawless foundation brush that will make your foundation lay on the skin beautifully. It distributes any liquids or even powder foundations evenly over the face and is dense enough that it will not soak up a lot of product, so your foundation goes further.

Eye brushes

The setting brush in this kit is hands down my favourite brush for setting the under eyes after applying concealer. I have tried a number of brushes and not a single one holds a candle to this setting brush. This brush is small enough that it perfectly fits in the under-eye area. But it is large enough that it actually lays down product as you push it into the skin.

The deluxe crease brush is perfect for defining the crease or socket line. On a daily basis, this is the only eye brush you need. Contour the eye with a little bronzer or blush then apply mascara. I think it’s a great look for weekdays when you don’t have copious time for an extravagant eye look. A subtly defined socket just brings definition to your eyes and makes them look awake. Of course, this brush can be used for more intricate eye looks too.

Amazon skin care tools are abundant

I hope that this post was helpful in determining the Amazon skin care tools you really need as part of your skin care strategy. These Amazon skin care tools are absolutely essential for me and make taking care of my skin so much easier. I think that every girl should consider adding some of these products into their beauty routines. 

There clearly is an abundance of awesome Amazon skin care tools to choose from, and these were just the tip of the iceberg. Amazon always makes everything easy and seamless with things like one-day shipping so that your goodies can be with you in no time.

Remember to Subscribe to the Blog for more skin care and beauty posts like these. I will even give you access to the daily skin care essentials checklist when you Subscribe.

Check out some more skin care advice blog posts:

How To Get Rid of Blackheads For Good

The Top Oily Skin Tips You Need To Know

Essential Travel Skin Care Advice for Flying 

How to Take Care of Your Skin During The Fall Season

How many of these Amazon skin care tools do you use? Do you have any must-have skin care tools from Amazon?

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

The post Amazon Skin Care Tools Every Girl Needs appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Skincare Products You Should Be Using Exclusively At Night

Do you ever feel a little overwhelmed by all the skincare choices out there? The ever-growing skincare market can be disorienting. Perhaps you’d like to use something other than just face wash and moisturiser, or are thinking about adopting a more intricate skincare routine. But you are not sure where to start. Suddenly there are day creams, night creams, eye creams, serums, skin lighteners, SPF’s, toners, exfoliants. And how are you supposed to know which skincare to only use at night versus during the day? In this post I will be giving you a definitive guide to the skincare to only use at night versus any other time. 

Skincare To Only Use At Night

To begin, these are the skincare products you should be using exclusively at night. There are a number of reasons you want to reserve these ingredients and skincare products for night time use only. In some cases, it may even be detrimental to your skin to use these products during the daytime.

Skincare to only use at night #1: RETINOIDS

Skincare ingredients such as retinol, prescription retinoids, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, adapalene, tazarotene, and variations of retinoic acid should be reserved for use at night only.

This family of ingredients are extremely potent and renowned for their miraculous anti-ageing, anti-acne properties. However, they can be very irritating and sensitising for skin. This is why retinoids are a skincare to only use at night.

Retinoids can greatly increase your skin’s susceptibility to sun damage, which is why I would advise against them for daytime use. Applying them at night gives them more opportunity to really take effect while you sleep.

While some may condone retinol for daytime use, provided it is followed up with sun protection, I would strongly suggest otherwise. Retinol is a powerful ingredient. It is highly transformative, but this can also mean it is taxing on the skin.

As your skin already has to defend against daily and environmental aggressors during the day, I would suggest forgoing retinol use until the night time. In the case of retinoids, more is most certainly not always better, so there is no need to use them twice a day. So, save them for night time use only.

These Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules are a powerhouse of anti-ageing ingredients. Ceramides are used in many rich, anti-ageing skincare products to boost moisture and support collagen. 

The Ceramide Capsules are already iconic, and the retinol version only supercharges them. If you want some intensely anti-ageing skin benefits, these individually packed capsules will not disappoint.

Skincare to only use at night #2: GLYCOLIC ACID

Glycolic acid is another anti-ageing powerhouse ingredient. You will remember from my glycolic acid article that, although glycolic acid is a highly effective ingredient, it can greatly increase sunburn risk and induce sun damage.

Because glycolic acid is chiefly great at eliminating visible signs of sun damage, you do not want to use it only for it to worsen the problem you were originally hoping to amend. For all the details on glycolic acid, and how it differs from other acids, read this glycolic acid post.

Glycolic acid is another ingredient that like retinol, is so powerful I would not recommend using it more than once a day for the majority of people. Once a day use should suffice and you can reserve that for night time use.

If you live in an area that does not see much sun, or during the darker months when sun intensity is not at an all-time high, you may be able to get away with using acids during the day. However, you should exercise precaution and make sure you are wearing an SPF if you live in a sunny area.

With 5% glycolic acid, Alpha H Liquid Gold will absolutely transform your skin. It will diminish any signs of hyperpigmentation and give you a radiant skin glow. Check out this glycolic acid article for more product recommendations.

Skincare to only use at night #3: NIACINAMIDE

Niacinamide is an ingredient you can really use at any time of day. However, those with more easily sensitised skin may not want to mix ingredients such as vitamin C and niacinamide. Especially if you are using a high percentage of niacinamide specifically to target issues like acne or pores. 

There is concern that ascorbic acid may affect the integrity of niacinamide. If you use a strong vitamin C serum during the day time, you may wish to alternate and use niacinamide products at night instead.

Because vitamin C works best at a lower pH and niacinamide works at a pH closer to neutral, there is fear that the ingredients used in combination may render one another ineffective. 

High doses of niacin have the potential to induce facial flushing. If you have used the ingredients in combination and have had no such issue, using both products in tandem might in fact be beneficial, as both ingredients are great for skin.

Skincare formulations have become so sophisticated that it should not cause issue in most people, provided both ingredients are not used in very high percentage. You will come across various skincare formulations that use vitamin C derivatives and niacinamide and they work beautifully.

You may want to exercise caution if you are using a high dose niacinamide and potent ascorbic acid product. Bombarding your skin with so many strong active ingredients all at once can have negative repercussions.

This 10% Niacinamide Booster contains brightening ingredients to help even out your complexion and target visible signs of ageing.

Skincare to only use at night #4: ACNE SPOT TREATMENTS

Spot treatments such as benzoyl peroxide creams, sulfur, camphor and clay-based products, work to eradicate spots by drying the area out. It is very difficult to lay any makeup over these products without ruining your makeup, so it is best to reserve spot treatments for your night time skincare routine.

EradiKate Blemish Treatment and Indie Lee Blemish Lotion are a type of two-phase blemish treatment. There is this pink sediment that settles at the bottom of the product. You can simply dip a cotton bud into the bottle and then dot the pink product onto any spots.

Most people do not want to be seen parading around with pink and white dots across their faces in a corporate environment. Using them at night gives them the most time to work, without having the potential makeup, sunscreens and other products mixing with the product and redistributing the ingredients around the face.

Skincare to only use at night #5: THICK EYE CREAMS

Eye creams are infamous for being the thickest skincare products you lay on your face. This is because the immediate undereye area does not directly house any oil glands, which means it can easily dry out.

Unless you have particularly dry eyes, I would not call an eye cream a must-do step. However, even those with dry under eyes are likely to find that their night time eye creams are far too thick for day use.

The emollient nature of eye creams can lead to concealer creasing. Not to mention, the excess oil and moisture will cause your eye makeup to smudge and run around your eyes.

Save the eye creams for bed time and let them do their thing at night. During the day time, simply applying your regular moisturiser or sunscreen around the eye area should suffice.

Skincare to only use at night #6: HEAVY MOISTURISERS

Night time moisturisers are notoriously rich in consistency. It is no surprise that such rich moisturisers should exclusively be saved for your night time routine, if indeed your skin type is so dry that it warrants one of these thick moisturisers.

Although creams that target more mature women tend to be thicker and richer, your skin will not magically call for a thick moisturiser once you hit ‘a certain age’. This means that you do not have to feel obliged to opt for a night time cream just because it is labelled as such, unless your skin indeed calls for one.

Unless you have exceptionally dry skin, you will not want to be using rich cream during the day time. The emollience of such creams will cause makeup to shift around after a few hours and feel far too occlusive during the day time. You will want to hydrate with a moisturiser that is less viscous and more breathable in nature.

In some instances, a night cream is simply a day cream with a slightly richer consistency. Day creams without SPF may even be used interchangeably as your night time option. In fact, day and night creams originally began as the same formula, albeit packaged in different jars and labelled separately.

Skincare to only use at night #7: CLEANSING BALMS AND CLEANSING OILS

Some confuse this cleansing product and use it as their only skincare cleansing option both morning and night. Cleansing balms and cleansing oils should solely be used for the removal of makeup. They should then be followed up with a regular gentle cleanser to remove any residue.

The first step of cleansing balm/oil removes your makeup and the second step actually cleanses the face. Cleansing balms and cleansing oils should not be used on their own. Especially not in the morning when you are merely removing last night’s skincare and sweat.

If you only cleanse with a cleansing balm or an oil, some oil may remain on the skin. This makes it difficult for any water-based serums and skincare products to penetrate the skin and work properly. Your makeup may also not lay as well over the skin. So, reserve these products for use in your evening routine only.

One of my absolute favourites is this Cleansing Balm from Clinique. It will melt away any makeup you could possible have on, along with the toughest waterproof mascara. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm is also a great one and is smoothing and lovely on the skin. It is slightly pricier than Clinique but the website I linked regularly does sales.

Skincare Products to Use at Any Time of Day

Because I like to be thorough, and to give context to the rest of my post, here’s a list of skincare you can feel free to use any time of day. They work equally well as part of a morning or evening skincare routine.

1. Hyaluronic acid serums

Water-based serums with hyaluronic acid are usually thinner in consistency. This makes them a great lightweight option, ideal for use during the day or night. Read this article all about hyaluronic acid for everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid and my favourite hyaluronic acid products.

2. Salicylic acid

This chemical exfoliant is a favourite among the acne-prone. Unlike glycolic acid, salicylic acid does not induce sun sensitivity, so you can use it both day and night. Read this complete guide to salicylic acid for everything you need to know about the skincare ingredient as well as my favourite products.

3. Dry oils

Dry oils are light and easily absorbed into the skin. They do not form that greasy film over the skin that seemingly never dissipates. Fast-absorbing oils such as rosehip oil and squalane are perfect for use any time of day and will not leave you a greasy mess. I love to use fast-absorbing oils in the morning just before I apply my sunscreen, as it makes everything I layer over it apply a lot more smoothly. I have an article dedicated to rosehip oil, so make sure to read that for rosehip oil skin benefits.

4. Sheet masks

Although I would tell you to save the deep hydration masks until the night time, sheet masks are a lighter weight option to infuse instant hydration into the skin. This makes them great to apply before makeup if your skin needs a boost for the day.

Use them at night time as part of your unwinding ritual. Or even just on a day where you are feeling like pampering yourself. K-beauty famously offers an array of sheet masks. I have listed a few in this article about the top Korean Skincare products you need to try.

5. Skin brighteners

All-over skin brighteners can be used both in the morning and at night. These products help to fade dark spots and discolouration, encouraging a brighter complexion.

Skincare Products To Only Use During The Day

A few things differentiate day time and night time skincare. There are certain properties of day time skincare products that make them optimal for use during the day.

1. Antioxidant serums

Serums with antioxidants such as resveratrol and vitamin C, will safeguard your skin from environmental aggressors, pollution and UV damage throughout the day. I explained it all in this post about antioxidants and free radicals. This means they are important ingredients to wear on a daily basis so that you are giving your skin as much protection as possible.

As I stated previously, you are using a high strength vitamin C in the morning, you want to save any potent niacinamide products for the evening time. For the best vitamin C skincare products and benefits, read this vitamin C skincare article. 

2. SPF

It seems obvious, but any products containing SPF are solely for daytime use. Whether it is sunscreens, face creams with any SPF, BB creams and the like, you should not be wearing any SPF products to sleep.

If the product has SPF in it, you should not be sleeping in it, even if it is a colourless cream. Anything with SPF is often heavier, and not in a deeply nourishing way. Not to mention, certain sunscreen actives like zinc oxide, are astringent and can potentially dry out skin.

Aside for the obvious fact that there is no sun during the night time, the ingredients that give SPF rating are often occlusive. Ingredients such as titanium dioxide are used in colour cosmetics. Like makeup pigments, SPF molecules are larger, heavier and have a higher chance of clogging pores.

If you aren’t wearing makeup to sleep (which you should never do anyway), why would you wear SPF? Give your skin a break and save any SPF for the day time. Invest in a separate moisturiser for night time use alone. 

For more on what SPF means, and exactly how sunscreen protects your skin, read this post about sun damage and skin.

Nighttime skincare is different from daytime skincare

I hope this post helps to make clear which products you should be using by time of day. It is important to establish a day time and night time skincare routine with specific products for each. Depending on the time of day, you can decide which products and ingredients will suit your skin best. 

You should now understand the skincare to only use at night, the products you should be saving for daytime use, and the products you are free to use at any time of day. So go ahead and put together your skincare routine with confidence! If you’d like to know how to layer the products mentioned, read this post on how to layer skincare products for best results. 

Subscribe to the Blog so you don’t miss out on future posts. I’ll also give you access to my essential skincare checklist as a bonus.

For more skincare advice, check out these posts:

How to properly layer skincare products

How to transition your skincare routine from Summer to Fall

Essential Makeup and Skincare Advice for Oily Skin

How to get rid of blackheads

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material is strictly prohibited.

The post Skincare Products You Should Only Use At Night appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Essential Oily Skin Tips

Oily skin can be a pain point for many people. Your makeup just never seems to last, you are plagued with blackheads and breakouts, and you can’t seem to shake that pesky shine from your forehead. In this post I will be giving you 9 essential oily skin tips so that you can tackle your oily skin, drama free. Along with oily skin tips, this post will dispel some oily skin myths and helping you understand the causes of oily skin.

The Oily Skin Dilemma 

You may be familiar with this scenario.

You wake up and diligently apply your skincare and makeup for the day. Even rising a little earlier than you would like to, just so you can execute your routine properly.

Feeling fabulous, you head off to work/college/university and go about your day.

By the time midday rolls around, you whip out your compact mirror and suddenly you’re pretty horrified. You are definitely not looking as cute as you remember.

Despite how meticulously you applied your base this morning, your foundation has caked up and broken apart.

Your eye makeup has ended up everywhere but your eyes, and you now resemble a panda – albeit not as adorable when rocking black eyes.

And your forehead and cheeks are so greasy you could fry an egg over your face.

If you can relate to this, chances are you have oily skin.

Oily Skin Agony 

Sure, you’ve heard it before, when people try to console you about your oily skin. “You’ll age slower” you’ve been told. 

Firstly, you should celebrate this fact. Your skin will not appear as visibly wrinkled as your counterparts with dry skin. So celebrate the youthful effect.

But girl, I know the struggle is real.

It can be a pain to have to deal with oily skin on the day to day, when all you really want is to be as low maintenance as possible. No one wants to constantly check whether their face has melted off. You are in need of some oily skin tips and tricks. 

Also, oily skin tends to be more prone to breakouts than dry skin. Isn’t that a pain considering you thought you were over the acne phase after you passed puberty?

So you’re telling me that now I have to deal with acne and wrinkles?! That most certainly does not sound like what I bargained for when I officially graduated from being a teenager. You’re not alone, my friend.

While you can’t actually do anything to drastically alter your skin type overnight – other than changing your hormones or using isotretinoin to dry out your oil glands – there are ways to manage oily skin.

So, embrace your skin for the way it is now and don’t sweat it. I have you covered with these oily skin tips.

Oily Skin Causes

Your skin comprises sebaceous glands. The role of sebum in sebaceous glands is to help keep skin lubricated and protect it. When your sebaceous glands begin producing too much, sebum, this results in oily skin. An excess of sebum not only contributes to oily skin, but also increases the likeliness of clogged pores and acne as sebum plugs up the pore.

Oily skin is primarily dictated by hormones. This is why, during periods where your hormones go crazy, such as during puberty, pregnancy or menopause, you will notice changes in your skin type. This is why, when we think of oily skin, we typically think of greasy pubescent teenagers with acne. Typically, high levels of androgens can trigger excess oil production.

Because your skin type is majorly dictated by hormones, there is only so much skincare can do to treat oily skin types. You may not necessarily be able to have an immediate result in terms of completely eradicating oily skin, but you may find your skin grows less oily with time. As your hormones shift with age, you may experience your oily skin beginning to balance out.

Many women find that as they grow older, their skin becomes increasingly drier. However, there is no telling when exactly your skin will stop being oily. Not all women will automatically experience dry skin as soon as they reach 50 or 60 or whatever age the media considers to be “mature”. Which is why I always express the importance of individualising your routine.

Although I know oily skin can be a pain, try to appreciate it while you have it. On the bright side, it certainly can be seen as a sign of youth.

Skin Care Oily Skin Tips

Your skin care products will be your first line of defence when combatting oily skin.

1. Choose a non-stripping cleanser.

Of all the oily skin tips I could give you, I am going to start with the basics: proper cleansing. Conventional wisdom might tell you to choose only oil-free cleansers, or cleansers specifically for oily skin. But frankly, many cleansers tailored specifically to oily skin can simply be stripping.

During my first stint with skincare, when I hit 10 years old and began developing the occasional spot, I was taken to the only beauty shop that existed at the time in my hometown. The shop assistant insisted I be put on a routine of a bar soap, alcohol-based toner and oil free moisturiser. The moisturiser I was told at the time, was to get rid of the “tight” feeling from the soap. This should have been the warning to me – that “tight” feeling is a sign the soap is stripping my skin!

Of course, I knew nothing about skincare at that age and proceeded with my cleanse, tone, moisturiser regimen that did nothing for my skin except make me increasingly oilier and accrued a whole new family of spots. If you want to hear my take on bar soaps, check out this previous post about blackheads. The article on how to get rid of blackheads also gives a lot of oily skin tips that you will benefit from.

You do not need an antibacterial face wash.

At 13, when I began to experience a full flare up of acne and oily skin, I headed to a dermatologist who of course prescribed antibiotics and a scrub. Nothing more. So, I diligently used this scrub 2 to 3 times per day until my skin was red and raw, for years. Without any moisturiser might I add, because my skin was oily, and I thought it already had enough moisture.

Nearly a decade later, I am somewhat of a chemistry aficionado. I am able to read ingredient labels and understand the substances on an ingredient list, so I realise that this scrub was severely damaging to my skin. This scrub contained what I now know to be an antibacterial agent that has since been banned from use in cosmetics and soap. So, fantastic – I might as well have been scrubbing my face with a suspension of rocks in antibacterial hand wash.

My point is, conventional advice will tell you that your oily skin needs a specific face wash. And because you are oily, the more aggressive the better. You need to hit it with menthol, camphor, acids, alcohol and every ingredient you can to dry out the oil. In truth, bombarding your skin with all these harsh ingredients only aggravates your skin’s response. Your skin is being sensitised. While it initially feels dried out, there’s a reason the oiliness returns so quickly. The result? More oiliness. And so, the cycle continues.

Cleansing is key.

Many people assume that because a cleanser is only in contact with your face for a couple of minutes then rinsed off, the variety you use is not overly important. I beg to differ. Every time I have used a cleanser that my skin does not agree with, it will instantly flare up a bout of redness and rosacea in my skin. This means that using a cleanser that your skin does not tolerate well, could further worsen your skin issues.

Depending on your tolerance to certain oils, you do not necessarily have to go oil-free with all your cleansers. For instance, if you wish to remove your makeup with an oil or balm, it should not aggravate your oily skin, provided you follow up with another cleanser. I would recommend following up an oil-based cleanser with a water-soluble cleanser just to ensure you have not left any residue on your face that could potentially clog your pores.

Unless you are allergic to certain ingredients or oils in a cleanser, I do not think it will do too much in the way of exacerbating oily skin. Even if you are using an oil-free cleanser, it could potentially cause issues for you should you not rinse it off properly. So, provided you are not leaving excess residue on the skin, you should worry more about a cleanser being gentle than just oil-free.

There are certain scrubs that are gentle and would be fine for your skin. Just make sure the beads are perfectly spherical and not so sharp you feel like you are cutting your face. Cleansers with ingredients such as clay, salicylic acid, AHA’s and charcoal are great for oily skin.

Gentle Cleansers to Try

2. Chemical exfoliants.

If you are not already using salicylic acid in your routine and you have oily skin, you must seriously consider it. Salicylic acid is one of the must-do oily skin tips. I have an entire post dedicated to everything you need to know about salicylic acid, so make sure to check that out.

Salicylic acid is oil soluble. This makes it a godsend for oily skin. With oily skin, sebum and waxy substances accumulate in the pore and there is a larger deposit of dead skin cells. Salicylic acid will help dissolve this build up and prevent it from plugging up the pore lining.

Think of it like a plugged drain. Everything is stuck and only accumulates until the drain is de-clogged. Instead of these waxy and sticky substances hanging around your pore lining, using salicylic acid means your oils can flow with ease again.

While you don’t need to be scrubbing your skin on the regular, you should be exfoliating. Salicylic acid and other chemical exfoliants will help slough away dead skin cells, preventing blackheads and acne, and keeping your oily skin under control.

In my complete guide to salicylic acid, I explain the entire process and exactly how salicylic acid works for your skin. Head on over to my salicylic acid post for all the benefits and the exact products I would recommend you use.

3. Use a mattifying or gel moisturiser.

By now, oily skin people should know the importance of adequately hydrating the skin. Forgoing a moisturiser will do your skin no favours as you need to replenish any protective substances lost from cleansing. A mattifying moisturiser can provide you with adequate moisturisation without encouraging a greasy mess. Your makeup will also lay on prepped skin much better than on bare skin.

If you have oily skin, you may not necessarily want to reach for face oils for hydration. There are dry oils that you can use as I explain in this post about my favourite face oil of the moment. However, if your skin is extremely oily, it may be a better option to go with a more mattifying product that will still provide moisture. A gel moisturiser works great for this. Your skin probably does not need additional oil over your pores.

A moisturiser that is oil-free does not necessarily equate to a mattifying moisturiser. Under makeup, a mattifying moisturiser is ideal because it ensures your skin is remaining hydrated but also preventing your face from becoming an oil slick. I actually prefer a mattifying moisturiser to a face primer. But it is worth noting, if you are extremely oily, you may not want to skimp on a mattifying face primer too.

Great Gel Moisturisers

4. Or just use serums.

Serums are a lightweight way to hydrate and deliver beneficial ingredients into skin.

There is this misconception I’ve heard that oily skin needs moisturiser because it somehow tricks your skin into being less oily. Honestly, I cringe whenever I hear this advice, particularly the way I’ve heard some people word it through the grape vine. Especially because this leads people to believe they should reach for any run-of-the-mill occlusive moisturiser as it will somehow cause their skin to produce less oil.

If it were the case that oily skin is overcompensating for a lack of oil in the form of some jar moisturiser, all dry skin people would not have dry skin. As I previously stated, oily skin is mainly the result of hormones. Before skincare products were even a thing, people had oily skin. So, it is not by some virtue that oily skin is caused by a deficiency in face lotion. Moisturising does not have to mean slathering on a thick cream.

Your oily skin may just need a serum.

All skin needs hydration and to retain moisture. It needs skin-replenishing ingredients and antioxidants, much like your body does. You can get all these ingredients from a light serum or other skincare product. It does not specifically have to be labelled “moisturiser”. Even your sunscreen could be used as a moisturiser, rather than thinking you need a designated moisturiser for the simple fact it is labelled as such.

For oily skin, a hyaluronic acid serum may be all you need to attract moisture to the skin. Most are lightweight and absorbs into skin quickly without leaving a film over the skin or adding to your oily skin. Read this complete guide to hyaluronic acid for all the best products and how hyaluronic acid can benefit your skin.

Instead of being rigid with about a step-by-step specific textbook approach to your skin, I encourage you to see what works best for your skin type. You may find that after layering a couple of well-regulated serums, your skin is perfectly well hydrated. You may not need a moisturiser for the sake of using a moisturiser. For more on how to effectively layer skincare, read this post on how to properly layer skincare products.

5. Keep Oil At Bay With Clay.

In my previous post about how to get rid of blackheads, I explained the helpful nature of clay masks. If you are finding your skin is particularly oily, it may be worth using a clay mask every so often to draw out skin impurities and absorb excess oil. Additional ingredients such as charcoal provide extra detoxifying benefits.

Before a special occasion, clay can be especially helpful to eradicate a lot of surface oil from your skin. Apply the clay mask and allow it to do its thing for 20 minutes. Rinse your face and proceed with your base. You will find that if you have trouble with your makeup caking and getting shiny, this will greatly reduce it.

All about that base

Stage 2 of dealing with oily skin is proper, specific makeup application. Oils in the skin can cause makeup to break apart and not wear well.

Luckily, there are a whole host of oily skin tips that will keep your makeup looking as great as possible for as long as possible.

I have listed a few of my favourite oily skin tips for makeup. These oily skin tips will help you keep your makeup locked in place until you actually decide to remove it.

For my male readers, these oily skin tips are also fine to apply to men. Men can forgo the full coverage foundation and just do the mattifying steps alone. Unless you like the bold, full coverage look, then do your thing. 

6. Blot your skin before makeup.

Once you are done with your skincare application, your skin may still be a little slick. Before you apply any makeup or even face primers, simply blot your face first. You can do this by using one ply of tissue paper or a blotting sheet. This will absorb the final layer of oil that could later contribute to your makeup becoming a sliding fiasco.

Follow up with your pore-fillers or mattifying primers and blot again lightly. This also minimises the excess oil and ingredients that could cause slipping.

Before you apply foundation, proceed with a light dusting of translucent powder. I know, *gasp* powder before liquid foundation? Remember I said light dusting, so go easy on it. Ingredients in the powder such as talc, rice starch, silica or cornstarch will help absorb oil and ensure that extra layer of protection throughout the day.

And don’t forget to bring some blotting sheets with you in your handbag for touch-ups.

7. Oil-free Foundations.

This one is a no-brainer. While certain oils in well-formulated skincare products can be beneficial for skin, oils and waxes in makeup tend to mean thick and heavy products. Oily skin and waxy, emollient, stage makeup does not mix. Cream compact foundations or stick foundations, although they make skin look flawless, will not do your oily skin any favours.  

The struggle with oily skin is that oil will break makeup apart. This is why oil cleansing is a thing. It is therefore crucial to properly prep your skin, first and foremost before applying any foundations. This ensures your skin is as matte as possible, for as long as possible. 

Your first thought might be to go completely liquid and oil-free and opt for a dry powder foundation. Many compact powder foundations have the tendency to cake up throughout the day. And with touch-ups, that could mean you are just layering cake upon your face.

There are however, mineral foundations that do play nicely with your oils throughout the day and wear beautifully. Although such mineral foundations will never provide complete full coverage, they are a safer powder option and look more realistic than a “full-coverage” pressed powder.

There is a myriad of bulletproof liquid foundations on the market today that are guaranteed to keep your oil at bay. And, paired with the correct primer and powder, you can rest assured your makeup will not budge.

Best Foundations for Oily Skin

Fenty Beauty Soft Matte Longwear Foundation – This foundation would be great for anyone from combination to oily skin. It provides a matte finish that does not budge. And there is a huge selection of shades to choose from, so you are sure to find the one that suits you just right. For my UK readers, you can order Fenty Beauty foundation here. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear – Double Wear is a relentless, unmoving formula. It will stay on through a 20 hour trek through the tropics (although I would not recommend you do that). There’s a reason it is a holy grail for so many people. If you have a wedding or event where you know you need your makeup to stay in place through thick or thin, this is the foundation to go for. And of course, Estee Lauder provides a whopping 55 shade colours so everyone can try it. You can also shop Estee Lauder at Sephora. 

Cover FX Power Play – This foundation is fully matte, sweat proof, and has completely full coverage. It will cover your deepest secrets. It does not transfer and you do not have to worry about shine peeking through in the middle of the day. You can also get Cover FX at Sephora online. 

Urban Decay All Nighter – When I first tried this foundation, I was pretty shocked at how matte it was. If you aren’t extremely oily, you likely will not need to powder it. Once it sets, it is locked in and will not budge. Shop Urban Decay at Sephora.

More Bulletproof Foundations 

Choosing the correct foundation shade

It is worth noting that oily skin girls tend to have the issue of foundations darkening, due to their skin’s oils. When testing for your foundation shade, swatch it and then wait 15 minutes or so to see how the shade looks. Then match yourself according to that shade. 

Dialling down the foundation coverage

Tinted moisturisers are some of my favourite products because they wear beautifully and keep skin looking radiant throughout the day. Most bases targeting oily skin tend to be pretty heavy and full-coverage. As a result, it can be difficult for oily skin that does not need a tonne of coverage. There are a number of oil-free tinted moisturisers, but they do provide a dewier finish. If you’re oily, I understand it is difficult to embrace the dew.

But it is possible to strategically appear dewy without looking like the bottom of a greasy pizza box. I will be writing an entirely separate article on how to achieve dewy skin without looking oily. Make sure you Subscribe to the Blog so you are alerted about when that post comes out. 

8. Powder away the shine.

Your final step should be a powder. I would suggest opting for a translucent powder to avoid unnecessary additional coverage that could potentially result in further caking.

Very oily skin types are the only group of people I would suggest “baking” to. I use the term very lightly, though. I do not particularly like the trend of smothering your skin in inches of powder and waiting half an hour before dusting it off. This can severely dry out your skin.

If your skin is not very oily and you choose to bake you can run the risk of looking aged by 80 years. It most certainly will emphasise every crevice of your face and draw attention to lines you didn’t even know you had.

At 17 years old, before baking was even known to me, I experimented with piling on some powder to prevent my concealer moving. And holy smokes did I suddenly look 105 years old. And I was 17, without a fine line in sight.

A few years later, the baking trend really took off and I tried it again with several different powders. Still no luck looking under 50. I would therefore not recommend this practice to anyone who is concerned about fine lines.

But don’t go over-the-top with powder.

Instead of the conventional “baking” technique, I prefer to take a different approach. Typically in baking you reach for more and more powder and apply a visible white layer on the face. Rather than smothering your sponge in a jar of powder, dip it in powder and only get as much as your sponge or brush will cover. Then press, roll and distribute into the skin. You do not need to dump a container of powder over your face. A fine veil will be enough to mattify the skin and hold in your oil, without overemphasising all your wrinkles.

Best Translucent Face Powders for Oily Skin

9. Help for Oily Eyelids.

If you have spent time on your eye makeup, you want it to stay on your eyes. As cute as pandas are, that is not the look most of us are going for when we head to work in the morning.

You can apply the exact same protocol to oily eyelids as you did with the rest of the face. Blot your eyelids, apply a primer, blot again, and then apply a powder base. You can then proceed with eyeshadow.

Powdering the tips of your eyelashes will also prevent the dreaded panda eyes from mascara smudges.

These oily skin tips will improve your skin

If you have been struggling with excess oil on your skin, these essential oily skin tips will make a noticeable difference. I hope this post was informative and that you picked up a few oily skin tips to help you devise your plan of action to combat oily skin. 

If your oily skin condition is extreme and you are also dealing with severe cystic acne breakouts, it would be best to seek the help of a dermatologist. Although I would not recommend drugs as a first line of defence, medications such as isotretinoin, birth control and anti-androgens can really help in improving your skin where skincare alone is limited.

Please share this post with anyone you know that is struggling with their skin. Subscribe to the Blog for more skin care advice and tips to help you achieve your best skin ever. You also get instant access to my Skincare Essentials Checklist when you Subscribe!

Let me know, do you have any oily skin tips that you use? Which oily skin tips will you be implementing in your skincare and makeup routine?

Make sure you check out these skin care blog posts that will also provide help for oily skin:

How to get rid of blackheads (for good!)

The Complete Guide to Salicylic Acid

The Complete Guide to Hyaluronic Acid 

How to properly layer skincare products for maximum benefit

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material is strictly prohibited.

The post Oily Skin Tips: Essential Skin Care & Makeup Advice appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Glycolic Acid Benefits

If you take even a remote interest in skincare, it is likely you have heard of glycolic acid. I have mentioned glycolic acid briefly in previous posts and have even recommended a number of glycolic acid products. In my last post about how to transition your skincare into Fall, I encouraged you to start looking at more chemical exfoliants. But I have not yet done a dedicated post on glycolic acid benefits. Hence, I decided to make one today. This post will be touching upon glycolic acid benefits, uses and what exactly glycolic acid is in skincare.

Notice:

It has been brought to my attention that the comment section of my blog has not been working over the past few weeks. I have been receiving messages from readers who have been unable to leave their comments. Many were getting popups saying that they were being mistaken for ‘bots’ by the system or simply unable to write a comment altogether. Looking into this issue, I checked my software and it was the case that over the past couple of weeks, over 40 of your lovely comments were mistaken for spam and discarded without my knowledge. 

I want to apologise to those of you who have so kindly taken the time to comment. I love hearing from my readers. The thought that you take the time out of your day to leave me a message means the world. I create this content to bring as much value as I can to you. So, to think I was not able to respond to your questions devastates me. I created this site entirely on my own and am not a professional web developer, so I am still in the learning process. 

If you have a query please do not hesitate to leave a comment and I will get back to you. As of 6th September, the issue is now resolved. So, if there is anything you would like to say, I would love to hear from you.

I hope you are enjoying the blog and getting value out of the content I am publishing. Your support is more appreciated than you know. 

What is glycolic acid?

As you would know from my previous post about BHAs, chemical exfoliants are a non-abrasive means of exfoliating without manually scrubbing skin. Glycolic acid is yet another type of acid, but instead of belonging to the beta hydroxy acid group, it belongs to a branch known as alpha hydroxy acids.

Glycolic acid is derived from plants like sugar cane. Of all AHA’s, glycolic acid has the smallest molecular weight. This means it is able to penetrate skin easily. This readiness to penetrate skin also makes it the strongest AHA. It is used in a variety of skin peels at higher concentrations, and topical skincare at lower concentrations.

Glycolic Acid vs Salicylic Acid

Unlike BHA skincare which comprises only salicylic acid, AHAs comprise a number of acids. Such AHAs include glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and mandelic acid. The most common AHA you will likely come across in skincare are glycolic acid and lactic acid. Although I have seen increasingly seen the other acids making more and more of an appearance.

In my previous Skin Science post about all things BHA, I explained that salicylic acid is soluble in oil and is therefore great for pore clarification. Unlike BHAs, AHAs are water soluble. BHAs are lipophilic, as explained in my previous salicylic acid post, whereas AHA’s are hydrophilic. This means that they are more adept at working on the skin surface, rather than deep within the pore lining.

Why use glycolic acid?

I prefer chemical exfoliation to scrubs and physical exfoliants because you are not causing the same level of inflammation from physical abrasion of your skin. In the past I would use harsh facial scrubs twice a day for my acne. This only further inflamed my skin and caused a great deal of redness and irritation.

Chemical exfoliants are a painless and more effective way of keeping acne in check and refining pores. Not to mention, you are getting all the additional glycolic acid benefits that I will touch on in this post. For those who have never used acid exfoliants before, the results can be almost instantaneous. Apply them and you are sure to wake up to a gorgeous, glowing complexion.

Glycolic acid benefits for acne and marks

Salicylic acid is a known hero for acne-prone skin. However, glycolic acid can also be very useful in the treatment of acne. In studies using higher strength glycolic peels have consistently shown a decrease in comedonic and nodular acne. The exfoliating action encourages skin cell turnover and prevents the plugging of follicles that lead to acne. It will further help to accelerate healing of those pesky post-acne marks left after a blemish has occurred.

Skin smoothing

Because you are consistently resurfacing skin and encouraging the shedding of old, dead skin cells from the surface, glycolic acid use results in smoother, improved skin texture. If you are experiencing dullness, glycolic acid can help you get your glow back. It will also diminish the appearance of enlarged pores. If you struggle with uneven skin texture, large pores, small bumps, or blemishes, you will benefit greatly from regular use of glycolic acid. It is also beneficial in conditions like keratosis pilaris and psoriasis.

Suitable for all skin types

While salicylic acid works wonders for oily skin, glycolic acid is greatly suited to drier skin types. The beauty of glycolic acid is it can be used by oily, combination, or dry skin alike. This means most people will be able to receive the glycolic acid benefits. It encourages collagen synthesis and increases skin’s natural moisturising factors. So, while over exfoliation can dry out skin, one of the great glycolic acid benefits is it can actually have a replenishing effect. Just don’t overdo it.

Anti-ageing benefits

Glycolic acid is probably the number one most widely used acid for anti-ageing. The accelerated collagen production and increased hyaluronic acid resulting from the application of glycolic acid makes it a firm favourite for diminishing the appearance of fine lines. Regular use of glycolic acid will result in a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles as it smooths the skin surface. It dissolves excess buildup of dead skin cells to reveal younger cells beneath. 

The ability to decrease visible fine lines makes it one of the most exciting glycolic acid benefits amongst skin anti agers. But notice I said ‘fine lines’. If you have already developed deep wrinkles, your results will be much more limited and you may wish to turn to in-office cosmetic interventions for greater results.

Fades dark spots

Glycolic acid helps fade post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, dark spots and melasma. This makes it highly versatile in treating all sorts of skin discolouration in those who struggle with everything from post acne marks to melasma to visible sun spots. If you are struggling with signs of sun damage, glycolic acid is proven to be highly effective in reducing visible signs of skin discolouration and hyperpigmentation.

Shedding the superficial layer of skin helps to resurface and speed up the fading of hyperpigmentation. Glycolic acid also has the ability to inhibit tyrosinase, which reduces melanin formation and lessens the appearance of dark spots. I went into a lot of detail about melanin and how dark spots form in this sun damage article.

Careful in the Sun

One caveat of glycolic acid is that it will increase skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Salicylic acid is not shown to increase sun sensitivity biomarkers. However, studies have consistently shown that the application of glycolic acid without properly protecting skin from UV radiation increases erythema (sunburn), DNA damage and sunburn cell formation. It is therefore important to be weary of your level sun exposure while using this ingredient.

If you are using glycolic acid products, you must be wearing a daily sunscreen to protect your skin from possible unfavourable side effects like burning and increased hyperpigmentation. While glycolic acid is great at fading your dark spots caused by excess sun exposure, it also has the potential to worsen them if you are not protecting your skin from further damage. So, to get maximum glycolic acid benefits, be mindful of your sun exposure. Read this facial sunscreen post about what to look for in a sunscreen.

How often to use glycolic acid

Glycolic acid is safe for use as much as your skin is able to tolerate it. The exact dose will be individual for everyone. You can start a couple of days a week and work your way up as you build tolerance. Be aware of how your skin is reacting. I began using a certain 30% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid peel a few times a week and my skin was showing signs of irritation. I found that I was having increased darkening on my upper lip that I had never before experienced. Since then I have had to be more diligent about my sunscreen application when I am using the product.

Some may find that using both an AHA and BHA product at the same can be too much for their skin. If this is the case for you, alternating between both acids may be the solution. Some may even find that they prefer using a BHA on certain parts of their face and AHAs elsewhere. If you struggle with blackheads for instance, you may wish to apply salycilic acid to your T zone and glycolic acid on the perimeters of your face. It is all dependent on your skin type and preferences.

Concentrations between 5% and 15% are most optimal for daily use. If your skin becomes uncomfortably itchy or burns, you know you are overdoing it. If your skin is extremely sensitive, you will want to patch test before using any type of strong acid on a regular basis. For most intense results, a medical spa or dermatologist can carry out high strength chemical peels on your skin. This is great for people with severe skin discolourations caused by cystic acne or other pigmentary lesions. Always consult a specialist before undergoing any high strength peels.

Best Glycolic Acid Skincare Products

There are a number of expertly formulated glycolic acid skincare products on the market. Here are links to some tried and true favourites:

Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night Serum – I recommended this product in my skincare you need from Sephora post (which you must have a look at if you have not already). I stand by this product completely. It contains a 12% AHA blend with 1% BHAs and will do wonders for your skin. 

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel – These are two step pads in convenient individual packs. The exfoliant step has glycolic acid, followed by the anti-ageing step with retinol and vitamin C. Reveals your best, glowing complexion. 

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads – Easy to use, pre-soaked pads with lactic and glycolic acid. Contains additional brightening ingredients for radiant skin.

Peter Thomas Roth 8% Glycolic Toner – The bottle has a convenient pump to dispense the product. The acid is at has a good pH to ensure effectiveness and includes soothinng ingredients such as aloe and allantoin. 

Alpha H Liquid Gold – There’s a reason this is called liquid gold. It contains 5% glycolic acid goodness, is not overly fragranced, and will deliver results. You won’t be disappointed.

Pixi Glow Tonic – Glow Tonic earned its name. Regular application of this product will leave your skin glowing, keep pores clear and brighten your complexion.Considering the amount you get in one bottle, it is good value for money. 

Paula’s Choice Smoothing Treatment – A blend of 10% AHAs with salicylic acid to target skin from all angles. Contains a variety of antioxidants and skin smoothing ingredients so you know you are getting maximum benefits from your products. Non irritating and can be used up to twice a day.

Glycolic Acid Products to Use Weekly

Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial – This at-home facial peel contains 25% AHA and 2% BHA. It also contains a wonderful blend of antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and oils to replenish while resurfacing skin. Use it a couple of times a week and you are guaranteed to see a notable difference in skin texture, tone, clarity and skin radiance. 

The Ordinary 30% AHA + BHA Peeling Solution – In light of recent events and controversies, I am hesitant to recommend this brand. It is unfortunate the beauty industry currently has so much controversy surrounding certain companies. I will say from what I have seen, the way this company responds to customers is disappointing. However, I have purchased this product before and like to keep positive on my blog. I have not personally had a negative confrontation with the brand or its owner. I only ever purchase their products from sites like Amazon and Beauty Bay, not the Deciem site, so I cannot speak to that either. Because this brand is popular and affordable, I feel inclined to mention it. I know inquiring minds want to hear about others’ experience with the product.

This product does not have a tonne of bells and whistles aside from the AHA and BHA but it does the job, especially considering its price point. The high percentage of acid does cause quite a tingling sensation upon application unlike anything I have ever felt. It is intense but it works. I did see visibly smoother, brighter skin after use, which is pretty rare nowadays because I am so acclimatised to acid exfoliant use. It did however cause me increased sun sensitivity due to the high 32% concentration total acid used in the thick of Summer.

A word on alcohol in skincare

One point to consider is that some of these products do contain denatured alcohol. Not all alcohols are harmful. In fact, fatty alcohols such as cetearyl alcohol can be beneficial for skin. However, denatured alcohol is one ingredient people tend to be weary about. It is often used as a solvent for ‘toning’ products. One could argue that the alcohol present in these products evaporates before even being able to cause significant harm to skin. If it is a concern to you, you may wish to dispense the product and waft it around a little on a cotton pad to wait for the alcohol to evaporate before applying. Regardless, these products are still highly efficacious and will deliver great results. 

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Glycolic Acid Benefits in a nutshell

I hope that this post is helpful in explaining glycolic acid benefits and that it demystified any questions you had regarding glycolic acid for skin. In summary, glycolic acid is a versatile chemical exfoliant. There are a number of glycolic acid benefits. It is suitable for most skin types from oily to dry. It can help with collagen production, decreasing the look of fine lines, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and blemishes. But remember to be diligent about sun protection while using glycolic acid. 

Make sure you Subscribe to the Blog for more skin care insights, skin science articles, and ingredient spotlights in upcoming posts. When you Subscribe, you will also get instant access to my Free Skincare Essentials Checklist. You are not going to want to miss the plethora of posts I have lined up for the blog. 

For more Skincare Ingredient Spotlight articles, check out these blog posts:

Salicylic Acid in Skincare 

Vitamin C for Brighter, Firmer skin

The Skin Benefits of Rosehip Oil 

The Natural Retinol Alternative You Need To Try

Hyaluronic Acid: The Complete Guide

What kind of results have you experienced with glycolic acid? Do you have any favourite glycolic acid products?

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This is post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

References:

Kornhauser, A. (2010). Applications of hydroxy acids: classification, mechanisms, and photoactivity. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, p.135.

Bernstein, E., Lee, J., Brown, D., Yu, R. and Van Scott, E. (2001). Glycolic Acid Treatment Increases Type I Collagen mRNA and Hyaluronic Acid Content of Human Skin. Dermatologic Surgery, 27(5), pp.429-433.

The post Glycolic Acid Benefits: Achieve Younger, Glowing Skin appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Kiehl’s SPF Review

On a recent trip to Spain the other week, I found that I had run out of sunscreen. Let me tell you, the Sun was intense and merciless. On my quest to find a new sunscreen, I stumbled upon a Kiehl’s counter at a local department store. Kiehl’s is a brand I have frequently seen but have not tried an extensive number of products from. As I was browsing, it came to my attention that the brand carries a number of sunscreens in their range. And they all seemed rather promising. I am constantly on the hunt for the best facial sunscreens. This post is a Kiehl’s SPF Review for their Ultra Light Daily UV Defense sunscreen.

As context for this Kiehl’s SPF review and other upcoming skincare posts, I would recommend you check out these articles:

All about UV radiation, sun damage and SPF

Should you be using a Vitamin C serum?

All About Antioxidants

Notice:

It has been brought to my attention that the comment section of my blog has not been working over the past few weeks. I have been receiving messages from readers who have been unable to leave their comments. Many were getting popups saying that they were being mistaken for ‘bots’ by the system or simply unable to write a comment altogether. Looking into this issue, I checked my software and it was the case that over the past couple of weeks, over 40 of your lovely comments were mistaken for spam and discarded without my knowledge. 

I want to apologise to those of you who have so kindly taken the time to comment. I love hearing from my readers. The thought that you take the time out of your day to leave me a message means the world. I create this content to bring as much value as I can to you. So, to think I was not able to respond to your questions devastates me. I created this site entirely on my own and am not a professional web developer, so I am still in the learning process. 

If you have a query please do not hesitate to leave a comment and I will get back to you. I believe the issue is now resolved as of 6th September. So, if there is anything you would like to say, I would love to hear from you.

I hope you are enjoying the blog and getting value out of the content I am publishing. Your support is more appreciated than you know. 

Face vs Body Sunscreen

Kiehl’s has a pretty good selection of SPF products to choose from. All of them have nice textures and blend into skin without a white cast. I had been using a body sunscreen on my face since I had run out of my favourite facial sunscreen. While it did the job, it would give me a white pallour and cause makeup to cake throughout the day. I was resolved to finish the entire tube though, as I was determined not to shell out the pennies to purchase a new SPF until I had finished the one I was using.

Now that I have switched back, the marked differences between a designated facial sunscreen and a body sunscreen are worlds apart. When applied to the face, a body sunscreen tends to feel heavy, greasy and occlusive. Makeup does not seem to adhere and instead slips off the face. It almost gives a slightly ‘sweaty’ feeling to skin. A well formulated facial sunscreen on the other hand, is a different story. They tend to be formulated to play well with makeup and have elegant textures that lay on the skin beautifully.

On to the review of the day.

Keihl’s SPF 50+ Ingredients

Sunscreen Actives

Kiehl’s Super Fluid (or Ultra Light) UV Mineral Defense SPF 50+ is a mineral based sunscreen. The sunscreen active used in the formula is titanium dioxide. This is an ingredient commonly used in skincare and cosmetic products as a sunscreen active, pigment and thickener. For maximum protection from all spectrums of UV light, many sunscreens will incorporate several sunscreen actives. Other Kiehl’s sunscreens do contain both chemical and physical blockers.

This formula contains only titanium dioxide. This is great if you find that like me, you have an allergy to a particular other type of sunscreen active, as titanium dioxide is a very gentle active ingredient. Titanium dioxide provides broad spectrum UV protection, although some may say it is somewhat inferior to its mineral counterpart zinc oxide. This is up for debate as the difference is relatively miniscule and titanium dioxide is still a perfectly adept source of SPF.

Typically, I have mainly used SPF 30 on my face. This is mainly due to the fact that this SPF parameter seems to give the best result under makeup. There is also not an incredibly significant difference in protection between SPF 30 and SPF 50 as there is between SPF 15 and SPF 30 for instance. I cover all the details in a previous post so you can read that SPF post to understand what I mean. In that article about UV radiation sun damage, I explain what SPF is, what is does, and I also go in depth about the difference between UVA and UVB, and what broad spectrum actually means.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the chosen antioxidant in this sunscreen. I appreciate the inclusion of an antioxidant in such products because I do not tend to use a separate antioxidant skincare product most mornings. I am just being honest. Sometimes you value a few extra minutes of sleep and just want to slap on your SPF and get going for the day. For this reason, including antioxidants into one product can be valuable. If you read my article all about antioxidants, you know why adding antioxidants into an SPF can be so useful.

The vitamin E in this formula helps to neutralise free radicals. Because UV radiation causes free radicals, as you would know from my Sun Damage article, the inclusion of vitamin E in this formula is important. The soothing and healing properties of vitamin E, which I praise in this avocado oil blog post, are another plus of the ingredient. Ideally, I would have liked to see the incorporation of a few more antioxidants such as vitamin C and resveratrol in the formulation, especially given the high price point. For more on why vitamin C is great with SPF, read this vitamin C article.

Fragrance free

This product is free of synthetic fragrance, so it will not irritate skin that is particularly sensitive to fragrance. I found it interesting to note that the bottle specifically says that the sunscreen should not be used around the eye area. Typically, I apply all my sunscreens around the eye area because I would not want a darker eye region in comparison to the rest of my body. The eye area is also a region susceptible to sun damage, so it is curious that Kiehl’s would say this. That being said, it is not the most moisturising formula so could be a little drying around the eyes. If you wear eye makeup, there is titanium dioxide in that so I suppose it would give some amount of protection, and wearing sunglasses always helps.

Other ingredients

It does contain silicones and talc in order to achieve a silky, mattifying finish. This may be something you wish to keep in mind if you are opposed to such ingredients. I have no issue using these ingredients in my products. They are inert ingredients and enhance the finish of the products. There are individuals that may feel otherwise but this is just my two cents. In cosmetic chemistry, it would be incredibly difficult to formulate a pleasant-feeling, effective SPF for the face that also works nicely under makeup, without the presence of certain non “clean” ingredients.

The titanium dioxide in this sunscreen is nanosized, which I know may be of concern to certain individuals. Again, I do not find an issue with the inclusion of nano particles in products. Oftentimes these nano particles are coated which improves any safety concerns. They also make the product much more aesthetically pleasing. No one wants to be working in a thick gloop of zinc oxide to their skin; it is uncomfortable, and you would probably never wear sunscreen. If you are using a physical sunscreen and it has a pleasant texture, it is likely that they have used nano sized sunscreen actives.

Texture

As the name would suggest, this sunscreen is “super fluid”. It is a liquid formula that you must shake before application in order to emulsify the contents. The bottle has a needle-nose type spout to discharge the liquid. I am not the biggest fan of liquid SPF formulas, but I do find it works nicely under makeup. You will see that the product has a slight beige tint. I was drawn to the tint of the product as it offsets the potential white cast of a sunscreen, and I was done with looking pale as a result of the body sunscreens I had been applying to my face. 

The tint leans a little grey and somewhat reminds me of many grey-leaning BB creams from Asian brands. On my skin tone, the tint is not enough to make a noticeable colour difference on the face. It is extremely sheer and provides no coverage. However, I could see how people with much darker skin tones or who are particularly fair, would struggle with this. For reference, I am around a MAC NC30 in foundation shade and am pretty medium to light in skin tone. If you are much fairer or darker than me, I would suggest trying the other variety of Kiehl’s sunscreen that is completely colourless with no tint.

Matte Finish

I love that the product has a silky feel on the skin and has a mattifying effect. This makes it a great choice for people with oily or acne-prone skin. If you are particularly dry I would not recommend a formula like this. Mineral sunscreen actives are relatively drying too. This means that it might be better for your skin type to opt for a chemical blocker-based sunscreen. Or, at least, a more emollient SPF formula. For my skin type, however, this sunscreen works great as a makeup primer and leaves the skin pretty mattified all day. It should be noted that while I do not have dry skin, I am not overly oily either so very oily skin types may not find they are kept as matte.

Final verdict

I enjoy this sunscreen. It works well under makeup, has a matte finish, and is gentle on my skin. It has a high SPF 50+ that provides broad spectrum protection. I do wish that, for the price, they had done a little more to spruce up the formula. In this day and age, we are seeing emerging formulas protecting from blue light, pollution, and all sorts of environmental aggressors. So, this formula misses the mark a little in terms of what it could include.

However, I do think that it was one of the better choices I could have found at a pinch. It is not the best facial sunscreen I have tried but it does wear well. Overall, it has a nice finish, wears comfortably throughout the day and does not cause irritation. I would give it the thumbs up. 

Where to Find Kiehl’s SPF 50+

Below are links to the exact product I am talking about and where you can find them in your country. Kiehl’s has a few SPF products so the links will direct you to the exact one I am talking about. Find Kiehl’s Super Fluid SPF50+ here:

Sephora US

Selfridges

Amazon

Kiehl’s Website UK

Kiehl’s Website US

Still on the hunt for the Ultimate Facial SPF

I hope that this Kiehl’s SPF Review was helpful and that you had a little insight into the way I judge products. I am constantly on the look for new and innovative formulas and have a number of incredibly interesting products coming your way. This product missed the mark a little in terms of the exciting SPF products being released but is still a solid choice. There is a lot of new and innovative skincare technology I will be reviewing soon, so stay tuned. 

This is the first dedicated review to one product I have done so far. These single review posts go far more in depth than usual. However I want you to feel like you are making the most informed choice when I recommend a product. In posts reviewing multiple I am not able to go as in depth about the formula, what certain ingredients mean, and so on. Going forward, I’d like to reserve these dedicated, one product only reviews to products that truly blow me away and warrant their own review. 

I do think that it is important for skincare reviews to be a little more comprehensive. This is not the case with other products such as makeup as you are judging the product based mainly on its colour and texture. Skincare is significantly more intricate than that. 

The active ingredients of a formula carry a lot more weight in skincare than in makeup. So, I just wanted to make sure with this Kiehl’s SPF Review – or any other skincare review I do for that matter – that I am as thorough as possible. If you don’t like reading long reviews, no worries, I have a series of short, to-the-point reviews coming your way too. 😉

Subscribe to the blog for more upcoming skin care and beauty posts. I also send out a weekly newsletter to check up on all my subscribers and let you know more about the latest and greatest!

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

Disclaimer

This post is not sponsored. I purchased this product with my own money. Kiehl’s do not know I am creating this blog post nor do I have any affiliation with the Kiehl’s brand. I have never been compensated to create a review and only give my authentic opinions based on my own views and experiences. 

I take a considerable amount of time and care to link each exact product, so that my reader can conveniently locate each recommendation with ease. Some links may be referral links. This means I can potentially earn a very small commission for referral should you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Keeping me in mind and using my links next time you shop at beauty retailers like Sephora really helps to support this blog, so that I can continue to deliver free, quality information to you. I strive to create valuable content and put a great deal of effort in to every post. Any show of support is greatly appreciated and will enable me to continue putting out consistent, informative articles that are continuously being improved and updated.

The post Kiehl’s SPF Review: Best Facial Sunscreen? appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Fall Skin Care

September marks the beginning of the Autumn (or Fall) season. Days gradually become shorter, weather begins to cool down, and everyone is slowly immersed back into full work mode. Like any sudden change, the change of season can bring new challenges to your skin. You want to help your skin along as it begins to acclimate to new temperatures and conditions. Rather than waiting for the thick of cold and winter before you adapt your skincare regimen, you can gradually ease into Fall skin care. There are a few tweaks you can make to ensure you have a seamless transition into your Fall skin care plan of action.

1. Change your cleanser

Summer days are hot, humid and oftentimes rather sweaty. You may have required a more clarifying cleanser during the Summer to ensure you rid your pores of all the day’s gunk, pool chlorine, sea salt and sweat. You will want to opt for a gentler, soothing cleanser that will not strip your skin as part of your Fall skin care. During colder months I gravitate towards more hydrating cream cleansers. Although these do not foam and it takes a while to get used to, they still do a good job of removing the last traces of makeup too.

Non-stripping Cleansers to Try

2. Amp Up the Acids

No matter how diligent you are with your sunscreen application, you may have still accumulated a few dark marks along with your Summer tan. Many people find that the increased sun exposure over the Summer months can elicit the resurfacing of patches of hyperpigmentation. As the light intensity dies down, it is safe to begin reintroducing a number of chemical exfoliants and acid peels back into your Fall skin care routine.

Typically, ingredients such as acid exfoliants increase skin’s susceptibility to sun damage. I therefore would not recommend the overuse of such ingredients during Summer when UV exposure is at an all-time high. I have written an entire article as to why excess UV exposure is harmful, so head there for the full explanation. However, as the days are beginning to get darker sooner and it begins to cool down, you can start bumping up your use of such active ingredients again.

Benefits of Acid Exfoliants

As you would have gathered from my previous post about salicylic acid (which you should read if you have not yet done so!), acid exfoliants help to slough away dead skin cells. They loosen the ‘glue’ between cells so to speak and whisk away the unwanted dead skin. This reveals, fresher, brighter skin beneath. If you have been struggling with worse pigmentation than usual over the Summer period, the exfoliating action of these ingredients will really help to diminish the look of uneven skin.

There are a number of excellent chemical exfoliants on the market that use AHAs, BHAs and even PHAs for exfoliation rather than manual abrasion. Products like this Glycolic Serum contain 12% concentration of both AHAs and BHAs for a smoother complexion. It is not drying or dehydrating and is one of the best daily exfoliant treatments I have tried. This Korean beauty mist contain PHAs, which is a very gentle acid for days your skin might not feel like using a higher percentage of AHAs or BHAs.

Glossier solution also contains PHA’s alongside AHAs and BHAs so you get an all-round, smoothing exfoliation. If you have never ordered from Glossier before, last time I placed an order I was given a link for friends to get 10% off your first purchase. Feel free to use my link for Glossier if you are thinking about purchasing something and would like to save some money off your first order. It’s just a referral link for friends but I think we’re friends by now. If you’re not interested in that, you can just go straight to the Glossier exfoliant here.

Acid Exfoliants to Try

3. Oils Are Friends Not Foes

If you are not a fan of oils during the Summer months because they feel too heavy on hot Summer days, Autumn is a great excuse to whip out your oils again. Facial oils provide so many great benefits to skin. They provide essential fatty acids, nutrients and vitamins as well as the hydration that skin needs.

Depending on your preferences you may wish to opt for an oil blend or a single ingredient oil. You can apply them as the last step in your Fall skin care routine. Or simply use them to replace your regular moisturiser, if your skin does not need the excess moisture. If your skin is particularly dry, try layering your oil over the top of your usual moisturiser as a seal or barrier. This acts as an occlusive to lock in the products below and prevent moisture being pulled from your skin.

If you have acne prone skin and are still apprehensive about using oils, check out my blog post about Rosehip Oil. It is not greasy and does not cause breakouts. It would also be a great choice for those of you who have been experiencing heightened signs of skin discolourations and hyperpigmentation over the Summer.

Facial Oils to Try

4. Reach for the Retinol 

We all know retinol is a game changer when it comes to skin. However, if you are a retinol user you may be aware of the increased sensitivity it causes, particularly during Summer. The increased Sun exposure can lead to an uncomfortable feeling, akin to sunburn. For this reason, after years of Summertime retinol use without adequate sunscreen protection, I have decided to pare down my use of retinoids to the bare minimum over Summer.

There is added cloud cover and decreased light intensity as we transition into Autumn. This means it is finally safe to introduce all the retinols back into your regular Fall skin care routine. You will find certain types of retinol will suit you better.You may want to tailor your type of retinol and dosage. It will depend on your typical usage, usual frequency of use and your prior experience with retinol.

But be careful

There have been times where I have cut out retinols from my routine. After months of no use I would suddenly slap on a fistful of 1% retinol 3 days in a row, thinking my skin could handle it. Suffice to say, this did not go well for me and my face all but fell off. So, let me tell you from personal experience, find the type of retinoid that works with your skin and work to find your perfect dose. Start small then work your way up.

I know that it is tempting to reach for the highest dosage because we want results quickly. But these things take time. It is better to get your skin adjusted first than risk the adverse side effects. Even if you have prior experience with retinol and have taken a break, you may still want to start with just a few times a week. Then slowly increase frequency.

Retinols to Try

If you find your skin just cannot cope with retinol use, read my previous article about the best retinol-like botanical extract. It is essentially nature’s answer to retinol, without the irritation. I suggest a number of products in that post too. It may be an ingredient you want to add to your Fall skin care repertoire.

5. Body Lotion

During Summer, the increase in humidity makes it easy to be able to skip on body moisturiser. Unfortunately, Autumn is not so kind. It is best to get into the habit of applying daily moisturiser as part of your Fall skin care. Try not to wait for the ravages of cold weather to take toll. A good body lotion will seal in moisture and prevent the dry, itchy feeling of parched skin on the body. Apply it to skin as soon as you get out of the shower to prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly.

A body oil is also a great option if you prefer the feel of oils on skin. They will not sink in as fast, but still do a great job of keeping you feeling supple and hydrated. Check out my avocado oil post to find out exactly why I love using avocado oil. I explain its use on skin, as well as multiple other uses.

Body Lotions to Try

6. Lip Love

Autumn calls for more elaborate makeup looks, bolder lip colours and fuller coverage. Now that you do not have to worry about your face sliding off, it is fun to experiment with makeup looks. If it is increasingly windy and cold you might find yourself opting for matte lipsticks. No one appreciates a gust of wind blowing in your face and getting your hair stuck in your gloss lip. However, matte lipsticks are a little drying on the lips. This means you might want to pay special attention to keeping your lips conditioned. 

Fall skin care includes lips. With decreasing humidity comes increasingly dry skin and lips. Make sure you choose a good lip balm that you can slather on during the night. This will ensure your lips are fully prepped for lipstick come morning. You can also have one on hand at all times during the day for when you feel your lipstick is getting a little too dry.

Lip Conditioners to Try

7. Scrub Away 

Summers on the beach, excess sun tanning and astringent sunscreen can lead to an accumulation of visibly dried out skin. There are a number of scrubs you can use to get rid of the dryness and reveal soft skin beneath. While I no longer scrub my face, the skin on the body is far less fragile and I do appreciate the manual abrasion.

If you are experiencing dry patches or dry lips, you can also make a simple sugar scrub with olive oil. It does the job easily and inexpensively. Plus, you can just lick off the excess. If you want to try your hand at dry body brushing for additional lymphatic drainage benefits, that is another fantastic option.

Scrubs to Try

8. Keep Calm and Sheet Mask

Although I would not go into full force with all the richest hydrating masks yet, duller days and more time inside are the perfect excuse for pamper time. I don’t usually advocate a one-off treatment like a sheet mask for lasting results. However, they can be a great pick-me-up. Hydrating masks and sheet masks can give that extra “oomph” to skin that is feeling dull and lacklustre.

If you read my top Korean Skincare Products post, you’ll know that K-beauty is all for sheet masks. There are so many on the market nowadays you are sure to find one to fit your skin concerns. And let’s be frank. On a given day in Autumn, is there anything better than curling up on the sofa with a blanket, hot beverage and face mask? I think not.

Face Masks to Try

How do you prepare your skin routine for the colder months? What are your go-to Fall skin care practices?

I hope you found this Fall skin care post informative. I hope that it helps you in cultivating happy skin as we phase into Autumn.

Please share this information with people you care about so that we can all up our Fall skin care game.

For more Skin Advice check out these posts:

9 Things You Must Consider Before You Start A New Skincare Routine

10 Essential Skin Tips For Travel and Long Haul Flights

How To Layer Skincare Products For Maximum Benefits

Summer Beauty & Wellness Stories Roundup 

Remember to Subscribe to the Blog so you never miss out on all the best in Skin Care and Beauty!

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material is strictly prohibited.

The post Fall Skin Care: How to Prepare Your Skin for Autumn appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Natural Retinol Alternative Bakuchiol for Skin

In my previous article all about Rosehip Oil Skin Benefits, I touched upon the vitamin A content of rosehip oil. I acknowledged that, although some natural skincare enthusiasts claim rosehip oil to be somewhat of a natural alternative to retinol (a form of vitamin A), this is simply not the case. Retinol is extremely efficacious and extremely potent. So much so, that percentages of the ingredient must be clearly labelled. Many retinoids are so strong that they are only available via medical prescription. Certain individuals do worry about retinol toxicity because of this and search for more natural alternatives. This article is all about the natural retinol alternative bakuchiol.

What does retinol do?

Retinol is characterised by its astounding anti-ageing properties. It decreases depth of wrinkles and lines, smooths the skin’s surface, increases skin firmness, and evens out skin tone. It has been scientifically proven and extensively researched for years because of its ability to visibly turn the clock back in time. For this reason, it is one of the most revered skincare ingredients in the anti-ageing sphere.

There is one caveat: not everyone can tolerate retinol. It causes skin sensitivity, flaking, dryness, redness, irritation and makes you more susceptible to sun damage. Because the ingredient is so potent, many people experience some alarmingly adverse reactions to it.

The reason people are attempting to associate ingredients like rosehip oil with retinol is because of the vitamin A content. As I mentioned in my post about rosehip oil, the vitamin A present in rosehip oil is different from retinol. Rosehip oil contains beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Retinol, on the other hand, naturally occurs in animal sources such as dairy, meat, eggs, fish and poultry. And so, they behave in the body somewhat differently.

While beta carotene can convert to vitamin A in skin, it is not entirely that simple. This means that just because they both contain vitamin A, it is not necessarily accurate to group together certain skincare products as having the same efficacy. The source of vitamin A is also important. They may both function through different pathways.

The only clinically-proven natural retinol alternative

Enter Bakuchiol. This compound is a plant extract and antioxidant. It is found in the seeds and leaves of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. This plant has traditionally been used in Aurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat diseases of the skin. It bears no structural resemblance to retinol. Rather, it displays retinol-like functionality when applied to skin. And while retinol can make your face burn and peel off if you are not careful, bakuchiol does not show any of this irritation.

There is a constant search to find ingredients that match up to retinol and are less sensitising but still effective. Thus far, bakuchiol is the only botanical extract to clinically prove its viability at such a feat. According to a 2014 study, the twice a day application of bakuchiol was shown to exhibit anti-ageing effects on skin. After 12 weeks, there was a significant improvement in fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation lessened, skin elasticity and firmness improved, and even photo-damage reduced. All this, without the undesirable effects of retinol use on skin.

The way in which retinol displays such remarkable anti-ageing effects on skin is through its interaction with specific receptors in the nucleus of the cell. This is turn will increase the production of collagen and blocks inflammatory mediators. In other words, retinol communicates with cells and tells them to do their job better and behave in a younger manner. The way in which bakuchiol delivers results is through the regulation of gene expression. It too will upregulate and stimulate collagen production. The pathways through which both compounds work is similar, however bakuchiol does not seem to induce the same level of irritation.

Can it help acne like retinol?

Besides its powerful anti-ageing properties, retinol also has acne fighting effects. Retinoids act as a comedolytic agent to keep pores clear and prevent breakouts. There are many varieties of retinoids that professionals successfully prescribe for the treatment of acne. Adapalene, tretinoin and tazarotene are a few such retinoids that acne patients require prescriptions to obtain. So how does bakuchiol match up to this?

Bakuchiol has not been as comprehensively researched in the treatment of acne as retinol has. However there have been studies to suggest it may play a role in acne treatment. Bakuchiol has strong antibacterial and antioxidant effects. In a pilot clinical study, 1% bakuchiol was shown to reduce acne by about 57%. By comparison, salicylic acid only reduced acne by 48%. You may recall salicylic acid effects on acne from my complete guide to salicylic acid. The combination was shown to reduce acne and inflammation by 70%.

Retinol and irritation

Retinoids are a very commonly irritating ingredient. People try to push through the adverse side effects in the hope of reaping its extraordinary promises of anti-ageing and acne prevention. However, as I emphasise in each and every post, we are all different. We each have individual needs and tolerances. While retinol may work wonders for someone else’s skin, this may not be the case with you.

Typically, your skin takes a few weeks to acclimate to retinol. When I first began using retinoids, my skin was extremely irritated. It felt as though my face was perpetually sunburned, my skin was peeling at a mere touch, and always looked dry. After some time, your skin will acclimate to the dosage and you will no longer get those negative side effects.

It may also be worth experimenting with different types of retinoids as you may experience terrible reactions from some and you may be fine with others. I have found certain retinol products have been so strong they have triggered the worst flare ups of acne I have ever experienced. Others improve the condition of my skin. It is extremely individual and up to you to judge for yourself.

Who should use bakuchiol?

You may find retinol products irritate your skin to no end. Instead of trying to push through the pain, your skin may simply be intolerant to retinol. Retinol may not agree with your skin, regardless of the percentage you use or type of derivative. In this case, natural retinol alternative bakuchiol may be the answer to your skincare woes. Many natural skincare advocates will appreciate this ingredient due to its botanical nature. Typically, retinoids available via prescription will contain ingredients and certain preservatives that natural skincare advocates do not like, so bakuchiol is definitely a viable choice.

Because of the minimal irritation in comparison to retinol, anyone will be able to use bakuchiol. If you are pregnant or have any urgent medical conditions, it is always wise to consult with your doctor. As I said, it is not as widely researched as retinol, so you may find you prefer the visible results you see from retinol products. If you are running out of your current retinol, would like a break from retinol, would like to introduce a retinol-like product into your routine, or just love new skincare, it is worth seeing how your skin reacts to it.

Bakuchiol Products Worth Trying

Although it is a relatively new retinol-like skin care discovery, a number of skincare brands are already beginning to incorporate natural retinol alternative bakuchiol into their line.

Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum – This line contains purely non toxic, clean beauty products. Alongside bakuchiol, the serum includes squalane and sodium hyaluronate for hydration. It also contains a good dose of niacinamide which will also help to visibly reduce pore size, keep skin clear and even out skin tone.

Ole Henriksen Glow Cycle Serum – This serum is very lightweight and brightening. It contains AHAs to improve skin texture and for additional anti-ageing benefits. The lavender tint also helps to combat dullness by colour correcting skin tone.

Ole Henriksen Goodnight Glow Retin-ALT Creme – For those with drier skin types, you may prefer a more hydrating, thicker cream to a serum. This product is just that. The AHAs will provide overnight exfoliation. For more on chemical exfoliants read this. The inclusion of shea butter ensures that your skin does not become dehydrated overnight. It contains the lavender tint to brighten skin.

Whish Recovering Night Cream – This entire range incorporates bakuchiol into every product. Whish Face Oil is a lovely blend of plant oils that are rich in essential fatty acids. They do not use synthetic dyes, petrochemicals or parabens.

Ren Clean Skincare Bio Retinoid – This anti-ageing cream contains bakuchiol alongside a number of plant extracts. The brand is a more natural line so all products do not contain parabens, formaldehyde and other potentially carcinogenic ingredients. 

If you are feeling fancy

Lancer Advanced Retinol Treatment – Dr Lancer has included both retinol and buckachiol in this powerful anti-ageing formula. The product also contains a number of antioxidants and hydrolysed collagen. Lancer is a higher price point, but the line does not disappoint when it comes to effective products. 

Oskia Super 16 Serum – This serum is hydrating and contains a number of antioxidants to further provide anti-ageing benefits alongside bakuchiol. It does also contain retinol palmitate, another vitamin A derivative. 

Omorovicza Miracle Oil – Omorovicza is a brand that by no means skimps on luxury. This product contains a blend of some of my favourite oils such as almond and sea buckthorn oil, and additional antioxidants. 

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I hope that this post helps to shed some light on the natural retinol alternative bakuchiol. It is a great, gentle option if you are new to retinol or find it does not suit your skin. Perhaps you need a break from retinol and want something that still gives excellent results. 

If you found this post informative, remember to Subscribe to the Blog for more articles like this.

I have a number of articles on the topic of anti-ageing skincare. For more on anti-ageing take a look at these posts:

All about Vitamin C For Anti-ageing

The Complete Guide to Hyaluronic Acid in Skincare 

The Crucial Role of Antioxidants

The Best Korean Skincare Brands You Simply Must Try

Share this post with someone you care about because we all deserve to love the skin we are in. If anything, I’d appreciate the show of support for the simple fact that I wrote this entire article, lost it, then had to re-write it entirely all over again!

Wishing you boundless love, endless light and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

References:

Chaudhuri, R. and Bojanowski, K. (2014). Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 36(3), pp.221-230.

Chaudhuri RK, Marchio F. Bakuchiol in the management of acne-affected skin. Cosmetics & Toiletries Magazine. 2011;126(7):502–510.

The post Natural Retinol Alternative Bakuchiol Works Miracles appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Sephora VIB Sale Skincare Recommendations

It is the time of year where Sephora is having their Beauty Insider Appreciation event. I like to take advantage of sales like this to stock up on some of my favourite skincare items. I also like to take the opportunity to possibly try out higher priced products that I would not necessarily feel so comfortable purchasing at full price. In this post I will be giving some of my Sephora VIB Sale Skincare Recommendations. Beauty Insiders will be able to get 10% off their purchase as of August 30^th. As of a few days ago, Rouge members have been able to get 20% off. While this post may be a little late for VIB Rouge members, there is still time for everyone to make a few more purchases before the sale ends on the 4^thSeptember. 

I have decided to do a rundown of just a few of the best skincare products to check out at Sephora. Come next sale, I promise I will publish this post well in advance of the sale date so you can be fully prepared. But for now, here is a list of some of my favourite Sephora VIB Sale Skincare products at the moment. If you do not have access to Sephora, I have included links to where you can get these products internationally. These recommendations are not solely exclusive to those who have access to Sephora. This post is applicable to anyone in search of some great skincare product recommendations.

Indie Lee CoQ10 Toner

I have previously mentioned this toner in my How to Layer Skincare Products post. Toners can be incredibly tricky. If you are not careful with your selection of toner, you may end up with something alcohol-laden, drying, astringent, and overly fragranced. This toner contains no alcohol and is not excessively fragranced. So it does not incite a tight, dry feeling in skin.

It incorporates several soothing ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile and cucumber which is perfect for skin like mine that can be easily sensitised. If you read my post about hyaluronic acid, you would be aware of its benefits and why its inclusion in this toner is beneficial for skin. Not to mention, the inclusion of antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 provides protection against environmental aggressors. For all the details about antioxidant skincare, make sure to read this article about antioxidants and what they do for skin.

You can find the toner available internationally here.

Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night Serum

I purchased this serum during a trip to New York, only a couple of months after Drunk Elephant first hit the market. At the time, the packaging was entirely different, and the nozzle did not twist up as it does now. There was little buzz around the product yet, but sure enough word about this highly effective serum spread like wildfire. Just a few years on, Drunk Elephant now has somewhat of a cult following, and for good reason.

This serum makes use of chemical both AHA and BHA exfoliants. As you would know from my previous post about BHA exfoliants, the inclusion of such exfoliants allows dead skin cells to slough off skin’s surface to reveal a radiant, fresh complexion. Glycolic acid, tartaric acid and other AHA’s will help to target visible signs of ageing. All the while, salicylic acid helps clear and refine pores. If you are struggling with acne and skin discolourations, a product like this will be invaluable in your routine.

Blithe Vital Treatment Essence for Hydrating

This essence was included in my rundown of the Top Korean Skincare Products. As aforementioned in that post, this line is a great choice if you are on the search for great essences. It will help to balance skin, lessen uneven skin tone and diminish dark spots. If your skin is feeling a little tired and lacklustre, reaching for a product like this will help skin feel uplifted and rejuvenated again.

This particular product contains a number of root extracts – ginseng, burdock root, Indian lotus root – to help combat signs of dullness and dehydration. I did remark in my Korean Skincare post that I even consume burdock and ginseng internally as they are a key part of Chinese medicine. If you would like to start using more K-beauty skincare products, this is a great essence to begin with.

Get this essence sold internationally here.

Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate

I have mentioned this product in a number of previous posts, including my post about the best hyaluronic acid products. I picked this up in a pinch last year, when I found myself forced to fly to the other side of the world for three weeks with nothing but a small backpack – no clothes, no makeup and no skincare. Ever since, this product has been a staple in my routine.

It is extremely lightweight, absorbs quickly and is my perfect summer skin hydrator. It leaves skin feeling hydrated and refreshed without an occlusive or greasy film. Your skin will feel airy, breathable and nourished. A perfect product for ance-prone or oily skin types. If this product it too light for the upcoming colder months, or you have a drier skin type but would still like to try it out, wear a thicker moisturiser or oil over the top of this product. I do this at times when I feel as though my skin needs some extra moisture.

You can also find Clinique Moisture Surge here. 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

We all know the feeling of dry, parched lips in the morning when we have forgotten to slather our lips in lip balm the night before. During the summer, air conditioning will leach the moisture from our lips while the cold winter air also does not allow for smooth supple lips. Another product mentioned in my Korean Skincare post, this lip sleeping mask is an overnight mask for lips.

Because our lips are most susceptible to drying out at night, it is important to make sure they are protected. This mask protects lips, nourishes and prevents the uncomfortable, dry feeling come morning. You will never need to reach for a lip scrub again and it makes your morning lipstick application so much easier. It keeps your lips supple so that lip products will apply smoothly and evenly.

Laneige Sleeping Mask also sold here

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel

This two-step peel has been revolutionary in the skincare space. Dr Dennis Gross made it very easy for anyone to achieve chemical peel-like results without a dermatologist office visit. Unlike high strength in-office peels, this peel is far gentler and can be used on a daily basis. It can really help to improve skin texture, eliminate blackheads and reveal radiant glowing skin.

Step 1 contains chemical exfoliants such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid, to reduce signs of ageing and keep pores clear. In my post about salicylic acid, I went into detail about all the benefits of salicylic acid. So, if you would like to learn more about what this peel does, make sure to read that salicylic acid post. Step 2 contains vitamin C and retinol which will greatly help with reducing discolourations, anti-ageing and diminishing fine lines. I wrote an entire post dedicated to vitamin C skincare benefits so make sure you have taken a look at that too.

Find the peel available on this international site.

Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Supplement

This water-based serum is definitely an underrated skincare item. It contains multiple antioxidants, skin repairing, and skin hydrating ingredients packed into one bottle. The texture is lightweight and will not disagree with oily or acne-prone skin. If you have read my post about antioxidants, you will know why it is great that this serum contains several. Vitamin E, grapefruit extract, and vitamin C in the form of Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, are a few such antioxidants. To get an idea of what this amazing ingredient does for skin, read my vitamin C article.

The serum also contains ingredients that will soothe skin such as green tea extract, an antioxidant too. Its hydrating properties and skin replenishing properties are due to the inclusion of ingredients like acetyl glucosamine and sodium hyaluronate. Make sure to read my complete guide to hyaluronic acid for more about sodium hyaluronate. It does also contain ceramides and cholesterol to restore skin. If you are in search of a well-rounded anti-ageing serum, you will not be disappointed.

This serum is available internationally here.

Youth To The People Antioxidant Cleanser

If you have been in search of a “clean beauty” cleanser, look no further. This gel cleanser is a powerhouse of antioxidant ingredients while being gentle and non-stripping. Do not allow the word “gentle” to fool you though. This cleanser is still an extremely competent makeup remover. Your skin will not feel tight or dry after cleansing and you do not have to worry about going in with several different products just to remove your makeup.

Often with “natural” or “non-toxic” products, the inclusion of essential oils will induce redness and dermatitis on my face. However, that is not the case with this cleanser. For those with easily irritated skin that usually gets red easily after cleansing, this product is great. It contains green tea and aloe vera to soothe redness and I do not find it irritates my skin. If non-toxic, cruelty free, vegan products are important to you, you can’t go wrong with this cleanser.

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Want More Recommendations?

I hope you found my Sephora VIB Sale Skincare Recommendations helpful. These are just a few of the very best skincare products I am loving and using at the moment. Obviously, my love of skincare means that there an incredibly long list of products I have tried and loved from Sephora. However, I did not want this post to be overly extensive and wanted to include a few products that you may have never considered before. There are certainly a number of skincare products I have tried and loved that no one else ever mentions. 

If you would like more skincare recommendations, I regularly suggest several tried and true products throughout all my skincare posts. In previous posts I have listed the best hyaluronic acid products, great vitamin C products, Korean skincare, the best skincare for travel, and so much more. So, if you would like some additional product recommendations, consider taking a look at those posts. And remember to Subscribe to the Blog for more upcoming skin care posts like this.

What are you most excited about purchasing from the Sephora VIB Sale? Do you have any Sephora skincare product suggestions? Happy Shopping!

Wishing you boundless love, endless light and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

The post Sephora VIB Sale Skincare Recommendations appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Vitamin C Skin Care Benefits

We have known about the benefits of vitamin C since its discovery in the 1930’s. Vitamin C really hit the big time when it was discovered that its presence in citrus fruits could prevent sailors from getting scurvy. As a child it may have seemed like your mother would preach vitamin C as a cure for everything from the common cold to a sprained ankle. And today, supplement companies are not the only ones utilising vitamin C. Many skincare brands are popping out their vitamin C products and serums like it’s a brand new innovation. The ingredient is becoming more mainstream with increasing demand. So, should you be using it? And what vitamin C skin care benefits are there?

The role of vitamin C in the body

Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble nutrient that cannot be synthesised naturally by the human body. It must therefore be consumed through diet. It is abundant in citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, and all those good fruits and veggies. And now, the vitamin C excuse given by our parents to eat our fruits and veggies has ascended once more in relevance.

But instead of just being told to consume it through diet, we are being told to apply it topically to our skin as well. In recent years it seems that vitamin C has become more and more of a prevalent fixture, not only in medical-grade skincare but in every self-respecting skincare brand’s repertoire of products. Indeed, with proper use it can help reveal a brighter, more youthful complexion. After learning about all the vitamin C skin care benefits, you too will be on the hunt for the perfect vitamin C. 

Oftentimes ‘vitamin C’ may not appear outright on a skincare product label. It may be listed as ascorbic acid, or one of its other variations. The chemically active form of vitamin C is known as L-ascorbic acid. It has a similar structure to glucose and is weakly acidic. L-ascorbic acid is the gold standard for vitamin C in skincare, however various other forms of vitamin C are also growing in use. In an upcoming blog post about I will cover all the derivatives of vitamin C, to help you decide which best fits your needs.

Protects skin from sun damage

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. If you read my post about antioxidants, you’ll be well informed about the crucial role they play in protecting skin from oxidative damage. Vitamin C neutralises free radicals via electron transfer or donation and removes oxidants such as those from environmental pollutants or UV exposure. By mitigating the harm from oxidative stress, its antioxidant activity is a measure against photoaging.

UV exposure decreases vitamin C content of skin so topical application of vitamin C will help to increase vitamin C concentrations in the skin. This provides a level of photoprotection and limits the effects of DNA damage from UV exposure. Additionally, vitamin E in conjunction with vitamin C has a further protective effect. Read my previous post for more on why UV protection is a great vitamin C skin care benefit. 

Collagen building

It is no secret that skincare freaks are obsessed with collagen. If anti-ageing is your priority, you might even see this as one of the most important vitamin C skin care benefits. Collagen is a protein found in our connective tissues and cells. Vitamin C encourages the synthesis of collagen in the skin. It acts as a cofactor in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, a process that prevents the weakening and damage of collagen in the body.

Without adequate vitamin C, collagen formation is impaired. This explains the symptoms of illnesses like scurvy, where there has been an evident deterioration of collagen due to lack of vitamin C. This also explains why smokers tend to age prematurely; smoking depletes vitamin C levels and thus impedes collagen formation.

So, if you’re dying for an extra collagen boost, perhaps just skip all the fancy collagen drinks and the extravagant collagen facial treatments you’ve been considering trading your first-born child for. Simply opt to increase your intake of plain old vitamin C instead.  For extra benefits, apply it to your skin as well as consuming it in your diet.

As always, I’d advocate getting your nutrients from old fashion food sources. Just go ahead and eat the food instead of trying to look for some miracle broth or spending the money on supplements. Especially when it comes to vitamin C, which is not that troublesome to get into your diet. And who’s complaining about adding a vitamin C-packed fruit smoothie into their routine?

Wrinkles and sagging

Topical applications of vitamin C have been shown to decrease the appearance of skin wrinkling. As skin ages it is subject to changes in the dermal layer, and the deterioration of elastin and collagen. This leads to wrinkles. Additionally, the thinning of skin and loss of muscle tone can result in skin sagging. Vitamin C reduces oxidative stress in skin and improve skin structure.

The effect of a lack of vitamin C in the skin is evident by simply observing individuals who are vitamin C deficient. As we have already discussed, the antioxidant protection and collagen building vitamin C skin benefits will lessen skin ageing.

Skin Brightening

Vitamin C has brightening effects on skin. This can be particularly helpful for individuals who struggle with hyperpigmentation and dark spots as a result of chronic UV exposure. As you may recall from the blog post about sun damaged skin, prolonged UV exposure triggers the production of melanin in the skin. This leads to skin darkening and eventually brown spots, uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation.

Vitamin C inhibits the action of tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for melanin formation, to prevent this overproduction of pigment. It can therefore improve skin evenness and diminish the look of dark marks. Although, its effects may not be as marked as stronger ingredients like hydroquinone.

Speeds up healing

Vitamin C levels impact wound healing. Due to its collagen-building, anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin C can reinforce a compromised skin barrier and speed up wound healing. Its anti-inflammatory effects also mean that it may be helpful in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. 

Don’t go pouring lemon juice on a wound anytime soon though, as the acidity from the citrus can be highly irritating to the skin. I guarantee the stinging you’ll get as a result won’t make you feel any better or have any improvement on your condition.

Drawbacks of vitamin C

There are some drawbacks of vitamin C that are worth noting. L-ascorbic acid is hydrophilic and unstable. Vitamin C degrades on exposure to air, light and heat, so stability of topical vitamin C is a concern. Your expensive bottle of vitamin C serum may be degrading by the day. Research suggests a vitamin C concentration between 10 to 20 percent is optimal for vitamin C skin care benefits. There are OTC products that go as high as 30%.

The decreasing concentration means that even if a product claims to contain this level of vitamin C, it is losing efficacy from the moment you begin using it. You can tell a vitamin C product has gone bad because the serum will turn a brown colour. There is concern that using spoiled vitamin C products may actually increase free radical exposure in skin.

Due to the stability issue, many skincare products are increasingly using various vitamin C esters rather than ascorbic acid in their formulations. Depending on the ester, they can be gentler on the skin and absorb more slowly. These vitamin C derivatives however, are often less potent than vitamin C. Their vitamin C skin care benefits have not been as comprehensively studied as ascorbic acid. 

High concentrations of vitamin C cause skin sensitivity and irritation. The pH of the product is also of great importance. For maximum benefits, L-ascorbic acid should have a pH of below 3.5. Such acidic low pH levels have the potential to make the products highly irritating.

Acne

There have been anecdotal concerns about vitamin C products triggering acne. I have not encountered substantial research to support this. However, I have personally experienced an increase in acne after using specific vitamin C esters in my routine. That being said, I have extremely intolerant and irritation-prone skin. This reaction may just be due to the base of the vitamin C serum and not directly caused by the vitamin C itself.

It is also possible that specific vitamin C esters penetrate faster than your skin can tolerate. It does not mean your skin will break out with every vitamin C product. The acidic nature of the ingredient could also have an exfoliating-like effect, triggering unsurfaced blemishes to emerge more quickly. Again, this has not been proven and is merely my two cents. I encourage you to do your own research and consult a medical professional if you are having issues.

Dietary vitamin C is proven to be helpful among individuals with acne, when paired with zinc and other nutrients. There are a few studies that suggest vitamin C derivative sodium ascorbyl phosphate has a positive effect on acne lesions. However, it is not as readily absorbed by skin as ascorbic acid. As I frequently reiterate, it is important to experiment and test out different products to see which best suits your individual needs.

Best practices for maximum vitamin C skin care benefits

In order to retain the vitamin C skin care benefits, a product’s packaging should be air tight. Unless the product comes in individually sealed sachets, you want to make sure to use it up within a couple of months to avoid issues. Incorporating it into your morning skincare routine can make sure you are getting antioxidant protection throughout the day. Make sure to read my step by step guide to properly layering morning skincare.

Best vitamin C products

Here are a couple of ascorbic acid products I love, so you too can get the vitamin C skin care benefits.

Gold Standard Vitamin C

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic – The ultimate holy grail of vitamin C serums. Not only does this serum include vitamin C, it also offers vitamin E and ferulic acid which have both been shown to increase the efficacy of formula. In fact the incredibly effective formula is patented and has been widely considered the gold standard in skincare antioxidants. 

Spot treatment 

Although many people will appreciate the vitamin C skin care benefits, you may only have a few trouble spots. If your main skin concerns are specific dark spots, perhaps from acne or as a result of sun damage, you may wish to consider a spot treatment. This Vitamin C Spot Treatment contains a hefty 25% concentration of vitamin C to target hyper-pigmentation. If you prefer a trail size before committing to a full size, check this one out: Vitamin C Spot Treatment Trial Size.

Vitamin C that stays fresh

This Fresh Pressed Daily Booster comes in individual packaging so as to minimise the chance of the product degrading over too long a time. It contains 10% vitamin C and can easily be mixed into your other products. 

Collagen booster

The Dr Dennis Gross C+ Collagen is another pricey but very effective serum. It is packed with a number of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (which I looooove) as well as amino acids. This serum is brimming with vitamin C skin care benefits. It not only contains ascorbic acid but another vitamin C derivative tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. Again, watch out for that upcoming blog post. 

Natural option

Vitamin C Serum from Andalou Naturals is a lovely underrated serum. It is organic and natural, gluten free, free of GMOs and relatively affordable. If you find your skin cannot tolerate ascorbic acid, this serum contains a vitamin C derivative magnesium ascorbic phosphate. It also includes a whole host of antioxidants.

Final thoughts

As usual I could go on all day about skincare but I will leave it here before I get too carried away. In a future post I will be breaking down all the best skincare on the market that will provide you all the vitamin C skin care benefits. If you would like to see a review on a specific product, feel free to let me know. And tell me: do you use vitamin C in your routine? Let me know your favourite recommendations, I love hearing the products other people swear by.

If you found value in this information, please share it so that we can be of help to others. Subscribe to the blog for more skin care posts like this. A great deal of thought and care are put into each and every post, so your support, likes and shares are appreciated beyond words. 

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

References:

Wang, K., Jiang, H., Li, W., Qiang, M., Dong, T. and Li, H. (2018). Role of Vitamin C in Skin Diseases. Frontiers in Physiology, 9.

Raschke, T., Koop, U., Düsing, H., Filbry, A., Sauermann, K., Jaspers, S., Wenck, H. and Wittern, K. (2004). Topical Activity of Ascorbic Acid: From in vitro Optimization to in vivo Efficacy. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 17(4), pp.200-206.

Woolery-Lloyd, H., Baumann, L. and Ikeno, H. (2010). Sodium L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate 5% lotion for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 9(1), pp.22-27.

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