I received this product for free from Picky and NEOGEN in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited when I found out that I’d won my first Picky contest, but I was thrilled when I saw it was with Neogen! I was first introduced to the company through their Real Ferment Micro Essence. I’ve been using it for several months now, and was happy to see the adorable little bottle in my trial kit. My dry, often dehydrated & flaky skin loves the moisture boost and plump feeing I get after using this water-like essence (don’t confuse it with toner- put a few drops in the palm of your hand and pat it directly onto your face. No cotton needed!)

The other items in the kit were new to me, but after glancing at the ingredients, I was excited to try them. 

I wear sunscreen and BB cream daily, so my cleansing routine starts with a balm or oil, and I generally follow up with a micellar water on a cloth. The Neogen Calendula cleansing water leaves my skin completely clean and comfortable. I love that it’s full of soothing ingredients that calm my skin after a lon

Following the cleansing water and Micro Essence, I tried the Real Vita C Serum. I’m not new to vitamin C serums, and I’m happy to say this one was lovely to use. It is super light- a great layering serum that I found easiest to use when mixed in to one of my heavier treatments. Even alone though, the serum was non-sticky, had none of that tell-tale Vitamin C smell, and even when used daily for several days, didn’t irritate or dry my skin out. 

Last but not least, Neogen included two different versions of their Bio Peel Gauze pads. Meant to be a one swipe version of more complicated at-home peels, Neogen’s version includes the newest class of exfoliating acids- PHAs. These next generation cousins of AHAs help to speed the skin’s shedding of dead cells, taking dark spots and fine lines with them. Unlike AHAs, which almost always leave me red and peeling, these one-step peeling pads left me feeling soft and glowy, with no irritation in sight! 

This was an amazing kit, and I really liked getting to know the Neogen line a little better. I love their dedication to effective, proven ingredients and how they intersect with the newest skincare technologies- resulting in soothing, barrier strengthening products that help skin look brighter, smoother, and more youthful.

Happy Skin with Neogen!

What are your favorite daytime moisturizer/sunscreen hybrids? I’ve been using CeraVe AM as my daily moisturizer for years, and while I love it, I’m also ready to try something new. What are your favorite day-time moisturizers? Good sun protection is a MUST, and I’d love to stick with something containing ceramides. I’m 44, so anti-wrinkle and whitening ingredients are a plus.

SPF, Ceramides & Peptides

As I mentioned, Aquaphor is, by design,  a thick ointment. It’s not going to feel weightless on your skin, and it’s not meant to. Is this some thing to slather all over your hands throughout the day? Probably not, but when the eczema on my hands rears up during the fall and winter, you’d better believe I put a layer on before I go to bed. One or two days later & it’s gone!

Aquaphor is my all-time favorite repair balm! I carry a tube with me wherever I go, and I have large tubes stashed around my house – I am never more than maybe 10 feet away from one. Yes, it can be thick and heavy feeling on the skin, but that’s how it works! Your skin barrier is what keeps irritants out, and moisture in, and this will help to repair it when it is disrupted. I use this on chapped, dry or irritated skin all over my body- lips, elbows, cuticles, feet, noses…It’s cheap, it’s versatile, and it works- what more can you ask for?

I’m loathe to think anything is bad about this product. The slight tackiness may bother some users, especially those who don’t follow their treatment with a hydrator, but who does that?! 

I received this product for free from Picky  and SKIN1004 in exchange for my honest review. 

This ampoule just about has it all- especially if brightness or hyperpigmentation are concerns of yours. Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, and Vitamin C are all heavy-hitters in that game, but that’s not all for this ampoule. The base of Centella Asiatica Extract (a huge 77% of the product) is beloved for its wound healing, anti-inflammatory and skin moisturizing properties. Recently it was even shown to have enhanced anti-oxidant properties when used in conjunction with Vitamin C- LIKE IT IS HERE! Combined with tons of other great skin-identical ingredients, this is a no brainer. 

The serum is light and has a slight slip without any greasiness. It does have a bit of a tacky feel when it dries down, but once my moisturizer and SPF are on, I don’t notice the stickiness one bit. The ampoule is crystal clear with tiny microbeads, ans there is no added fragrance (though you might notice a slight grassy/herbal scent from the ingredients, which I found rather pleasant). 

Last, but definitely not least, it’s only $24.50 for 100 ML. People. That’s more than 3 OZ!!! This makes it WAY more cost effective than many US Drugstore brands, with cutting edge science that K-Beauty is known for. Like I said, NO BRAINER.

Pricey, smaller bottle than I’d like for a daily-use cleanser. 

I received this product for free from Picky and Acwell in exchange for my honest review.

As someone in my mid 40s with sensitive skin (and a dark spot or two I’d like to see disappear) I’ve had my eye on Acwell’s Licorice line for quite a while. Acwell’s Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner uses both licorice root water (an antioxidant), and licorice root extract, a superstar ingredient that has been shown to soothe, reduce inflammation and even help to fade hyper-pigmentation. Of course they didn’t stop there, adding a ton of other antioxants, skin soothers, and natural moisturizing humectant glycerin. 

I’m a double-cleanse die hard, so cleansing (aka: micellar) water is not new to me. The idea of treatment in a cleansing water is though, and while intriguing, it doesn’t come without a price: at $18 for 5.1 oz, Acwell’s toner cost more than three times as much as my current tried-and-true micellar. Having said that, it did do a great job lifting off makeup- including my daily sunscreen, and mascara. No irritation, no stinging or blurry eyes, just a fresh herbal scent and soft, clean skin. The toner had a slightly more viscous, essence-like feel than a typical cleansing water, which left my skin feeling lightly moisturized. I was happy to see that the glycerin did not leave my skin feeling at all sticky, an issue I’ve had in the past with other micellar waters containing that ingredient. 

After a little more than a month using the Acwell Licorice Toner, I can’t say I’ve noticed any lightening of my more stubborn dark spots, but I wouldn’t expect to see such dramatic results before at least the 3 month mark. I will say that my skin does appear well-moisturized and brighter over all, and I’m curious to see what results I’ll see with prolonged use.

While I love this to death, it is not my go to for super dry, cracked or chapped lips. The lighter texture is not quite as occlusive as my dear Aquaphor, and the CeraVe balm tends to absorb or wear off more quickly than other balms.

I love, love, LOVE this balm. CeraVe Healing Ointment is a bit thinner than Vaseline (petroleum jelly) or Aquaphor, but it melts into the skin and truly soothes and protects. I use it everywhere– hands, cuticles, knees, elbows, and of course, my lips. Used as a lip balm, it has a nice shine to it; I love to layer it over a nude lip crayon  for a natural-but-better look. Why four stars instead of five? Because if it’s lighter consistency, it doesn’t last as long on the lips as something like Aquaphor. Also, the tiny tubes that are so convenient for travel are pretty hard to find. Still, a great product!

There’s not much I can fault in this product. Would I like to see a higher SPF? Sure. Does it have the fanciest packaging? Or the most luxurious feel? No, but do those things really matter to my skin? Also, no.

CeraVe AM is my long time stand-by moisturizer, undoubtedly the one I have re-purchased the most. Great for all skin types, it protects and reinforces the skin’s protective barrier, provides great daily sun protection, and contains my favorite ingredient of all time, niacinamide. If you’re not familiar, niacinamide can help with everything from dark spots to acne to fine lines. Skin-care proficent as i am, i like to try lots of new products, but this is one you’ll never see me without!

OutInAPout