I honestly do not have a bad word to say, sorry.

STORY TIME: Double cleansing is a process I bungled in such an epic way! I first opted for a long-cleanse (15 mins) with grapeseed oil which I would follow up with a 60-sec cleanse with the TO Squalene Cleanser and wash off. The MANY problems with this?

- The point of oil cleansing first is to break down the day’s gunk (make up, SPF, excess dirt). A foaming cleanser afterwards helps with a deeper pore cleanse. The TO squalene cleanser is an oil cleanser, so I was basically skipping over the deeper pore cleanse altogether 🙄
- I was doing the 15-min cleanse thrice, sometimes four times a week, because I have congested skin and the sight of loosened blackhead caps made me think that I was doing something right. I was obviously stupid wrong. A 15-min grapeseed oil cleanse is EXFOLIATION. Exfoliating 3-4 times a week is too much by any standard. Don’t fool yourself into thinking otherwise!
- On top of this, my routine included (gentle) retinoids! I was also doing the TO AHA+BHA peel once a week 🥵

This happened over a period of three weeks. As a result of my own over-enthusiasm, I damaged my skin’s barrier. It is a miracle I didn’t melt my skin right off.

However, my skin is tenacious AF so it is recovering quite well now. Once I realised my mistake, I immediately cut my routine down to the basics: cleanse, hydrate, protect (SPF).

After much trial and error, I think I have finally landed on a winning double-cleanse combo: The @deciem TO squalene cleanser, followed up with @cerave SA Smoothing cleanser.

The Cerave cleanser is so gentle but so effective. After switching to a basic routine, my skin was still bumpy and rough, and within a week of using it I can already feel the difference in the texture of my skin. Currently, I am using it as my first cleaner in the AM and second cleanser in the PM, and let me tell you it’s gonna take a LOT for me to switch.

This is an HG sunscreen for me and that’s that!

Of the several suncreens I have used recently, this is definitely my favourite. It is a daily full-spectrum chemical sunscreen that is water and sweat-resistant.

It is marketed as an &#39;essence&#39; sunscreen, meaning that it has soothing and hydrating ingredients such as aloe, cucumber, and liquorice and it lives up to its promise in this aspect.

It is supposed to be geared towards dry and normal skin types, but I love its dewy finish and the mild cooling effect on my oily skin. I have experienced no pore-clogging or pilling either so safe to say this goes in my permanent rotation.

None really, this is a repurchase for me.

I had been on the lookout for a non-tinted sunscreen that wouldn’t break me out and would show some respect for my melanin and after much deliberation landed on the @larocheposay Anthelios XL SPF50. Now, there are several iterations available of this specific sunscreen. The one I chose is:

- non-perfumed
- dry touch
- anti-shine

I have oily skin that breaks out at the mere suggestion of grease so this has served me quite well. I have used it consistently for two weeks with no significant breaking out whatsoever. It leaves zero white cast, absorbing well into my melanated skin. There is definitely some shine after use still, but it’s more a healthy glow than the bottom of a used skillet.

Although the texture is described as gel-cream, I would definitely say cream more than gel. As far as sunscreens go, La Roche Posay is generally a safe bet.

The consistency is very watery but it is not a bad thing at all, just means you gotta work quickly at spreading it over your face.

I got this serum as a giveaway prize (my first ever) and this was my first Facetheory product. I am blown away! I have been using this for three weeks, having replaced the TO Niacinamide and Buffet serums with only these, and a) I DONT miss them and b) I feel this to be working better overall in terms of hydration for me. A definite buy, and I will be trying other Facetheory products on the basis of this.

The only problem areas I can tell so far are the price point (I bought it at a discount), and the lack of diversity in the shade range (there are only two). It also does tend to pill if you do not moisturize adequately.

Wow that wear sunscreen song rings truer everyday, eh? I haven’t been serious about wearing sunscreen🧴all my life, only slapping on the first drugstore find on to my face on days I was going to the beach. It didn’t matter if it was a ‘face-sunscreen’ or ‘body-sunscreen and reapplication WHO?

I am now more outdoorsy than I have ever been and live ON THE COAST. It’s literally sunny 300 days a year. This + my regimen, very recently, included a ton of actives, so sun protection has become non-negotiable. I have oily and sensitive skin, prone to hormonal breakouts, and I am brown (in summer even more so), which means my options are relatively limited.

I discovered compact sunscreens very recently and chose the Uriage Bariésun SPF50+ tinted compact after some deliberation. Pore-clogging, white-cast, and an oily appearance have been my issues with sunscreens, and I chose this because it’s non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, and water resistant. I like the coverage it provides because it doesn’t feel cake-y when applied on its own, although I cannot comment on how it might work with other make up having not tried that yet. I will continue to use this because I love the gold sheen in the tint and am satisfied with the level of protection, while being on the lookout for an non-tinted SPF that fulfills my criteria (probably Biore).

skintensely