I feel like finding the right type of skin care products for your face is such a common struggle. There are so many products out there, how are we supposed to know what is actually useful and what is going to turn our skin into a red puffy monster? I have extremely oily, acne prone skin and I have tried everything…. When I say everything, I really mean everything. I tried every kit, solution, toner, exfoliating pad, and cream under the sun to try and get my skin somewhat under control. My skin has changed over the years from young acne, to pubescent acne and oil, to adult acne and super oily (let me know if you notice the trend here). As of today, I have my skin somewhat under control, but I am always trying out new products to see what will actually keep the oily mess that is my face under control. Here are my current favorites:
- Clinique Exfoliating Scrub
- This product is amazing for when you really need a good, clean, fresh feeling. It is a course scrub that gets all the dead skin and yuck off of your face. It feels amazing as you use it and it makes you feel even better once you rinse it off. It is a relatively harsh exfoliant, so I would not recommend using more than once (or maybe twice if your skin is like mine) a week. This is a great product for using after a long day when you need that extra step to feel like you washed away the day.
- Philosophy’s Purity Cleanser
- This stuff is incredible. It is a gentle, everyday cleanser that can be used on any and all skin types (my roommate with extra dry skin and also swears by this). It can be used as a make-up remover, a cleanser, or both and really gets your skin feeling clean and fresh. The ingredients are not stripping or damaging, so you won’t need to worry about it hurting your face. The best part is, your face feels baby soft after!
- Clarisonic Mia
- This is what I call my little “scrubby brush” that makes my face happy and clean. It gets everything off. No make-up left behind, ever. I use this guy everyday, especially at night, to make sure I am going to sleep with no trace of the day left on my skin to make sure I wake up with the slimiest chance of having a new breakout possible. I’ve been using my Mia 1 for years! Every couple months you replace the scrubby head and just like that you are as good as new!
- Glossier’s Solution
- This is a chemical toner that has done wonders for my acne prone skin. It is an actual acne treatment that gets all the gunk out of your pores and treats breakouts before they happen. This stuff is awesome. I’ve tried almost every acne product under the sun, and this has to be my current favorite. This is easily the best daily treatment to keep your skin even and clear.
- Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer in Rich
- If you can’t tell, I’m a HUGE Glossier fan. I have tried basically all of their products and have a few clear favorites. This moisturizer has got to be one of them. It is thick and soft, but doesn’t leave your skin feeling like an oily mess. I use this every night, and it even did a wonderful job at keeping my skin soft and moisturized during the harsh, New York winter. It smells amazing and feels even better. It doesn’t make you break out, or make your skin feel sticky, it perfectly balances out all of the stripping away I have done with the acne products I use so that I wake up with glowy skin.
- GlamGlow SuperMud
- This is a holy grail, splurge product. Yes, it is expensive, yes I know. Whenever it is a gift with points at Sephora, I make sure to stock up. It is so worth the splurge. I use it both as a full face mask, or as a spot acne treatment. This is one of the few products where I really see amazing results overnight. If I put on the mask for 20 minutes at night, I will wake up with my acne being noticeably smaller or improved and the overall look of my skin will be more even and clear. For me, this is more of a special occasions product, or for when my skin is especially acting up, but as with any exfoliant, make sure you don’t use it too often, your your skin could have a negative reaction. Moral of the story, this is a perfect “treat yo self” gift.
This are my all-time favorite products, but I know everyone’s skin is unique and different. Good luck navigating the jungle that has been created of skin care products, crossing my fingers you find the best system that works for you!
<3,
Nikki
** Photo is a Glossier Wallpaper
Nikki Celi 