“Give your skin a break,” they said. “A few weeks without makeup will clear everything up” they promised. This is definitely not the case for me. My skin is finicky, unpredictable and absolutely reacts to stress. So, of course, a global pandemic is what pushes it off the edge, right?
That’s not completely the truth. My skin has been in rough shape for a little while…since September. The last time I had this dry patchiness was about five years ago, and it took some prescription skincare to remedy it. I kept on telling myself I would get this checked out by a doctor, but life got busy. Each time I would put it out into the world that my skin was getting better, I would wake up and it would look terrible – each day it looks different.
Since this isn’t the time to be going to the doctor for something small, I’ve been playing dermatologist. These are some new-to-me skincare products I’ve been putting to work during quarantine in hopes of it healing whatever is happening to my face.
All these years I’ve been breaking the cardinal beauty rule. I haven’t been moisturizing before applying makeup. I know, I know, how dare I? For one, I’m allergic to most face creams, but I also found any moisturizers were a nightmare to apply before makeup because it was either sticky or greasy. So I bought a big bottle of Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion. Any skincare I get has to have something for sensitive skin, and this Aveeno line has oats and is made for dry, itchy skin which is exactly what I’m suffering from. Lotion for the face? For me, yes. The lighter the product, the less likely I am to have a bad reaction, so I always prefer a thinner lotion to a thicker cream.
The last event I went to before the quarantine introduced me to the Foreo Luna Mini 3*. I must have been the only beauty blogger in the world who didn’t own a Foreo Luna Mini, so I’m happy to join the club. It couldn’t have come into my life at a better time because my face needs help. And it’s super-futuristic because you control it with your phone – snazzy!
The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter was given to me by a friend and comes highly recommended. The Body Shop’s Vitamin E line has been a tried and true of mine, so I trust the brand’s products made for sensitive skin.
I normally use the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator, but since my tube was on its last leg it was the right time to test out a new one. The CATRICE Lip Sugar Scrub and Balm* isn’t as intense as the e.l.f. one, but it should help my lip care, especially during stress season since I bite my lips when I’m anxious. Plus, this one has a gentle scent of coconut and vanilla – smells like a vacation.
It’s always best to follow up a lip scrub with something moisturizing, so I’ve been using the Pixi Vitamin C Core Lip Balm*. Not only is it good for your lips, but it has a splash of colour (this one is in Peach Pout) that is perfect to toss on before your video chat to make you look more lively.
Last but not least is another pick from Pixi, but this one truly changed the game for me. I don’t have a picture because I just used up my last one, but the Pixi Glow Glycolic Boost Face Sheet Mask* truly saved my skin. Just one use made almost all my patchy redness go away, after months and months of it being present. I’m absolutely blown away by what this mask did for me. If they sold these masks by the case I would buy them in bulk without a second thought. Sadly this was my last one, so I’m hoping the beauty fairies are smiling down on me and can drop some in my lap.
There you have it, my current quarantine skincare products. Along with switching in and out the above, I’ve also been swapping in the SkinFix Barrier+ Foaming Oil Cleanser which I’m really liking because of how gentle it is.
Cheers to brighter days and clearer skin!
Products marked with an asterisk (*) were sent by PR