Top 6 Must have Skin Care Products
Written by Eunoia House
Image retrieved @Taramilktea
We’ve all been there: standing staring at a wall of beauty products with no idea what to choose. It seems like every brand has a whole line of products for problems you didn’t even know you had. With so many options, how do you know which ones will deliver on their promises? Do you really want to spend $100 on a product when you don’t even know if you will like it? You’ve come to the right place. These beauty products have already been thoroughly vetted by beauty gurus and regular women alike, and the countless glowing reviews online are proof. They target some of the most common complaints like thinning hair, dull skin, and sun damage—and they actually work! So whether you want to maintain your bright and youthful look, get healthy skin, or just add something fun to your skincare routine, there’s sure to be something here for you!
This incredible cleansing balm is not your mother’s makeup remover. For one, it’s oil-based rather than water-based. This might sound counterintuitive for a product meant to cleanse the face, but it quite literally melts away dirt and leftover makeup while hydrating the skin. So there’s a reason why your traditional makeup remover can’t quite tackle leftover waterproof mascara… You may feel a need to use an additional cleanser after the balm to remove the remaining oil, but most users say that the extra moisture helps even out their skin texture and provide some much needed hydration. This balm also does double duty as an exfoliator so those stubborn clogged pores don’t stand a chance. It’s infused with papaya enzymes which gently scrub the surface of the skin without damaging it. Since the exfoliant is natural it also means that it’s biodegradable, unlike the polyethylene microbeads most scrubs contain. With so many benefits in one product, it can all but replace your 10-step nightly skincare routine- and at a surprisingly low price point! Best of all, this is a clean skincare product, meaning it is completely free of toxic ingredients. That means it’s better for you and better for the planet. After all, you’re not a corpse so you don’t need formaldehyde to achieve beautiful, healthy skin!
Many of us are resigned to believing that we can’t do anything about our slow hair growth. While it’s true that hair grows at a fixed pace that is biologically predetermined and can’t be sped up, an unhealthy scalp can slow down growth considerably. So if it seems like your hair has gotten thinner or just doesn’t grow as quickly as it used to, it might be time to give your scalp some love with this Multi-Peptide Hair Serum. Peptides...that word has been getting thrown around a lot lately, but what exactly are they? Essentially, peptides are the chains of amino acids that join together to create protein. Most importantly, they make up collagen protein which is how skin keeps its shape and stays firm. Ok- this all sounds great, but what does it have to do with my hair? Well- the peptides in this serum, with help from ingredients like biotin, menthol, and salicylic acid, stimulate the hair follicles when applied directly to the scalp. With increased blood flow, follicles can do their thing more efficiently: growing hair. The salicylic acid eliminates persistent dead skin cells that block follicles, further improving conditions for growth. If you have pesky scalp troubles like dryness, irritation, or dandruff, it helps to clear these up as well. The result is thicker, fuller, and more voluminous locks. Who doesn’t want that? Since this hair serum targets the scalp, it can be used on any texture of hair. To use it, simply massage a couple of drops onto your scalp after washing and drying your hair at night and let it work while you sleep. It may make your hair a bit oilier, especially if it tends to be greasy under normal circumstances, but that’s a small price to pay for a luscious mane.
Vitamin C gets a lot of love from doctors and beauticians alike as a wonder supplement. And it’s not overhyped--it repairs and protects body tissues from the gums to the bones, boosts the immune system, and recently has been shown to fight fatigue. Because of its reparative properties, vitamin C does amazing things for damaged and aging skin. It turns out that in terms of skincare, vitamin C is especially effective when applied topically instead of internally. But most beauty products that incorporate vitamin C make one crucial mistake- they store it as a liquid. Vitamin C is water-soluble, meaning that over several weeks in water it breaks down and loses most of its potency. All those yummy nutrients and vitamins are gone after just a few uses. True Botanicals ingeniously developed their product as a powder that doesn’t touch any liquid until immediately before it is used, so it stays shelf-stable for years. Reviews of this vitamin C powder overwhelmingly praise how bright and healthy their skin feels after usage. It treats so many common skin ailments like fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, redness, and inflammation, while also shielding it from further UV damage. So not to worry if years outside with no sunscreen have left your face with some discoloration or uneven texture- it’s not too late to give your skin some love! Another bonus is simply that it’s fun to apply: first, you shake a little of the powder into your palm. Then, dissolve the powder with water, lotion, or your favorite skin serum, then apply to your face and neck. It’s most effective when applied in the morning so you can take advantage of its protection from the sun. Some people even put it in their SPF under their makeup for an extra shield from UV rays. However you choose to use it, you can expect magical results!
We all know that a good moisturizer is the foundation of healthy skincare. But this Placenta Cream from Biologique Recherche offers so much more. In addition to providing deep hydration and replenishing dry skin, it also makes the skin appear more youthful and bright by erasing signs of aging, healing scars from acne and inflammation, and evening out the skin tone for an overall bright appearance. And it is free of fragrances, so it’s friendly to sensitive skin and smells unassuming. Placenta has been gaining popularity recently in a wide range of beauty products as a restorative ingredient that repairs and preserves the skin. Some people are, understandably, a little freaked out by products that are made from the placenta at first. However, it has actually been a popular health and beauty ingredient in various parts of the world for many years. It is chock full of nutrients and stem cells that aging skin might have lost which is why it is such a powerful tool for maintaining youthful skin. Wrinkles, fine lines, rosacea, and age spots all can be improved with the use of the placenta. It certainly seems to be effective in this cream, which has dozens of 5-star reviews. Almost all of the reviews acknowledge not only how well the cream works but also how quickly. To use, apply a dime-sized amount to the face, neck, and cleavage after exfoliating, or whenever you could use a little moisture. Biologique Recherche recommends alternating it with Creme PGM 400 if your main concern is pigment issues. The cream doesn’t leave an oily residue, so it leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated but not overly wet.
This one is a mouthful, but behind its intimidating name, the Copper Peptide Serum has results to back it up. Other beauty products simply cover up signs of aging, so they do nothing to stop the process and their effects are washed off at the end of the day. This one, however, goes deeper to promote all the elements of healthy skin at their roots. For that reason, even if you haven’t seen signs of aging cropping up yet, this serum proactively wards off the processes that prematurely age your skin. We already talked about peptides and their benefits with the Multi-Peptide Hair Serum, but the copper peptide GHK-Cu offers some particularly unique benefits. For one, it promotes the growth of new collagen and elastin which can start to wear down as early as age 35. Elastin is what tightens the skin and gives it that, well, elasticity. It provides your skin with that youthful bounce that discourages wrinkles. Copper peptides even REMOVE existing damaged collagen and elastin so that all is left is the new, healthy skin to replace it. Copper peptides also contain antioxidants, correcting blemishes and making the skin brighter. Some other specific results of aging that are targeted are uneven texture, enlarged pores, and dullness. Really, any skin complaint that you have can probably be minimized with this serum. When you purchase the Copper Peptide Serum, you’ll receive one bottle of serum and one bottle of activator. First, you empty the whole bottle of activator into the serum and shake it well for 30 seconds. After that, it is ready to go and you can use the dropper to apply directly to your skin between cleansing and applying your other products. See, not so scary after all!
This serum gives you a huge bang for your buck as it does the job of multiple beauty products while costing less than $15 -- hence the name ‘buffet’. Primarily meant to tackle several signs of aging all at once, Buffet’s no-nonsense active ingredients go beneath the surface to promote a durable youthful appearance to the skin. Glycerin is a common but still very effective moisturizer that refreshes and protects the skin. Lactococcus Ferment Lysate is a newer and lesser-known ingredient that encourages the growth of new cells in the epidermis and makes the skin more resilient. Buffet also uses an array of peptides like Matrixyl 3000, an anti-aging peptide, Matrixyl synthe ‘6 which reduces wrinkles and rebuilds the skin, Argirelox which fights expression wrinkles, and Relistase peptide complex which improves firmness and prevents sagging. You can integrate Buffet seamlessly into your beauty routine as it has a non-greasy finish and is completely fragrance-free, so it won’t react badly with products applied on top of it. Tons of glowing reviews on The Ordinary’s website prove that just because a product is affordable, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ineffective. Many reviewers noted noticeably brighter and smoother skin, as well as more evenly textured, after just a few uses, and they even got compliments from others on how great their skin looked. You can use it on your entire face after washing at night or in the morning as a part of your normal skincare routine. At its extremely reasonable price, it’s definitely worth trying!