FAB & FAV: SKIN CARE

It's been a while since I last talked about skin care items, so I decided to do something different. I've decided to wrap up the standouts of 2013 in the skin care department.

The biggest discovery & surprise in 2013 was no doubt cold pressed extra virgin olive oil! I've always heard that olive oil is good, but I was skeptical to try it out on my skin until September of 2013. I just love this stuff! It covers my skin from head to toe, literally. I put a dab on my hair, face, and body. I used to mainly mix it with my skin care or body care products, but I've tested & found out that dabbing few drops as the last step is the best way to lock in moisture.

I don't carry that giant container as seen in the above pic. Rather, I decant it into a smaller non-transparent bottle; it's more convenient & less heavy.

If you're thinking of trying out olive oil, I highly suggest cold pressed & extra virgin because I've read that the cold pressed method ensures less loss of extracting antioxidant ingredients from olives.

Moving on,

-CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (review here)

-Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment (all-time BHA fav)

-Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 5 (5% benzoyl peroxide)

-Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum, Fragrance-Free (can't live without this! one of my desert island product, review here)

-MAC Strobe Cream (I can't believe I haven't tried this out until 2013... just amazing instant glow/sheen without looking like grease; enlightens my skin like no other)

-CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM (review soon)

-Clinique Sun SPF 30 Body Cream (review soon, same product as Face Cream)

-Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment (labelled as Skin Protectant Ointment in Canada, can't live without!)

All of the mentioned products above are my fail-safe, fool-proof products for me. Because skin care can be very subjective & depends on individuals, I tend to be careful in recommending skin care products to other people. However, I have tried several other products in each category of skin care departments, and these products are the ones that I genuinely come back to over the months & years (with the exceptions of the discoveries made in 2013).

Things like sunscreen & moisturizers also change depending on the time of the year, so I can't say Clinique Sun SPF 30 Body Cream will be my sunscreen during summer because it's just too moisturizing for summer weather. It's more important to tweak your skin care items according to your skin's needs, so don't be restricted in using skin care. With this in mind, I'll end the post here.