January Skincare Favorites
Hey guys, how was your January? Pretty crazy that we’re already a full month into the new year, isn’t it? I won’t bore you with a long intro today and will get straight to the point. As per the title of this blog post, today I’m sharing my January favorites. You may have already seen all of these on my Insta stories, but for those of you who prefer to stay away from Instagram – here’s what I’ve been raving about all month!
1 // IOPE Derma Gentle CICA Cream* ($25) – The current tube was kindly gifted by IOPE but I actually purchased these on my own too when I needed to deal with redness and irritation. This soft, delicate moisturizer is extremely gentle on the skin and doesn’t contain any harsh ingredients. The star ingredient – Centella Asiatica extract – has proven anti-inflammatory properties and works wonders for things like painful acne bumps, scars, bug bites, razor burn, or as a soothing treatment after exfoliating with potent acids. Also, AB Redditors are obsessed with it!
2 // Naturopathica Argan & Peptide Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream* ($90) – Despite being a clean & natural holistic brand, Naturopathica doesn’t shy away from safe synthetics when they have proven to be more effective than all-natural alternatives, and I really appreciate that approach. Even if you are someone who doesn’t buy into the whole “non-toxic beauty” hype, be sure to take notice of their products – they are luxurious and indulgent, and actually deliver results. Oh, and this eye cream in particular is fantastic because it works for all skin types. The formula is right in the middle: not too thin and not too heavy, but makes the eye area feel soft and protected throughout the day/night.
3 // NOW Solutions Balance Facial Oil* ($14.99) – It takes me a long time to finish facial oils but I am already halfway done with this one! I use it every day, sometimes even several times a day, and apply it to my face, neck, and chest. It makes my skin feel so soft and not greasy at all due to a masterfully selected blend of thinner botanical oils. NOW also makes a blend for dry skin which is a little too rich for me to use daily, but I still use it sometimes after potent peels.
4 // Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Invigorating Sleeping Mask* ($200) – I hate recommending this mask to you guys because it’s just too damn expensive and I personally don’t believe that skincare should cost this much. But ugh… it’s good. Like, really good. This might be the best overnight mask I’ve ever tried kind of good. Let me explain what it does because it’s different from your typical “brightening – hydration – anti-wrinkle” marketing trifecta. As you can see, there’s a word invigorating in the product name. If you have fair skin, you know that sometimes it can look flat and lifeless, maybe even splotchy and with a bunch of random tones here and there. This mask illuminates the skin from within and also gives the cheeks a barely visible healthy pink flush. Not like a red or irritated kind of flush, but the cute one as if you are actually shy/blushing. You know how teenagers have these cute rosy cheeks, that youthful innocent flush? Yup, just like that. Very impressive and so different from anything else I tried!
5 // Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum ($39) – I initially wasn’t expecting much from this serum and now I’m somehow on my third bottle. The first two were gifted by PR, and this one I bought myself because I was really impressed with how well it works with the rest of my routine. This serum looks like a clear runny gel, which sinks into the skin and leaves it with a slightly sticky finish. It contains brightening Niacinamide, smoothing peptides, and antioxidant-rich peach extract, and just feels very nice and soothing.
6 // Primera Miracle Seed Essence ($58) – I lost count how many bottles of this essence I already went through. I just finished one [featured in my latest empties post here], and immediately opened a new bottle. Last one was gifted by PR and this one I bought myself when Sephora had a 20% off holiday promo. This essence is fantastic for combination skin – runny like a toner but has a slight tack to it so it doesn’t immediately disappear into nothingness. The ingredient list is not very long, but it’s filled with beneficial names like lotus extract, Niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, and adenosine.
7 // Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream* ($82) – Full disclosure: this product was part of a sponsored post that I did on IG, but don’t roll your eyes at me, guys! I know sponsored posts get a bad rap but I personally would never promote a brand that I don’t believe in, and I looove Murad. I tried three different products from Retinol Youth collection and this cream was by far my favorite. It doesn’t really feel that potent at first, but when I wake up in the morning and wash my face for the first time, I can really see the difference. The skin looks so much tighter and smoother, and that’s after just one use. Retinol is one of those ingredients that has very impressive cumulative results, so the skin will get better and better the longer you use it. I highly recommend giving it a try!
What was the product or products that stood out to you in January? Have you tried any of my favorites from the list above?
*Indicates PR samples.
