Recent Skincare Tosses
I was going to put these products in my upcoming empties post, but that would make it too long. Instead, I decided to make a separate one to share my thoughts on everything I didn’t get to finish these last few months.
1 // Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado ($32) – The pot is deceptively tiny – this eye cream lasts and lasts with no end in sight! I used it throughout last fall and winter, and most of spring 2020, and barely made a dent! It’s expired at this point, despite my best efforts to use it up – with this eye cream that’s just not going to happen, unless you’re sharing it with someone. It’s fantastic for treating dryness and tight feeling in the eye area, probably my top pick for harsh Michigan winters. Just be prepared that you will never finish it, unless you are comfortable with using an eye product well past the expiration date.
Repurchase? Oh, absolutely! This is my go-to for winter, even though I know most of it will be wasted.
2 // Dermadoctor Kakadu C High Potency Evening Oil* ($74) – This potent blend includes 20% Vitamin C [as Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate], Vitamin F, and Vitamin E that form the gold standard skin brightening & antioxidant trifecta. Normally CEF products come as serums, so this oil gives you another option to incorporate these ingredients into your routine and allow you to use a different serum of choice. This oil is concentrated and a little goes a long way, so I simply could not finish the bottle before it expired – I even used it for a couple of extra months past the expiration date.
Repurchase? I don’t have a need for a CEF oil right now, but if I ever do – this is the product I will go for.
3 // Sylveco Soothing Eye Cream* ($26) – This botanical-based eye cream is on a lighter side, making it perfect for summer. I thought it was very soothing, too, which is nice if you have sensitive eyes. At some point, last year the corners of my eyes became red and irritated, so I switched to this one until that sensitivity went away. Still not sure what the cause of it was, but this cream did its job wonderfully. I didn’t manage to use up the whole thing before it expired, and while I allow myself to stretch the exp dates for most skincare – eye products and sunscreens are strictly excluded.
Repurchase? Probably not, but not because it’s a bad product or anything. I just found a CICA-based product that can do double duty for my face and eyes in case of irritations so I wouldn’t need a separate eye cream.
4 // Naturally Serious Illumi-Nation Anti-Fatigue Power Serum* ($58) – This is a botanical-based brightening serum that I really loved when I got it. I used it often and saw noticeable brightening results. However, as is the case with many botanical-based products, over time the formula started to degrade: the texture didn’t feel as smooth, the fragrance started to change and became more potent, etc. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I have when it was fresh so I set it aside and forgot about it. There’s not much left in the bottle actually, so it could be considered an ’empty’, but I stuck it in this post anyway to make the upcoming empties post is a little shorter.
Repurchase? Probably not, because it wouldn’t be among my top choices for a botanical brightening serum.
5 // Peter Thomas Roth Max Mineral Naked Broad Spectrum SPF 45 Lotion* ($38) – Sunscreens are regulated as drugs in the US, and their effectiveness can only be guaranteed until the expiration date. Sunscreen ingredients are known to degrade over time and will offer lower and lower protection with every passing day, so I always toss them after the date printed on the bottle. That said, this is a beautiful moisturizer-meets-sunblock. It’s lightly tinted and helps even out skin tone as well as protect the skin from UV rays. Peter Thomas Roth makes fantastic sunscreens in general, and they’re always among the brands I recommend to friends & fam if someone wants a more indulgent option.
Repurchase? Possibly, but not anytime soon. I do like it as a tinted option though.
6 // Babor Lifting Rx Collagen Cream* ($155) – Babor products can be a hit and a miss for me, but this moisturizer was a major hit! This is my second jar that I, unfortunately, was not able to finish, because I prefer using it in the winter and had to stop once the warm weather set in. It gives the skin a smooth velvety finish and also has a plumping effect that makes the contours look more even and youthful.
Repurchase? If I didn’t have other moisturizers to use, I’d seriously consider purchasing this one.
Did you toss any products recently, for one reason or another? Do you typically use products past the expiration date or stick to the exp dates?
