HOLY GRAIL: Skin Care Products

When I was in my early 20’s I developed adult acne. Because of this, I have tried a ridiculous variety of skin care. I have tried what feels like every single skin care product and these are my time tested, all time favorite items.

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< My go to daily scrub and cleanser are the Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin daily pore scrub and oil control gel cleanser.  Not pictured is also the best skin care wipes EVER, the Yes to Tomatoes blemish clearing facial wipes. Both products are formulated to fight nasty face demons and clear up your skin.

The scrub contains ground mango seeds and bamboo to exfoliate and salicylic acid for the acne. It also has tomatoes to unclog pores, and ginger root and Bisabolol to help you avoid lovely red, irritated skin!! It is also petroleum, SLS, paraben and cruelty free!!!  I use it once a day in the evenings after I remove my makeup.

The cleanser has salicylic acid to help fight evil acne and tomatoes to unclog pores. It is also petroleum, SLS, paraben and cruelty free!!!  I use this morning and evening pretty much every day!

The face wipes are amazing and I use them a lot in the summer and after working out to get rid of excess oil and keep all those nasty spots at bay.

< One of my other favourite cleanser and scrub combos is the Philosophy purity one step facial cleanser and the microdelivery exfoliating wash. I picked these bad boys up at Ulta when I was in the US last time (these are sample size) and I LOVE them!

I use the one step facial cleanser a few times a week and it leaves my skin so clean and soft! It is a pH balancing formula that helps deeply cleanse pores. It contains sage, chamomile and carrot (AND SMELLS AMAZING).

I use the microdelivery exfoliating wash a few times a week as well. It is surprisingly gentle and leaves your face feeling like a baby’s bum.  You rub a small amount of the product onto your face for 30 seconds and then rinse off. It is also sulfate free!

< The Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Lactic Acid Cleanser & Mask is also a big fav of mine. I picked this up after using the scrub and cleanser I mentioned above because I enjoyed Philosophy products so much. This mask is EXCELLENT for someone who uses a lot of acne fighting products that dry out your skin.

It can be used as a cleanser or left on for a mask. The lactic acid helps brighten and even your skintone as well as reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It is paraben, sulfate and phthalates free.

< My biggest go to over the years has been Spectro Gel cleanser for blemish prone sin. I have used this on a regular basis for at least 5 years and it is incredibly gentle.

It is fragrance and dye free, non irritating and pH balancing.

When my skin was at its worst, this combined with a skin treatment my doctor prescribed did wonders. I couldn’t believe how clean my skin was and it was gentle enough to use 3 times a day when I was trying to keep my skin clean as possible to help it heal.

< The absolute best product I have used to clear up my skin was the topical treatment my doctor prescribed for me, Tactuo.

I tried loads of things to clear up my skin before talking to my doctor. I went to her frustrated about my lack of progress after trying all these products that promised clear skin. 

We chatted about what I had tried and I had also done some research, so I was familiar with my options. I was not keen on taking an oral medication to help my skin (unless I had no other option) because of the nasty side effects so she recommended Tactuo, which was a new product that had just come out at the time.

I was thrilled that it wasn’t an oral medication and decided to give it a try. I cannot remember the exact cost of the tube, but it wasn’t crazy expensive, but more then your over the counter topical treatment.

You are to use a thin layer of this product over the areas with affected areas once a day and leave it on. I applied it in the evenings after I washed my face and left it on over night.

The first few times I applied it, I won’t lie, IT HURT. Super uncomfortable, but totally worth it! After the first few times, it stopped being uncomfortable and started working it's magic! Within a month, my skin had improved immensely. I could not be happier with the result.

I still get the odd hormonal breakout, but my skin is so much better! I have a tube of this stuff in reserve just in case I get a really bad breakout. I usually let my skin sort itself out, but sometimes it needs a little help!!

Tactuo is a combination of 2 medications; benzol peroxide and adapalene. Together, they fight acne and give you lovely clear skin! Of course, there can be side effects if you use it wrong or it doesn’t agree with your skin.

I highly recommend trying it out if you are having acne issues. It truly is one of the greatest products I have ever used.  

(My tube had a huge prescription sticker on it, so I have borrowed www.bellechantelle.com pic!!!)

< My all time favorite facemask is the Soap & Glory fab pore facial peel. It feels a lot more like a clay mask than a peel. You use a good amount all over your face. You have to rub it in until all the little green beads pop (they activate the mask) and let it sit for 15 minutes and wash it off.

It leaves your face feeling amazing and really does minimize your pores! It also has lots of acne fighting goodies in it as well, so it helps kill the face demons as well! I use this about once or twice a week! 

Hope you enjoyed this little list and stay tuned for my favourite hair and makeup products!!