change in skin

Skincare that saved my life

My skin is glowing, but this was not always the case. When puberty knocked on my doorstep, my acne journey started. Just as with getting my period, I was the first one in my class (I believe I was 12?) Small annoying pimples showed on my forehead and around my cheeks. I tried a lot of products to get rid of it and dry out the pimples. 

The beginning of my Skincare journey

The first product I remember was Clearasil’s facewash. It was super drying and left my skin red and itchy. It was time to get some help, so I went to The Body Shop with my mom, where I got an appointment. Back in the good old days, you could book appointments and have the whole store for yourself. I explained my skin concerns and she advised me of some products from the famous Tea Tree line: facewash, toner, moisturizer, tea tree oil, spot treatment, and some face wipes. The whole shebang got in the bag and really helped. It still was there, but not as prominent anymore.

Skincare and study

The acne never really faded but got really minimal. This whole journey of trying Tea Tree, Clearasil, and other stuff really got me interested in Skincare.

When I started looking into internships in my last year of university, this internship at The Body Shop popped up for Online Marketing. This was the perfect fit for me to learn more about skincare and online marketing. At The Body Shop, I discovered other products such as sleep masks and chemical exfoliants.

I tested out a lot of products and worked on cool projects that thought me a lot about Skincare. I helped to translate the Skincare Tool and set up the first SEO campaign for the famous Tea Tree line. So this was full circle for me.

Handing in my Thesis about The Body Shop

An addiction was born

After my internship, my love (addiction) for skincare was born. I started to look for more information online via Youtube channels and blogs. Also discovered some great stores that sell the products that I saw online.

My favorite channel is Beauty Within. They have many videos about all the different ingredients and products. I got really interested in Korean/Asian Skincare since it is more focused on gently treating your skin. One of the hosts, Felicia has a similar skin type as me. I really rely on her favorite products and try them out. Many of them have in my routine and are the products that saved my life.

Skincare products that saved my life

Sorry for the long intro, but I wanted to share my journey with you. I love testing and trying other’s favorites and today I want to share mine with you.

1. The Ordinary – Niacinamide

The first ingredient that was highlighted in many blogs is Niacinamide from The Ordinary. For my combination/oily skin it really helped to control the sebum and minimizing my pores. This product also has Zinc in it, which is also good for clearing your skin. I use this after my cleansing and toning step.

2. Purito – Deep Sea Pure Water Cream

For my oily skin, it was quite difficult to find a nice moisturizer. This one from Purito is great and I saw it on Beauty Within. With most moisturizers, I get a very greasy face at the end of the day. I don’t get it with this one. It also has great ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and deep seawater. The texture is really creamy, but sinks in really fast.

3. REN – Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic

AHA’s, BHA’s, and all those difficult names were not my cup of tea in the beginning. I was scared it would be too harsh and dry out my skin too much. After the whole Clearasil adventure, I got really careful with what I put on my face. I spent quite some research and watched lots of videos. Here I discovered this product and decided to try it out. This Tonic is not harsh at all and really makes my skin glow. I use this every evening before bed since it’s really gentle.

4. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

I was never really looking into cleansers. I would always use basic ones since it would go down the drain anyway right? Well, I turned around when a colleague and a friend recommended this cleanser. It smells amazing and leaves my skin soft and not dried out. The texture is gelly and goopy with the smell of cucumber.

5. Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF50

SPF was never really a thing for me. Here in the Netherlands, it was not really a thing. There is barely sun anyways. I always had it in moisturizers, but since my Korean Skincare discovery, I really start to look into it. This sunscreen leaves my skin soft and it doesn’t stick. You can even wear it as a moisturizer if you want.

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