Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion

(sorry for the shabby looking bottle, I've had it for a while)

Packaging/Pricing:

Very affordable product at 13$ for 200ml (6.7fl.oz). The bottle is made of clear plastic. Definitely keep this product away from the sun (in the bathroom cabinet for example) to keep formulation safe.

Ingredients:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Arginine, PEG-10 Soy Sterol, Ceteth-20, Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Dimethicone, Ceteth-2, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Green 5, Yellow 10.

Juice Organics Pompeptide Facial Moisturizer

Packaging/Pricing:

This is a drugstore level product, hence the packaging is quite simple opaque white plastic tube. Simple and convenient. You get 50ml (1.7fl.oz) for 15$. This product can be found on Walgreens.com (here), Amazon, Vitacost etc.

[It appears that the packaging of the product and ingredient list is a bit different, depending from what place you purchase the product. I am reviewing the list on the box I've purchased.]

Ingredients:

Vitis Vinifera (White Grape) Juice, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Juice, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vit C), Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Juice, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, Xanthan Gum, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Extract, Tocopherol (Vit E), Panthenol (Vit B5), Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Camellia Sinesis (Green Tea) Extract, Allantoin, Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Prunus Persica (Peach) Extract.

Review and Comparison: MEDYSKIN Argan Oil and Sonoma Naturals Chia Oil Serum

L to R: MEDYSKIN Argan Oil and Sonoma Naturals Chia Oil

Face oils blends recently became very popular in cosmetics industry, though as ingredients, oils have been used in skincare for decades. Pure oils can be for sure a great addition to your routine, especially if you have dry skin. However they do not have miracle properties. Usually any non-fragrant plant oil has fatty acids, which are good for increasing moisture content of the skin and repairing skin protective function. All oils have certain amount of antioxidants and have some anti-inflammatory properties (however, they are weak to medium strength).

There is no single best oil for the skin, despite companies claims. Agran oil isn't any better than boring sunflower oil. Also 40$ oil from Sephora isn't better than 10$ one from IHERB. The quality of them is the same, but you do pay for the brand name.

There are plenty of oil blends on the market, but be careful, lots of them have essential oils in them, than can harm your skin. The worst: any citrus oils (they are photo-toxic, when exposed to UV rays), lavender (very irritating even in small amounts) and mint. If you want aroma-therapeutic properties of essential oils, inhale them, but do not put them on the skin (separate them from your skincare!)

Overall, I encourage anyone to try out this new trend (I am definitely a fan). But do not expect any dramatic results. Oils can't substitute well formulated serum or treatment. So if you have skin concerns like acne, hyper-pigmentation or signs of aging, do not stop using your regular treatments in a favor to oils.

I've found two oils I am reviewing today at TJMaxx. Their official price tag is 48$ each, but I've paid ~8-10$. They both came in brown glass bottles, which I prefer over plastic bottles. And of course, never buy any skin care product in a clear bottle (it will not keep ingredients safe from the sun exposure). Medyskin oil comes with a pump, which is actually easier to use and more air tight than a dropper style bottle, which is a type of packaging that Sonoma Naturals uses. The amount of oil you get is the same for both products - 30ml (1fl.oz).

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se) 

Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in a skincare, usually fragrance)

Andalou Naturals Blue Geranium Creamy Clay Mask

You don't see many facial mask reviews here. In my opinion they are very much optional part of the skincare routine. If you use well formulated skincare item regularly, it will bring you much more benefits, than a mask used just once a week. Especially if you treating stubborn skin concerns (like hyper-pigmentation). Also, I simply don't have time to use a mask. I usually apply my evening skincare right before going to bed. If you are able to incorporate a mask in your routine, you should choose wisely, since there are only few well formulated masks on the market that I've seen. Also, any moisturizing mask can be substituted by well formulated cream applied in a thicker layer. Probably, I am not the best judge of masks for oily skin, since I have normal to dry skin type, and get out of my way to avoid any drying products.

Packaging/Pricing:

52ml (1.8fl.oz) for 12-15$ (a usual available on IHERB.com here). Grey plastic tube is good enough packaging to keep ingredients safe. Aesthetics wise, not my cup of tea.

Naruko Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Pore Minimizing & Brightening Moisturizer

Raw Job's Tears line is officially my favourite line from Naruko. It is the only line that doesn't feature any essential oils, which is what I am looking for. The products in the line are also fragrance free and have pretty good ingredients. So if you want to try something from the brand, I recommend to start with Raw Job's Tears line.

Packaging/Pricing:

Product comes in a sleek red packaging with opening similar to a toner bottle, which allows minimal air exposure. You get 120ml (4.2fl.oz) for 27$ (here), but this web site always have some kind of discount going on (right now it is 22$).

CeraVe Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 30 InvisibleZinc

Pricing/Packaging:

14-15$ for 70g (2.5 oz). Really inexpensive for the quality. Comes in nice opaque squeeze tube.

Skincare: Where to Save and Where to Splurge?

Skincare is a powerful tool, that can keep skin healthy, make you look younger and make you feel great (of course, I am biased, since I am obsessed with cosmetics chemistry, and think skincare is that important). But it can be really confusing for a lot of people. You hope that spending 200$ on a moisturizer will do overnight miracle. But there is only so much that skincare can do. You can not completely erase wrinkles or fade severe hyper-pigmentation. You have to be realistic. Also there is not one miracle secret ingredient, there are multiple great ones that do work to some extent (and most of them are not that expensive). That's why, in my opinion, no skincare product is worth over 50-70$. And even that I would spend only on extremely "loaded" well formulated serum or prescription treatment. These days a lot of affordable brands produce amazing products, and anyone can afford at least the bare minimum. So where to put your money in? I am evaluating categories of products based on what realistically they can do for the skin and what kind of ingredients can be there.

Cleansers/Face Washes

Definitely do not spend too much money here. As much as I love watching UK skin guru Caroline Hirons, I have to disagree that 70$ cleanser can do wonders for the skin. Realistically, all cleansers are mostly different kind of detergents in water or oil base. Doesn't matter in what form they come (gel, cream, foam), their goal is to remove make-up, dirt and excess oils. Even if they do have antioxidants and such, there is just not enough time for them to work. And moreover, it will be damaging to leave any cleanser on the skin for more than few minutes. Save your money, and buy a really good serum. Also a lot of high-end companies charge for "designer" fragrance in their products (you basically pay for the scent, not quality of the product). There is no secret technology, that can make expensive cleanser better than a drugstore one. I would say 5-20$ is a good price range for a cleanser.