Today I'd like to introduce you to some of my favorite serums and treatments. Some may not agree but I do believe that first of all, you should invest in skincare (if you can) before investing in anything else - remember, you only have one skin, look after it. Second of all, to me if you're going to invest in a fancy product, it should be a serum. You know how much I love skincare, I own way too many cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serums and oils but that's because it's a passion of mine and honestly no one need that many of each. Be smarter and stick to what you actually need - plus using too many products isn't always the best way to go (nor the most economic). When it comes to treating particular skin issues, whether it's acne, hyper pigmentation or fine lines, serums are you best bet (assuming your basic skincare routine and eating habits are spotless, obviously) and are totally worth investing in. I won't go into too much details for each of the treatments or we'd be here forever, but feel free to ask questions in the comments, I'd be glad to help if I can!
Alpha-H Liquid Gold
A classic - if your familiar with blogs or/and Youtube, I'm sure you've heard all about this little gem already. For those of you who haven't yet heard of it... well you've been living under a rock. It's basically a toner (alright, a very fancy toner) with glycolic acid and licorice that helps brightening the complexion while targeting dark spots, acne and acne scars, fine lines as well as improving the skin texture in general. Anyone could benefit from it, everyone should in fact own a glycolic acid based product (the Pixi Glow is an awesome more gentle alternative), however if you have very sensitive skin you may want to try a sample first (although I have very sensitive skin and it works just fine for me), same thing if you've never used acids on your skin before. I know acids can be frightening, but I swear if you use them properly and find what works for you, you won't be able to live without it. I'd recommend using Liquid Gold one to three times a week depending on your skin type (careful not to over use acids, you don't want to over exfoliate!) at night time, apply it with a cotton pad like you would a toner. Some people use it as a treatment on its own and don't apply anything on top but I find it tingles quite a bit so I like to add an oil for more comfort.
Perricone MD Blue Plasma
Similarly to the Alpha-H Liquid Gold, the Blue Plasma is a peel that helps to improve skin texture by banishing dead skin cells, tighten pores, fades acne scars and wrinkles. If you have an overly sensitive skin and have a hard time using glycolic or lactic acid on your skin, then this is the one I'd go for, as it is super gentle and while super powerful, won't ever irritate your skin (trust me on this one, I even used it for god-knows-what-reason when I had my allergic reaction to benzoyl peroxide and it didn't burn my skin off, so that's something...). I like to use this one daily, during my day time routine as it sinks into the skin immediately and leave no tacky or sticky trace like some other treatments sometimes do. Beware however of the rotten-fish smell (which doesn't last once applied to the skin, don't worry) - I personally would apply anything on my face as long as it works, no matter the smell but I know some people are sensitive to it.
Indeed Labs Hydraluron
Hydraluron is a moisture boosting serum packed with hyaluronic acid (the star ingredient when it comes to hydration) that will help plump up your skin and enhance the effects of the moisturiser you will put on top. Again, anyone could benefit from the use of some hyaluronic acid and this product in particular, whether you feel like your skin looks dull, tired and dehydrated or if you're in a mature age (as when we grow older, our body naturally produces fewer quantities of the molecule, which is one of the many factors influencing skin aging).
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo +
Another superstar in the blogosphere, this one is a winner - and also one of the cheapest of the bunch. It has a light, gel-y consistency that sinks in quickly and can be used during the day or night or both (works well during the day, even if you're oily). It is meant for problematic, blemish prone skins and the key ingredients are Niacinamide, which has anti-inflammatory properties, LHA and salicylic acid which exfoliate and fight bacteria. The new formula (the + one) has been enhanced with Procerad that targets hyper pigmentation and help to fade acne marks. I'd recommend this one if you suffer from the occasional spots or hormonal breakouts and if you don't want to or can't use benzoyl peroxide or retinol. It is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive and many people swore that it fixed their angry, blemish-prone skin. I myself have used it consistently over the past couple of years and if I don't use it as much as I used to ('cause you know, I have like ten other treatments in my cabinet to use, silly me), I still rely on it during that happy (joke) time of the month or at any time when my breakouts are getting out of hand.
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair
A cult favorite of many people, this one is a good all-rounder night time serum. As you can guess by the name, it helps to advance or speed up the repair of skin cells, targeting all kind of skin damages and improving the overall look of the skin. It's basically good skin in a bottle, the kind of product I'll use the night before a big event or if my skin is particularly stressed out and I feel like nothing else can help. You will wake up to a brighter, plumper, healthier looking complexion and everyone can use it, from dry to oily skin types - although I guess mature users might witness more results.
Philosophy Help Me
My personal favorite, although they're all my favourite, this is my ultimate skin hero, the one that made an almost immediate difference to my skin (externally that is, keep in mind that to see actual results you have to wait between three to four weeks). Its main ingredient is retinol, which makes miracles against both skin aging and acne. If you are allergic to benzoyl peroxide like I am, you may have tried a retinol based product, or the famous Retina A. Although I didn't have an allergic reaction to Retin A, it still massively dried out my skin and although I know it is part of the process, I wasn't quite ready to endure it for months. Help Me is much more gentle to the point that even I, with my super sensitive skin, have never experience irritation, redness or patchiness while using it. It makes wonders on those nasty spot you picked (because, don't we all do that?) or regular active blemishes, reduces the inflammation overnight so they're either gone or look much smaller in the morning. It's also fabulous to use on scars and hyper pigmentation, unclogs pores and generally leaves you with with a clearer complexion. I use it sparingly every night on my problem areas only, although it is gentle enough to be used all over. For those of you struggling with breakouts and who feel like salicylic acid isn't cutting it, give this one a go - it changed my life (like seriously).
