Serums & Oils

It is safe to say that upping my skincare game 
is the only reason that my acne has become even 
somewhat manageable lately. Before my skin 
decided to spam out on me, all I really did was 
wash my face and use face masks. Sometimes I 
would use a toner. On rare occasion I would use 
a moisturizer. I real love was in makeup. I 
never really saw a need to focus on skincare. 
My skin was always in fairly good condition. 

And the this year came along. My face book out 
like I had chickenpox. So I invested in my 
skincare. I started getting facials regularly. 
Turns out, they're not as fun as they look when 
you have actual skin concerns. Hurts like a b****. 

Turns out, I'm actually really interested in 
skincare and the products that I place on my 
face now. I want to know what's inside of 
everything and how  that reacts with my skin type. 

Out of all of the steps in my skincare routine, 
the one I like the most (besides face masks), is 
using serums and oils to target my skincare concerns 
that day. Your skin changes, and so should your 
routine and this is the main step when the changes 
occur for me. 

So let's walk thru the different serums that I 
keep on hand. 


RODIN Luxury Face Oil - $170
Now, in keeping with full disclosure, I did not 
buy this for myself. My mom also uses this stuff 
and she bought me a bottle of it when my face 
first broke out thinking my skin just reacted to 
something bad and this might calm it down. While 
this stuff is not built to get rid of breakouts, 
it is a great all rounder. I understand why people 
think this stuff is like gold in a bottle. It's 
really moisturizing and sinks deep into your skin 
so that more than just the top layer of your skin 
get moisture. It did help calm some of the redness 
in my skin, but did not alleviate any of my break 
outs. If you want a luxury face oil and you have 
normal to dry skin, it's pretty tough to beat 
this one. 

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% & Zinc 1% - $5.90
This bad boy is a high strength vitamin and mineral 
blemish formula. While Niacinamide and Zinc reduce 
the look of blemishes and balance visible sebum 
activity, neither is an actual treatment for acne. 
This stuff is really meant to make your acne appear 
better rather than actually treating the acne itself.
I really do enjoy this. It costs less than my lunch 
typically does and it truly does make the appearance 
of my persistent acne look less inflamed and the 
congestion in my skin has gone down. I would look at 
everything that The Ordinary has to offer. It's all 
scientific level results at drugstore prices. It 
really does blow my mind how creative this company 
is and how they want everyone to be able to afford 
great skincare just makes me really happy. 

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA - $8.90
This serum is meant to help with hyper-pigmentation.
Whenever my acne subsides, I'm typically left with
dark red spots that take months to go away. Because
my skin is so pale, the red spots are even more 
noticeable. This serum targets those spots and
help reduce the hyper-pigmentation and make the
redness go away quicker. It's used at a high 2% 
concentration versus a standard concentration of 
1% and supported with a next-generation form of 
Hyaluronic Acid for enhanced delivery. Alpha 
Arbutin is much stronger in effect than Arbutin 
or Beta Arbutin.

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% - $6.50
Lactic Acid is an alpha hydroxyl acid that 
exfoliates the skin. This 5% formulation offers 
very mild exfoliation and is supported with a 
purified Tasmanian pepperberry known to reduce 
signs of inflammation and sensitivity that is 
often associated with exfoliation. The Lactic Acid 
helps with the overall texture of the skin. While 
I don't use this everyday,I have noticed a marked 
improvement in the texture of my skin over the last 
few weeks. 

Sunday Riley Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil - $80
This oil is built around the idea of controlling
your acne. With 1.5 percent salicylic acid, this 
fast-acting, quick-drying, medicated oil clears 
acne and blackhead-causing buildup and debris 
from congested pores for smoother,blemish-free 
skin. Tea tree oil and black cumin seed oil support
clear skin, while hexylresorcinol and licorice 
naturally brighten the appearance of old acne 
discolorations for a more even-toned complexion.
Counterbalancing the potentially drying effects of 
salicylic acid, milk thistle and cucumber seed oil 
nourish the skin and smooth the appearance of lines 
and wrinkles, without leaving a greasy residue. 
Chamomile and neroli soothe stressed, blemish-prone 
skin. 


What face oils & serums do you use and love?