Skincare Buys!

By Delaney Galvin

Photo by @youthtothepeople on Instagram

My family never knows what to get me for Christmas and birthdays, so this past year I was given a fair amount of cash. I had been sucked into the rabbit hole that is skincare YouTube, so I decided to absolutely splurge and buy some skincare products from both ends of the financial spectrum. At this point, it’s been about three months that I’ve been trying these out, so here is my review!

Youth to the People Kale Superfood Cleanser ($36)

This cleanser is actually really great. It’s a light cleanser that bubbles up when you rub it around, and it smells really good despite having no added fragrances. I have combination skin, and it does really well to keep my skin from being too oily or too dry. My skin has also always been fairly acne-prone, and I wouldn’t say that this cleanser has been the absolute best for my acne, but it does combat redness and puffiness, which definitely helps. Overall, this cleanser keeps my skin super soft and supple, and I would buy it again.

Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream ($58)

At first, I was really unhappy with this moisturizer. It comes in a pretty small jar, and I felt like I had to use a lot to sufficiently cover my face. It absorbs into the skin really quickly but doesn't feel very hydrating. After a month, I started pairing it with a hemp oil (see below), which helped add an extra layer of moisture. To be honest, I don’t think that this moisturizer necessarily does more than the Neutrogena moisturizer I was using before, and at this price point, I really don’t think it’s worth it.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($5.90)

I had high hopes for this product because I had heard great reviews. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. Because I changed my entire skincare at once, I was bound to face a period of breakouts as my skin got used to the new, organic products, but after a month of really intense breakouts, I thought my skin had to be irritated by one of the products I had started using. I decided to stop using this product first because I didn’t completely like how it felt on my skin after application. It left me feeling tight and in need of moisture. After about a week of not using it, 90% of my breakouts went away. This product is supposed to calm breakouts, so I don’t know exactly why it had this effect on my skin, but I will not be going back to it. That being said, this product is really inexpensive and has great reviews; I’m sure there’s a reason for that; it just didn’t work well for me.

E.L.F. All the Feels Facial Oil ($12)

I love this product! It is so moisturizing and mixes well with the adaptogen moisturizer I’ve been using, though I’m sure it would work well with any other moisturizer. You get a lot of product for the price, and I haven’t been going through it very quickly at all. It doesn’t leave my skin too oily and also doesn’t soak into my skin too quickly, leaving it feeling tight. This is the product I would recommend the most out of all of these. 

PURITO Comfy Water Sunblock (~$12 depending on retailer)

I have very sensitive and pale skin, which leaves me so susceptible to sunburns. I feel like such an idiot for not adding sunscreen into my skincare routine until now. This sunscreen is really nice. It doesn’t have the typical sunscreen smell or filmy feel, It’s not too thick, and it rubs in super easily. No complaints here!

Those are all of the new products I’ve been trying out recently, and I’m thrilled with most of them. I hope this is helpful if you’re looking to expand your skincare routine or start all over like I did. Just remember, everyone’s skin is so different, so my experience likely won’t be the same as yours. I really encourage everyone to look at what you’re putting on your face and make the best choices for your skin. I’m still learning and will keep trying out more products until I find the perfect regimen for me, and I hope you do the same!