DIY Ingredients to Avoid

I used be really into natural skincare and I felt like I had a recipe for everything. I've always been a fan of making my own beauty products. I've made cleansers, moisturizers, toners, masks, treatments, etc. You name it, I've probably tried it. Now with the help of Pinterest these DIY skincare recipes are everywhere. I've taken a lot of time researching and learning about the science behind skincare and in doing so, I've figured out why some things just never worked for me. I cringe whenever I log on Facebook and see someone sharing a Buzzfeed style video of a DIY skincare recipe filled to the brim with irritating and potentially harmful ingredients. Hopefully, I can give some basic guidelines on things to avoid that could save your skin.

TOP 15 OF 2015

I feel like 2015 has taken forever to pass. In that time I have found products I might very well use for the rest of my life. This has been one of the best years for beauty for me. I tried to add a little bit of everything to this list. I even put all my top pick in a basket and tried to go without them. Every one of these were out the basket within the first few days.

Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask | Review

I've never been more excited to try out a mask than I was for this one. I've seen photos of this floating around the internet for awhile because of it's odd foaming qualities, I believe Elizavecca is a Korean brand so the majority of packing is also in Korean. It's a clay mask with charcoal so it's meant to deep clean the skin while the carbonated bubbles gently exfoliate leaving your skin glowing. The prices varies by retailer but you can get it for $11 from MemeBox (Buy here). It's unlike any clay or charcoal mask I've ever seen before because it bubbles up on the skin.

THE PRODUCT THAT GOT RID OF MY ACNE

I have had acne since 2004. I feel like I've tried nearly every product and method for clearing my skin with little to no success. I've used proactiv, epiduo, a ridiculous amount of drugstore acne kits, all natural products, harsh cleansers, gentle cleaners, diy recipes, raw african black soap, oil cleansing and even just plain old water. A little over a year ago I discovered the SkincareAddiction subreddit and it changed my life. There was a slew of posts on there documenting their success with Curology (then named PocketDerm). Before I rave about it know that I am not sponsored. I just absolutely love this. I went from having a face covered in acne to about 1-4 active breakouts at the worst and only some discoloration. I never thought my skin would be this clear. Curology offers the first month completely free if you have a referral link and you're able to cancel any time. If you want to try it for free use: https://curology.com/invite/ASNXSEH

BEAUTEQUE MASK MAVEN BAG | NOVEMBER

I'm finally back from my break to talk about one of my most used beauty products; face masks. I am no stranger to Asian beauty products. I've tested out more strange ampoules, essences and gels than I care to admit.  One of my favourite things I've found while on this journey has been sheet masks. They have ruined American face masks for me. I can't help but scoff when I see the sheet masks at Sephora selling for $6 a pop, when you can get high quality ones for only $2 from a Korean brand. It's amazing to me just how many of our beauty trends come from the Asian beauty market. That all being said, I couldn't pass up a subscription bag based around Asian beauty products.