I have a couple tiny cuts from not using shave cream on my leg and the area has scabbed over. Every time I pick it I think I just make it worse. It’s been like this for weeks and I’m worried because I have an event coming up and I know cuts on my legs usually take forever to heal (like months). Is there anything I can use to speed up the rate of healing? 

Thank you!

Cut my leg while shaving and it’s not healing 🤦🏻‍♀️

My best find was the Saturday skin glycolic toner for $8! I also picked up a random eye serum that was $6 which is apparently made in Korea as well since it had an impressive ingredients list. 

I also spotted some Innisfree cleansers!

TJ Maxx finds!

Or will that only cause more irritation by trapping it in? I’m just looking for way to give my skin extra hydration.

I use a retinol cream at night. Can I put an oil on top?

I got this for free from Sephora because it’s my birthday month. Has anyone tried any of these products? They’re little baby minis 🥺 I’ve tried the lip sleeping mask but was not wowed by it. It didn’t hydrate my dry lips at all. The water cream and mask have a bit of a fragrance which I don’t love but I hope they suit me nicely!

Sephora Insider birthday gift 🤩

For those of you who didn’t win the ampule or want to get another, I was sent a coupon code for 80% off the 100 mL ampule (the bigger size) in exchange for an honest Amazon review. I thought I’d share it with everyone :) 

Code: 80SK1004100

Chance to get the SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule 100ml from Amazon for $3.80 USD

I don’t think individuals with a strong, healthy skin barrier will reap the same benefits using this as those with a broken skin barrier. It won’t be hydrating enough on its own for those with dry skin but it was sufficient for me when applied with a Mugwort toner.

This ampule is composed of 84% Centella Asiatica, Hyaluronic Acid, Rice Ferment, and Chamomile Flower Extract meant to work together to strengthen and calm the skins moisture barrier. Texture wise, it’s a lightweight, clear serum that absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving behind a sticky finish. The serum feels water based in the fact that it is very fluid and a little goes a long way. I like that the serum itself is meant for sensitive skin; nonirritating with no fragrance added to it. 

This ampule doesnt seem to do much on its own when my skin is at its baseline. I’d consider that to be when my skin has its normal strengthened skin barrier, no redness or inflamed breakouts. Initially, it was just a meh product for me. Yes, it slightly hydrated and felt nice in my morning routine, but it wasnt something I couldnt live without. 

Ive been struggling with acne as of lately and have been cycling through rigorous treatment with prescription Clindamycin, Adapalene, and Azelaic Acid. Naturually, my skin barrier became dry and flaky. I wasnt looking forward to my purging phase and the tight and itchy feeling these topical treatments would leave behind. I started incorporating this serum into my night time routine before Adapalene so the Adapalane wouldnt be so harsh on my skin and low and behold, it worked! The serum helped speed up the “tight and itchy” stage of my actives. Usually this would take a month for me but my sensitive skin was able to adjust to Adapalene in 2 weeks! No more inflammation, dry patches, and acne. Ampules are known to be stronger than serums and used short term to fix a skincare issue and its true on my end. I dont use this ampule daily, only when my barrier is weakend. Im so glad I have it in my routine for when I move on to next stage of stronger actives such as Tretinoin.

Can cause redness and irritation due to user error. Retinol products require a specific routine!

Althought I am not new to the world of retinol, this is a great begginers product! Ive been using it on my neck which has never been treated before. This product is “clean” and claims to renew the skin, target signs of ageing, and even out skin tone. It is formulated with: 
*RetiStar Stabilised Retinol 1% 
*Granactive Retinoid 0.5%: derivative with a slow release formula for low irritating, effective active delivery 
*Squalane: Hydrates and soothes 

The retinol is a standard 1 ounce for 9.99. A pale, yellow cream with a thin consistency. Id say other than The Ordinary, this is a pretty competitive price in terms of affordability. You often times wont find a quality ingredients list that calls out the the % of retinol in most products (even higher end!) 

I mix this with my moisturizer a couple times a week since the neck is a very sensitive area and lacks sebum pores like the face has. You WILL get redness and irritation if you put this on every night without some kind of buffer like a moisturizer underneath. I was experimenting and this happened to me. Once my skin got used to it thought, the redness never came back. This is to be expected, since retinol products help strengthen the resiliency of skin. 

I havent noticed a change in my horizontal neck lines but these are deep, and retinol products on me usually take four months to see results. Ive been using this for around two months and will continue to do so. I hope to see some sort of change by the 4 month mark.

The smell- it smells like old grandma to me. It only reeks on application and I can tell the fragrance was put in there to disguise the smell of alcohol. Im not a fan of that, but it doesn’t linger.

✨Benefits✨
•Blocks both UVA and UVB rays 
•Lightweight, nonsticky gel formula that feels refreshing on the skin 

💧Ingredient callouts💧
•Contains ice plant, glacial water, antozone-rose and thanaka extracts to refresh, moisturize and reduce blemishes on skin 
•See attached photo for filters 

☀️Product Safety☀️
•Water and sweat resistent formulation 
•Contains fragrance and Ethanol 
____________________________________________
I initially had my reservations about this product as there were a couple red flags that stood out to me. The first couple of things was that this SPF has both Ethanol and Fragrance in it. I thought this would irritate and break out my sensitive and acne prone skin. Surprisingly, it didn’t! It didnt dry out my skin either, but this may be because I have oily skin to begin with. Second, there’s something in this SPF called Limonia Acidissima Extract which is the extract of the whole Lemon tree. This extract rates high on the irritancy scale and provides no skin benefits. Although it would probably be in Misshas best interest to get rid of this ingredient overall, it didn’t cause any issues for me. The sunscreen is lightweight, and feels more like a light moisturizer than a gel. It takes a couple seconds to rub in, but once you do it leaves behind no white cast. Its not greasy, and I sometimes use this in replacement of my moisturizer. Overall if you know your skin type and its reactivity, this sunscreen is great!

Might be too thick for some individuals. Does leave behind a glossy look and doesnt completely soak into the skin.

✨Benefits✨ 
•Brighten: Yerba mate delivers natural antioxidants and polyphenols to protect the skin from undesired effects of excessive UV light and photoaging for brighter, more radiant skin.
•Depuff: Caffeine &amp; acetyl tetrapeptide-5 to reduce puffiness and swelling by decreasing fluid accumulation.
•Hydrate: 3 forms of hyaluronic acid help to plump up fine lines.

💧Ingredient callouts💧 
•Yerba Mate - Delivers natural antioxidants and polyphenols to protect from UV light
•Caffeine &amp; Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 - Reduces puffiness and swelling 
•Hyalauronic acid 

🌞Product safety🌞
•Fragrance free 
—————————————————
I was really pleased with this new ingredient, which is supposed to help slow the appearance of premature aging caused by the sun and UV rays. This is EXACTLY what I needed in my routine since I use Vitamin C and sunscreen everyday. The price for this is insanely affordable, standing at just $6 for one tube. It is a thick, luxurious feeling gel that keeps my undereyes hydrated all day long. Think of a similar effect to putting vaseline under your eyes- it stays moist and glossy in that sense. I dont mind because it makes me feel more awake, but Im not sure how this layers under makeup. Dont expect this eye gel to get rid of wrinkles, as it is mostly preventative eye care. I will say thought, it does give the illusion of plumper under eyes. I can rely on this in the morning and my retinol eye cream at night to fight the fine lines around my eyes 💪

amg3268