❗PIH and PIE are also known as acne marks. Many of us struggle with these after a successful acne treatment or after a pimple has healed.

But did you know the difference between hypertrophic and atrophic acne scars❓

↪️”Atrophic acne scars (ice pick, boxcar- and rolling scar) are caused by an altered wound healing response that leads to reduced collagen production and skin indentations.“

↪️”Hypertrophic acne scars are caused by an altered wound healing response where too much collagen is produced leading to excess scar tissue and raised scars.“



Sσυrςε: @selfcaresocietycom ση ιηςταgrαm 📷

Acne Scars vs Acne Marks

Some questions about facial oils because I'm kinda lost 🥲

How do you integrate facial oils into your routine? Do you prefer to use them in the morning or in the evening? Do facial oils affect the stability, effectiveness and coverage of a sunscreen (since sunscreens and their UV filters are often dissolved in oil and oils dissolve in other oils)?
In other words: Are facial oils safe to use with another sunscreen in the same routine?

I'm still trying to figure out how to use The Potions's Jojoba Oil... 😂😅 I did find that mixing it into my moisturizer is quite nice – but then again I'm scared it will clog my pores and set me back in treating the acne I have. 🥴

Facial Oils

📅 I went to the derm last week because of my persisting acne and these are the products she prescribed me.

⏳ I'll make sure to post updates in a few weeks/months as soon as any progress is visible!

❓ Do or did you use any of these products before? Did you like them?
And also, are you currently on an acne treatment as well?

Starting my acne treatment

I'm looking for water-resistant SPFs to try out. I feel like most holy grail SPFs are not, unfortunately 🥲

I'd love to hear your recommendations 😊

What's your favorite water-resistant sunscreen?

Are you having troubles reapply sunscreen over a full face of makeup? Blush, bronzer or contour, eyeshadow and highlighter... But you're afraid reapply might smudge it all? Don't worry, I've got you covered! 🥰
Here are 7 tipps for you to follow when applying SPF over makeup:

↪️𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓫𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻 (𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓾𝓹!) 𝓸𝓯 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻-𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓽, 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓪𝓭 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓶 𝓢𝓟𝓕 50 𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓮𝓻🧴
That way, the SPF on your face won’t decrease as quickly as when starting with a lower SPF (30 or less). For example, when someone applies an SPF 70 on their face in the morning, they still might end up with adequate sun protection by midday.

↪️𝓤𝓼𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓾𝓹 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓢𝓟𝓕 𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸𝓸💄☀️
As you apply the makeup, that base layer of sunscreen is going to get disturbed and disrupted (padding in blush, blending out eye shadow etc.). Replacing what has been removed will give back at least a little bit of sun protection. However, you will not be able to apply the required amount of foundation or tinted moisturizer that you actually need to use to get effective coverage. It will just be way too much. (See picture below)

↪️𝓣𝓸𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓾𝓹 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓢𝓟𝓕 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼
Please note that this is not the most reliable way of sun protection because a good even layer of sunscreen cannot be achieved with a powder compared to a lotion or cream.

↪️𝓤𝓼𝓮 𝓢𝓟𝓕 𝓼𝓹𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓼 
Again, sprays are not as reliable as creams or lotions.
Just make sure that you won’t spray the SPF onto your face when it’s windy outside since the SPF is then more likely to be carried away by the wind. ‼️DO NOT INHALE, SWALLOW OR GET THE SPF SPRAY INTO YOUR EYES.‼️ You may also spray it into your hands, too, and then pat the SPF onto your face.
You can also measure how many spray pumps are necessary to achieve adequate sun protection by counting how many times you have to spray it until it fills up a ¼ teaspoon.

↪️𝓤𝓼𝓮 𝓪 𝓬𝓾𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓻/𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓪𝓫 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓢𝓟𝓕 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓾𝓹
Cushion applicators are not as thick as makeup blenders so they won’t soak up as much sunscreen which is crucial when trying to apply the right amount. Start with the skin coloured bits of your face in order to avoid smudging the colourful parts of your makeup onto areas where they are not meant to be. You might also want to touch up your makeup afterwards, if for example the concealer got moved.

↪️𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓪 𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼 🕶️👒
Sunscreen is not the only sun protection method out there. Physical sun protection is better anyway since it doesn’t have to reapplied. 😉 

↪️𝓢𝓽𝓪𝔂 𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓸𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 10𝓪𝓶 𝓪𝓷𝓭 2𝓹𝓶, 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓽 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓴
Looking at the UV index may help as well since it indicates how intense the UVB rays (and therefore the risk of getting sunburned) are outside. It does NOT provide information about the UVA rays! So please, also wear sunscreen outdoors even if the UV index is low (between 0-2).

I really hope these tipps will help you in not ruining your perfect makeup look and being protected from the sun at the same time. 😉

Also, I have some products tagged which you can use to reapply SPF over makeup.

Is there a tipp I didn't mention? Comment some of your reapplication tipps down below!

𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕤:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ02DhZ52rI Dr Dray “6 tips for applying sunscreen over makeup” [ＹｏｕＴｕｂｅ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?vpamzfQy2pvo Lab Muffin Beauty Science “How to Reapply Sunscreen Over Makeup” [ＹｏｕＴｕｂｅ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTY5LdZM3s James Welsh “THIS Is How To Reapply Sunscreen Over Makeup Ft Robert Welsh MUA” [ＹｏｕＴｕｂｅ]

Applying SPF Over Makeup

𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓼
❌The normal 100ml bottle only lasts me for about a month – the 300ml bottle is much better in that regard, however, it’s only a limited edition ☹️
❌As soon as the 300ml bottle won’t be available anymore, so won’t be the practical pump bottle I love. I wish the regular, smaller version would get the pump dispenser, too, since dosing the product is not as quick & easy as with the bigger bottle.

𝓣𝓛;𝓓𝓡 🕐
⏳A skin-calming and hydrating toner with a liquid texture; my skin drinks it up in no time
⏳Gives my skin that radiant glow I was desperately looking for.
⏳Bonus: Super affordable; the 100ml bottle only lasts for about a month though.
⏳Love this product, I would repurchase it any time. Totally recommend!

𝓢𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓬𝓮𝓼
[1] Paula’s Choice. ‘Everything About Amino Acids in Skincare | Paula’s Choice’. www.Paulaschoice.de, Paula’s Choice, www.paulaschoice.de/en/amino-acids-hydrate-skin.
[2] Corpuz, Kristin. ‘What Are Ceramides? An Esthetician and a Dermatologist Explain’. Camille Styles, 1 Aug. 2021, camillestyles.com/beauty/skincare/what-are-ceramides.


𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐓𝐋;𝐃𝐑 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐎𝐍-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

🇩🇪 For Germans / für die Deutschen: Die Bilder enthalten eine Übersetzung meiner Review 🇩🇪

𝓐𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓭
🔍Nø Cosmetics is a small family business available in German drugstores; products are also purchasable online. Their products are cruelty-free, free of any mineral oils, silicones, parabens, microplastics or PEGs. Their motto: “We believe in Conscious Beauty.”
🔍The Liquid Hydrator was created in collaboration with a well-known German skinfluencer & biology student called Leon aka @xskincare (Instagram & TikTok).

𝓘𝓷𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 (𝓪𝓼 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 @𝔁𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓱𝓲𝓶𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯)
💫Fragrance-free
💫pH 5.5
💫Free of dyes, essential oils and alcohol
💫Niacinamide (skin-brightening, anti-acne, moisturizing)
💫5% Panthenol, Ectoin, Aloe Leaf Extract & Allantoin  skin-soothing
💫Contains 15 amino acids  There are 20 amino acids so that’s A LOT of the entire spectrum which is very impressive
⭐Skin benefits of amino acids (N.B.: varies from amino acid to amino acid) are: skin-soothing, antioxidant properties, skin-strengthening, reducing fine lines & wrinkles, moisturizing, building blocks of peptides and proteins [source 1]
💫Phospholipids, Sphingolipids are ceramide precursors  they strengthen the skin barrier & “actually help skin make more ceramides” [source 2]

𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓼
⚫100ml version: plastic bottle with a screw cap
⚫300ml version (limited edition): plastic pump (!) bottle
⚫Price: €9,95 (100ml) / €19,95 (300ml)
⚫Please shake product before use

𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓼
✔️Can be used anywhere on the body: Whether you’re having an itchy scalp, dry body skin or irritated facial skin, this one provides relief.
✔️Can be combined with almost any active or other product – just make sure not to overhydrate your skin when using it with other hydrating products. You might get pimples like I did…
✔️Gives an incredibly nice glow
✔️Provides massive hydration
✔️Soothes irritated skin

Negative aspects 👎🏻
🔴 blurry sight after cleansing (am I looking through a curtain?)
🔴 far more product is necessary than claimed by the company (3 pumps? Not enough, nope.)
🔴 does not entirely get rid of waterproof eyeliner (➡️ see video)

Conclusion TL;DR 🔚
A pretty decent cleansing oil, considering it's just a (German) drugstore product. It's a good product for people who are on a tight budget. Its cleansing power is not 100% satisfactory but more on the 80-90% side. 😂However, if you're more into fancy stuff, I wouldn't recommend this cleansing oil.

📸 For more reviews, please check out my Instagram page: @alphahyd_roxy 📷

🎶Video contains royalty free music from Bensound🎵

Balea by dm: A German drugstore brand. This review is about their beloved cleansing oil which is pretty popular in the German skincare community.

Scroll down for a TL;DR 🔚

🇩🇪GERMANS/Deutsche, aufgepasst! Swipt euch durch die Fotos, dann findet ihr alle untenstehenden Infos nochmal auf Deutsch. 😊🇩🇪

❕Video shows a cleansing test and product swatch 📷
Enjoy reading 🥰

💧Balea Cleansing Oil Review💧
Ingredients 🤔
⚫ contains argan oil and tocopherol (vitamin E)
⚫ fragrance free
⚫ free of dyes

Regular price 💶
⚪ €2,55 for 100ml; €25,50 per litre

Packaging 🎁
🟤 plastic pump bottle
🟤 no secondary packaging

Positive aspects 👍🏻
🟢 gets rid of waterproof SPF and make-up very easily (except for waterproof eyeliner ➡️ see last slide for the video)
🟢 easy to wash off
🟢 neither drying nor stripping
🟢 suitable product for double cleansing and/or single cleansing (unless you're wearing a full face of make-up ofc)
🟢 does not leave a film after washing it off

𝐌𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 - 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬
1) It’s waaay too orange for my skin. There are no other tinted versions with other skin tones, which is absolutely non-inclusive. A minute of silence for all the people of colour…
2) It burns upon application (luckily, the burning sensation does fade after a few minutes). I have never had this problem with a sunscreen before, it’s horrible. And then there’s the company claiming their SPF is “suitable for sensitive skin types”. Uhm, nope?
3) It has a horrid smell. “Although it contains fragrance?!” you wonder? Yes, I don’t get it either. 

BTW: For a product swatch, please watch the video! :) ❤️

My conclusion? I hate this sunscreen. Would never repurchase or recommend it to anybody. If you are searching for a holy grail sunscreen, this one is clearly not it.

Some quick facts before I tell you about my personal experience:

𝐔𝐕 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
🌸All UV filters are chemical
🌸Tinosorb M [broad-spectrum] (INCI name: Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol [Nano])
🌸Tinosorb S [broad-spectrum] (INCI name: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine)
🌸Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone [UVB and UVA II]
🌸Avobenzone [UVA] (INCI name: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane)

𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
💮Tocopherol (Vitamin E)  antioxidant
💮Zinc Gluconate (soothing, wound healing, anti-acne properties)
💮Tinted; provides light coverage
🔴Contains fragrance :(

𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠
💧50ml pump bottle
💧Creamy, thick texture
💧easy to spread

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞
💲I bought it at a local pharmacy for ~ €16
💲~ €14 to €16

𝐌𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 - 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬
The only good thing about this sunscreen is the packaging. The package insert even says that you need 6 pumps for adequate protection. Therefore it’s quite easy to get the right amount. Also, I do like the fact that it’s a broad-spectrum sunscreen with modern chemical UV filters. However, you CANNOT wear this sunscreen without any foundation over it. At least it performs quite decent when applied before make-up. For me, I can only say that I will never ever repurchase this sunscreen.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍!
Contains several perfuming ingredients that belong to the “EU 26 fragrances” aka “the list of 26 allergenic substances”, meaning they have to be labelled separately instead of being summarized under the term “fragrance/perfum”. These are:
🔸Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
🔸Citronellol
🔸Coumarin
🔸Limonene
🔸Geraniol
🔸Linalool

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭? 𝐭𝐥;𝐝𝐫
For people who are not sensitive to fragrance and are looking for a moisturizing body lotion: Absolutely, go for it! For me, it really felt nice and moisturizing enough on the skin. The scent contributed to the little selfcare experience as well. This body lotion might not be for the driest folks out there, and I also think it is definitely not suited for people with eczema or other dry skin conditions. This does not apply to the majority of people though. However, the questionable marketing does leave a bitter taste… Although the company claims that its product is free of “five harmful additives”, their lotion still contains many fragrance allergens. Parabens and phenoxyethanol are not necessarily bad per se, as they can also act as preservatives that slow down the growth of harmful bacteria in cosmetic products.
Very questionable marketing if you ask me… 🚩
~ 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

For more reviews, please check out my Instagram page! @alphahyd_roxy 📷


🔽 Scroll down to the CONS/thumbs down section for a tl;dr summary! ⬇️🔚

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲:
🔹A highly moisturizing body lotion that delivers 48-hour, non-greasy hydration and is safe for everyday use.
🔹A body lotion with a powerful, long-lasting moisturizing effect to instantly hydrate severely dry, rough skin.
🔹Powered by the MLE Hydration Science Formula™ that infuses olive oil and allantoin to nourish and soothe the skin.
🔹Dermatologist tested.
🔹Free from five harmful additives: parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oils, dyes, and ethanol.

𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠
🔹Plastic dispenser which can be closed by simply turning the pump by 90°
🔹No secondary packaging
🔹Size: 400ml

𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
🔹Soothing: Allantoin, Panthenol
🔹Antioxidants/moisturizing: grape seed oil, olive oil, shea butter
🔹Peptide: Matrixyl [INCI name: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4]

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭
The company describes the scent as a “mild vanilla powder fragrance” which has “powdery and woody top notes”. However, I think this body lotion has more of a flowery scent to it. The mild smell fades quickly after application.
𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠)
🔹YesStyle: €28,90
🔹Stylevana GERMANY: €17,54
🔹Price may vary; see your respective retailer for further info

𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
🔹creamy, lightweight texture
🔹easy to spread
➡️ see product swatch [video]

Cons 👎🏻
– Due to its watery texture, it’s difficult to drop the product onto the face directly without some of it falling into the sink&#47;floor &amp; thus going to waste

– When applied on dry skin, it’s much harder to spread across the face &amp; left me with a sticky feeling afterwards

Pros 👍🏻
– Very good at calming and soothing irritated skin
– A product suitable for every skin type: acne-prone, sensitive, oily, normal, dry or combination
– Cruelty-free

GENERAL INFORMATION
𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭(𝐬)
This ampoule contains 100% of pure Centella asiatica aka CICA extract. No more, no less. Which is why (what I’m guessing at least) the company stated that this product should not be used around the eye area.

𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠
It came in a simple 55ml bottle with a dropper. The bottle itself is inside a little cuboid box. In addition, the dropper is slightly angled in order to make it easier to drop the product onto the face directly.
Plus point: When looking at the dropper bottle from behind, you can see the beautiful landscape of Madagascar (which is also displayed on the box design) on the other side of the label.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞
– 21,60€ for 100ml on Yesstyle
– 29,99€ for 100ml on Amazon Shopping
– $19,98 for 55ml in the Picky Rewards Shop etc. ...
Please mind that these prices do not include any shipping costs.
As you can see, the prices do vary a lot. You might want to check with different retailers in your country to find the best suitable price for your budget. All in all, I think the price is quite reasonable.

𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 &amp;  𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The ampoule has a very runny and light texture, making it almost feel like pure water. It does look like water, too. [See more in the “thumbs down” section below]

𝐏𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 – 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐎𝐒
One day, after taking a shower, I broke out in a rash on both of my hands and wrists (see pictures on slide …). Putting the ampoule to a test and being in desperate need for some relief, I applied the ampoule on the left hand and NOT on the right one. My skin felt calmed and soothed in an instant after application. The ampoule did not disappoint: After about 20 mins the rash on my left hand ended up being less irritated and less noticeable.