SkinCareBoutique

Masking is an important part of my daily skin care regimen and I always love to try new masks.  These are a few of the sheet masks that I've recently used! Whamisa Organic Seeds and Rice Fermented Hydrogel Facial Mask with Lactobacillus  ~ Sheet masks are continuously evolving and incorporating new ingredients and technology.  Hydrogel masks are made of a gel material that is better able to adhere to the skin, thus allowing the moisture and nutrients to be most effectively absorbed. ~ This mask claims to lift, soothe, and have anti-aging benefits for the skin. ~ This mask contains fermented seeds, black soybean, and rice, which moisturize and calm the skin.  It comes in two pieces - the first piece covers your forehead, nose, and eye area, with the second piece covering your lower cheeks and around your mouth.  Apply this mask for 20-30 minutes. ~ This mask has an herbal scent, which I actually found to be quite relaxing, almost like aromatherapy.  The hydrogel material make

Now that you've applied your broad-spectrum sunscreen, you proceed to do your makeup, get dressed, and head out the door.  With time every sunscreen, regardless of the SPF number, will lose effectiveness, therefore it is recommended that sunscreen be reapplied every two to three hours.  So two hours later, you're still out in the sun, doing errands and seeing family and friends, how are you supposed to reapply sunscreen and protect your skin without ruining your makeup? When we think of sunscreens, we often think of the liquid formulations such as the Missha, Biore, and Shiseido sunscreens in my prior blog, however sunscreen and SPF protection are also available in powder and spray/aerosolized formulas.  While the liquid formulations are not ideal for reapplication of sunscreen over makeup, the powders and sprays are perfect for this job! Sunscreens are separated into two groups - chemical sunscreens and physical sunscreens, based upon the mechanism of how each protects you

Sun protection is one of the most important parts of any skin care regimen.  Using sunscreen on a daily basis is essential in preventing the development of wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation.  Preventing skin damage is much easier and effective than having to use multiple products to try to reverse the damage that has already been done.  However, there are so many different sunscreens with labels that are not always easy to decipher - here are some of the basics to help you to navigate the information on sunscreen labels. When purchasing a sunscreen, you want it to provide "broad spectrum" protection.  "Broad spectrum" refers to protection against both UV-A and UV-B rays.  UV-A and UV-B rays refer to two different wavelengths of ultraviolet light (sunlight) - UV-A rays are longer and can penetrate more deeply into the skin into the layer called the dermis, while UV-B rays are shorter and affect the surface layer of the skin called the epidermis.  UV-A rays are resp

You have followed a careful skincare regimen - always removing your makeup before going to bed, double cleansing, exfoliating, and regularly doing clarifying masks, but inevitably we all unfortunately experience acne.  Acne can be precipitated by hormones, stress, and even what we eat (especially dairy products, sugars, and fats). What exactly is acne?  Throughout the surface of your skin are pores, which are actually tiny openings that connect to the glands deeper within your skin.  These glands produce an oily substance, which is called sebum.  Occasionally, the sebum and skin cells accumulate and essentially clog the pore.  If there is any bacteria contained behind this plug, then the inflammation and swelling of a pimple begins. So now that you have that red and inflamed pimple, what can you do?  The main product that I rely on to battle my acne is the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch.  I typically use these pimple patches overnight - I apply them to clean skin, directly ove

While I love sheet masking for moisturizing and brightening the skin, it is important to incorporate other products into your "masking" regimen, especially those that exfoliate and clarify the skin.  Exfoliating products clear away dead skin cells so your skin treatments can most effectively penetrate the skin and also facilitate the removal of dirt and build-up from your pores.  One of my favorite exfoliating masks is the Tula Probiotic Exfoliating Treatment Mask. I first learned about the Tula Probiotic Exfoliating Treatment Mask from one of my favorite Youtube beauty vloggers, Ingrid Nielsen.  I have been using this mask for about eight months - I utilize two to three exfoliating masks on a rotating basis, including this Tula mask, and typically use an exfoliating mask about two times per week.  I am currently on my second jar of this product and love the results.  This mask gently clears out my pores and makes my skin feel amazingly soft and plump.  It has a cream

The sensitive eye area is one of the first places to show signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles.  The skin surrounding the eyes is thinner than the skin of the remainder of the face and also has a decreased concentration of glands that provide moisture, making it more susceptible to dryness.  This delicate skin also overlies the muscles that we utilize every day, all day, to make facial expressions.  Every time we smile, squint, or make any facial expression, these muscles are contracting and over time can cause wrinkles to appear around the eyes.  For all of these reasons, this area requires special care. I have tried many eye creams over the years (more reviews to come) and the morning eye cream I am currently using is the Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream.  I have been using this eye cream for four months and have found it to be very effective, despite being a fraction of the cost of many of the other eye creams that I have tried ($29 for 30mL).  The area around m

I was first introduced to the Skinceuticals brand by my esthetician.  I have a very fair complexion and as a result, every new spot of hyperpigmentation, no matter how small, is very apparent on my skin.  My esthetician emphasized how important it would be for me to invest in products that prevent skin discoloration and recommended Skinceutical's Phloretin CF. After seeing Skinceuticals products also being featured in my dermatologist's office, I started looking more into the Skinceuticals brand and was impressed with the scientific evidence backing their products.  Phloretin CF is formulated with ingredients that provide protection against what Skinceuticals refers to as "atmospheric skin aging."  "Atmospheric skin aging" encompasses the visible skin changes caused by UVA/UVB, infrared-A radiation, and ozone (O3) pollution.  Products like Phloretin CF are able to neutralize the free radicals on the skin and help to prevent the skin damage associa