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Skincare and Bodycare that I loved in my twenties and love in my thirties.

  • Writer: Diana Vrasmussen
    Diana Vrasmussen
  • Mar 2, 2019
  • 6 min read

When it comes to beauty products, I am hardly a newbie. Yes, I admit, I started pretty late. My parents were very strict, so I wasn't allowed to use any makeup till I turned 18, if I recall it right, and my only skincare was a cleanser, that was basically it. I didn't use store-bought toners, moisturizers, face creams or SPF at that time either, what I did a lot was masking actually. I used all natural ingredients I could find in the fridge or pantry: honey, oatmeal flour, eggs, strawberry, cucumber, depending on my needs.


The honey mask was terrific, I mean every time I had chapped lips or a dry patch on the skin, I applied raw honey mixed with some oatmeal flour, twenty minutes later my skin was moisturized and soft. I loved it and still do. BUT please be careful, if you ever decide to use this recipe, first make sure you are not allergic to it.

I remember my friend Sasha and I had that mask before our double date; I was super excited to share my beauty secrets with her and guess what, a few minutes later after application, all of a sudden she developed the worst allergic reaction to honey. Her face swallowed and turned watermelon red. It was horrifying, especially considering the fact, that Sasha didn't have a food sensitivity, I mean, she could easily eat honey with a tablespoon, but when she applied it on her face, she reacted severely. So, please keep that in mind.


Ok, enough with my flashbacks.

So, as I said, I didn't buy any skincare. I didn't think I need it, my face and body felt very moisturized, plump and vibrant until I turned 22-23. That was the time when I got really into skincare, into all the steps skincare requires and of course the keyword to it all was "MOISTURIZING."


Memories, memories. But now, I mean ten years later I have my secrets and my steps, my routines and my favorite products to use.

I feel like this article is going to be a long one.

Let me make it easier for you to read and understand by categorizing and summarizing everything. I'll write about Skincare and Bodycare in this blog and make another one for makeup, personal hygiene and fragrances.


SKINCARE and BODYCARE in my twenties and thirties

MAKEUP

HAIR - you can read all about it in one of my previous blogs.

PERSONAL HYGIENE - has always been a must.

FRAGRANCES - my taste changed quite a bit, depending on the age.


Let's start with the skincare in my twenties. So, when I just started using creams and moisturizers, most of the products were from the brands "Clinique" in my early and mid-twenties, and "Clarins," "Kiehl's and "Naruko" in my mid and late twenties. A few honorable mentions:



Photo by Ari Erma


CLINIQUE Liquid Facial Soap - washed off makeup quickly and was very foamy, I liked that.

CLINIQUE Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - perfect when all you need is some moisture.

CLINIQUE Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator - again, an excellent moisturizer.

CLINIQUE All About Eyes - it helped a bit with dark circles, but mostly was a good base for the concealer.

CLINIQUE Acne Solutions Clear Skin System - I haven't had acne, but it helped with the excess oil)


KIEHL'S Calendula Deep Clean Foaming Face Wash - I liked it and used for years, but later found out that the ingredients are not fantastic, so please check for yourself.

CLARINS Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizes and Quenches Milky Lotion SPF 15, Normal To Combination Skin - hydrating and good.

CLARINS Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream - Normal to Dry Skin - again, did the job, very hydrating.

CLARINS Eye Contour Gel - I like this one a lot, still buy sometimes, helps a lot with dark circles.

KIEHL'S Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - super rich, maybe even too rich, I have no idea why I needed it at that time.

KIEHL'S Ultra Facial Cream - just good cream for that age, didn't do anything phenomenal.


Naruko is a Taiwanese brand I discovered when I lived in China. I liked all the products from the AMPM series, but unfortunately, as I was writing this blog, I found that most of the products are discontinued.


AMPM Mandelic Acid Skin Renewal Brightening Toner 杏仁酸柔膚亮白化妝水200ml - Truly brightens up the dull skin.

Naruko AMPM RX10 Peptide Firming Sleeping Night Gelly Sleeping Mask 胜肽抗皺緊緻晚安凍膜 118ML - super hydrating cream.

Naruko ampm Mandelic Acid Skin Renewal Brightening Mask 5 pcs 杏仁酸柔膚亮白面膜5入 - moisturizing sheet masks, did the job.

Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Sleeping Night Jelly Mask EX 80g 白玉蘭鑽采超緊緻晚安凍膜EX增量版 - the fragrance was too strong for me, but it did firm up the skin.



Photo by DAVIDCOHEN


BODYCARE

CLARINS Extra-Firming Body Lotion - very rich, I still like to use it.

CLARINS Stretch Mark Minimizer - If you've read my "weight loss story" you probably know that I have a few of annoying stretch marks. I haven't noticed any progress, while I was using this product, but it smells very gentle, and it's super creamy and moisturizing.

CLARINS Moisture-Rich Body Lotion - again, just great, rich, moisturizing product.

CLARINS Body Fit Anti-Cellulite Contouring Expert - I believe it helped a bit.


That was then. I am not using any of the mentioned above brands anymore, except for lip balm and body creams from Clarins, which is my all-time favorite, but all the products I named worked for my twenty + year old skin really well.


Moving to my thirties. I am 34 at the moment, so mainly the brands I am currently using are the following:

"Estee Lauder," "Sesderma," "Drunk Elephant," "Alpa H," "Paula's Choice."


Alpha H Liquid Gold and SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant from Paula's Choice - helped me a lot when I had my adult acne.

DRUNK ELEPHANT Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser - I love that it's "green," very foamy, washes off makeup super fast and easy. Very, very happy with it.

ESTÉE LAUDER Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion - brightens the skin, a good toner in my opinion.

ESTÉE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II - use it when I feel my skin needs a bit extra love.

ESTÉE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex - Very powerful, helps a lot with the dark circles and early crowfeet (not like I have any))

ESTÉE LAUDER Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Crème - All my tiny wrinkles disappeared, I saw the difference right away.


The discovery of 2018 brand Sesderma, I've been using it for a year or so, and I'm pleased with all the products I've tried. Series with Vitamin C and HYAL, BTSES are my fave so far.


Sesderma HIDRADERM HYAL Facial Cream 50 ml.

Sesderma HIDRADERM Moisturizing Facial Cream 50 ml.

Sesderma C-VIT Eye Contour Cream 15 ml.

Sesderma BTSES Moisturizing Serum 30 ml.

Sesderma Hidraderm TRX Face Mask 30ml - hydrating mask, has tranexamic acid in it which helps a lot with dark spots.

Sesderma Sesmedical Skin Balance Personal Peel Program - I used it once when I had acne, cleared up the skin in 4 weeks.



Photo by Jairo Alzate


BODYCARE

Sesderma ATOPISES Body Milk 400 ml. - perfect for summers, light and absorbs fast.

Sesderma HIDRADERM Body Milk 400 ml. - again, summer choice.

Sesderma Hidraloe Body Milk 400ml. - definitely for summers, very moisturizing, great after a sunbath.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Lipid-Replenishing Body Milk 400ml - This is my ultimate winter choice, especially in Chicago. It's so rich and creamy. Skin stays hydrated for 12 hours at least.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ Balm 400ml. - same verdict, perfection for dehydrated skin or even flaky skin, I use it when we go skiing on body and hands too.


That's basically it for now. As I mentioned before all these products were used over the past 10-12 years. And of course, there were much more than these, but some brands are not worth mentioning in my opinion, they didn't do anything special for my skin.

This blog is my personal, unsponsored opinion, I hope you might find it useful as well.



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