Happy Friday! Some of you guys might remember the ‘lattes with lauren’ series we did over the summer, where I answered 5 of y’alls questions every week – about anything and everything! Martha had a fun idea that we bring it back this week to answer your questions all about skincare! I asked y’all to leave a comment on this instagram photo with your questions. So, in this blog post I’m going to pick 10 questions to answer! [I got over 200 questions though, so stay tuned for part 2, maybe part 3, where I answer more questions!]
I need to know about moisturizers, for both day and night. Wrinkle fighting, moisturizing in the cold weather, lifting and tightening.
I recently started using this Drunk Elephants moisturizer day and night and I’m obsessed [been using it about 3 weeks now]. From Sephora’s website, it is a “breakthrough protein moisturizer that combines an unprecedented array and concentration of actives for improvement in the appearance of skin’s tone, texture, and firmness.” This is a one-stop-shop moisturizer: it hydrates, helps with your skin’s firmness and textures, and makes your skin feel amazing.
I also love Tula’s hydrating day / night cream [get 20% off with code LAURENSIMS]. It’s super moisturizing and also has probiotics in it which majorly help with anti-aging!
Either one of these are great options for moisturizes, and you can use them both morning and night!
If you found out that a product or brand was going to be discontinued, which one would you actually cry over? ?? (face wash, serum, toner, etc)
This question made me LOL because a few products instantly came to mind! I am obsessed with this Tata Harper cleanser. It’s expensive, but it lasts a long time and it’s super effective. It has exfoliating properties in it, so it’s super effective but NOT drying. It makes your skin glow, prevents breakouts, all without drying your skin out. I am also obsessed with Sunday Riley Good Genes. It’s an all in one lactic acid treatment – so it clears your skin and reduces fine lines all at the same time. I use this EVERY single night!
Have you ever struggled with acne/blemishes/uneven skin tone? Any good products you’ve found?!
YES. I struggled with acne all through high school and college, and still have occasional breakouts. My breakouts are WEIRD though. It’s not like one big zit. It’s more like a lot of little bumps all over my cheeks from time to time [super clogged pores]. The two biggest products that have helped with this are Tula’s pro-glycolic gel toner [get 20% off with code LAURENSIMS] and Sunday Riley’s clarifying face oil.
The Tula toner will help balance and resurface your skin. It also has glycolic acid in it which will help with breakouts! The SR face oil will clear congested pores, to treat and prevent acne. [If you are using these products together, first use the Tula gel, and then the SR oil].
There are a few masks that will also help big time with acne. This glamglow mask will help tremendously with breakouts! It’s pretty powerful though so don’t use it more than once or twice a week!
How long do you use a product before deciding if you want to keep using it or not? I feel like i buy too many products but don’t ever finish them
You really need to use a skincare product for at least 4-6wks before you start seeing any kind of results IMO. As a blogger, I’m getting new product in the mail almost daily and it can be so tempting to switch. But I try to force myself to stick with one product for at LEAST a month before writing about it or making any kind of judgment call about it. Yes, there are some products you’ll see results from sooner than that…but I think 4-6wks is a general rule of thumb.
What are some solid basic anti-aging products for young skin?
So I’m 27, almost 28. I just now started using anti-aging products a year or so ago and it truly is so important, to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. A few of my favorite anti-aging products for young skin:
- Sunday Riley Luna Night oil – I use this every single night, without fail. This oil has retinol in it [GOLD], so it boosts the look and feel of skin plumpness, while improving the appearance of wrinkles, redness, and pores for visibly younger-looking skin. Seriously this product is gold in a bottle
- Sunday Riley Good Genes – I mentioned this product above, but it is in all in one lactic acid treatment, which helps tremendously with fine lines. I use this immediately after using the Luna Night oil. These products together are my power house in the anti-aging department.
I have a ton of freckles and dark spots from being outside a lot when I was younger! Are there any products you’ve found that work to reduce those pigmentations, and not just cover them up?
I definitely recommend applying vitamin C and some type of brightening serum to your face everyday! I just started using this skinceuticals vitamin C after reading tons of amazing reviews about it, and I also love this brightening serum with vitamin C. Either one of these products will help to brighten any dark spots or help with dark pigmentation!
What is the best tinted moisturizer that isn’t harsh on your skin?
I am OBSESSED with this it cosmetics CC cream (basically the same thing as a tinted moisturize). It moisturizes your skin and also has SPF 50 in it! The coverage is amazing, but still looks really natural. I will wear this as my foundation about 75% of the time unless I’m going all out with my makeup or shooting blog pics!
If you could recommend one product for morning and one for night to start adding to a basic skincare routine, which ones would it be?
First of all, a good cleanser is key. My two favorites right now are the Tata Harper regenerating cleanser, and I also love the Tula cleanser [get 20% off with code LAURENSIMS]. You can use either one of these morning and night. Like I said above, for morning, I think a Vitamin C oil / serum is huge. I love this one by Skinceuticals. For night, it kind of depends on your skin type [are you addressing acne, anti-aging, etc], but I’d recommend getting a great moisturizer. My top 2 are listed at the top of this blog post, under question 1.
What is your skin type and what are your main specific problems/concerns? And which products have been best to help them?
My skin type is pretty normal [not oily and not dry]. I struggled with mild acne through high school and college and still get occasional breakouts. I’m also 27 now so I’m starting to see some really cute [not] forehead wrinkles and other small fine lines. So, occasional breakouts and fine lines are my biggest concerns. The best products that I’ve found to help these issues are all linked above [or check out my A.M. skincare routine in the highlights on my instagram profile]. I love Tata Harper products, Tula, Sunday Riley…and recently started using a few things by Skinceuticals and Drunk Elephant.
What is your favorite eye cream?!
Okay to be REALLY honest, I’ve never noticed a huge difference in any eye cream that I use. I more use it as a preventive from getting wrinkles haha. But, I don’t really have wrinkles yet by my eyes, so maybe they’re working? I love this eye cream by Sunday Riley [for brightening and depuffing], and this one by Tata Harper is great [I know it’s psycho expensive but this one bottle will last you at least a year].
Thanks for reading y’all! When it comes to skincare – there is A LOT of information involved and it’s something I’m really passionate about [and passionate about learning more!]. So, thanks for also showing an interest in this area! I’ll answer more questions that were left in a comment on that IG photo soon. Have a great weekend!
xo Lauren
