Hey there! I hope you all had a great holiday and are off to a great start in 2019! Once of my personal 2019 goals for this year is to take better care of my skin. I’ve always been good at having a skincare regimen but usually just stick to the basics. Since I was a little girl, my Granny ingrained the importance of skincare in my brain and always stressed the importance of using quality products that actually work. Although I follow several beauty bloggers on Instagram, and listen to several beauty related podcasts, I feel like there’s no better way to learn about skincare than to get actual reviews from people you trust. And since I do not consider myself a skincare expert, I thought it would be fun to reach out to a friend of mine who knows WAY more than me when it comes to skincare.
I’ve known Abbie (pictured above at her recent wedding) since graduate school and we are now co-workers! Since I’ve known her, she has always been into skincare, makeup, and basically all things beauty related (you should ask her how many Sephora points she has, ha!). Anytime I have some weird skincare issue going on she’s my go-to, especially since I see her nearly every week. Also, she has GORGEAUS skin so I knew whatever she was doing was working. For this Q&A I asked Abbie to bring her top 5 products that she’s loving right now. She wanted me to include the disclaimer that she often changes her “favorites” but these are her favorites at this moment. So let’s get into it…
C: So, how did you start getting into skincare? What made you decide to start investing in your skin?
A: During my teenage years I used to struggle with cystic acne where I took medication to cure it. I also have dermatitis (which basically causes red skin). I basically just started doing my own research to figure out what worked for my skin but I’m all about results. I need products where you can see a difference.
C: How did you pick the products that we’re going to be reviewing today?
A: All of these products are what I would consider “specialty”. Everyone should have their basic cleanser, toner, and moisturizer routine but since that looks very different for people I decided to pick some specialty products. However, I do use most of these daily. They are what I would call booster products.
*I will be doing a follow-up post on my favorite cleanser, toner, and
moisturizer routine in the next few weeks*
C: Okay, I’ve heard a lot about Dr. Dennis Gross products, tell me about this one.
A: In a nutshell, this is a hero product for me. Dr. Dennis Gross is a world- renowned plastic surgeon who developed this product for his wife who couldn’t get chemical peels while she was pregnant. The difference in this chemical peel, and one you get at at the dermatologist, is that this is a mild concentration of a bunch of different acids. The ones at the dermatologist are a REALLY HIGH concentration of one acid. This product can be used to treat fine lines, uneven skin tone, dark spots, bad pores, bad credit, you name it! But really, it does it all.
C: I definitely struggle with uneven skin tone. I’m super red on my cheeks and I’m down for anything to help with fine lines. So how do I use it?
A: You basically use it in place of a toner. You wipe Step 1 all over your face, down your neck and chest (if you want) and on the back of your hands, let it sit for two minutes (brushing your teeth while you wait is a great way to pass the time) then wipe Step 2 wherever you wiped Step 1. Step 1 exfoliates and smooths, Step 2 is an anti-aging neutralizer. Proceed with moisturizer. IMPORTANT: Do not use this if you’re using anything else with retinol. You’re skin definately needs a lot of moisture afterwards which leads to our next product….
*Okay, honest review here. Abbie gave me a sample of the Dr. Dennis Gross peels to use and I loved them! Super convenient packaging and could tell immediate results. I probably won’t use these every night, maybe twice a week, but you definitely can if you want!
C: I’ve heard amazing things about Drunk Elephant products so tell me about this one you brought and why you like it so much
A: Everyone should really have some type of oil in their skin care routine and know how to use it. Since oils are heavier than moisturizers you should be using them after your moisturizer. Cleanse, tone, moisturize, oil. Okay, so this oil is high in antioxidants and highly absorbable (super important). It targets fine lines, wrinkles. redness, and it’s anti-microbial. It’s good for all skin types, even if you have oily skin. It’s a common misconception that people with oily skin shouldn’t use oils but those are the people who actually need it more because it helps your skin to slow down it’s own oil production.
C: Okay, you sold me and I’m buying this because I’ve been in the market for an affordable facial oil that works. Most of them are SO expensive! How do I use it?
A: Just use 2-3 drops and press it into your face, neck, and chest. PRESS DO NOT RUB! Whatever is left on your palms, rub on the backs of your hands. If you’re into facial massage this is the perfect time to incorporate that. I would suggest only using it at night.
*Since doing this interview with Abbie I have been using the Drunk Elephant facial oil and WOW. After just using it three times I can tell a noticable difference in my skin tone and overall brightness*
C: Tired of talking yet, haha! What in the world are these little dots?
A: These Peace Out Acne Dots are lifesaving. Basically they suck the yuck out of pimples. These aren’t for under the skin cystic bumps, these are more for the “juicy” (gross, I know) ones. They use healing hydrocolloid technology (which is the same ingredient hospitals use to treat wound care patients), are infused with salicylic acid to treat bacteria, Vitamin A, and Aloe Vera to soothe redness. Make sure to use these very last in your skin care regimen. Just peel it and stick it on the pimple. It’s not drying at all!
*These were another product I bought as soon as Abbie walked out of the door and Nick and I have both been using them. They actually work! I was skeptical, but I have been proven wrong*
C: Abbie, did you really bring a cotton ball for me to talk about to ALL of my readers?!
A: Okay, not a whole lot explain here and they are NOT cotton balls. These are made to absorb way less product than traditional cotton balls. They are cheap and they work. We’re spending so much money on facial products just to have cotton balls soak up all the product. And they don’t leave any fuzzies on your face.
C: I feel like silk pillowcases are ALL THE RAGE. Are they worth it? You may have to convince me because I’m not sure..
A: Cotton makes you look old. The end. Okay but really, cotton is super absorbent and it draws out moisture from your skin. It can cause premature aging causing fine lines and wrinkles. It also damages your hair. You’re not going to wake up and look amazing after one night, but it is preventative over time. More fun facts: silk is hypoallergenic which allows the skin to breathe, whereas cotton can hold up to 27 times it’s weight in water! Most pillowcases claim to be silk but are really silk-satin, so make sure you find one that is real silk.
C: So I kind of beat you to the punch on this one because I had no idea this was one of the products you were bringing but let’s hear your thoughts
A: I love the GlamGlow SuperMud Mask! I suggest only using it on the places where you’re oily, like in your T zone, because it can be drying. Maybe the first time you use it put it all over, see where it pulls the most “gunk” from, then in the future only use it on those spots. Also, super important to not ever get it straight out of the jar with your fingers. The oils on your fingers can mess with the acids in the product and change the PH balance. Always use the little scraper that they send with it.
I had such a great time talking with Abbie about some of her top shelf products and things she’s loving right now! I hope to do more blog posts like this in the future with other friends of mine. Honestly, it’s so fun for me to interview them and I love hearing their reviews and opinions. Hope you guys found this informative and as always it would be much appreciated if you used my links to buy any of these products 🙂
Sincerely,
Cece
