Most used in 2016: Skin Care

So far this month, I have listed the products that I started using and started loving in 2016. While makeup can be used year to year if you sanitize them well, skin care products do expire much more quickly, so I am more conscious about using these up. These are the ones I used the most this year that were effective for me. Skin Food Black Sugar Perfect First Serum. I’ve already mentioned this one before both in this column and on my blog, so I won’t go into much detail. All I will say for today is this is one of the very few skin care products I feel compelled to repurchase, because it’s that good! Innisfree Eco Safety Daily Sunblock with SPF35. I do wear sunscreen every single day even if it’s cloudy outside. This one is water based. It’s lightweight, not at all greasy and will not leave that scary white cast that we are used to from heavy duty sunscreens that we wear at the beach. Mario Badescu facial spray. I use this at night when I feel like my skin needs a moisture boost, but don’t want to layer on a lot. I have a blog post about this and other facial mists. This one is easily available in Rustan’s Beauty section and is more budget friendly than certain other ridiculously priced facial mists. Sooper Beaute pore minimizing serum. I’m on my second bottle of serum by this locally made brand. They have many other products that are effective and affordable. This one absorbs quickly. I use it on places my pores need to be tamed, like my nose and the skin surrounding it. Skin Food Black Sugar wash off mask. This is a good, affordable facial scrub and mask in one. Skin feels immediately softer and smoother after use, without the sting or dry feeling. Lucas Papaw Ointment. As a student in Australia, I was curious why every single Aussie woman I knew had this in her bag. A lot of people use this as a lip balm, but it can also be used on insect bites or cracked skin. I’ve even used a tiny amount before as lotion when I forgot to put some on my legs before leaving the house. For the price, you can afford to use it liberally, but since it’s pretty thick in consistency, you only need a little bit. Laneige Water Sleeping Mask. You’ve most likely seen this around before. I would not say you wake up with a huge difference the day after, but it is a good night time moisturizer if you hate wearing heavy creams.