The Smallest Song

*Disclaimer- This post is not sponsored in any way by the following products or brands*

I don’t know about you, but I am always on the hunt for products that make my skin, hair, and body the best they can be and feel. When I was in my mid-20s, I FINALLY realized how important it is to find products that work best for you. A little about me, I have highly sensitive skin and have battled eczema/psoriasis (dermatologists keep going back on forth on which it is…) all my life. It has since developed into lichen simplex chronicus which is a secondary condition from rubbing or irritation on the skin. For the longest time, I had to stay away from scented products and exfoliation but didn’t really know what products or ingredients were beneficial for me personally. I would grab basic drugstore products and wonder why they didn’t work. A few years ago, I made the decision that I would allow myself to spend money on products I know will work for me (but I’m always looking for dupes that are just as good!). After much trial and error, I have found the products that work best for me at this point in my life.

Skin

La Roche-Posay Cleanser and Moisturizer

The skin on my face is SO sensitive and ever-chaning. Growing up, I always had oily skin and broke out easily. Now that I’m older, my face has gotten a bit more dry and flakey. I tried all kinds of things to stop the dry itchiness I was feeling! It was all new to me. I ranged from drug store brands to more expensive brands. Most would help for a week or two and then my skin would stop responding to it. One day, I walked into a Walgreens and was checking out in the beauty/makeup section. The makeup girl must have felt sorry for my flakey self and gave me a free sample of both the La Roche-Posay Toleriane cleanser and mousturizer. LIFE CHANGER! I will forever be grateful to the makeup counter girl because I have found my brand! It is so gentle which works for my sensitive and red skin and it keeps me clear of breakouts while keeping my skin feeling moisturized. I’d say it’s a little more expensive than the basic drug store brands, but isn’t as expensive as the higher end brands. Right in the middle!

Peach Slices Azelaic Acid Serum

I’ve been doing my own research on serums and if I really needed them or not. A great blog and Youtube channel to check out for this (and all other skin care needs) is BeautyWithin. They give fantastic advice and suggestions and even break down the science for you on how skin care works. In my time researching (read: spending hours watching their channel), I found that Azelaic Acid is great for helping calm skin’s reddness. The channel also covers dupes and if they works as well as the high brand expesive stuff. Most of the time, it does. One of their dupe suggestions was Peach Slices Azelaic Acic Serum for around $10. I used it morning and night at first and I could visibly see a difference after a few days. My skin still gets red, but not as much for sure. I now just use it at night, only because my dermatologist prescribed me something for morning time. But she approved of my $10 serum as well!

Drunk Elephant 100% Marula Oil Serum

Ya’ll. This stuff. Probably my favorite item on this post. As I said eariler, my skin has been extremely dry for the past few years, to the point where I would be embarrassed to go out or couldn’t wear makeup beause it would cake and flake. I tried all kind of lotions and serums. I even went as far as putting Aquafor on my face not caring if I broke out because AT LEAST I WOULDN’T BE ITCHY AND FLAKY! Nothing worked for more than a week. Then… I found this. One day I went into Ulta, desperate to find some relief. I thought I would ask a worker if they had any suggestions. I asked the right girl. She said she had the exact same problem and had tried all of the things I had told her I already tried. She brought me over to the Drunk Elephant section and in my head I’m thinking, “there’s no way I can afford this”. She gave me a free sample of this amazing serum AND of the butter lotion. It. Is. Amazing. I used up all of the free samples, which lasted a long time because a little goes a long way. Then, I decided that it was absolutely worth every penny if it continued to help my skin. I returned to Ulta and shelled out the $32 for the small bottle. Because it is pure marulla oil, it does have that “oily” feel at first, but it doesn’t last long and absorbs quickly. Again, a little goes a LONG way so even the small bottle lasts me a long while, making me feel even more that I’m getting my money’s worth. If you have dry skin, give this a try!

Hair

Redkin Shampoos and Conditioners

Just like skin care, I have accepted that sometimes I’m going to have to shell out a little $$ to get good quality hair care items. My hair is fine, but I have a lot of it. When I was younger, it would get super oily and I didn’t really know how to take care of it. I had these weird wave pattern that wasn’t consistent throughout. I dyed it also, probably adding to the weirdness. Drug store items left my hair oily in spots and created buildup. My cousin, a hair stylist, would suggest higher ends brands. but they didn’t lather like I needed them to. Redkin seems to be a perfect fit for my hair. It leaves it silky smooth and shiny, and cleans my hair without tangling it too much or leaving buildup. I have trained my hair to go almost a week without washing it. When I do go that long, I use a claryfying shampoo before the actual shampoo to get rid of the dirt and dry shampoo that have built up. I do “repeat” when I wash my hair without the clarifying shampoo. I have found that because I have so much hair, I must wash twice or I will miss spots. Literally. The Redkin does not require a ton and lathers amazingly with the second wash. I change the kind I use each time I buy a new bottle. I’m currently using the lengthening one with biotin infused into it. It is in a blue bottle. The best part… they all smell amazing!

It’s a 10!

This product is great! Just like the name implies, it is a 10-in-1 product. My main uses for it is a detangler and a heat protectant. It keeps my hair shiny and smooths out frizziness. I went a long time without using heat on my hair and I’ve slowly increased how much I do; hence the need for a heat protectant. I use it on towl dried, clean hair. It is a little thicker, so be careful not to use too much at once or it will make you hair a little greasy. Also, because of its thickness, when it runs out. all I do is add some water and mix it up and voila! a new bottle! This is a little on the expensive side so I get the travel size and it lasts me a long time.

OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Penetrating Oil

This stuff smells amazing, first of all! coconut is one of my favorite sents so I am always so tempted to slather it on my hair. But please don’t. You’ll have to wash it again! The OGX Miracle Oil is a fantasting product to put on to stregthen and flatten out hair’s ends. When I use this, I can go so much longer without a trim because I literally don’t get any split ends!

Body

Cera Ve Moisturizing Lotion

Cera Ve is amazing. All of its products.Mmy skin is dry, irritated, and I have psoriasis/excema. Because my skin has these annoying little quirks, I can’t use too much sented lotion. If I’m having a breakout, sent will leave my skin burning and red. Not only does Cera Ve moisturize my skin, but does not leave it feeling irritated or inflamed. I use the original Daily Moisturizing Lotion one. This product absorbs easily and quickly, so it doesn’t leave that sticky, greasy residue.

Aveeno Body Wash

Aveeno has a long-standing reputation of being gentle and soothing to skin. I have been using Aveeno for MANY years. It is the product I have used the longest on this list. Aveeno gently cleanses my skin without leaving it eeling dry and stripped. I can even handle the scented cleansers of this brand. However, if any scent at all is too much for you, they have unscented as well. Currently, I am using the lavendar and it’s fantastic! I shower at night so the soothing smell and gentle feel help me relax and get ready for bed. They also have a coconut (my fav) and many more scents and products!

First Aid Beauty Ingrown Hair Pads

Due to my skin’s sensitivity (and let’s be honest, my rushing through shaving) my am prone to getting ingrown hairs on my legs and underarms. These unsightly, painful little bumps are so annoying! I recently found First Aid Beauty’s (FAB) new product, “Ingrown Hair Pads with BHA and AHA”. I’ve always really likes FAB products and use them on and off. I paired these pads with the brand’s “KP Bump Eraser Scrub” at first, which is an exfoliant. It worked well, but then realized that using an exfoliant isn’t great for my skin conditions. Using the pads alone still works and reduces the red bumps!

Conclusion

All in all, sometimes it is worth spending a little more money for a product that will benefit you. However, there are many affordable products out there for people with sensitive skin! Remember to do your own research and never try anything against a dermatologists reccomendation. Now, go out there and get your skin care on!