My Top 5 Non-Makeup Beauty Products

 

Hello Everyone!

This post is all about my Top five Non-Makeup beauty products!

Lets start at the top right and work our way clockwise.

1. Aveeno  positively Radiant cleanser: I use this cleanser about 3-4 times a week. Now, everyone is different, but if I wash my face everyday with  'face wash', I completely strip  it of its natural oils (not good).  My skin then picks up on this robbery of natural moisture, and tries to overcompensate by producing extra oil... leaving me very oily indeed. I discovered this the hard way.. I got one of those electric face scrub things for Christmas and gave my face a seriously sudsy wash. An hour later my skin was a bit oily, so I went for a sudsy round two... well three hours later it was very oily... nope, I'm not going to put two and two together...ANOTHER (Thor voice). Well, by the end of the day, my face was the oiliest I had evvvvver seen it!  Nowadays, I like to let my skin find its own balance. Although, in the winter months, when I am not outside as much and I am under florescent lights more often, I find my skin does need some gentle guidance. On days when I wear makeup, I use aveeno. On days that I don't wear makeup, I just rinse my face with water, According to the website, Aveeno is "oil free, hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic... [and is] Formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS moisture-rich soy extract" (aveeno.com). So that's cool. If Jen-Aniston digs it, then so do I.

Tip for Clearer Skin: If I want to kick start into clearer skin, I try to remind myself to never touch my face during the day, and never rest my face in my hands.

2. Redken Extreme Shampoo and conditioner: If you want to pick this one up, just look for the blue bottles, most Redken products are colour coded. I am not sure what this shampoo is 'supposed to do', all I know is what it has done for me! This shampoo leaves my hair verrrrry clean, soft, and fluffy! I wash my hair every three days (many professionals recommend once a week). Ever since I stopped washing my hair every day, I have found that my hair is thicker and healthier... kind of like the face wash concept.... it needs those oils.
I find most drugstore shampoos have a lot of junk and waxy stuff in them, which just weighs down my hair, makes it greasy, and produces dandruff.
I have stopped using Redken before, because it is expensive, but it really is worth it for me. I used to use Redken All Soft and then switched to Redken Diamond oil, but my hair dresser said that those formulas were too heavy for my hair. The blue bottle has been a dream.

3. Nivea Soft: This is my go to basic face cream. I use this face cream as a night cream. I load on a large amount right before I go to bed, and when I wake up in the morning it is all soaked into my skin. I would not say this is a 'wear and go' face cream, it definitely has that wet look to it when it is on your face. If you are looking for a great 'wear and go' face cream, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel is great for wearing without makeup. I love this cream because it makes my skin feel supple when I wake up in the morning.

4. Crest 3D White Professional Effects: This is the top tier of the Crest White Strips whitening programs. It takes 20 days to finish, and it is supposed to be the most effective. Some people use crest white strips twice a year (smokers, coffee drinkers), but if you are like me and have naturally pretty white teeth, once a year is good enough for some extra sparkle! I have been using the crest white strip routine once a year since I was 16. The only time I feel any sensitivity is when I accidentally leave them on too long, but those negative effects disappear within a day. I recommend talking to your dentist before using these strips for the first time, because a lot of dental work is not compatible.

5. Sugar: This is regular Rogers Sugar! I use it once a week to exfoliate my skin! I got this tip from Carmindy's book Get Positively Beautiful. It is an excellent way to freshen up your skin and remove build up or dry skin. only once a week though! :)

 My mom recently informed me that many exfoliating scrubs use plastic and other non decomposable substances for their 'micro scrubbers'. Even when it comes to our beauty products, we have to be aware of what we are sending down our sinks and into our oceans. Sugar is a great affordable, environmentally friendly, and sweet alternative!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my top five non makeup beauty products! 

-S

Kitten 'Mews': Introducing Kitten. He is 5 months old. I am currently typing with one hand because Kitten is not happy unless I am playing with him or holding him. He is sitting high up in my arms, with his arms wrapped around my neck like a toddler being held.I don't think he knows he is a kitten. Meow!