Best of Beauty 2020: Top Skincare Picks
Well this year certainly was not the best when it came to everything but the world of beauty, with pandemic raging throughout the world. But somehow people everywhere made self-care a huge priority and beauty ended up surviving. I thought I would share my top beauty picks for the year both in skincare and in makeup. I know I tend to post more skincare since I am an Esthetician, but I purchase an awful lot of makeup and post photos of myself wearing pics of it on Instagram, so that kind of counts too. These beauty picks are products that I discovered, not necessarily products that came out this year. Here they are in no particular order:
This "glow" in a jar is just about the the best low grade peel I have ever used. It gives my skin an instantaneous and beautiful radiance that nothing else ever has. Use once a week (at night) for 4 weeks to really whip skin into shape. Trust me when I say that you will love your skin again.
This little wonder actually helps sculpt the jawline and (ahem) helps to get rid of the dreaded double chin. I don't use them nearly enough but when I do I notice an immediate difference. These actually work!
This isn't new but I discovered the wonderful cream and how great it can be for your skin this year. My normal skin suddenly turned dry and itchy/barrier compromised. Well this helped to calm it. It provides intense hydration and calms skin all at once through the magic of colloidal oatmeal and ceramides. Magic, pure magic.
This is also a recent discovery. It helps get rid of hyperpigmentation and with its Clear Tone Advanced Technology (blend of acids and ingredients that attack hyperpigmentation/dark marks at the root). Originally for use on melanin rich skin, it is gaining traction in the lighter skin tone market. I also love their Resurfacing Vitamin C Cleansing Bar.
Topicals Faded Gel Serum $36.00
I have been using this in conjunction with the Urban Skin Rx products to fade my hyperpigmentation. This company was started by a couple of Generation Z women, one of whom is Black and knows a thing or two about hyperpigmentation. They also make Like Butter (for eczema) which I am going to try next. This product has plenty of great ingredients in it to help fade hyperpigmentation and dark marks, it doesn't smell great (probably what makes it feel like it is working so well) but it works like magic.
This is one of my favorite purchases of 2020. I used to just take my makeup off with wipes and felt that I was unnecessarily tugging on my skin and missing half of my makeup. Not anymore. With this mist I can spray it one, let it sit a few seconds then use a wipe (or my fingers for that matter) and immediately my makeup comes off. Then I can finish cleansing with whatever I want. I do think this year I discovered a lot of new cleansers but cleansing skin is very important. It sets up the rest of your routine.
This new addition to the CeraVe cleansing lineup is phenomenal. I use it in the morning during the winter now because my skin is so dry. It changes from a cream to a lightly foaming cleanser that leaves my skin feeling hydrated and most of all, clean yet supple. It comes in a gigantic bottle too. So the price is justified. And currently you can get a coupon for $4.00 any CeraVe product from the website.
Kylie Skin Foaming Face Wash $24.00
This product is something I use during the summer months when my skin is a little bit more normal and not as dry. It leaves skin feeling soft and supple. And the best thing you only need one pump to cleanse the entire face. Kudos to Kylie Jenner for making such an awesome product.
While glycerin is still the better humectant for your skin (it hydrates deeper into the dermis), this is a close second. It helps to hydrate the skin with its low, medium and high molecular weight HA. And, it contains panthenol to help soothe and hydrate the surface of the skin. Using hyaluronic acid will help to hydrate the surface of the skin and absorbs 1,000 times its own weight in water. Used on damp skin it sucks in that water and skin remains plump.
The Ordinary Buffet $14.80
This multi-peptide serum is a great choice for those seeking out an anti-aging product. It contains 4 peptides, a probiotic complex and 11 amino acids in a base of hyaluronic acid complexes. I could probably put everything from Deciem's The Ordinary on this Best of Beauty list, but wanted to keep it to my favorites. This will help with fine lines and wrinkles, which are what you want to fight off with peptides. It even comes in a larger, double size for those who cannot get enough of this product. It is that popular.
This is something I only recommend if you can really handle acids on your skin. It is a mild peel but is still fairly strong. It contains glycolic, tartaric, citric acid as well as salicylic acid. This peel is great for all skin types. It will give your dull, uneven skin tone a brighter look and decongest the skin of blackheads, whiteheads and help with other acne lesions. What is great is that it has Tasmanian Pepperberry in it to help reduce irritation. This product will also help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles and smooth out rough skin texture. It is kind of a catch all when it comes to mild peels, as it treats everything. That is what makes is so great and popular amongst its fans.
OLAY Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Hydrating Moisturizer $28.99
I started to use this when I noticed some fine lines appearing above my eyes (supraorbital ridge) due to years of raising them up from putting on mascara. I thought hopefully it would work. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Not because it was OLAY, but because collagen doesn't penetrate the epidermis that far. This also has glycerin in high amounts to help hydrate the skin well, and the collagen peptide helps to support the skin's natural renewal process. Niacinamide is also included so that skin retains moisture better, helps to hydrate and exfoliate the skin so that the collagen can penetrate better.
This product may seem harmless, but it is a powerful essence made to help hydrate the skin and brighten it big time. It helps to support the natural moisture barrier of the skin with 93% microscopic bio-fermented ingredients that actually work with the skin's microbiome to leave skin feeling smooth, hydrated, glowing and soft. You will soon be hearing more about the microbiome of the skin, including probiotics. Look no further than this product as a starting off point.
This serum is great for skin prone to dehydration, dryness and sensitivity. It contains Greek yogurt, calcium, Vitamin B, lactic acid, prebiotics & probiotics to help rebalance out skin and its microbiome. This super-food serum is ultra-hydrating and cooling upon contact with the skin, providing essential nutrients to smooth imperfections, reduce redness and boost the overall appearance of skin's health. Upon contact with irritated skin it will soothe skin instantly, after what seems like a moment of iciness/fire. Then redness and irritation are gone and all that is left is nothing but soothed skin.
This was the year that CBD officially took off. And this distinct CBD Cream I have found to be particularly great. It helps to soothe irritated skin and inflamed skin. I use it on my eczema in the summer when it is acting up, and it immediately quells the redness and itch. It is made with fresh hemp rosin, jojoba oil and squalane. This has to be the best CBD lotion for the face that I have tried. And it is good for all skin types, but especially sensitive. They also make a darn fine body lotion that helps with pain and inflammation too.
Supergoop Glowscreen SPF40 $36.00
I really thought that Unseen was going to be my favorite Supergoop product until they released this one. Glowscreen is everything I have ever wanted in a sunscreen. It gives the skin an ethereal glow, while providing a huge dose of broad spectrum SPF40. It can be worn alone, as a makeup gripping primer or mixed with foundation to give you that iridescent, dewy glow of youth. Not only that but it contains hyaluronic acid and panthenol to help hydrate and soothe the skin. Supergoop has done it again.
I was gifted this product through a company and boy was I so glad that I tried it out. This happens to be one of my favorite moisturizers ever. Excellent for dry skin, this ceramide rich moisturizer helps to strengthen the natural moisture barrier. It's rich in beetroot, coconut extract, Vitamin F and pomegranate sterols. It is best for normal to dry skin.
Niacinamide seems to be in everything these days and with good reason. It is a versatile ingredient that works well for many things. Add to that pumpkin seed extract, sodium hyaluronate and caffeine, and you have a great little eye cream that helps to depuff, fight off fine lines and wrinkles and conquer dark circles. It even has a pop of peach pearlescent micro-pearls to camouflage those nasty dark circles.
This box of handy sheet masks is amazing. They are a 3-in-1 toner, essence and primer all rolled into one. In 3 minutes flat you can have soft, supple and glowing skin that is ready for makeup. And the best thing is, they aren't all separated into little packets. All you have to do is use the enclosed tweezers to pick one out so as not to contaminate the container. I love using these masks. They really do add a nice radiance to the skin and make my skin so soft, supple and primed for foundation.
Sleeping masks are a mainstay item in Kbeauty and have made their way to America now. I love this one because it is especially formulated for dry skin. Made with banana extract (10,000 ppm), milk protein and chamomile extract; this sleeping mask hydrates, softens, soothes and calms skin overnight. Use as the last step in your skincare regimen. Believe me, after using you will notice a difference in your skin in the morning.
Well those are my top 20 skincare picks for 2020. It certainly has been a year of self-care and fun with so many products. I could certainly put down another 10-20 more products that I love so much. I won't though, just so I won't go nuts and bore you to death. I hope you have enjoyed this little homage and have enjoyed my reviews for the year. I am hoping the 2021 will be a great year and that I will have even more to write about.
Until Next Time~
Marie Papachatzis
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