My summer essentials, part 1

Yes, I need a series of posts to cover things I'm into lately, I just keep discovering stuff I really like and I want to share the love with you! This post will be dedicated to skincare.  Where to start...

Clarisonic Mia
I've been wanting to try this thing for aaaaages so I really had to silence the little voice in my head that was screaming "I can't believe you're paying that much for a skincare brush!!!1!" If you want to splurge and have really clean skin while doing it, get a Clarisonic.

I like the Clarisonic Mia because the handle is smaller than the full size version and mine is pink. I got a little carried away with it at first and my skin was like oh hell no but I cut it back to once a day and now my face is happy and super clean. This is especially important in the summer when I'm piling on sunscreen, makeup and dirt from being outside more. Don't go overboard with it and your skin will thank you.

Jojoba oil
If I could fill a giant tub with warm jojoba oil and soak in it for an hour, I totally would. Throw in something lavender scented and you'd have to drag my ass out of there. I guess jojoba oil is so moisturizing because the size of the molecule is similar to the oil that your skin actually produces, so it will moisturize without making you oily or clogging pores, blah blah.

All I know is that mixing just a bit into my face cream makes my skin look and feel amazing. It's also perfect for mixing in with hair conditioner for a deep treatment or with your body lotion for extra awesomeness. What's even better is that I've had my bottle from acne.org for about two months now and I've only used a fourth of it.

philosophy shelter SPF 30
I'm one of those super pale people who turns pink and freckly after being out in the sun for a nanosecond. I really need to protect my skin to avoid an uncomfortable second degree burn situation but everyone should wear sunscreen. We all know this but how many people really do wear sunscreen every single day?

I think a big part of it is that sunscreen can be oily, stinky, and generally annoying. Shelter from philosophy is none of those things. It sinks it nicely, leaving a soft, matte finish with no smell. It's not waterproof but it's great for everyday use under makeup, etc. I guess it has peptides and stuff in it but I'm just after the non-annoying sun protection.

Comments

[Kim Freeman]

So glad the blog is up and running again! It was missed. Total disclosure: I have the driest skin in the world so I'm super excited to learn about the jojoba oil, so thank you! I use something that sounds similar for my hair- Moroccan Oil. A great line of hair products and just as u said about the jojoba oil, a tiny dab goes a VERY long way. Have you ever tried it? Works great for smoothing and moisturizing all hair types!

[Vi]

Hey there,
I sympathize with you about how hard it is to find a reasonable, non-gross sunscreen, but Shelter is not very good for you... it gets a 7 out of 10 (which means it's in the worst group, "not recommended") at the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. (That being said, any sunscreen is probably better than no sunscreen. And good for you for wearing it.)

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product/277388/philosophy_shelter_broad_spectrum_sunscreen_for_face_and_body%2C_SPF_30/

[Colleen]

@Kim - I've heard of Moroccan Oil but haven't tried it yet. I'm betting that jojoba oil is thinner and lighter in consistency, though. It's good for all skin types, I think.

@Vi - Oh dear! I guess I'll need to do more research and find a better sunscreen when I run out of Shelter :(

[OTM]

A friend of mine is crazy for Lavanila sun screen - http://www.lavanila.com/The-Healthy-Sun-Screen-SPF40_p_63.html. It's not listed in the cosmetic safety database so you can use it in blissful ignorance.

[Moe]

It gets humid here which makes sunscreen even more gross... and to have to reapply..ewww

I'll have to check out the acne website for the oil as clogging seems to be a major issue with oil products.

[Prtty Peaushun]

Ive been using moroccan oil but jojoba oil sounds even better! I'll have to try this...thanks for the recommendations :]

- Prtty Peaushun
www.PrttyPeaushun.blogspot.com