Starting a New Skin Routine

*Press Sample

I didn't want to take back a whole regime of half empty skin care bottles so I recycled what remained of my more than half used products in Toronto and started a completely new regime when I came back. It was about time I dove into these Vichy products since they've been sitting here for months!

Trying all the items in a product range always feels like a nice plus. Lately I've been using the ProEven Brightening Cleansing Foam* ($20CDN, 100ml) along with the ProEven Advanced Daily Dark Spot Corrector* ($48.50CDN, 30ml), and ProEven Night Overnight Concentration*($49.50CDN, 30ml). The ProEven line fights dark spots, age spots, acne scars, uneven skin tone and sun spots. The items are Hydroquinone and paraben free and in one trial, 20% of dark spots were reduced in 8 weeks. I have few real dark pigmentation spots on my face. Most of my 'dark spots' are actually clogged pores, but there is some uneven tone around my cheeks and a few large dark spots and acne scars I'd like to fade away. FYI, the Cleansing Foam can leave a slight residue if you aren't washing your face properly. I'll keep you guys updated if I get some amazing results. So far, these are comfortable to use and just hydrating enough. Also the products have a raspberry (I think...) scent which I quite like.

I've also been using the Aqualia Thermal Boosting Essence Water* ($30CDN, 200ml) as a sort of toner and hydration solution. It soaks into the skin so quickly and instantly plumps up and softens my skin. Sometimes when I wash my face in the middle of the day and can't reapply the Day or Night treatment/moisturizers, I just use the Water and my face is moisturized. There is a floral scent which might be a downfall for some but its been working really great! The thicker gel consistency is unlike either the Dermalogica Skin Hydration Booster or the Viva Pure Hyaluronic Acid Eye and Face Serum but equally hydrating (though with some silicones).

I'm really lazy about moving my products around so I have a cleanser on the counter (the ProEven) and I also keep one in the shower. For shower face washes, the Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel* ($20CDN, 200ml) has worked well. A good basic cleansing gel that cleans and doesn't strip away. Nothing crazy to write home about but I like that its formulated for sensitive skin. Its supposed to eliminate the effects of hard water on your skin.

And of course, I always have on hand some sort of cleanser solely used for cleaning up swatches. The Purete Thermal 3-in-1 One Step Cleanser for Sensitive Skin* ($20CDN, 200ml) is a cleansing milk that tones and can be used to remove eye-makeup. Since I don't like cleansing milk formulas, this was perfect for cleaning up swatches from my hands/arms. It takes care of most color cosmetics well but doesn't quite remove foundations or super stained lip products. The formula is comfortable and lotion-like, so after constantly squeezing and scrubbing my hands, my skin isn't raw. That makes it a serviceable swatch-remover in my book.  

Anyways, this was a super long post so thanks for anyone that actually made it through the whole thing. Pretty pleased in general with most of these and won't be switching them out until they're done.

Do you try to use all the same brand for you skincare?