Jovana Tomin: skincare

You know what they say: find an SPF you like and you won't hate applying it. Well, I've found mine.

We all know how important daily use of SPF is and this product has not only made the application enjoyable, but it quickly became my fave step in my morning skincare. Even though it's not SPF50, I think SPF45 still gets the job done. We don't have to be that nitpicky about it. Missha really know what they're doing on the SPF front, if you ask me. But I'm getting ahead of myself. No more spoilers - let's take it step by step.

the formula? superior!

The formula of this Missha SPF is one of my favorite things about it. It's super lightweight and gentle, I'd even go as far as to say that it's mousse-like. In fact, let me go even further - it's divine. I'm not even joking when I say that it's a joy to apply. It goes on super smoothly and easily, sinks in quickly and leaves your skin looking nice and hydrated. Exactly what we want, right?

If you're still not convinced, let me try a bit harder. This SPF doesn't leave a white cast, doesn't pill, and doesn't make you look super greasy. I mean, what more could you possibly ask for? Best of all, it hasn't caused any acne or other issues. And if you know me, you'll know that's my greatest fear when testing out new products. I'm telling you - it's the perfect product!

when it's a 10, but it has a scent

I don't know about you, but I don't really want to smell my skincare, I just want it to feel nice on my skin. In fact, when there's a scent, there's also some anxiety in my head cause my skin can be quite a sensitive little bitch, pardon my French. And honestly, I don't think the scent is worth the risk.

But even though I normally don't like scented skincare, even I have to admit this product smells incredible. Very fresh, flowery and subtle. I don't mind it at all, I think it actually adds to the experience. I never thought I'd say about a skincare scent, but I guess I'm a changed woman. Of course, I'm only able to admit this because I haven't had any issues, flare-ups, breakouts or negative reactions. So this time, it stays a 10 regardless of the scent, which says A LOT.

repurchase-worthy?

Absolutely, no doubt about it. This is one of the few SPF products I've tried that I would actually LOVE to repurchase again and again. My skin really enjoyed it and I'm a creature of habit. I don't actually like experimenting too much when it comes to skincare - I stick to what I know. When I find products I like, it's hard for me to stray from them.

So in my books, the Missha Essence SPF 45 goes in the SPF Hall of Fame and it's a proud member of my favorites shelf. What about you - have you tried it? Or do you have a different SPF staple? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to know!

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The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion flatlay

I've been battling acne for what feels like an eternity. In reality, it's been about 8 or 9 years. That's still too long if you ask me. Last year I finally managed to get my skin more-less under control. But come October, my skin started going crazy. I had acne and breakouts like I hadn't seen before. I didn't know what else to do as nothing was working well enough. In December, I finally turned to retinol and I never looked back. As I'm writing this in March, I'm looking in the mirror in disbelief. I don't have any pimples on my skin, the scars have faded a lot and it looks much more even overall. And did I mention that I'm in PMS which usually means breakout season? It's all thanks to The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion close-up

The benefits of using retinol

If you're unfamiliar with retinol, I'll give you a quick run-down of its benefits. Retinol is a form of vitamin A that's known for its anti-aging benefits. But that's not all it can do. These are the top upsides of using a retinol product:

Anti-aging - prevents and reduces wrinkles
Brightening - evens out the skin and makes it look more radiant
Acne treating - keeps your pores clog-free, therefore minimizing the appearance of acne and blackheads
Reducing dark spots and scarring

What retinol essentially does is stimulates a quicker cell turnover. This means that your dead skin cells are shedding quicker and so they're not able to clog your pores. Other than that, new skin cells are forming quicker, leaving your skin looking fresh and smooth.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% - my experience

The Ordinary offers 6 different types of retinol serums and I went for the mildest one. First of all the Granactive Retinoid line is gentler than the Retinol line. Other than that, it's only a 2% serum. Because of that, there is no irritation, redness, flaking, dryness or purging when using this product. The irritation risk is very, very low. I personally had no issues with it.

The serum itself is very liquidy, runny and lightweight. It's kind of a milky white color and it has an ever so slight scent (that's not exactly pleasant). Don't worry, it doesn't contain perfume, it's just the scent of the formula, I guess. It's very easy to spread it around your face and it sinks in pretty quickly. After applying it, the skin looks RADIANT. It's gorgeous, honestly. Every time I apply it I can't stop staring at myself in the mirror.

Ever since using this serum, my acne has practically disappeared. I get the occasional spot, but very, very rarely. The acne I had on my jawline and cheeks is gone and the scars are fading slowly, but surely. Overall, my skin looks significantly better and even the under-the-skin acne has vanished. I do put all these improvements down to The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion.

How to properly apply retinol

If you don't know about the rules of applying retinol, here's a little heads up.

It's meant to be applied as part of your night-time skincare routine.
You apply a few drops onto your clean, dry face.
If you're new to retinol and you want to use a buffer to reduce the chances of irritation, you can apply it after your moisturizer or mix it in with your moisturizer.
You can apply it after your hydrating serum - just wait for your skin to be completely dry.
Apply a moisturizer after retinol.
Using SPF is non-negotiable! You have to use an SPF during the day when you're using retinol because your skin will be more sensitive to the Sun.

Personally, I apply this product after my Hada Labo Hydrator. After the retinol, I apply my Mixa Hyalurogel Light moisturizer. With that, I'm done and ready for bed. I use retinol two nights in a row and then I take a two-night break. It's a routine that really works for me.

If you're someone who also struggles with acne, I highly recommend giving this baby a go. You will get the results without the bad side effects and you'll see a huge difference. I hope. Of course, you have to be patient with it and use it regularly to actually see the results. It's definitely not a change that happens overnight. My skin took its sweet time and I started seeing improvements after about a month of using retinol. So, be patient and I'm sure it will pay off.

In case you've used The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion - let me know! I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts.

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Ah, niacinamide - my first The Ordinary love and the product that got me into proper skincare. It definitely holds a special place in my heart, but not only for sentimental reasons. This little miracle in a 30ml bottle is something that I cannot live without. I keep repurchasing it and I think I am currently on my 6th bottle. I started using it about a year and a half ago and I never looked back. So, here's what I have to say about The Ordinary Niacinamide serum.

Are you interested in the back story that led to me buying this baby? Well, ready or not, here goes. I was in Sweden last July/August and my skin was absolutely hating it. I knew that I had to do something to fix all the breakouts happening on my face. Plus, I really wanted to buy some products that I couldn't get hold of at home. Then I got the genius idea of checking out The Ordinary's products. I started researching and found out that Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% was practically everybody's holy grail. So, it was decided - I needed to get it. And as you can tell, I never regretted that choice. Okay, let's get into the actual review now.

First of all, let's talk a little about niacinamide, or vitamin B3. This superstar ingredient is here to help with blemishes, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, sebum production and help your skin live its best life, basically. It's suitable for all skin types and negative reactions to it aren't too common. In other words, if you decide to use niacinamide, you probably won't regret that decision.

The Niacinamide serum by The Ordinary has a pretty high percentage of niacinamide - 10%. If you want to be a little more careful and start slow, you'll get all the benefits of niacinamide even if you use it in much lower doses. This serum also contains 1% Zinc, which is known to be very helpful for acne-prone skin. I think this combo is the perfect choice if you're struggling with acne like I am.

When it comes to my experience with it, I have to say that I've noticed a huge difference in my skin ever since I started using it. Granted, this isn't the only product that I've started using in hopes of fixing my skin, but I do think it deserves a lot of credit. In general, The Ordinary skincare is something that's completely changed the game for me. But niacinamide in particular helps me out a lot.

I use this serum in the morning and I apply it on damp skin. Then I follow it up with moisturizer and SPF and that's me done. I've noticed that my skin has been getting MUCH less oily ever since I started using The Ordinary Niacinamide. It definitely does help regulate sebum production and therefore it also reduces breakouts and blemishes. Of course, I still get the occasional breakout, but it happens much less often than it used to. My skin looks much more even, the texture is significantly improved, I have less redness and my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation goes away much quicker. I love using this product to calm my skin down when it's inflamed, to handle the stubborn hormonal acne and help the acne and acne scarring go away faster. I personally haven't had any issues with it, although I know that not everyone gets along with this serum. Unfortunately.

Even though I think this product has had a huge impact on my skin, I have to say that I use a few other products that contribute to my skin improvement. I love using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution, The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo and a few other gems. Much to everyone's disappointment, one product alone can't completely change your skin. Or at least I haven't found one that can. But, a combination of a few really good quality products can definitely bring you great results.

I will definitely continue to repurchase The Ordinary Niacinamide serum for a long, long time, but I do want to hear your experiences as well. Tell me about your thoughts on this serum or other niacinamide products you've used.

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I know it's October, but that doesn't make wearing SPF on the daily any less important. So, today I'll tell you all about my current SPF to try and inspire you to still wear sunscreen even though it's cold outside.

For a while now, I've wanted to try a Korean sunscreen because I've heard so many people talk about how lightweight and gentle they are on the skin. Finally, I got my hands on the Missha Waterproof Sun Milk SPF50+ and I'm super happy with my choice.

The texture of the Missha Waterproof Sun Milk is absolutely gorgeous. The name says it all - sun *milk*. It's suuuper light and liquidy. It's almost a little inconvenient to apply it because it runs everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - I love it! When you apply it to the skin, you don't feel it at all. It's very, very lightweight and sinks in beautifully and quickly. It doesn't leave a white cast on the face and it doesn't feel or look greasy. It almost mattifies the skin, but your natural glow still shines through. I think my fellow oily-skinned people will adore this SPF because it's so gentle, light and non-greasy.

Most importantly: THERE'S NO PILLING! I've been really struggling with my previous sunscreens because they always pilled and crumbled on my face. But I don't have that issue with this beauty.

There's a slight scent to it, but it's not overpowering at all. Even though I'm not a fan of scents in skincare, I really don't mind this one and it doesn't cause any irritation. Though my skin has been breaking out like crazy, it's mainly hormonal acne due to PMS, but I think it's safe to say that this SPF has not caused me to break out.

Another thing I love about this product - the packaging is 70ml! That's 20ml more than your regular sunscreen (or at least the ones I've used in the past). Also, the bottle is very sleek and thin, which is great for traveling.

All in all, I'm happy to say that I am enjoying this sunscreen from Missha very much. It's everything I'd hoped it would be and I'm super satisfied with my choice. I'm really looking forward to trying more Korean SPF products if they're all this great. Have you tried it? What's your fave Korean SPF?

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Just like your body, your skin also needs hydration. While drinking plenty of water is a sure way to hydrate all your organs, there's another way to provide extra love for your skin. Using a hydrating product in your skincare routine is a good idea, no matter your skin type. Whether you're dry or oily, your skin will love you for giving it some extra hydration. That's why I desperately wanted to try this ever-so-popular Hada Labo Tokyo hydrator. They claim that this product is Japan's bestseller that's sold every two seconds. Is that true? Well, I have no idea. It could definitely be a marketing trick playing with the consumers' minds, but I would totally understand if it were true. I've been using this Hada Labo Tokyo Super Hydrator for a while now and I think it's time to tell you some of my thoughts about it. So, if you're wondering if this big boy is a good choice for skin lacking hydration, read on.

The first thing I love about this product - it's unscented! I really dislike the concept of scented skincare as I see fragrance as one extra thing that can cause irritation and unnecessary problems. As someone with acne-prone skin, I really don't need to test my skin and risk getting acne and inflammation just because a product smells nice. I don't care about the smell.

Secondly, the packaging is huge! Though there are some more affordable hydrating serums on the market, they usually come in a packaging of about 30-50ml. Well, this baby is three times that! You get 150ml of product that will last you for ages.

Now - the formula. Ah, the formula. It's a wonderful, watery, runny texture that is incredibly lightweight. It feels like applying water on your face, but it's actually a gorgeous product with three types of hyaluronic acid. Hello, hydration! Obviously, the claim of this product is to hydrate your skin, and it definitely does come through and deliver. If you're looking for extra hydration, it won't let you down.

When it comes to the application, it's very simple. I usually use 2-3 pumps and apply the product onto my damp face. When you apply serums on damp skin, the skin almost acts as a sponge and the product sinks in better. I press it into the skin, let it sit for a few seconds and then move on to the rest of my routine. I always follow up with at least a moisturizer to trap in the hyaluronic acid and make sure it doesn't end up drying my skin. Yes, that can happen. If the hyaluronic acid doesn't have another source of moisture, then it will draw the moisture from the deeper levels of your skin. So, I suggest using a moisturizer on top of this hydrator. Normally, I use it morning and night after cleansing my face.

It hasn't caused any inflammation, acne or any other issues you can think of. It's just here to give a little boost of hydration to the skin and make it look and feel happy and plump. My skin drinks it up and looooves it! It's just what I needed to up my skincare game and treat my skin, especially when I'm using acne treatments.

Well, I think that's all I have to say about the Hada Labo Tokyo Super Hydrator. I definitely recommend giving it a go if you haven't yet. If you ask me, I think it's suitable for all skin types and it can only do you good. But because everyone's skin reacts differently to products, make sure to let me know your thoughts on this baby. It's always great to get different opinions, especially if you're thinking of buying a skincare product. So, talk to you in the comments!

Znam, znam znam, ceo je instagram je već pričao o ovom hidratoru i svima vam je dosadio. Ali posle toliko recenzija, morala sam i ja da ga probam, a sada kada sam ga probala, moram da pišem o njemu!
Na pakovanju piše da je ovo jedan od najprodavanijih proizvoda u Japanu koji se proda na svake dve sekunde. Da li je istina ili marketinški trik ne znam, ali ako jeste istina, razumem u potpunosti.

Za početak, obožavam što nema miris! Nisam ljubitelj parfema u kozmetici jer smatram da je to samo još jedna stvar koja može da iziritira kožu i izazove akne. Po mom mišljenju, to je sasvim nepotrebno, ali znam da ima onih koji vole da zadovolje i čulo mirisa. Ja se plašim akni i ne želim da rizikujem.

Pakovanje je ogromno i mislim da se definitivno isplati. Iako možete naći jeftinije hidratantne serume, oni su uglavnom u pakovanju od 30-50ml, dok je ovaj tri puta veći. Dobijate 150ml po redovnoj ceni od oko 2000rsd, a često ga možete naći i na sniženju. Trenutno je snižen i u DM-u i u Lilly drogerijama i cena mu je oko 1500 rsd.

Tekstura je jako lagana, vodenkasta i prijatna. Imate osećaj kao da stavljate vodu na lice, iako je zapravo prelepa mešavina 3 vrste hijaluronske kiseline. Ja uglavnom nanesem 2-3 pumpice na vlažno lice ujutru i uveče. Kada serume nanesete na vlažno lice, koža se ponaša skoro kao sunđer i bolje upija proizvode. Uvek nanesem kremu preko kako mi hijaluronska kiselina ne bi isušila lice. Da, to može da se desi ako nema odakle da izvule vlagu, pa je izvlači iz dubljih slojeva kože. Tako da, krema posle hijalurona!

Nije mi izazvao nikakve upale, akne ili druge probleme. Samo lepo hidrira lice i učini da koža izgleda jedro, sveže i srećno. Pretpostavljam da svi obožavate ovaj hidrator, ali svakako mi pišite svoje utiske u komentarima.

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I know, I know, at this point everyone and their mum has written about the Mixa Hyalurogel Light cream. However, because I've been raving about it for years and I absolutely love it, I feel like it's only right that I tell you my story with it.

About 3 years ago, I went to a dermatologist hoping that he'd finally fix my acne-prone skin for good. Though that didn't exactly work, there's one great thing that came out of spending a tone of money on visiting the dermatologist - this gorgeous moisturizer. After treating my skin with a bunch of drying products for months in an attempt to get rid of my acne, he finally recommended using the Mixa Hyalurogel Light cream as my daily moisturizer. As I said, that was about 3 years ago and I'm still repurchasing this baby and using it religiously!

Mixa Hyalurogel Light is enriched with hyaluronic acid which your skin needs and it is aimed at sensitive normal and dehydrated skin. It's no secret that our skin needs a lot of hydration and that hyaluronic acid is a very desirable ingredient for that purpose. Hyaluronic acid is a component of the skin that keeps it looking plump and prevents moisture loss. That's why you should bring it back to the skin after using drying products. And while there are serums that contain a bigger amount of HA than this moisturizer, it's still an amazing product to add into your routine. Trust me, I've persuaded practically everyone I know to start using this cream and I haven't heard one complaint yet! Everyone loves this little gem.

I am obsessed with this cream. It smells absolutely divine, it's incredibly lightweight and it feels very refreshing on the skin. Every night (and morning sometimes) I cannot wait to lather it all over my face. It simply feels amazing - kind of like giving your skin a glass of water.

There are two versions of this cream - light and rich. Because I'm an oily mess, I stick to using the light version with 7% glycerin. However, if your skin is on the drier side, you can go for the rich one with 10% glycerin. My friend who's got much drier skin than me loves the rich version, so it's definitely worth a shot. Choose according to your skin's needs.

As with any other skincare item, I can't vouch for its effects and claim that it will help your skin, as skin is a very touchy subject matter. All I can say is that it's a very pleasant, enjoyable product that hasn't given me any problems. And let me tell you, my skin is prone to bad reactions (acne) when it doesn't like a product. Tell me about your experience with this baby. Is the Mixa Hyalurogel Light your fave as well or do you have a different holy grail moisturizer?

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Taking good care of your skin is important all year round and wearing sunscreen should be one of the most important steps in your skincare routine at all times. However, when summer rolls around, protecting the skin from sun damage is even more important as the sun becomes stronger. As I've mentioned in my previous post about the most important skincare lessons, the SPF of my choice is the La Roche Posay Anthelios line. Today I'm here to talk about the good and the bad when it comes to these gems.

The one I used first was the anti-shine one. While I did like it, mostly because it provided protection without breaking me out, there were some things I didn't love about it. There was a slight white cast, which I didn't mind too much cause I'm already pretty pale. But if you've got a darker skin tone, you probably wouldn't like that. Something that really annoyed me was that it would get pretty flakey. That's something to keep in mind when you're applying foundation over the SPF.

However, none of these things stopped me from using the product. I love that I didn't feel like it was clogging my pores, it wasn't heavy or greasy on my skin. It was very pleasant and I loved using it. Even though it's only a 50ml packaging, this baby lasted me the entire year. I don't know how that happened as I basically used it every day. I'm not complaining, though.

Once I ran out of that one, I bought a different version of the La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF - the anti-imperfections one. It's enriched with niacinamide and salicylic acid, which are two gorgeous ingredients all my acne-prone people will love. I have to say, I already prefer this version even though I've only used it a few times. It's a little bit easier to blend into the skin, it's almost as if it's creamier. Because of the creamier texture, I feel like it doesn't pill as much as my previous one. It feels just as light on the skin and doesn't cause breakouts! It makes my skin look really nice and glowy, which I adore. Because the previous one was anti-shine, it didn't give me that nice SPF glow. There's still a slight white cast, but again, I don't mind it.

I love that La Roche Posay offers so many versions of SPF so there's something for everyone. I've persuaded basically all my friends and family to get their hands on this sunscreen. Even though it can get a bit flakey, I absolutely love these products. I love how they feel on my skin and how my skin looks with them on. I don't mind looking a little flakey, if that's the price I need to pay to protect my skin and keep it happy and healthy. My biggest concern with SPF was clogged pores and acne, but I truly haven't had those issues with these products. So, if that's something you're worried about, LRP has got your back!

In case you're preparing for the summer and you're in the market for a good SPF that will keep you safe and prevent sun damage and premature aging, I truly recommend giving a chance to the Anthelios line. I know plenty of people who love these products and it's for a good reason! I personally trust La Roche Posay and I'd love to try practically all of their products, so this was a natural choice for me. What are you favorite SPF products?

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Flat lay of skincare products representing the best skincare lessons

For as long as I can remember, I've been trying my best to clear up my skin and get rid of spots and scars. It hasn't been a walk in the park, but I've learned to appreciate my problematic skin. If you think I'm crazy, just hear me out. Having skin issues like acne for years and years has forced me to learn a lot about skin and educate myself. I've tried every trick in the book for clearing up the skin, but nothing helped until I truly learned some things. For the past year or so, I've been intensely watching skincare videos and reading up on skincare. I think it's safe to say that I've learned some invaluable lessons which have helped me get my skin in order. Sure, drinking lots of water and eating clean helps, but there's much more to it. So, today I want to share 3 of the best and most important skincare lessons I've learned. I hope these will help some of you.

1. Double cleanse!

I've always known that you HAVE to remove your makeup at the end of the day, no matter what. It doesn't matter if I'm tired, drunk or simply don't feel like removing it - the makeup must come off. For years, I've been using micellar water for removing my makeup and it's worked just fine. However, I've recently learned the importance and beauty of double cleansing.

Double cleansing is one of the most important skincare lessons to learn

The premise of double cleansing is pretty self-explanatory. The idea is that you should use one cleanser for removing your makeup and another for removing the remainder of the grime. It's best to use an oil-based cleanser for the first cleanse. That will remove all the oil-based dirt on your face, like makeup, sunscreen, excess oil, etc. Basically, an oil cleanser will deeply clean your skin and won't leave the skin feeling stripped and dry. Also, make sure to apply the oil cleanser onto dry skin so that it can do its job properly. Oil and water don't mix, so don't ruin its effectiveness by dampening your face beforehand.

Once the bulk of the dirt is off your face, it's time for the second cleanse. You don't want to leave the oil sitting on your face and clogging your pores. Instead, take your favorite cleanser and remove all the dirt that's still sitting on your face. Remember to massage the cleanser into your skin for about 60 seconds so that its gorgeous ingredients can actually do something for your skin. Double cleansing will not only deep clean your skin and prevent clogged pores, but it will also allow your other products to sink into the skin better.

2. Wear SPF every day

Yes, I was one of those teens who wanted a tan and SPF just didn't fit into that plan. Once I realized how important it was to protect the skin from the sun, I simply wasn't able to invest in a more expensive and higher quality SPF. Also, I was afraid that using an SPF would break me out and cause chaos on my face. So, I went without SPF on my face for longer than I'd like to admit.

Two La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50 creams

About a year ago, I finally invested in the La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50 and there's no turning back now. This SPF is everything I wanted. It doesn't cause my skin to break out and it doesn't feel thick and greasy. I've been wearing it every single day, no matter the season. I've learned how important it is to protect your skin from sun damage. Not only is that the best way to prevent your skin from aging prematurely, but it also prevents sun spots and hyperpigmentation, and most importantly, it protects you from skin cancer. So, wear your SPF babes!

(Drinking game: take a shot for each time I wrote ''SPF''.)

3. Chemical exfoliation is the key to great skin

Not only have I been struggling with acne for years, but I've also had issues with the texture of my skin, acne scars, and an uneven skin tone. Before I started learning about active ingredients and chemical exfoliation, I didn't know what to do with my skin. I guess I just started hoping for a miracle. Well, in my case, the miracle was buying The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution.

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution is great for evening out the skin

Using AHAs and BHAs (basically - acids) for exfoliating the skin is a true game-changer! Ingredients like glycolic, lactic, mandelic acid (AHAs) or salicylic acid (BHA) are there to remove the dead skin cell of your face and their small molecules allow them to get into your pores and clean them properly. This will help you with literally everything. Using glycolic acid a few nights a week has improved the overall look of my skin - I get fewer spots and blackheads, my skin is smooth and more even. So, this truly is a miracle worker.

PSA: If you do start using AHAs and BHAs, you need to slowly introduce them into your skincare routine and let your skin get used to them. Don't use these ingredients every day, especially if your skin is sensitive. Also, you HAVE TO wear SPF if you're using these in your routine.

So, these are just some of the most important skincare lessons I've learned recently. I have plenty more where that came from, so I'd happily write more on this topic in the future. These tips have really improved my skin and they've made me enjoy my skincare routine so much more. I now know how to treat my face with the ingredients and products that are actually good and effective. Hopefully, adding these steps into your routine will be helpful to you as well. Feel free to write your favorite skincare lessons in the comments!

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I just spent the best three weeks on a summer course in Sweden. And while it was amazing for my soul, my social life and my knowledge of Swedish, it wasn't so great for my skin. For some reason unknown to me, my skin really didn't enjoy my stay in Sweden and it was inflamed and full of breakouts almost the entire time. It may have had something to do with the copious amounts of cinnamon buns I ate, but you can't blame me for that. One thing that my skin did agree with, though, was going to Åhléns and buying a few of The Ordinary skincare products. I didn't want to go ham, but I did have to purchase three products that I'd heard great things about. Here they are.

Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

The first product is this amazing The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. My, oh my, has this been fixing my skin! I feel like out of the three products this one has contributed most to my skin clearing up.

This is an AHA which is great for exfoliating the skin. It's a chemical exfoliant. I feel like this is the perfect product to use after a long day of wearing makeup. After removing your makeup, you want to make sure every last bit is gone. This toner will help get your skin completely clean. However, this isn't only something to use to ensure that your face is clean, this is a miracle worker when it comes to different things. It has helped my skin clear up and I have been breaking out much, much less since using this baby. It's also helped with texture and it's just made my skin look better overall. I only use this toner a few nights a week and I can still notice great results.

If you decide to use this product, you need to be careful with it. If your skin stings when you apply it, that is normal - it just means your skin isn't used to acids. If that's the case, start by using it 2 or 3 times a week. Don't go overboard. You can gradually start using it more often based on how your skin is reacting. If there's some pealing, that's also okay. You should introduce it into your skincare routine slowly. Also, don't forget to wear SPF during the day when you're using an acid like this.

Niacinamide 10% + Zink 1%

This next one is a product I love using because it feels so lush applying a product with a dropper. Is it just me that finds that satisfying? Anyhow, Niacinamide helps clean your pores and get rid of any congestion. It's meant to prevent breakouts and the Zinc helps with that. They say it also helps with sebum activity, but I think that's a little bit difficult to determine. All in all, I've been using this product every day, both in the morning and at night for the past month. I love using it and I feel like it's made a huge difference in my skin in combination with the two other products.

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10%

I love using this product in the evening after I moisturize. So, the procedure is: cleanse, apply niacinamide, moisturize, apply vitamin C. Oh, I forgot to mention - this is a vitamin C derivative. Vitamin C is really good for brightening your skin and making it look fresher and it's an antioxidant. Some vitamin C derivatives don't work well with niacinamide, but this particular one does and that's why I chose the The Ordinary's Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10%. I don't have much more to say about this product, but I do feel like my skin has been looking a bit brighter and healthier.

I am, of course, not a skincare expert, but I've done a lot of research on these babies. I don't know which one is the most effective or which one has made the biggest difference because I started using them at the same time. All I know is that my skin has been much better, clearer, fresh-looking and my skin tone has been more even. I feel like some acne scars are starting to fade thanks to these puppies as well. So, all in all, I am over the moon about this purchase and I would definitely recommend finding skincare products from The Ordinary that are suitable for your skin.

I know that I wrote a skincare routine two months ago, but when you have problematic skin, you need to try out lots of products before finding the perfect ones. Well, I guess I've found mine. Thanks, The Ordinary, you're a skin-saver.

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This is a long overdue blog post that I've wanted to write for months but haven't gotten around to it. However, now I'm here and I'm gonna tell you the story of how Bioderma ruined my skin (not clickbait lol). Disclaimer: I have nothing against Bioderma as a brand, but this product simply did not work for my skin.

If you've been reading my posts for a while, you'll have seen that I've written about my skin a couple of times. The most recent post about skincare was a review of a cream that I absolutely love, and now we're switching things around and talking about one that I hate.

I've talked about my dermatologist before and how much he's helped me. This is actually one of the products that he gave me, and it's the only one that has not worked. He gave me free samples of this cream and I was incredibly excited because I thought it was going to be a miracle worker. When you read the label of this product and everything that it promises, you would expect it to be a match made in heaven for my skin. For sensitive and weakened acne-prone skin - me to a T. However, within days of using it, I noticed my skin getting worse - I had a lot of redness and acne was starting to show up after some time of being gone. I rang up my dermatologist to complain and he told me to stop using it. I thought that was gonna be the end of my relationship with this devil-cream.

About two months ago, I went to my dermatologist to get a treatment. His wife was doing my treatment and instead of using the cream he had used the previous time, she decided to use this one. I was stupid enough not to stop her because I wanted it to work and thought that maybe it hadn't been the cream that broke me out. I expected to wake up the next day with perfect-looking skin, but instead I woke up to it red, irritated and with more whiteheads than I'd ever had. I was devastated. All my hard work went down the drain and I was back to square zero.

I, of course, did not continue using this cream even though I got some more free samples. I managed to calm my skin down in about a week or two and continued using the products that I had used before this one. My skin is now pretty okay and I am planning on going for another treatment, but this time I'm going to explicitly tell them NOT to use this cream on me.

This product didn't agree with my skin for some reason, but of course that doesn't mean that it won't work for you. I'd just be careful with it. I actually ended up giving my samples to a friend and she absolutely loved it. So in conclusion, everyone's skin is different and labels can trick you.

On a more positive note, I love the Bioderma Sebium facewash, so I'm definitely not bashing the entire brand.

If you're on a journey to skin betterment, I wish you all the luck in the world.

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I thought today I'd write a little bit about how I cleared my skin and share my experience in hopes that it will help someone.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that here and there I've complained about my skin problems. Basically for about 4 years or so there was never a time when I didn't have at least one spot. It doesn't sound like much, but there were obviously times when I would break out and it would be painful and itchy and gross. It was all round very annoying and a big insecurity of mine. On top of the spots, or acne I guess, my face tends to go red when I laugh, or when I get hot or just when it decides to annoy me, so that wasn't helping. I'm not saying my skin was the worst, I know a lot of people have it much much worse, but that doesn't make my problem any less frustrating.

Over the years I've tried lots of different products and routines and nothing really helped long term. In my Morning and Evening Skincare Routine posts that I did about 2 months ago, I did share some products that worked well with my skin. I thought I would finally get it clear and that I had found my holy grail products. However, even though they did really get along with my skin, they weren't getting rid of scars nor were they preventing spots. They cleared up most of my skin, but there was a little bit of an explosion on my chin and my mum insisted that I finally visited a dermatologist. Now, that had crossed my mind a few times throughout the years, but I always thought that my problem wasn't serious enough to go to the doctor's about it. Well, I'd finally had enough and I scheduled an appointment. Let me tell you, that was the best decision I've ever made.

I had my first appointment towards the end of September and since then I've went back twice. I've had 3 or 4 different therapies so far - he's given me a bunch of different creams, antibiotics and face washes that are specifically made for treating acne. It's now about a month later and I can notice a huge, huge difference. My family and friends have also said that my skin has gotten much better. I currently only have one spot on my face, but it's disappearing and my scars have faded massively. I've had some flaking and dryness as a result of using products that dry out the skin, but I just applied some moisturiser and it was completely bearable. I'm currently only using three products - a Bioderma face wash, Skinoren cream that gets rid of scars and spots, but also moisturises a little bit and a mixture that I apply at night only onto the spots.

I can't sit here and tell you what to use and I don't think sharing the products that I've been prescribed would help anyone because everyone's skin is different and I'm not a doctor. However, I think I can sit here and recommend going to a dermatologist. I'm kicking myself for not having gone earlier, to be honest. It is a little bit of an investment, but if your skin is something that really frustrates you and is an insecurity of yours, I think it's definitely worth seeking some professional help. I'm not saying my skin is perfect now, but it's so, so, so much better and I think it could get closer to perfect at the end of my journey.

A universal tip my dermatologist gave me is to avoid fizzy drinks and sweets, so try doing that. Drink water, drink green tea, moisturise, but if none of that helps, go get help.

I don't have before pictures cause I obviously didn't feel like taking photos of my skin at that point, but I do have some after photos.