Jovana Tomin

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!

No comments

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.

No comments

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.

2 comments

No comments

Pages

the formula? superior!

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

repurchase-worthy?

The benefits of using retinol

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% - my experience

How to properly apply retinol

About me

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Categories