Beauty Brand Spotlight: La Roche-Posay

This post is a beauty brand spotlight of a brand that comes right out of the French pharmacy, the ever lovely La Roche-Posay. This French beauty brand is what initially got started my beauty journey…and am I ever so grateful. 

During the year of 2013, I was having an awful time with breakouts. There was literally a new spot [almost] every day of the week & I couldn’t figure out what was going wrong (stress? hormones? diet? all 3?). Since nothing I did seemed to fix the problem, I researched heavily for months on end & tried products to help calm down my sensitive, red & severely acne-stricken skin… and nothing worked, until I stumbled on this brand. Let the clearer-skin journey begin…

** DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an expert/licensed in skincare/dermatology/etc. It took my skin almost a year to fully get back to “normal”. This was not an overnight success or even a few months; it took a lot of patience, alongside trial and error. I did NOT see a dermatologist during this period or any facial specialist; this was all on my own. It is STRONGLY advisable that you see a dermatologist/skincare specialist for any and all skincare concerns. **

One of the first products I tried from LPR was their Effaclar DUO Acne Treatment. In a few days time, spots that I was having a hard time getting rid of started going away, with some completely overnight. It says on the tube to apply it 2-3 times daily; I was doing max 2 times a day (morning & night) & that seemed to do the trick. I did get a few slight reactions with first use: a little redness, dryness, itchiness, & some very slight peeling; though this is normal when using this medication (for me it went away over time with continuous use). Since I saw such a positive reaction from this product, I decided to do more research into the brand in hopes of being able to find other products to help better my skin more.

Next, I picked up their  Toleriane Soothing Protective Moisturizer & Rosaliac Skin Perfecting Redness Moisturizer (not pictured). The Rosaliac moisturizer helped calm down the redness in my skin tremendously, while also pairing it some days with the CC cream from the same line. Miracle workers! The Rosaliac moisturizer also proved to be a very good base before I applied makeup; another product of theirs that I fell in love with (& finished till the very last drop!). The other moisturizer, Toleriane, proved to be just as effective and compatible to my skin as the previous. It helped seal hydration & ease any discomfort my skin was going through without fragrance & being greasy. I still currently use this moisturizer today despite my skin being under control now. It’s a wonderful product that I always reach for & couldn’t imagine my skincare routine be without!

On the topic of moisturizers, I have to also throw in my two cents about Lipikar Lait. The skin on my face and the skin on my body are completely different; though both are sensitive, the rest of my body tends to be very dry all year round (especially in winter). This body milk is a staple when it comes to hydrating my skin (sometimes I also like to pair it with their thermal water spray). It leaves my body soft and supple without a dry patch in sight! I usually slather it on at night, after a shower, on days where my skin isn’t feeling its best and the hydration lasts until the following evening. 

Once my acne started to clear up with the help of the products above, I started to notice that acne spots were being left behind by blemishes that overstayed their welcome. I picked up the Pigmentclar Serum (not pictured). If you haven’t guessed already, this worked wonders! My dark spots were almost a thing of the past by the time I got done with the bottle. Granted, it is to say that it did not get rid of them completely or overnight, but it helped tremendously in the process of lightening them up; to a point where I barely had to use my concealer excessively anymore.

With all these products going onto my face, I couldn’t forget the most important part of my daily routine, applying SPF! I must admit, for a while I was naughty & didn’t apply sunscreen everyday, but once I started to see the work I was putting to end the AcneFest of 2013, it would just be pointless to have put in all that hard work and effort if it wasn’t properly protected. Now, in comes my FAVORITE/MUST-HAVE from La Roche-Posay, the Antheolios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid. Never have I enjoyed applying sunscreen on my face as much as I do with this product; fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, light formula that is even safe for sensitive skin types. No greasy feeling or residue & dries rather quickly. It dries normal/matte, though I haven’t found it to be too matte for my combo skin. I have experienced absolutely ZERO irritation, stinging, breakouts, clogged pores, etc with this sunscreen. I have always hated applying sunscreen to my face because of the smell, feel, and the fact that some actually irritated my skin [WHO PUTS FRAGRANCE IN SUNSCREEN THOUGH?].  I also want to mention how much I love the size and packaging of this sunscreen; it's small enough to throw in the purse or to pack away when traveling. This has become an everyday essential staple within my skincare routine.

Ending this post with my other LPR favorite/must-have is their Thermal Spring Water. This is the key ingredient throughout the brand’s line, & for good reason. This natural anti-oxidant helps soothe and hydrate any sensitive, dry or irritated areas. It can also be sprayed on for a quick refresh after the gym or hot day. I personally use this after every shower in the evening before I apply anything else, & throughout the day when needed. It just feel so good when spraying it on, sometimes I think I can overdo it because it just feeling so refreshing. With the inexpensive price tag, you can't go wrong & your skin will thank you later.

La Roche-Posay is no longer strictly a French pharmacy brand with its vast expansion throughout the globe, including over here in the states at places such as: Ulta, CVS, Walgreens, & Target to name a few [if i forgot any, leave them in the comments!]. I am so happy that this brand is more widely recognized and known in the beauty world. I have never had such luck from one beauty brand like them before and it’s safe to say that I have placed my spot as a La Roche-Posay customer for life.

All products mentioned & where to find them are linked below:

Effaclar DUO Dual Action Acne Treatment, Target: $24.99

Rosaliac Anti-Redness Moisturizer, $28.49

Rosaliac CC Cream SPF 30, $29.99

Tolerance Soothing Protective Skincare, on sale currently at Target for $21.99

Lipikar Lipid-Replenishing Body Milk, $38.99

Pigmentclar Serum, $35.99

Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, $29.99

Thermal Spring Water, $12.99 (5.2 oz)

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Cleansing Oils: Una Brennan

 

Firstly, I apologize for the lack of posts for well, the whole month of February, eek! It's been non-stop busy for me, let's hope that March will slow down a bit so I will be able to get some more posts on here...bare with me. Now, let's get into it!

Una Brennan is at the moment solely a brand only available in the UK, but I managed to be able to find a few of her products in stores in the states, in very minimal quantities. Luckily, I was able to snatch up a few of the top products from the range, the cleansing oils: Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil & the Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. Cleansing Oils have been a slow but fortunate addition to my skincare routine, morning and/or night. I love switching off from balms to oils; being able to have choices in your skincare routine is important, especially if it proves benefits to the skin in different ways. 

The Una Brennan range is also quite affordable too for a brand that has such rave reviews. Affordable skincare thats great for your skin is hard to come by nowadays, which is why these are such a lovely, spa-like treat!

I love both of these oils, but not equally. That's not to say that one works better than the other, they both work incredibly well at dissolving impurities & makeup if need be; I just happen to like how my skin looks from one oil compared to the other, but thats all just personal opinion here…so I’ll start off with which one I like best.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan: Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil

Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil: I love the scent of roses, but at first this one seems a bit overpowering until it gets worked into the skin. The scent doesn’t linger around afterward for too long, which is a plus (though I wouldn't recommend if you are sensitive to strong scents). It really is a miracle cleansing oil; my skin just looks more radiant & hydrated & feels so soft after I take it off with a washcloth. There is a downside to this, and thats the size of the bottle (at 1 fl oz) & the fact that you have to pump more than usual out of the bottle to be able to evenly massage it onto the face…which will only mean that you will go through this quicker  than expected (thankfully I was able to scoop up two more of these on a recent shopping trip). With my combo/acne-prone/sensitive skin, I’ve had no reactions or breakouts from this beautifully scented oil. I like to use this in the morning, or if I happen to use Brennan’s Rose Hydrate Cleanser (morning or night), which has proved to be a great combination together.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil

The Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil: The name speaks for itself; when I use this oil (specifically on those mornings where my skin has that dull & tired appearance), it literally brightens my skin up like a ray of sunshine! It has a bit of a citrusy scent to it, which I love for the morning time. The oil is not as thick in consistency as the Rose oil yet, less is more with this particular one. You also get more product than the other oil, with its generous size at 6.7 fl oz. This works just as well at removing makeup & impurities. I guess the only reason(s) why I prefer the Rose one over this one is that I enjoy using the Rose one in the morning and at night while this one, I just prefer to use in the mornings based on scent & outcome. My skin is brighter & clearer, though I don’t find it as softening to the skin as the first.

Needless to say, depending on what kind of benefits you’re looking for for your skin, these pack the punch & work absolutely wonderfully. Cleansing oils are great for all skin types, even oily skin! So don’t be afraid to switch it up time & again to try something new in your skincare routine. If you are one that is still hesitant to try cleansing oils, I would give these a go (if you can find them)!

For more info on these products & the rest of the Super Facialist range, you can check out their website here .

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