Current Skincare Favorites & Attempting to Go Zero Waste

It's been awhile since I've done a skincare roundup, and today I wanted to share a few favorites of mine. I've been testing all of these products for the last 6+ months and they are now staples in my routine, some of the products mentioned are re-purchases, which is rare for me since I'm always looking to test out the next best thing.

As 2019 comes to an end I've been thinking about the changes I've made this year and one of them was the goal to be more sustainable. I'm hoping to become more sustainable as time goes on; the first steps I've made towards sustainability have been in my life as a blogger. I wouldn't say I've been doing a 'no buy' but I've restrained myself to only purchasing or accepting PR packages when I'm in need of a particular type of product. Typically I'll wait until something is empty before purchasing something new. When I first started receiving PR packages I would hoard products, and honestly there isn't a need for that. Partially because I live in an NYC apartment with no storage, but also because there just isn't a need for so much product, it was expiring before I had a chance to finish the canister. If you're finding yourself in the same predicament I would highly suggest donating unused products to a local women's shelter or to project beauty share.


In terms of sustainability, and also ease of use I've made the swap to the products listed below. I'll talk more about the usage when we get to my skincare favorites, but swapping to these has helped me cut down on water, product, and electric usage.

A repurchase, and one of my top favorites right now is Farmacy's Green Clean cleansing balm. I use this along with a makeup eraser cloth to gently remove my makeup. This product leaves my skin feeling clean, soft, and smooth. I love that it's nonirritating, and I feel the makeup eraser really helps to get rid of stubborn mascara, while helping me remove makeup without excessive scrubbing. I only use a pea-sized amount of this product to remove a full face of makeup.

In the last few months I've swapped a few products out for ones by The Ordinary, I love that they deliver high quality, cruelty-free products at an affordable price point. I've especially been loving the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. I use this at night following my cleanser, and apply with a reusable cotton round (linked above). I've used similar products and found that the price was too high for a basic chemical exfoliant.

Once a week I'll swap and use the Lactic Acid 10% + HA, which I just apply with my fingers. I tend to dilute this with whatever I am using as my final step, typically an oil. Neither of these products should be used during the day since that can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Thanks to these products I've found that my skin has a more even tone and texture.

When my skin needs a little extra love and attention I turn to Suki- exfoliate foaming cleanser from their Rescue collection. The cool thing about this product is that it's a dry exfoliant, meaning you can add as much water as you would like to the scrub to tailor it to your skin's needs. I'll use this every week, or every other week to eliminate dead skin. This product is made with sugar, not salt so it is gentle while still providing the necessary level of exfoliation to reveal more radiant skin.

Let me know in the comments below what your cruelty-free holy grail products are. Wishing you a wonderful New Year!



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