Summer Skincare Favorites

Hiiiiii! It’s Wednesday! And I promised you posts on Wednesdays (and now Saturdays) about a decade ago, and here I am to make good on my word. Everything has been so heavy the past few months, so I wanted to make a comeback with something easy breezy and share my summer skincare favorites.

Little bit of a disclaimer, I have very dry, very sensitive skin, and rosacea (don’t get old, it’s a trap), but I think most of these products would be great universally.

1. Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant – Truly magical. This toner gives me noticeable and overnight results. Really. What to expect? Exfoliated skin that absorbs moisturizers and serums much better, smaller looking pores, brighter complexion, and reduced acne. Since I have sensitive skin, I only use once at night, but more oily/less sensitive skin can use twice a day.
2. Foreo Luna Play Plus Cleansing Brush – So, before you say what you’re thinking, I agree, I think 100-200 bucks is way too much to spend on any beauty product really, but this guy is a watered down version (meaning you can’t charge it) that is only 49 dollars. My friend who is an esthetician recommended this to me as a gentle exfoliator, and I love it. I own a clarisonic and I much prefer the Foreo. Plus, it comes in a bunch of cute colors!
3. EltaMD UV Physical Sunscreen – Okay, so we all know SPF is important, but did you know that the type of SPF you’re using is also super important? I didn’t! This same friend taught me that physical sunscreens are best (vs. chemical) for people with rosacea/scarring. I am not a professional, so take this with a grain of salt, but the simple explanation is that chemical sunscreens absorb the sun’s rays while physical sunscreens reflect them away. This is super important for me because sun (and that absorption) can make rosacea and acne scarring even more prominent. The physical sunscreen pitfall? It can cause white cast, but this one is tinted and awesome. For an expert explanation of physical vs. chemical, check out this article from Women’s Health.
4. Thrive Causemetics Filtered Effects Blurring Primer – I’m a huge Thrive fan, but I their instagram marketing is what sold me on this product. I mean, this makeup wearing orange says it all. Admittedly, I don’t think the effects are that dramatic, but I will say that my makeup lasts much longer and looks much better when I use this primer. It totally does minimize the appearance of my pesky forehead wrinkle, and it has so many skin-loving ingredients that it’s a great staple even when you’re not wearing makeup!
   

   
5. Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser – Oh no, my #tiktokover30 is showing. There’s a reason the internet raves about this stuff. It’s very friendly to my super dry skin and has more cleaning power than it’s Cetaphil dupe. There’s not much else to say other than it’s a super basic, affordable product, that I wish I’d known about sooner.

What summer skincare are you loving? I’ve personally bought myself at least a little more time away from the office, so I’m game to try anything new.

xoxo Leigh Ann