3 BHAs: Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid, CosRx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, and Stridex Maximum Strength Medicated Pads

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I've been using Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid ($30) as part of my (almost) daily routine for over a decade now. I consider salicylic acid (BHA) one of three staple ingredients that keep my skin in good shape, along with niacinamide and (more recently added) azelaic acid (reviewed here). But with Paula's Choice prices steadily rising (it was less than $20 Canadian when I started to use it!) and my income not keeping pace, I decided to gamble on a couple of more affordable, but equally popular, BHA products. I'll review them here, along with the PC BHA, which (spoiler!) I ultimately went back to. (Hope you like acronyms, everybody!)

CosRx makes a very popular and affordable liquid BHA that is now easily accessible in the US in places like ULTA ($22) and on Amazon ($15). Because I'd previously tried Paula's Choice's BHA gel and found it less effective than the liquid, I decided to try the highly-recommended liquid from CosRx. The consistency is actually significantly thicker than the watery PC BHA, which makes it easier to apply without using a cotton pad. It's decidedly a liquid and not a gel, however. It spreads easily on my skin and soaks in well, without leaving much of a film or a sticky residue. That's nice, because I apply my BHA first thing in the morning after washing my face, and so I want it to play well with makeup and other products.

There's not a lot to say about the CosRx BHA experience, except that it did not play well with my Paula's Choice Niacinamide Booster. When I used them both at the same time, my face flushed. It didn't last more than half an hour, and my skin wasn't irritated--my face just got pink and warm. There's nothing dangerous or damaging about this sort of thing, as far as I know, but it's a little unpleasant. I haven't had that experience mixing either of those products with anything else, and it was solved by just using one in the morning and the other at night.

Otherwise, the CosRx didn't cause any problems for me, but unfortunately it didn't do much for my skin, either. The role of BHA in my routine is to reduce clogged pores and blackheads, and to keep the pimples that result from them away. It doesn't really prevent hormonal/cystic acne for me, but it certainly reduces inflammatory acne when its working. The CosRx might have helped slightly, but I wasn't as satisfied with the state of my skin while using it as I was when I used the PC version.

The main ingredient in the CosRx BHA is probably what makes the difference for me. I know that salicylic acid works for me, but the CosRx contains a different form of BHA: betaine salicylate. This ingredient is sometimes said to be gentler than salicylic acid and is supposedly longer-acting. I don't experience irritation from BHAs in general, so I can't really comment on those qualities. My (admittedly very limited) experience suggests to me that if SA works well for you, you can't necessarily count on BS (ha!) to work as well--but on the other hand, if you've had bad luck with SA, a product with BS might be worth trying.

My second affordable BHA product was a bit of a desperation purchase. I traveled a bunch, visiting family and in-laws and friends, in September, but I somehow didn't pack enough of my PC BHA to last for the whole trip. By the third week, my skin was congested and breaking out, so I picked up a tub of the Stridex BHA pads (in the red packaging!) ($4-7), which had been recommended to me on multiple good authorities. The container holds a lot of pads and a lot of liquid, so they're not likely to dry out before you finish them. In fact, one pad was more than enough for my face, and so I started to cut them in half.

The pads are soaked in a 2% salicylic acid liquid, closer in composition to my PC liquid than to the CosRx product. They also contain a bit of menthol, so you get that medicinal smell and a mild cooling sensation--too mild to call it a "tingle." Still, I could do without it, considering it doesn't add anything. These pads served well enough in a pinch to start clearing up my skin a bit. In the long run, however, after I got home again they just weren't quite as effective as the PC liquid. My breakouts subsided and my pores weren't quite as clogged as they had been, but not as clear as I knew they could be. I ended up, as you know, going back to Paula.

I'm still using the Stridex pads, though. I've found over the years that otherwise disappointing BHA and AHA products work great as aftershave on my legs and armpits. If I swipe these on after shaving and before moisturizing, I almost never get razor burn or ingrown hairs. In fact, the price is so good, that I'd recommend picking up a tub of Stridex pads specifically for this purpose if you're a shaver. Their anti-inflammatory and exfoliating properties are ideal.

So now I'm back on the Paula's Choice BHA to stay, I guess. It's a thin liquid about the consistency of water, but it feels a bit sticky on my skin after I apply it. I think the stickiness bothers some people, but since I always follow up with moisturizer and/or sunscreen, I don't mind it (the product on top gets rid of that stickiness). It works perfectly well layered under every other product, skincare or makeup, I've used. And while the bottle is expensive, I only used 4-6 drops at a time, so it lasts me up to six months of daily use. Most importantly, it effectively and significantly reduces clogged pores and inflammatory zits for my skin.

I'll probably never stop testing cheaper alternatives to products I like, even if they fail to impress me half the time, but I suppose there's something satisfying in knowing that I haven't been wasting my money all these years. It's also a reminder that if I had ruled out BHAs entirely after trying the CosRx, I would have been missing out. Just like how glycolic acid doesn't do anything for my face, while lactic acid is excellent--if I had ruled out products called AHAs on the basic of glycolic acid alone, I'd be missing something useful.

Has anyone else tried all three of these? How do they compare for you? I'm also curious about other people's philosophy's on searching for less expensive alternatives to "holy grail" skincare products? Is it worth the gamble, or do you fear you'll almost always end up spending more money in the process?

Azelique Azelaic Acid Skincare from iHerb

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by iHerb. All opinions, nevertheless, are my own.

iHerb has an interesting line of azelaic acid products available from their brand Azelique, and when they saw how much I’d liked incorporating azelaic acid into my routine in the past, they asked me if I’d like to try their line and write a review. I said yes. Of course.

I hadn’t ever ordered from iHerb before, though I’d heard of it. They’re an online store based in California that has some specific things that set them apart: for one, they operate internationally (i.e. not US only like so many other retailers I write about here). They also offer what they call a Triple Guarantee to make sure customers are 100% satisfied. So first, there’s the value guarantee (that you will get the best overall value—in the world—for the 30,000+ brand name products they sell). Second is the quality guarantee. They guarantee that the products they sell are authentic; they’re committed to quality assurance; and they ship directly from climate-controlled warehouses. And the third part is the delivery guarantee, with no excuses! Your order will be delivered, and iHerb offers free or discounted shipping to over 150 countries. Personally, I found the website easy to use, and my order arrived in just a few days, with everything packed nicely and in perfect condition. 

iHerb sent me their entire Azelique line for free, which was a lot of fun for me as an aspiring hoarder. There are six different products: a night cream, a day lotion, an eye treatment, a cleanser, an activated charcoal/clay mask, and a polish/scrub. They also let me choose two products from their facial oils and serums, and I picked the hyaluronic acid serum (surprise, surprise), and the peptide oil blend. 

So . . . that’s a lot of stuff to test on just my one face in a short period of time. I don’t like to introduce more than one new product at a time (per day, though if you have more sensitive skin, you might want to wait longer between new products) so that if I have a bad reaction, I can tell what caused it. What I decided to do with this bounty, then, was to pick one thing to use consistently for a couple of weeks and to review in detail, and to try everything else at least once and give you a briefer, first-impressions-type descriptions of those products. Besides, you know how long-winded I am: no one would want to read my novel-length review of all eight products in one sitting. This is going to be a doozy as it is.

I’d been wanting a richer moisturizer for a while, so I picked the Azelique Age Refining Night Cream as the thing to incorporate fully into my routine (which is otherwise basically the same as what I described here). Since these products contain azelaic acid, I did, however, stop using my other azelaic acid product for the time being. 

First some general thoughts about the whole line. The packaging is no nonsense, but appropriate for the products it contains. There was just one package I didn’t like much, and you can probably guess which one from just looking at the photo above—more on that later. I particularly like the airless pumps for the moisturizers. The copy on the packaging also gets my elusive stamp of approval. It tells you what’s in the product, highlights the featured ingredients and what they are supposed to do for your skin, and—this is important—does not make any unrealistic, overblown, or woo-woo claims. There’s also a warning about patch testing products with azelaic and glycolic acid to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin. So just because this is a line that is marketed as natural, there’s no drivel about how that supposedly means it will work for absolutely everyone with perfect, magical gentleness (like some other brands that will remain nameless). These are active ingredients that do stuff to your skin, and you need to make sure they will do the stuff that you want them to do and not do stuff you don’t want. Everyone’s skin is a little different.

Every product here, with the exception of the eye cream, the serum, and the facial oil, has the same vaguely plant-like fragrance. It’s pretty subtle, but there’s something floral and/or herbal there. I’m not good at identifying scents. I could do without it, personally, but it’s light enough that I don’t notice it after a few minutes.

First up, the Azelique Age Refining Night Cream ($20). This is a thick moisturizing lotion that I enjoyed much more than I expected I would. It was immediately clear that this was the kind of step my shriveled skin has been missing—the part of Texas where I’m currently living has been colder than usual this winter, and my office is having problems with low humidity on top of it, so I’m extra dry. The night cream is rich but easy to spread and not greasy, and it feels really, really soothing and nourishing on my skin. I need about two pumps to cover my face, though three pumps feels extra nice.

Here are the ingredients: 

Water (aqua), caprylic/capric triglyceride, cetyl alcohol, glycerin, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, glyceryl stearate citrate, potassium azeloyl diglycinate, stearyl alcohol, ethylhexyl palmitate, sodium hyaluronate, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum, vitis vinifera (grape seed) seed oil, glyceryl stearate, potassium cetyl phosphate, tocopheryl (vitamin E), acetate, acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, glycolic acid hamamelis virgiana (witch hazel) extract, caffeine, calcium ascorbate (vitamin C) retinyl (vitamin A) palmitate, ubiquinone (CoQ10), camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, euterpe oleracea (acai berry) fruit extract, punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, rosa canina (rose hips) fruit extract, epilobium angustifolium (Canadian willowherb) extract, pichia/resveratrol ferment extract, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, fragrance.

Good, right? The azelaic acid is in the form of potassium azeloyl diglycinate, its water-soluble version. There’s also hyaluronic acid, which my skin always loves, in the form of sodium hyaluronate, along with some nice oils and other moisturizing ingredients like glycerin. There are even some vitamins and a ferment stuck in there low on this list.

Unfortunately the company couldn’t provide the exact percentage of azelaic acid included, which is something I was curious about. They did tell me, at least, that it contains 8.42% total active ingredients, which includes the azelaic acid, glycolic acid, argireline, matrixyl, hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, and caffeine. That means, obviously, that the concentration of azelaic acid here is lower than the usual 10% that you see in several other products on the market. If you’ve found those irritating or overkill, though, this might be a better option for your skin.

I’ve been able to use this night cream all over my face, including around my eyes, for two weeks without any adverse effects. In the morning there’s still some slight residue on my face, which I like to wash off. I don’t think this is a bad thing—it’s keeping the hydration in my skin all night, and if you have drier skin than mine, you might want to keep that extra moisture in place all day, too. Just as a moisturizer alone, this stuff works really well and has kept my skin soft and happy. I’ll talk about the longer term effects from using this whole line at the end of the post.

Left to right above: One pump each of the Night Cream, Day Lotion, and Eye Treatment.

Next up is the Azelique Age Refining Day Lotion ($19). I’ve only used this product once, along with everything that follows, so take that into account. This was lighter than the night cream and didn’t feel as soothing. It was a perfectly functional moisturizer, however, which absorbed quickly but kept my skin feeling moisturized. I had no problems applying makeup over it.

Ingredients: 

Water (aqua), carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, stearic acid, potassium azeloyl diglycinate, glyceryl stearate SE, polysorbate 60, allantoin, potassium sorbate, tocopheryl (vitamin E) acetate, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate citrate, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, cetearyl glucoside, sodium hyaluronate, acetyl hexapeptide-8, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, glycolic acid, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, caffeine, sodium ascorbyl (vitamin C) phosphate, retinyl (vitamin A) palmitate, ubiquinone (CoQ10), camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, euterpe oleracea (acai berry) fruit extract, punica granatum (pomegranate seed oil, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, rosa canina (rose hips) fruit extract, epilobium augustifolium (canadian willowherb) extract, pichia/resveratrol ferment extract, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, fragrance.

 You can see that the main ingredients (i.e. those in the first half of the list) are similar to the night cream, but sodium hyaluronate, for example, is a bit lower down, and overall the day lotion has quite a different texture from the night cream. In comparison to the 8% active ingredients in the night cream, the day lotion has 4.08%, so it’s less potent in general.

The next one I tried was the Azelique Age Refining Eye Treatment ($20). I’m not generally an eye cream user. For one, I’ve never found an eye cream that was much more useful than just using my best moisturizer around my eyes. What’s more, the skin near my eyes is prone to milia, and the heavy, oily ingredients in most eye creams tend to seriously exacerbate the problem. That said, I did like this lotion just fine, and it’s the one unscented product in the main Azelique line, so if you don’t like fragrance near your eyes, that would be a plus. Its texture is somewhere in between the night cream and day lotion in thickness and richness. It absorbed quickly, and after applying it at bedtime, I couldn’t detect it on my skin by the morning (but to be fair, it’s a “treatment,” not a moisturizer or a cream). For what it’s worth, I did not notice any new milia cropping up after one use of the eye product, which has actually happened with others in the past.

Ingredients for you: 

Water (aqua), capric/caprylic triglyceride, cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, glyceryl stearate citrate, glycerin, xanthan gum, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, potassium sorbate, glyceryl stearate, tocopheryl (vitamin E) acetate, potassium cetyl phosphate, acetyl hexapeptide-8, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-38, potassium azeloyl diglycinate, sodium hyaluronate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, caffeine, sodium ascorbyl (vitamin C) phosphate, retinyl (vitamin A) palmitate, ubiquinone (CoQ10), vitis vinifera (grape seed) oil, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, rosa canina (rose hips) fruit extract, epilobium angustifolium (Canadian willowherb) extract, pichia/resveratrol ferment extract, euterpe oleracea (acai berry) fruit extract, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin.

It’s a similar blend to the previous two products, though certainly not identical (i.e. they’re not just selling you the same moisturizer in a smaller bottle). Normally I wouldn’t apply azelaic acid near my eyes, but this stuff contains just 3.6% active ingredients, and even among those, azelaic acid isn’t high on the list. I didn’t experience any irritation at all. That said, I was also fine using the night cream around my eyes, and for my money I’d rather stick with that, since I liked it so much. I think the lack of fragrance here is one of the most important differences.

Next, Azelique Age Refining Cleanser ($13). I’m more concerned with performance in a cleanser than in its active ingredients, which are rinsed right off, so that’s what I’ll focus on here. This is a thin, runny, gel cleanser. It didn’t lather much, but it did clean my skin thoroughly, including removing all my makeup. It didn’t sting my eyes, which is something I hate in a cleanser, and it rinsed completely. My skin felt slightly tight after rinsing and drying, and so I was motivated to apply moisturizer pretty soon. It was a fine cleanser, but I don’t generally get too excited about cleansers.

Here are the ingredients, for your information:

Water (aqua), disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, decyl glucoside, polysorbate 20, glyceryl stearate SE, glycerin, PEG-150 distearate, stearic acid, potassium sorbate, allantoin, tocopheryl (vitamin E) acetate, sodium ascorbyl (vitamin C) phosphate, retinyl (vitamin A) palmitate, ubiquinone (CoQ10), camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, vitis vinifera (grape seed) oil, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, euterpe oleracea (acai berry) fruit extract, punica granutum (pomegranate) seed oil, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, rosa canina (rose hips) fruit extract, pichia/resveratrol ferment extract, epilobium angustifolium (canadian willowherb) extract, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, fragrance.

Now my other surprise favorite among the bunch: the Azelique Activated Charcoal Facial Clay Mask ($20). I’ve used a lot of clay and charcoal masks. Some work better than others, and some are more drying than others, but I haven’t been impressed by very many of them. I was expecting more of the same here. The mask is easy to spread in an even layer, and it dried rather quickly—the photo below was taken less than a minute after dispensing it, and the edges are already drying. Unlike some other masks, it doesn’t sting my eyes as it dries, probably because it doesn’t contain alcohol to evaporate and give off fumes. The mask felt slightly cool on my face in a soothing, not tingly, way. It contains some sparse, scrubby particles from apricot kernels. If you like physical exfoliation, you can do some gentle rubbing as you wash the mask off. If you don’t, just go ahead and rinse it, and the grit won’t affect your skin. 

When I first rinsed off the mask, my skin felt moisturized and not at all tight or dry. It felt calm and soothed, but when I looked in the mirror, I noticed that my face was slightly pink exactly where the mask had been—as in, I could see the border between the skin at the edge of my face where I hadn’t applied the mask and where I had. I was a little disturbed, I have to admit. As it turns out, however, when I looked in the mirror the next time, a couple of hours later, my usual redness in the center of my face had actually decreased significantly from what it was before masking! That almost never happens for me with masks. Then, when I took a close look the next morning, my pores were noticeably clearer and less visible. With a good clay mask, it usually isn’t until the next day that I see an improvement in my pores, so that was right on target. Overall, I’m very excited about this stuff. Soothing, moisturizing, redness-reducing, pore-shrinking. Score!

Ingredients:

Deionized water, kaolin, glycerin, potassium azeloyl diglycinate, glyceryl stearate SE, apricot (prunus armeniaca) seed powder, charcoal, sodium hyaluronate, sea kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) extract, cucumber (cucumis sativas) fruit extract, green tea (camellia sinensis) leaf extract, glycolic acid, panthenol, xanthan gum, menthyl lactate, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, potassium sorbate, fragrance.

I don’t know the percentage of active ingredients from this list, but you can see that the azelaic acid is higher in the list than in the other products, and that it’s actually above the gritty, bulky apricot seed powder. If you’d like to try masking with azelaic acid instead of using it in a leave-on product, I recommend giving this a shot.

And then there is the Azelique Age Refining Skin Polish ($22), which is a scrub that contains alumina, or aluminum oxide, as its physical exfoliation agent. This is a fine grit, almost the texture of baking soda, that is typically used for microdermabrasion. I like to do some physical exfoliation once a week or so to get rid of any flakiness that chemical exfoliants can’t handle, and this polish worked well for that purpose: my skin felt very soft and smooth for days after using it. I’d recommend being gentle, because alumina won’t dissolve or soften like some other scrub particles (sugar, salt, jojoba beads, etc.). 

My main complaint about this product is the jar packaging. It’s not just the usual gripes about jars that I object to here. The main problem is that you are supposed to wet your face first, and then use the scrub. It’s really difficult to splash water on my face and then scoop out the polish without dripping water into the jar. Even with a spoon or spatula, I’d have to dry off my hands in between. It would just be much more practical if it came in the same squeeze tube as the cleanser and mask.

Ingredients:

Water (aqua), alumina, stearic acid, stearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate citrate, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, glycerin, xanthan gum, carrageenan, potassium sorbate, glyceryl stearate SE, potassium cetyl phosphate, tocopheryl (vitamin E) acetate, sodium ascorbyl (vitamin C) phosphate, retinyl (vitamin A) palmitate, ubiquinone (CoQ10), camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, vitis vinifera (grape) seed seed oil, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, euterpe oleracea (acai berry) fruit, punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, rosa canina (rose hips) fruit extract, epilobium angustifolium (Canadian willowherb) extract, pichia/resveratrol ferment extract, fragrance.

The last two products that iHerb sent me are from Azelique’s Serumdipity line, and those serums and oils don’t necessarily contain azelaic acid like the main collection does.

I chose the Facial Oil with Peptides ($20), because I don’t have much experience with peptides in my skincare. As a first impression, it was a pleasant facial oil to use, not too thick or too thin, and it absorbed quickly but not instantly. My face wasn’t left feeling greasy after I applied four drops of the oil on top of moisturizer. This is the kind of product, though, that I’ll really have to evaluate after longer use, so I’ll check in later.

Despite the inclusion of rosemary leaf extract in the ingredients below, I couldn’t detect any fragrance at all in this oil (which I prefer). Ingredients:

Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea) oil, camellia japonica seed oil, crambe abyssinica seed oil, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, c18-36 acid glycol ester, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, tocopherol, c 12-15 alkyl benzoate, sorbitan laurate, c18-36 acid triglyceride.

I also requested the Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum ($20), because my skin loves hyaluronic acid, and I can’t resist trying different formulas that contain it. This serum was light and absorbed immediately. It provided hydration, but it’s not a replacement for moisturizer, so I’d recommend using it in conjunction with one of those. It had enough slip to spread easily over my skin, and it had no fragrance (again, thumbs up for that). 

Ingredients:

Water, glycerin, hydrolyzed jojoba esters, sodium hyaluronate, hordeum vulgare seed extract, oat (avena sativa) seed extract, galium aparine extract, evening primrose (oenothera biennis) flower extract, sodium phytate, acacia senegal gum, citric acid, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin.

Overall, after using the Night Cream nightly for just over two weeks, and using each other product once during that same period, my skin is in nice condition. It’s very well moisturized, but not unusually oily; it’s much softer and smoother than usual; and the redness that I ordinarily see, particularly in the center of my face, is minimized. One thing that these products did not help with was the hormonal, cystic acne that I usually get on my chin every month. I don’t think anything here contributed to breakouts, but they also didn’t help to prevent them like my 10% azelaic acid product does. And to be fair, Azelique never claims to treat acne, so that’s not something I expected. Accordingly, like I said earlier, I’d recommend these products for people who find 10% azelaic acid too strong and/or who are looking for results other than acne control—brightening, redness reduction, and other antioxidant benefits—in a gentle formulation. Personally, I’m going to carefully add my 10% azelaic acid back in, because I don’t think it will be too much for me.

I really was impressed with this collection. I honestly expected to like a couple of the products, hate a couple, and feel meh about the rest. (I promise I would tell you if that were the case.) Instead, I found a couple of things that I truly enjoyed, and I have mostly positive thoughts about the others. My favorites are the Night Cream (probably because it has the highest concentration of active ingredients in addition to effective moisturizers) and the Charcoal and Clay Mask, both of which I unreservedly recommend. I plan to replace them when I run out, though I might wait until next winter for the my next bottle of night cream. My least favorite items are the Cleanser and Polish, because they didn’t seem like things I needed to add to my routine. But they’re fine. 

The price point for this line is pretty reasonable. For instance, the Day Lotion costs $19 for 1.7 oz., and the Night Cream is $20 for the same amount, which isn’t as cheap as your basic drugstore moisturizer, obviously, but is less expensive than other comparable products with similar formulations in my routine. iHerb also gave me a code to share with you that is embedded into all of the affiliate links in this post. If you purchase through any of my links, you’ll get 5% off your order (and so will I). In addition, new customers will get $5 off a $40 purchase of anything from iHerb by using this link.

Last Minute Sunscreen Review: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF 60 Sunscreen (with Mexoryl)

This review is last minute in that the end of summer is approaching (but it's not here yet! stop saying that!), and that my bottle is almost empty, so I figured I'd better write this post before I forgot what I thought of this sunscreen.

Note that I'm reviewing the Canadian version here, which contains the very effective filter Mexoryl (patented by L'Oréal), which is not FDA-approved in the US for some reason. It's been used safely in Canada and Europe (and elsewhere) since the 90s, so I'm not sure what the problem is here. It's generally agreed to be one of the most effective sunscreen filters on the market. (I swear I read a Consumer Reports article last year that said this was the most effective sunscreen they tested, and that's why I bought it, but I cannot find the link anywhere. Weird.) I bought my bottle at Superstore in Canada, but I think you can get it from just about any drugstore there. If you're in the U.S., you can buy it from eBay and have it shipped from Canada or Europe.It might also be available online elsewhere--does anyone know? (There is a product sold in in the US that looks the same as this, but i doesn't contain Mexoryl. I haven't tried it.)

I'm going to try to write this post in a simple pros and cons format, to reduce wordiness. Let's see how successful I am at being brief today.

Pros

• It really is very, very effective at protecting my skin from the sun. The southern California sun is a whole other thing, and everyone sits outside at lunch time where I work, so it's been put to the test. I also wore it for 4+ hours on a boat in direct sunlight and didn't burn or even tan. Over the past few month, my face has darkened by maybe half a shade, but to be honest that could have happened on days when I was lazy and didn't use this sunscreen. 
• It only has a faint sunscreen scent that I can't smell for long after I apply it.
• It's thin and easy to spread on the skin.
• My makeup applies just fine over it (though I am not generally someone who wears a full face of opaque foundation).
• The packaging is appropriate for the product, and it contains a little bead to help mix it up. (I'm more likely to shake it just because that rattling bead is in there than I would without it, for some reason!)

Cons

• It's a bit greasy. It definitely does not have a matte finish, and it has the potential to rub into my eyes and burn, if I'm not careful.
• It doesn't play well with all of my skincare products. If I try to layer over something with silicone, like Paula's Choice Moisture Gel, it pills like fucking crazy. Waiting longer between layers doesn't seem to help. So long as I avoid silicones, and I'm careful not to rub my face too much, it's ok. 
• It stings the sensitive skin around my eyes a bit for about half an hour after I apply it. This sensation is pretty common for me with "chemical" (i.e. organic) sunscreens. The packaging says "for sensitive skin," but if you usually have a bad reaction to chemical sunscreens or get a burning sensation that is a dealbreaker for you, I'm guessing you aren't going to like this product.
• The bottle is pretty small. I mean, it's clearly labeled, and if you buy it in a store, you know what you're getting, but the first time I saw it in person, I was surprised., especially since it costs around $20. The bottle lasts longer than you might expect, at least.

Because the pros and cons of Anthelios are pretty evenly balanced for me, I tend to only use this sunscreen when I know that I will be spending a significant portion of the day in the sun (which is actually most work days, lately). If I'm not, I'll opt for something a bit less powerful, but easier to wear, like Kinesys (reviewed here). If I were moving back to the midwest or Canada, where the sun is not as intense, I'm not sure if I would purchase this sunscreen again or if I would just stick with something easier. Instead, I'm going to be moving back to south Texas, where the sun, like everything else there, is trying to kill me--but then maybe I'll just become an indoor cat.

I'd recommend this sunscreen if getting the best protection is your priority, but if any of the things on my cons list are going to make you avoid using it, you might as well get another sunscreen that's less potent but comfortable enough to apply every day.

Have you ever bought a foreign sunscreen, or are you happy with what's available at home?

More Moisture! Review of e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence

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I have to admit, I've been skeptical of e.l.f.'s skincare line ever since it came out a couple of years ago. At the time that it launched, most of the products looked very basic and uninspiring, but priced higher than I would expect for basics from e.l.f. (which seems to be true of many of their products lately). Nevertheless, earlier this year I ended up buying the e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence, so I'll explain why I think it's worth it.

I picked this up after searching for a hydrating essence to add to my routine. Now, I know there are lots of Korean and other Asian essences out there, and some of them have been recommended to me on good authority, but despite a few forays, I still haven't delved completely into Asian skincare. It just seems like a whole other field of study I'd have to master, and I have enough research on my plate at the moment. This e.l.f. essence have the advantages of being easily accessible (ULTA, Target, etc.), and only costing $10 for a huge 5 oz. bottle.

I got interested in adding an essence to my routine after looking enviously at all the people who seem to have achieved beautiful, problem-free skin apparently through applying layer upon layer of moisture. I'm sure there's more going on there, but having moved to hotter and drier climates this year, I figured that more hydration surely couldn't hurt. (Yes, I'm kind of using "hydration" and "moisture" interchangeably here, but technically they are different.) As it turns out, I do believe my deep dive into increased hydration has helped my skin. I don't think it has made permanent, dramatic changes, necessarily, but I think the increased moisture has done some good things, like decrease the appearance of the hollows under my eyes. For example, compare this photo from last September, when I asked for advice about reducing that sunken eye look:

A post shared by Lyn (brutally honest beauty) (@brutallyhonestbeauty) on Sep 13, 2017 at 7:44am PDT

With this one in similar lighting from February:

A post shared by Lyn (brutally honest beauty) (@brutallyhonestbeauty) on Feb 2, 2018 at 11:46am PST

Or this one I just posted today. The improvement in my under-eye area isn't the same as if I'd got fillers, of course--it's not preternaturally smooth and it's better some days than others--but the overall plumping effects of increased moisture in my skin are noticeable.

Now, I'm not saying that this e.l.f. essence is solely responsible for these differences. It's just one of many hydrating and moisturizing products I've been using in my routine (steps outlined here), but I've been using it consistently for a couple of months now, and I like it.

Oddly enough, e.l.f. does not emphasize what I would consider the more interesting ingredients in its marketing of this essence, the ones that tend to be lauded by skincare-obsessed people on Instagram and Reddit. It doesn't seem to be aimed particularly toward us weirdoes. Instead, they note that it is:

A lightweight and nourishing essence infused with moisturizing effects of purified water, coconut water, algae, and coffee.

Ok. The moisturizing effects of water and some other stuff. Let's look at the complete ingredients.

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Trehalose, Niacinamide, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Extract, Cyclodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Polyquatemium-51, Triacetin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Coceth-7, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, Xanthum Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance (Parfum) 

So it contains glycerin, trehalose, niacinamide, and sodium hyaluronate, and you're going to talk to me about algae? I mean, carrageenan is a fine ingredient, which is probably mainly in there to thicken up the essence a bit, but I assume they're trying to get you to think of the magical algae in La Mer products by highlighting that one. And sure, coffee extract is a good antioxidant, so thumbs up there. My research into coconut water in skincare is less conclusive, but it seems like it might have some moisturizing properties.

Overall, e.l.f. seems to be using exactly the opposite marketing strategy for this product that The Ordinary uses. They emphasize the ingredients that sounds familiar, natural, and generally pleasant, instead of the others that are effective, but "scary," scientific-sounding chemicals. As a result, I think they are going to miss out on some of the skincare nerd market, so I'm here to draw your attention to some of the other fun shit in there.

Glycerin is just straight up one of the most effective humectants out there, so seeing it second on the list is a good sign in a hydrating essence. It's also nice that they haven't canceled out any of its effects by including drying alcohol like some other "soothing" and "cooling" products out there do.

Trehalose is particularly interesting, because for some reason e.l.f. chose not to emphasize that this essence contains the mystical powers of *~~*~mushrooms~*~~*. A missed opportunity--especially since living in L.A., which tends to be on the cutting edge of health woo bullshit, I've been seeing miraculous (non-hallucinogenic) mushroom extracts all over the fucking place. Trehalose in skincare, however, seems not to be nonsense. It has hydrating, and possibly antioxidant, properties.

Niacinamide is one of my favorite ingredients (though patch test, because not everyone's skin likes it). It's a vitamin B that can help with enlarged pores, lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and, in my experience, acne.

Sodium Hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid, another of my favorite ingredients. This form is generally considered more effective than regular hyaluronic acid. It's a fantastic humectant that always makes my skin very, very happy.

There are other nice ingredients in there, and nothing that particularly worries me, but I thought I'd just highlight those four. Because there is so much water (it's the first ingredient), the concentration of each of these ingredients is going to be lower than in a serum, naturally--but do note that they all appear near the top of the ingredients list, well above the fragrance. The fragrance in this product is noticeable when you apply it, and it's a floral, sort of rose, scent, but it's mild. I can't smell it once it's on my skin. I'm guessing it would be okay for all but the least tolerant of fragrance, but it's something to keep in mind.

As for a review of this essence in actual practice, it has a thin, runny texture, a bit thicker than water. I dispense a few drops into the palm of my hand, rub my hands together, and then spread it on my face. It absorbs in a couple of minutes, but you can apply several layers if you want more of that bouncy, hydrated feeling, and it will continue to absorb. It doesn't cause any sensation on my skin other than comfortable hydration. Other products apply well on top of it. I even like the packaging, which tends to be a factor that's pretty low in importance in my assessment of things. It looks pretty and it's functional, with just a small opening for drops to be shaken out. I really have no complaints!

I also used the e.l.f. essence to make my own soothing/hydrating mist, by mixing it about half and half with water in a spray bottle, and it works very well for that purpose, too.

I've been using my bottle now since early March, almost every night, and I've finished less than a quarter. of it I have a feeling it will easily last me a year. $10 for a year is pretty great. This e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence is a great example of an effective product with top-of-the-line ingredients at a good price. That's pretty much the best I can hope for from e.l.f. Now I'm wondering if any of their other skincare products are worth a second look. Thoughts?

Oh, in case you're wondering what makes a hydrating essence different from a hydrating toner? Nothing.

The Ordinary's Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% for cystic acne, plus my skincare routine

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For some reason, after I moved to California back in December, I started to experience more breakouts than I'd had in a long time. They were worst on my chin, but also happened on my nose, cheeks, and forehead. I had a combination of inflammatory acne (the scabby, infected pores on the surface) and cystic acne (those deep, swollen, underground pimples)--the latter concentrated on my chin and upper lip. I don't know what caused my skin to react this way. Something hormonal? Climate? Different water? Since I couldn't prevent it, I decided to treat it.

I bought this tube of The Ordinary's Azelaic Acid (for some reason I spell azelaic wrong in a different way every single time) back in July when I made a small order from Well.ca and had it shipped to my sister in Canada. I mainly chose products based on what had the best reviews, because I was curious about the brand. In addition to this stuff, I ended up with their Caffeine Solution (reviewed here and passed on to a friend), Buffet (which I've finished and will review soon), and the Matrixyl + HA (which I'm currently using).

(I know there has been drama and bad publicity about Deciem, the parent company of The Ordinary, lately. I don't really know what to think of it, and since I bought this months before any of that happened, it wasn't a consideration. You can easily find out what's been going on with a Google search and make up your own mind.)

After I wrote my post about not having a use for The Ordinary's Vitamin C, I looked at this tube and kicked myself. Another brightening product? Really? Well, azelaic acid in fact has a number of functions, and perhaps what it's most often used for it to treat acne. For instance, it's typically part of the acne medication prescribed by Curology. Yet The Ordinary's description of the product on their US site doesn't mention anything about acne (though it does say it fights acne in Canada). They write, in in much more straightforward prose than is typical for them:

Found in grains, Azelaic Acid is produced naturally by yeast that lives on normal skin. It brightens the skin tone while visibly improving the evenness of skin texture and reducing the look of blemishes. It is a multi-functional support ingredient for all skin types and also acts as an effective antioxidant. This formula offers a very high 10% concentration of high-purity Azelaic Acid in a lightweight cream-gel system.

If it's often used for acne, why no mention of that here? I suspect it has to do with drug labeling laws. If a product claims to treat acne, then it's classified as a drug by the FDA and has to have "drug facts" and other information on its label. There are other regulations for products classified as drugs in the US as well. For instance, Paula's Choice sells two versions of its popular 2% BHA liquid with the exact same ingredients. One is labelled as an acne treatment and one isn't--the difference is in the labeling, not the product itself. (So buy whichever one you can find on sale.) Deciem, I assume, has chosen to avoid the extra burden of these regulations by simply not mentioning acne and relying on its unusually informed consumer base to know the properties of azelaic acid. (I don't fault them for going this route, although they might miss out on some potential customers.)

Fortunately, I read about azelaic acid for cystic acne somewhere (probably Reddit, but I can't find the exact post now) and was excited to find that I already had a tube of it in my hoard. According to Deciem, you only need to use a pea-sized amount each day, and they generally seem to advise applying it at night.

It's a fairly thick cream formula, and it dries in seconds, so you need to spread it quickly. I find it easier to use a patting motion than rubbing. It has a mildly unpleasant smell, kind of like the bedroom of a college boy with moderately-good hygiene, but it doesn't linger. I concentrate the product in the problem areas mentioned above, though as you will see in my skincare routine described below, the moisturizer I put on top probably causes it to be more evenly distributed across my face in the end. It's not gritty like The Ordinary's Vit C, and I don't feel any sensation at all on my skin when I apply it.

I decided to do a proper test of this product by applying it daily for a month without adding any other new products to my routine, limiting my use of strong actives like retinol for the first couple of weeks, and taking weekly photos of my skin. I wanted to keep going for at least a month, since my cystic acne breakouts tended to be worst the week before my period. I'm really glad I have documentation, because sometimes it can be hard to see progress without photographic evidence. When I took the last of the four photos below, I considered not even posting them, because I thought there hadn't been any real improvement over time. But I think the photos say otherwise. Left to right, weeks 1 (immediately before beginning azelaic acid) through 4 (all without any makeup):

The most dramatic improvement is, in fact, not really visible in these photos: the decrease in cystic pimples. I still get one or two during the week before my period (I'm actually in the second month of using the azelaic acid as I write this), but they are much smaller, less painful, and they disappear in just a few days instead of a couple of weeks (or more!). I just had one pop up a couple of days ago, and it's almost gone today.

The reason I thought there wasn't a visible improvement, despite being happy with the results, was that I still had an unusual amount of inflammatory acne on my chin. I've managed to get that under control too, though that's a topic for another post (spoiler: honey mask). I think you can see from the photos that even with remaining acne on my chin, nose, and forehead, the redness in those areas had decreased significantly with just the addition of the azelaic acid. Really, that should have been more obvious to me, because I've found myself needing to do less color correction/concealing (as described here) with continued azelaic acid use. (The one thing that's sticking around is that red scar/PIH/PIE mark in the middle of my top lip that was left behind by a cystic zit. If anyone has suggestions for fading it more quickly, I would be grateful.)

This is all very exciting for me! It's rare that I get such good results from a new product in this short a time. I thought I would list out my full skincare routine here, so that you can see where the azelaic acid fits in. As I've pointed out recently, you don't need to use nearly as many products as I do to have nice skin. I like to try new things and especially to review and blog about them, so I use more than I necessarily need. I haven't listed products I use sporadically like masks and oils. This is my daily routine.

Morning

Gentle cleanse (currently Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Cleanser or Simple Micellar Water)
Exfoliate with BHA (currently Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid)
Wait 5-10 minutes
Hydrating serum mixed with a couple of drops of niacinamide booster (currently The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA and Paula's Choice 15% Niacinamide Booster)
Light Moisturizer (currently Clinique Moisturizing Gel)
Wait 10 minutes
Sunscreen (currently La Roche-Posay SPF 60 Fluid or Kinesys SPF 30)

Night

Double cleanse (currently Neutrogena Cleansing Oil and Simple Micellar Water)
Hydrating serum (currently Paula's Choice Redness Relief Serum)
Azelaic acid treatment (currently The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%)
Wait 5-10 minutes
Heavier moisturizer (currently Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion or Origins Night-a-Mins Cream or Paula's Choice Hydrating Treatment Mask)

I think I still have another month or two worth of this azelaic acid in my tube, and I'll probably replace it with the same thing when it's empty. It's been an excellent addition to my routine. Besides Deciem's website, it's available places like Sephora and Well.ca ($10 off $40 CAD with code brutallyhonestbeauty--anyone can make a coupon code). But do you know of any other good, non-prescription sources of azelaic acid out there? Paula's Choice sells it outside of North America (I assume not here because of some of those drug regulations discussed above), though I'm hoping that some recent social media posts they're written about azelaic acid mean they'll offer it here soon, too.

UPDATE: Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster is now available in North America.

Has anyone else had good (or bad?) results with azelaic acid? Did you use a prescription product?

Could be grosser: Review of Tony Moly Changing U Magic Foot Peeling Shoes

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After three months of Texas living, the majority of which time I spent in sandals, my feet were rough. I call them velcro feet when my soles are so scratchy that they stick to my socks and bedsheets. Shudder. Usually O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet (reviewed here) is enough to keep my feet soft, but this was beyond.

I considered buying the classic Baby Foot for a short time, until I noticed Tony Moly's version at Ulta for a fraction of the price. The reviews were similar, but I could get two packs of the Tony Moly Changing U Magic Foot Peeling Shoes for less than one Baby Foot. (The cheapest place I've seen Changing U Magic Foot is Hollar for $4.) Since my husband's feet were gross too, we both decided to try these out. The back of the envelope states that the product will, "transform an average-looking woman into an attractive lady," but I'm not sure either of us achieved that lofty goal, much to our mutual dismay.

Here's the full back of the envelope:

The packaging doesn't show the full list of ingredients in English, so here they are:

Alcohol, Water, Propylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Urea, Glycolic Acid, Betaine, Isopropyl Alcohol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Salicylic Acid, Hydroxypropylcellulose,Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin,Disodium EDTA, Menthol, Onsen-Sui, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Honey Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Bark / Sap Extract, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Yeast Extract, Fragrance.

As you can see, the main active ingredients are a mix of AHAs and BHA in high concentration, aided by a number of other ingredients, some of which may have a soothing effect, depending on how much is in there. There's also a lot of alcohol, which can be drying (and definitely was, in my case).

Here's what's inside:

You get two booties, plastic bags with fabric soaked in the solution lining them. They're sealed at the top, and you peel them open, side your foot in, and use the stickers to hold them in place.

I wear size 10.5 shoes, and my husband's feet are bigger, and neither of us had any trouble fitting these on. They feel a little cold and slimy, but I didn't notice any tingling or other sensations while I was wearing them. The instructions say to keep them on for 1 to 1.5 hours, and I went with the longer time. It was possible to walk with the bags on my feet, but not exactly pleasant, so I wouldn't recommend it. They're pretty slippery. After a couple of episodes of whatever it was I was watching at the time, I made my way carefully to the bathtub, took off the booties, and thoroughly rinsed my feet in warm water.

There was no immediately noticeable effect, but by the next morning my feet felt really dry. By the second day they started to look even more scaly than they had been, but they didn't start to peel yet. According to the instructions, they will begin peeling in 4-6 days, and the process will be complete in two weeks. The skin on my feet felt dry to the point of slight discomfort for the first several days, maybe because there's so much alcohol in these things in addition to the acids. I had to lotion them a few times.

Here's the part where I show you nasty foot photos. If you're not here for that, just close your eyes and scroll to the end for my final assessment. (And if you got here from a strange google search and you're going to get weird with it . . . um, at least click my affiliate links?)

I don't need this: Review of The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% and The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

Yes, I just wrote a post about over-consumption in skincare, and now I'm reviewing a couple of products from one of the trendiest brands of the moment. But this is also a post about not trying to use things you I should know won't work for you me. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes, since I obviously can't.

The first of the two products I'm reviewing here is The Ordinary's Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%. Emi from Project Swatch kindly gave me her tube when I expressed interest after her review, in which she found she didn't like using it because of the grittiness. For some reason I wanted to test my mettle against the unappealing texture, since I can usually stand weird products so long as I use them at night. I won't go into all of the technical details of how this product is supposed to work, but I will direct you to this excellent and thorough review of 27 products from The Ordinary. You can also read about them on Deciem's website (the company that makes The Ordinary), but I will point out that that they often make little attempt to provide really accessible information--and in fact, I think this is part of their marketing plan. Is there a word like "greenwashing" for marketing that presents everything in a very technical, scientific way, to make it sound more advanced and unique? I mean look at the product names. Broken down to basics, maybe, but hardly ordinary.

In general, vitamin C is supposed to "brighten" by fading extra pigmentation, and to prevent or repair sun damage. Here's a great explanation of antioxidant effects from Lab Muffin (still sciency, but a much better presentation than Deciem's). And here's where I went wrong. How many products do I own that claim to "brighten" skin? I don't even want to count. How many times have I actually noticed a difference in my skin as a result of using a brightening product? Rarely-to-never. I don't have hyper-pigmentation or dark spots or the usual things that brightening products are meant to brighten. And so while I don't think that it was completely useless to use this particular product, because I probably got some invisible preventative effects from the antioxidants, I didn't see any noticeable improvements in my skin while using it. That doesn't mean that it doesn't work or that you won't love it! It means I didn't need it, because I already use other good antioxidant products.

Left: Review of The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%; Right: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

I can tell you something about my experience of applying the Vitamin C Suspension, however, since it is an unusual product. You can read on the product page about why it feels the way it does, but I would describe the texture as feeling like a small amount of baking soda mixed into a lotion. Deciem says that it "tingles," but I would describe the sensation as more of a mild burning. I don't recommend using this stuff if you have any broken skin on your face, like a recently scabbed-over zit, because it will sting like fuck. As I hoped, the texture doesn't bother me too much. I apply a thin layer and leave it for 15-20 minutes, and then lightly apply moisturizer on top. By the time I add the moisturizer, most of the grittiness has gone away, but I still prefer to add another layer, because it's quite greasy. In fact, I can still feel the oiliness on my hands even after washing them with soap. With a more pleasant moisturizer over it, however, it feels ok while I sleep, and it washes off easily in the morning. The product itself doesn't have any fragrance when I apply it, but by morning my face smells like it has fake tanner on it, which is interesting. That smell washes off with the product. Also, if you happen to get any of it on your lips, it has a very sour taste.

My story with the Caffeine Solution is similar. I purchased this stuff myself from Well.ca ($10 off with code brutallyhonestbeauty), and had it shipped to my sister in Canada along with a few other products from The Ordinary. I'd read a few brief reviews from people who said it really helped with their dark circles, but apparently I didn't pay close attention, or I would have known it wasn't likely to help me. It works by constricting blood vessels to reduce puffiness and it also reduces dark pigmentation under the eyes. My dark circles are not caused by either of those things--instead, the skin under my eyes is translucent, which makes it look purple-blue. (You can see what I mean here.) In addition, quite the opposite of puffy, my undereye area is somewhat sunken (you can see here). So in fact, I would benefit more from increased puffiness and pigment, not the opposite!

But I tried the serum anyway for about a week, since I had it, after all. I was curious. It didn't improve my dark circles, as I should have expected. I don't know if it made the sunken, shriveled skin under my eyes worse, but it certainly didn't help. Let me advise you to READ THE FUCKING PRODUCT DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU BUY SOMETHING. Honestly, I don't think there are any products other than concealer out there that can help my ghoulish blue circles, though I'm trying some eye patches to see if they will plump up the skin temporarily (recommended by Mimi from Makeup Withdrawal).

The texture of the Caffeine Solution is lovely, by the way, in case it's the kind of thing that might be of use to you. It's a thin serum that absorbs quickly. The bottle ought to last forever, because you'll only need a drop max for each eye.

I need to stop using things simply because I'm intrigued by reviews, and think carefully about what will actually benefit my skin. I do that most of the time, but my curiosity got the better of me this time. The Ordinary is an interesting line of products, and I have a few more to test out in the coming months. It's a cheap way to try fairly basic formulations and ingredients and to rule out what doesn't work for you (I guess I've accomplished that), which can be difficult to do with more complex, often more expensive, products. I haven't done a price-per-ounce analysis here, and I might attempt one in the future, though I'm not sure exactly what would be best to compare these types of products to. Suggestions?

Have any of you have good luck with skincare from The Ordinary?

(I really would like to get up to two posts a week, instead of just one, but I haven't quite got the hang of my new schedule. Working on it!)

Pros and Cons: Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Sunscreen

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I finally finished my bottle of Biore Watery Gel sunscreen (reviewed here), and since I thought my favorite sunscreen had been discontinued, I had to decide what to use next. (As it turns out, Kinesys is back, and for now can be purchased on their website: US/Canada. I haven't ordered anything yet, but I'll post more when I've got my hands on some of their sunscreen again.) The Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 Sunscreen is a holy grail for a lot of people, so I decided to use a credit to try out a tube of it for myself.

After using it for several weeks, I have mixed feelings. What I like about it, I really like; what I don't like is kind of a deal-breaker. So I think it makes sense to write this review as a basic pros/cons list.

PROS:

• Ingredients: The sunscreen in this product is zinc oxide, which is reliable, stable, and good for most sensitive skin. It also contains some other potentially beneficial skincare ingredients like antioxidants.
• Texture: It's not too thin and not too thick. It's easy to apply an even layer on my face, and it really does feel like there's nothing on my skin after a few short minutes. It's supposed to be a "moisturizer + SPF," but if it's moisturizing, the results are very subtle. I don't mind that. It is meant for combination or oily skin, after all.

• Finish: Zinc oxide can leave a white cast on the skin, so this lotion is lightly tinted to counteract that. It leaves my skin matte and adds a tiny bit of sheer coverage. It also works very well under makeup, a lot like a primer. It provides a bit of oil control and keeps my makeup in place longer.

Here are some frowny before and after photos. In the first photo I have nothing on my face. In the second photo, I have just the Paula's Choice Resist SPF 30. You can see that the tint is very, very sheer, but if you look at the freckles under my eyes, for instance, they are less visible in the second photo. (Also if you ever doubted how invisible my eyelashes are, here you go. This is the nakedest face I've ever published on my blog.)

CONS:

• Price: This is a $33 sunscreen. The tube contains 2 oz./60 ml, which for daily facial use would probably last around 6 months, I'm guessing. So if this is the perfect sunscreen for you, I can see $66 a year or so being worthwhile. It's better to buy something you love and actually wear it everyday than to buy something cheap that you hate and avoid applying sunscreen at all. For me, it's way too expensive when I factor in the issues described below.
• Smell: This is the biggest problem for me. It's really a YMMV situation, because most reviews I've read say that this sunscreen has no scent at all. I've only found one other person who noticed the smell I'm talking about here. When I apply this sunscreen, there's no really noticeable scent, at least nothing that bothers me. When I step outside, however, I get a big whiff of something strange, almost like burnt plastic or latex with a sour note. I can smell it for as long as I remain outside, but when I go back in, it's gone. Even when I go out to head home at the end of the work day, hours and hours after I first applied my sunscreen, I get the smell again. Could it be that the product is reacting to the sun somehow to release the smell? It's not the wind, because I don't smell it in a drafty indoor space. It's so odd! And very unpleasant. (I made my husband smell my face when we were outside the other day to see if I was just imagining it, and he noticed it too.)
• Eye irritation: I have less of a problem with this particular sunscreen smearing or running into my eyes than with others I've used in the past, but I do have to be careful not to rub my eyes or the lotion will get into them and make them itch and burn.
• Tint: I mentioned the tint as a sort of benefit above, in that it removes some of the white cast that would ordinarily be left by the zinc. The tint does, however, make this sunscreen more fussy to use than most others I've tried. I'm used to applying my facial sunscreen to my face and then bringing it down to my neck and exposed parts of my chest. More than once, while trying to do that with this stuff, I've accidentally smeared a bit of it onto the neckline of my shirt and then had to change out of an otherwise perfectly good, clean shirt. It's a hassle, when I'm in a hurry, to have to use a separate product for my neck and chest (or to have to pick out another top to wear! Ugh!!). You pretty much have to treat this stuff like makeup by, for instance, washing your hands after you apply it. Plus I have my doubts about how invisible the tint would be on people with darker skin. If you have a deep skin tone and have tried this sunscreen, I'd be interested to hear your results.

Here is it swatched on white paper, so you can see what a mess it would make if you got any on your clothing:

Personally, I don't think I will buy another tube of Paula's Choice Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense once I've finished the one I have, even though I can understand why it's such a favorite. The texture and finish are really lovely and it plays exceptionally well with makeup. The smell is a big turnoff for me, but I'd guess you probably have a less than 5% chance of having that same problem, judging from reviews. But the smell combined with the finicky application is too much for me. I like to be able to apply my sunscreen quickly and move on. There's a reason I don't wear foundation every day, after all. 

Does this sound like a sunscreen that would work for you?

(You can get $10 off $15 from Paula's Choice when you sign up for a new account using my link--I get a credit too, which is what allowed me to review this sunscreen.)