Hi, guys!
My name’s Mandee, and I’m Kath’s friend from Australia (originally from Manila). She’s invited me to write articles for you guys every now and then, so I hope you enjoy the ones to come!
I’m starting off with sharing my daytime routine. I’ve been living a cruelty-free lifestyle for a little over 2 years now, which means all the products I’ll be mentioning are from cruelty-free brands and do not contain any ingredients tested on animals. I’m not overly strict about products containing animal by-products as long as they’re 100% ethically sourced. I always confirm with companies via email.
Just a little bit about my skin: I have dry, extremely sensitive, and unfortunately, texture-prone skin. Like a lot of girls, I break out when I’m nearing that time of the month. My mission (LOL) to achieve nice skin actually started when I was just entering puberty in the sixth grade, so I’ve tried and tested tons of the products available in the market.
Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Xanthan Gum, Lycopene, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Oil of Grapefruit
Why I love it: I initially had never heard of this line coming into MECCA, but I picked up their cleanser because the ingredient list was short and seemed safe for my skin. I definitely made a good decision! This product is amazing because it cleans my face without over-drying, yet still gives it that squeaky clean feeling. I’m already on my second one.
How I use it: In the shower, I take one or two pumps of this and bring it to a lather all over my wet skin, then wash it off with lukewarm water.
Ingredients: 100% Rosa Damascena Water
Why I love it: You can’t really go wrong with 100% pure rose water. I just got this from my local chemist. It’s gentle and has no added chemicals or artificial fragrances. I’ve read that Kim Kardashian uses the Heritage brand on her face!
How I use it: After patting my skin dry from washing, I mist this all over to tone and prep for my other products.
Argan Life Premium Moroccan Argan Oil
Ingredients: 100% Pure Australian Certified Organic Unrefined Moroccan Argan Oil
Why I love it: I’ve been a faithful argan oil lover for the past 4-5 years. I’ve tried marula oil, rosehip oil, and other moisturizers, but I always seem to come back to this. Despite battling with sensitive skin and chronic dryness throughout all seasons of the year, argan oil always does the best job at moisturizing and making my skin glow. You don’t necessarily have to get this brand to reap its benefits because a lot of brands carry argan oil. Just make sure it’s pure and cold-pressed! If you’re looking into purchasing, make sure you read this article first.
How I use it: I take about 3-5 drops, rub my hands together to warm the product, then gently pat it all over my face. I’ve read that for the maximum absorption of all face oils, patting is recommended over rubbing. I also put one or two drops of this onto my sunscreen to make it more emollient.
Earth Science Active Age Defense Protective Day Cream with SPF 30
Active ingredient: Zinc Oxide 20%
Other ingredients: Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium PCA, Camellia Sinenis (Green Tea) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Organic Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Polyglyceryl–4 Isostearate, Cetyl Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol.
Why I love it: After parting from Josie Maran’s Argan Daily Moisturizer (great, but has fragrance), I came across this on iHerb while I was on the hunt for a new sunscreen. This lacks reviews in the beauty community, but I decided to give it a go because it has relatively simple ingredients. It’s fragrance-free, dries matte on my skin, doesn’t leave a white cast, and doesn’t make my skin flake off like most sunscreens do. It also has SPF 30, which is a good amount of sun protection for the summer.
How I use it: I take a dime-sized amount, put two drops of argan oil, then slather it on my face prior to sun exposure.
I recently purchased Murad’s City Skin® sunscreen, but I’m still waiting for my delivery! If you’ve used this, do let me know how it’s working for you.
… And that concludes my daytime routine. I do like the condition of my skin right now, thanks to these products and @self for all the research. It’s probably important to note that what might work for me might not work for you, so please keep that in mind if you plan on purchasing these for yourself!
I’ll be back soon to share my favorite serums with you guys. If you guys have anything to ask, please feel free to leave a comment down below. Stay tuned for Kath’s next post!
With love,
Mandee