FEATURE: BEST SKIN CARE ITEMS FOR DRY SKIN TYPES

Hey ladies! My name is Khira, and I am a makeup/product junkie. Nice to meet you! I was born in, and currently reside in, New York City! I am interested in, and love all things, beauty and fashion related. I was never really into fashion or beauty when I was growing up, and I was a tomboy for the most part until the end of high school/beginning of college. I truly got to know myself as a person in college, and I became comfortable in expressing myself. I started to dabble into makeup and immediately became obsessed. Playing in makeup made me realize how important it is to actually take care of my skin. I used to wash my face once in blue moon and never really took the time to tend to its needs. My skin is not sensitive whatsoever, but it is extremely dry. Now that I have experimented with skincare products, and have learned what is best for me, I have decided to share my must-have skincare products for those who have drier skin types!

Clarisonic Mia 2 ($150) The Clarisonic Mia 2 is leading in sonic skincare cleansing. It cleans 6x better than your hands alone! “In just 60 seconds, its sonic action removes impurities from pores so that creams, serums, and moisturizers are more effective. And with regular daily use you’ll notice a reduction in dry patches, oily areas, and blemishes” (sephora.com).

Features: – 2 speeds – Int’l pLink charger for worldwide use – Improved user interface indicating speed and charge functions

Review: Yes it is very pricey, however, after purchasing the Mia 2, I immediately recommended it to EVERY single one of my friends and family members. Since there has been a big improvement with the appearance of my skin, it was definitely worth the investment. I have dry skin and when using the Clarisonic, it gently removes all of the dead skin by exfoliating, and it picks up all of the excess makeup. I generally use it 3-4 times a week to make sure I don’t over exfoliate.

Luminous Clean Daily Exfoliating Cleanser ($6-$7) “Get luminous! Use every day to deeply clean and gently exfoliate dull skin. So, skin looks renewed and luminous again! Find out why Allure magazine named Luminous Clean Daily Exfoliating Cleanser a Best of Beauty award winner” (ponds.com).

Key Ingredients: – Soft white Kaolin clay: a natural mineral known to act like a magnet to gently draw out deep-dwelling impurities – Gentle micro beads: help removing dull, lifeless skin

Review: THIS!!! – My absolute favorite skin product. When taking a break from my Clarisonic, I use this in the meantime to clean my face while exfoliating. It definitely gets the job done nicely, leaving a nice glow and baby soft skin!

Noxzema ($5-$7) “With the rich, hydrating moisturizers, Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream Plus Moisturizer leavers your skin feeling soft and moisturized. Removes dirt and oil while conditioning the skin, deep cleans with added moisturizers, dermatologist tested” (noxzema.com).

Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed)Oil (Linseed), Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Gelatin, Camphor, Ammonium Hydroxide, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Calcium Hydroxide, Menthol, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride

Review: Another one of my must-haves! I use this as a face mask, especially when I notice some breakouts. It does have a very cooling and tingly effect, which I know some people do not like, but I absolutely love! It feels like your pores are opening up and are being cleansed. I’ve been using this product for years and I have never had a negative experience. It does its job each and every time.

MAC Cosmetics Fix + ($21) Like Ashley mentioned, this has been one of my favorites for years! I also first started using it the same way– to apply my liquid makeup (foundation & concealer, because it helps for a smoother & extremely sheer application) and setting my makeup. Now, I use it to refresh my skin and help my serums and moisturizers really get into my skin. It’s infused with vitamins and minerals and helps to rehydrate my skin.

The Fix + Spray is “an aqua-spritz of vitamins and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!” (maccosmetics.com).

This is another great product that I have incorporated into my skincare regimen. I usually use this after I apply my toner and after I do my makeup. Since I have dry skin, it’s always nice to spray this on to gain some added moisture. It doesn’t leave my skin sticky or oily, which is a plus!

L’Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum Concentrate ($24.99) Product Description: The youth code is a “luxurious serum visibly improves skin quality working on uneven skin texture with visible pores and fine lines” (lorealparisusa.com).

Ingredients: AQUA / WATER, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, GLYCERIN, ALCOHOL DENAT, PPG-15 STEARYL ETHER, DIMETHICONE, BIS-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 DIMETHICONE, POLYSILICONE-11, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE, AMMONIUM POLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE / AMMONIUM, POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE, HYDROXYETHYLPIPERAZINE ETHANE SULFONIC ACID, EPERUA FALCATA BARK EXTRACT, DIMETHICONOL, SODIUM HYALURONATE, INULIN LAURYL CARBAMATE, ADENOSINE, POLOXAMER 338, DISODIUM EDTA, HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, LENS ESCULENTA SEED EXTRACT / LENTIL SEED EXTRACT, XANTHAN GUM, DEXTRIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE, MICA, LINALOOL, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, LIMONENE, CITRONELLOL, PARFUM / FRAGRANCE

Review: I have been using this product for quite awhile now, and it is something I MUST have. I use this product every single day after washing my face in the morning and at night. Prior to my discovery of this amazing product, I would often experience raised bumps under my eyebrows and along my cheekbones. I never knew what caused them and nothing seemed to get rid of them. It is because of this product that my skin’s texture and overall appearance is so much smoother and even. I LOVE IT!

Oil Minimizing Skin Toner (previously Refreshing Toner) ($5-$6) Product Description: “This toner helps deal with excess oil by removing it – along with dirt and make-up—without stripping your skin of its essential moisture” (olay.com).

Ingredients: WATER, SD ALCOHOL 40, WITCH HAZEL EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, allantoin, MENTHYL LACTATE, FRAGRANCE, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5

Review: Seeing that I have dry skin you are probably wondering why I would even use this product. However, it benefits dry skin because it restores your skin’s pH balance, it shrinks pores, adds a layer of protection, refreshes the skin, prevents ingrown hairs, and actually moisturizes! I use this toner 2-3 times a week after washing my face.

Pond’s Dry Skin Cream ($5-$10) Product Description: “This rich and creamy formula is easily absorbed by the skin to hydrate deeply while significantly reducing dryness. For smooth, soft, radiant skin, put your trust in a classic” (ponds.com).

Key Ingredients: – Occlusives: help to prevent moisture from leaving the skin – Humectants: deeply hydrates to keep moisture within the skin

Review: This is also one of my favorite products. I use this cream every day after washing my face. It hydrates my skin leaving it nice and soft.

Water Last but not least, the most important of them all! I used to shy away from water because there wasn’t a sugary flavor. I was the girl who drank juice and soda all day long. I have started to drink water a lot more over the past few months, and I have actually grown to like it. Doing so has caused a huge change in my skin. I no longer have as many breakouts as before, and my skin is constantly flushed due to my increased water intake. Water is important in more ways than one so make sure you drink it!

Khira and I have been friends since high school. She was the perfect person to write this feature because I go to her with a lot of skincare questions. Although we have differing skin types, she is very selective in her products and I trust that she will be able to help me in one way or another.

I hope you all enjoyed this skincare piece for drier skin types. If you have an oily skin type, please be sure to check out my posts: part 1 and part 2.

Until next time, Ashley, xo.

Do you have any questions for Khira about her skincare routine or the products she uses? If so, comment below OR send us an email at curlsfothegirls@gmail.com!