We all want brighter skin.
I have so many skincare products that promise younger-looking, brighter skin, and if you are looking for something a little more affordable than what you would find in Sephora or department stores, then take a look at Neutrogena’s newest collection.
Released earlier this year, Neutrogena’s Bright Boost collection is made up of four products and includes star ingredient neoglucosamine, which is a non-acid that helps fight dull skin and gently resurface skin. It also helps boost surface cell turnover and as a result, you’re left with brighter, more even-toned skin. Neoglucosamine is also a building block of hyaluronic acid, which helps renew skin for a more fresh and radiant complexion.
So how can you tell if you have dull skin? Well, every day 30 days you naturally shed your top layer of skin, which is called surface cell turnover. During that process, sometimes old skin cells get stuck and your skin starts to look dull as a result. Neoglucosamine helps to hydrate, even out tone and texture, and resurface skin.
So where to start? Grab the Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Face polish with AHAs (C$10.97), which is a gentle exfoliator. This face polish removes skin-aging dullness with three-times the polishing power of a normal scrub. The formula contains naturally derived skin smoothers and glycolic acid and mandelic AHAs to gently exfoliate skin and brighten it at the same time. Neutrogena recommends using this one to three times a week, and I like using this prior to my cleanser to help prep the skin for a good wash. It will also help your skin absorb your other skincare products so they work a little better.
After, grab the Bright Boost Illuminating + Brightening Serum with Turmeric (C$34.99), which is a brightening face serum that is formulated with turmeric extract and neoglucosamine to visibly improve skin tone, texture, and clarity. This serum will help to reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation, as well as visibly even tone and texture.
Neutrogena recommends using this serum everyday, morning and night. With regular use you’ll be left with radiant skin.
For moisturizers, they actually have two to choose from.
The Bright Boost Brightening Gel Moisturizing Face Cream (C$34.99) is a brightening face cream that visibly reduces dullness and dark spots for smoother-looking and feeling skin. Apply this cream both morning and night for better tone, texture, and a reduction of fine lines in just one week. In addition to neoglucosamine, it also has AHA and PHA to brighten, resurface, and boost surface cell turnover.
Lastly, I spoke about their other moisturizer last week in my sunscreen post. The Bright Boost Facial Moisturizer + SPF 30 (C$34.99) is the perfect daytime moisturizer for your routine. This cream is a sheer brightening moisturizer with broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 30, which will help protect skin against sun damage and improve tone and texture. In addition to neoglucosamine, it also includes vitamin C, vitamin E, and moringa seed.
I really like this moisturizer since it’s very lightweight on the skin, and now that the weather is finally nicer, it’s nice that I can skip my sunscreen step since this has sun protection in it. With regular use, you’ll notice how bright and even your skin tone looks.
As you can see, I really love this collection and love the idea of it. I’m hoping that they will release an eye cream and cleanser in this line as well to help round it out a little better, but I think the four items that they did choose to release do a really nice job of giving you brighter-looking skin.
Will you choose Neutrogena’s new Bright Boost collection?
Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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If you haven’t been applying a serum in your skincare routine, then you should seriously rethink your decision.
I know, I know… skincare takes long enough, do you really need an extra step to add to an already time-consuming practice?
Yes.
Serums differ from moisturizers in that they are an extremely concentrated product that will help combat various skin concerns. There’s pretty much a serum out there for everything, so if anti-aging, acne, discolouration, blemishes… you name it are an issue for you, then I would stock up on some serums stat!
At a loss on what to try and where to start? Here are three serums that I recently have received and would make your skin very happy.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Serum Crystal Elixir
As a follow up to her incredibly popular Magic Cream, Charlotte Tilbury has just released a serum that will rock your world.
The Magic Serum Crystal Elixir (C$100) is a serum that is aimed to supercharge your skin. This serum gives you hydrated, youthful-looking skin thanks to powerful ingredients like Replexium for younger-looking skin, Golden Vitamin C for brightness, Niacinamide, which is a multi-action vitamin B3 that improves skin tone and reduces the appearance of pores, and Polyglutamic Acid, which provides hydration and is four-times more powerful than hyaluronic acid.
Apply this serum morning and night before your moisturizer for a more youthful appearance. It features 20 per cent potent ingredient concentration suspended in a calibrated water-based formula and is suitable for all skin types. Skin will feel more hydrated, look tighter and firmer, fine lines and wrinkles will appear reduced, and facial contours will appear more lifted.
Skinceuticals H.A. Intensifier
I’ve been a fan of Skinceuticals products for years now and having already loved their CE Ferulic serum, so I was intrigued with the H.A. Intensifier (C$130).
Short for Hyaluronic Acid, this product is a corrective serum that is proven to increase skin’s hyaluronic acid levels. The formula contains a high concentration of pure hyaluronic acid, propylene, and botanical extracts of liquorice root and purple rice to increase the levels of hydration in the skin and improve the visible appearance of firmness, smoothness, and plumpness. By adding more moisture into your skin, your face will look more youthful and fine lines and wrinkles will start to even out.
Since this is a medical-grade skincare line that you can purchase at dermatologist clinics and doctors offices, it allows a higher percentage of hyaluronic acid and they say that it will amplify the skin’s HA levels by 30 per cent. It’s also billed to reduce the look of crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, and marionette lines for a more youthful, smoother appearance.
This serum is suitable for all skin types and is paraben and dye free.
SKWIIK Super Elixir Glow Oil
Lastly, if you are looking for a local clean beauty serum (#SupportLocal), then take a look at Skwiik Skin Co.’s Super Elixir Glow Oil (C$30).
Skwiik (pronounced “squeak”) is a Calgary-based skincare and bath company that makes ethical products with a mindful curation of ingredients. Their Super Elixir Glow Oil is a non-comedogenic, hydrating and nourishing facial oil that is perfect to use as-is or mixed together with your favourite moisturizer for a super hydrating treat!
Ingredients include Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil Crambe Abyssinica (Abyssinia) Oil, Argania Apinosa (Argan) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol. So, as you can see, there isn’t really any chemicals in the formula, but rather a ton of nourishing oils that will help penetrate the skin for a hydrating application.
Serums tend to be on the pricier side of the skincare realm since they are such concentrated products. As you can see in this lineup though, not all serums will cost you an arm and a leg and I highly recommend picking one up and adding it into your routine. Trust me, your skin will thank you.
What’s your favourite serum?
Please note, I received these products by PR. All opinions are my own.
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Usually I wouldn’t even be thinking about sunscreen in April, but lately I’ve been slathering myself in it.
Since I’m working from home, I really feel like I have been making the best of the situation. Every morning I wake up at 7:45 am, get a workout in, and then start my workday for my full-time job at 9 am. Since my condo gets the sun in the morning, with it finally being nice out, I’ve been working outside for most of the day. I mean, it’s not 30 degrees yet, but in the sun it’s actually pretty warm.
Although my extensions are grown out, my roots are bad, and my lips are deflated and Botox gone, the one thing I can work on is my body. I’ve been working out pretty much everyday, have no temptation to eat out, and have been getting in some tanning time when I get the sun in the morning. Sure, my hair will be a hot mess when we can finally all leave our homes, but I plan on coming out of quarantine with a killer body and a sick tan.
Okay, so I don’t actually tan very well. I have eastern European skin, meaning that I’m pretty pale and when I do tan, it’s more like a slight change of colour than a beautiful golden hue. That’s why I love a good self tanner because it gives me a shade that I wouldn’t be able to achieve naturally. I’m also more prone to burning than tanning. So as you can imagine, applying a sunscreen prior to sun exposure is really important.
In addition to that, lately in my daytime skincare routine, since I’m turning 32 next month, I’ve really been trying to be religious with applying a facial sunscreen as the last step. If you are like me and have been embracing the outdoors a lot in the past week or so, then keep reading for my top picks for sun protection this season.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Color Correcting Full-Coverage Cream and Anti-Aging Hydration Serum with SPF 50+
I’ve talked about IT Cosmetics’ CC cream (we are just going to call it that since its full name is way too long to type out twice) a lot on here and for good reason. This CC cream is my hands-down favourite CC cream/BB cream/tinted moisturizer.
This product has been around for a while, but if you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a multi-use product that will soon become one of your favourite beauty items. This award-winning CC cream (C$52) increases skin hydration, improves the appearance of skin texture, colour corrects, camouflages imperfections, infuses your skin with an anti-aging serum, minimizes the look of wrinkles and pores, and has an SPF 50 in it. Sounds like the best thing ever, right? Well, it really is.
In addition to the OG formula, this is also available in a radiant and matte version (I have the matte version as well, which has an SPF 40 in it).
If you have always wanted to try this product but found that you couldn’t get a shade suitable for your skin tone, then you’re in luck! IT Cosmetics as recently expanded the shade range and you can now find this CC cream in 12 shades. With summer coming up, and hopefully loosening social distancing guidelines, this product will become your new go-to for going out or even just for everyday wear.
Pro Derm Facial Day Cream and Daytime Fluid
I’m brand new to Pro Derm, but it seems to be a medical-grade skincare line, and best of all, it’s Canadian! For sunscreens, the brand has a couple different SPF products to choose from.
Their Daytime Fluid SPF 30 (C$65) is a sunscreen with 100 per cent mineral filters that offers a broad spectrum UVA/UVB and is designed for all skin types. The formula is light, absorbs nicely into skin, and is non-greasy. I like using these facial sunscreens as the last step in my skincare routine and enjoy applying them regardless if it’s sunny out or if I plan on spending time outside. It’s important to add a sun protection into your routine since it helps with aging and protects the skin against UVA, UVB and other external aggressions.
If you would rather use a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, then take a look at their Facial Day Cream SPF 20 (C$53.50). This daytime moisturizer is suitable for normal skin and contains anti-UVA and UVC solar filters, antioxidants, natural soothing agents, and is a high-quality moisturizer. This contains SPF 20 in it, meaning that you can skip that extra step at the end since it has built-in sun protection.
In addition to the SPF, this moisturizer also is enriched with Vitamins A, E, B5, C and aloe.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Moisturizer with SPF 30
As part of their new Bright Boost line (review coming soon!), Neutrogena has released the Bright Boost Moisturizer with SPF 30. This moisturizer is lightweight in texture and contains Neoglucosamine, which boosts brightness and nourishes the skin with antioxidants. Thanks to Moringa Seed Oil and Vitamin C & E, skin is left feeling smooth, hydrated, and glowing.
In addition to the skincare benefits, it also contains SPF 30, making it perfect to use as a daytime moisturizer. Over time, this will visibly improve tone, texture, and brightness.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Mist
For the ultimate sunscreen touchups (since it only lasts so many hours), invest in the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Mist (C$17.49). This face mist contains SPF 50 in the formula and has Vitamin E to help condition skin while you wear it.
Since this is a spray, you can also wear this over or under makeup, making it the perfect beauty accessory for your summer routine. It features an oxybenzone-free formula and is lightweight and doesn’t have oil in the formula, meaning it’s comfortable to wear and won’t leave a residue. It’s also non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores and is water resistant up to 40 minutes.
This one is a must-have for your skin this summer!
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen
Lastly, this one is my favourite.
The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreens (C$14.98) are a staple for your beach bag this season. Available in 30, 45, and 60 SPF, these spray sunscreens make getting every inch of your body super simple (and also way less time consuming).
These sunscreens are a weightless sheer mist sunscreen spray that provides effective broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. It features a handy one-touch continuous spray that works at any angle, meaning you won’t have to ask that stranger to sunscreen your back.
Neutrogena bills these as oil-free and non-greasy, however, I have been using these a lot lately and do find them to be a little greasy on the skin. They do give you a nice sheen though so you get that oiled-up look and I find it helps attract the sun (but safely since there is SPF in here). I have been using these religiously (all three sun factors depending on the time of day and how long I’ve been sitting out) and I haven’t burned at all with these.
I love a good spray sunscreen since I find them much more handy to apply. The only problem with these is I find that you do go through them quicker since it makes applying the sunscreen so much easier and since it’s a continuous spray bottle, it can kinda get out of hand sometime when I’m spraying it.
Whether it’s a facial sunscreen, a CC cream with SPF, or a body mist sunscreen, having proper sun protection with the weather getting warmer is super important and I’m happy that I have an arsenal of products ready at my disposal. With it getting so nice out, it’s very important that we apply an SPF to our skin before going outside to protect our most valuable asset, our bodies.
What’s your favourite sunscreen?
Please note, products provided by PR, all opinions are my own.
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