I never had acne or bad skin during my teen years. Nope! I was one of the lucky ones....until I turned 23 and BAM...adult acne. It was so frustrating to deal with. I had to change my whole skin care regime from the cleansers and cream I used to the makeup I wore. I even had to go to the doctor and get gels that never actually worked. Everything had to be swapped out for hypoallergenic products. This can get expensive if your not careful! I loved my
M.A.C. Studio Fix Powder and concealer. I was so bummed to find out these products contain a lot of oils and are very heavy to wear. So I went on a hunt at
Sephora and
Shoppers Drug Mart to find hypoallergenic products that provided the same coverage I loved about M.A.C. products but were light enough to let my skin breath and not clog my pores. So, I thought I would share with you the products I found and now use, and have been using for the past two years!*
Cleansing
I find acne cleansers {such as pro-active} so harsh on my skin, I feel like my skin is basically burning off. Effaclar foaming gel by La Roche-Posay is amazing for oily/acne prone skin types. Its light weight, and contains NO alcohol, oil or soap! It gently cleanses without over drying and helps tighten your pores and is gentile enough for everyday use! It's an amazing product and definatley worth the price, 200ml for $22! Available at
Shoppers Drug Mart or online at
Le Roche-Posay. Complex 15 was recommended to me by my doctor. This face cream was developed by dermatologists specifically to rehydrate the skin of all skin type users. It's light weight, orderless, oil free and contains a low level of PH. I've been using this cream for 2 years and have not had a problem. For $12 you can't go wrong {
Shoppers Drug Mart}!
Foundation
Clinque Even Better Makeup 15 is oil-free, dermetologist developed and contains SPF 15! Not only does this product cover up red marks, pimples, dark spots, even out skin tones etc...it also helps improve the look of your skin! Within 4 -6 weeks of using Even Better those dark spots and red marks will start to diminish! It's magic! I don't use this everyday, I only use it when I have noticable pimples or dark circles under my eyes, but a little bit goes a long away! My colour is deep neutral and is priced at $24.50. Avilable at
Sephora,
The Bay and wherever Clinque products are sold. The Laura Mercier foundation powder provides the most converage I have ever had from a product. It's light weight and covers evenly with minimal effort! Theres two ways to use this product. You can apply using a puff to reduce shine or apply with a wet sponge and it will provide more coverage than a liquid foundation {the compact includes both a puff and sponge}. I have never tried the wet technique since I sometimes use the Even Better liquid foundation. My colour is a #3 and is $40, available at
Sephora.
Colour
M.A.C. Springsheen powder blush is my all time favorite colour! The peach and pearl colours mixed with a sheertone shimmer are perfect for any occasion! When I was doing the switch from M.A.C. to all hypoallergenic products, I could not find a blush I loved as much as this one! SO...I didn't give it up! But I haven't had any problems from it! I find it light weight enough to allow my skin to breath and versitile enough to allow me to use it all the time! Available at
M.A.C. for $26. When I use bronzer I don't want to look ornage or have that awkward orange line on my jaw, so when picking a bronzer I chose the Estee Lauder Bronze Godess for 2 reasons. 1. It's hypoallergenic, oil free and dermatologist tested {all Estee Lauder products are} 2. It provides a soft shimmer glow that leaves your skin looking golden and shimmery! You can find this bronzer for $30 at
The Bay,
Sephora or wherever Estee Lauder products are sold!
All the products I have listed above worked for my 23 year old acne prone skin, and are still working wonderfully today! I suggest when looking for hypoallergenic products talk to the cosmetologists and your doctor to point you in the right direction! I found these products through a lot of trial and error, so I'm hoping this post will at least point you in the right direction and hopefully save you some money!*
