Level Up Your Skincare Routine With a New Toner, Serum or Treatment Product
Are you looking for new skincare products to take your routine to the next level? Adding a toner, serum or treatment product can really be beneficial in addressing any skin concerns you may have. From dehydration and brightening, to acne and anti aging, there are products for it all. Check out these 10 amazing toners, serums and treatments that will really level up your skincare regime.
Hada Labo Premium Lotion
Although it is called a lotion, the Hada Labo Premium Lotion is technically a toner or essence. It will provide long lasting moisture and leave you with a very plump and beautiful glass skin finish. It is formulated with 5 different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, which fortifies the skin's natural barriers to help lock moisture in for a dramatic hydrating effect. This is definitely an amazing product to try for those with more dry and dehydrated skin, but it will definitely be beneficial for most skin types, especially if your skin requires more hydration due to the use of strong treatments like salicylic acid, tea tree, glycolic acid, etc. Best way to apply hyaluronic acid is on damp skin and follow up with a moisturizer!
YesStyle.com - $15.16
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
If you are looking for a treatment toner for acne prone skin, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution would be perfect for you. This is a gentle chemical exfoliant with Glycolic Acid, which is an AHA. AHAs help peel away the surface of your skin so that new, more evenly pigmented skin cells may generate and take their place. This product in particular works wonder in treating scarring, skin discoloration and signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles. In addition to Glycolic Acid, this toner is formulated with Ginseng Root and Aloe Vera, which has skin soothing benefits and will contribute to an overall radiant complexion. This toner will work for most skin types, but keep in mind that this is an exfoliating toner so it may be too strong and drying for daily use. I would recommend starting off using this only twice a week and when your skin is ready, use every other day.
Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner
The Etude House Soon Jung Relief Toner is a really great product packed with lots of hydrating ingredients, in specific Propanediol, Glycerin and Betaine. Keeping skin properly hydrated helps it appear more plump and supple, and also helps address surface dullness by combating the buildup of dead skin cells. What is really amazing about this toner is that it doesn’t just increase hydration, but it also has soothing and calming properties. One of their ingredients is scutellaria baicalensis root extract, which has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antioxidant and anti-ultraviolet radiation functions. The ingredient list as a whole is very clean and provides a lot of benefits to the skin. It is free of alcohol and fragrance, and even great for those with skin sensitivity and fungal acne. It can be a bit watery and runny, but once properly absorbed, it feels like your skin just drank a tall glass of water. This toner overall will leave your skin feeling repaired, refreshed, relieved and rehydrated. I cannot recommend this toner enough for sensitive and dehydrated skin!
The Inkey List Q10 Antioxidant Serum
The Inkey List Q10 Serum is a great antioxidant and anti-aging serum that works great to protect and prevent signs of aging, while also providing hydration. It promotes collagen production and increases the elasticity in the skin to keep it firm by preventing fine lines, wrinkles and sagginess. Some of the amazing ingredients in this serum is squalene and hyaluronic acid. Squalene balances oil production and provides the right amount of moisture to keep the skin healthy, hydrated and plump. It also has anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. Hyaluronic acid is great at providing hydration to the skin as well as reducing the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles, and creating that plump, glowy and dewy effect. This Q10 serum has a cream like thick consistency, but is still very lightweight and non greasy. It absorbs will into the skin and leaves it feeling soft and moisturized. I also believe that a great q10 serum can be an amazing alternative to retinol as it has similar anti aging benefits, but is gentler and can be mixed with a lot of other treatments without fear of irritation. However, Retinol is a lot stronger and may provide quicker results compared to Q10. Most people use both by incorporating Q10 in their morning routine and a Retinol in their nighttime routine.
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
This Azelaic Acid Serum from The Ordinary is a hidden gem. People tend to rave about their AHA & BHA Peeling Solution and The Niacinamide Serum, but I personally believe that the superstar of this brand is their Azelaic Acid Suspension. Azelaic Acid is a powerhouse acid that can truly change the skin because it does a wide range of things. This product in particular is great for brightening, can help diminish the appearance of skin blemishes, help fade post-acne marks and other discolorations, refine skin’s surface, and reveal a more even skin tone. It will also help improve the appearance of swelling and visible blood vessels caused by rosacea. It’s great at reducing skin sensitivity and will work well for any skin type. Make sure to apply when the skin is dry and use only a pea size amount, as a little goes a long way. You may experience a slight tingly or itchy sensation after applying, which is completely normal, but if it’s extremely uncomfortable and lasts for a long period of time, discontinue use.
Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum
Naturium has an incredible 22% Vitamin C serum. This serum not only does an amazing job at brightening overall skin complexion, but it promotes healthy skin by fading and preventing acne scars, dark spots and pigmentation. It is formulated with both Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a sodium salt form of Vitamin C, and Ascorbic Acid, which is pure Vitamin C. It also has Vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports skin health and is beneficial at reducing UV damage to the skin. Other great ingredients are pineapple fruit extract and aloe vera, which are both amazing for moisturizing and soothing the skin. After using this product, I immediately saw a difference in my skin complexion. I especially think whenever I paired this with a gel moisturizer, my skin was brighter, more radiant and had this angelic glow to it. Naturium does not formulate with alcohol, fragrance or essential oils, and none of their products are over $25.
Amazon.com - $19.95
Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
The Paula’s Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant is a cult favorite amongst the skincare community. It’s a gentle leave-on exfoliant with salicylic acid (BHA) that will quickly unclog pores and smooth out skin texture, while also brightening and evening out overall complexion. It also does an amazing job at penetrating deep into the skin to clear and minimize enlarged pores to prevent future breakouts. Key ingredients are Salicylic Acid and Green Tea Leaf extract, which have anti-inflammatory properties so it’s perfect for sensitive and acne prone skin. I have definitely seen an improvement after using this product, especially with texture on my cheeks. It really helped even out complexion and smooth my skin. If you are new to AHA and BHA products, it may cause some skin purging at first due to rapid skin cell turnover, but it should last no more than 6 weeks.
PaulasChoice.com - $29.50
COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
Do you have stubborn blackheads or congested and large pores? The COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is a powerful product that will help the skin rebuild its moisture shield while eliminating blackheads and unclogging pores. It contains Betaine Salicylate, a mild exfoliant that contains salicylic acid and betaine, a natural moisturizer and skin smoothing agent. What is amazing about salicylic acid, is that it does a great job at clearing out pores and attacking blemishes and blackheads. Other great ingredients in this product are Niacinamide, which is anti acne and has anti-aging, skin brightening and anti-inflammatory properties, and sodium hyaluronate, which helps restore the skin's moisture while smoothing the appearance of wrinkles and improving skin texture. Many people like to compare this Power Liquid to the Paula's Choice Liquid Exfoliant because they are pretty similar, but I would say the main difference would be that this COSRX Power Liquid is a lot gentler and inexpensive compared to the Paula’s Choice Exfoliant. It also takes a little more time to see actual results, but if you are patient, have extremely sensitive skin, and are looking for a gentle, beginner friendly BHA, this would be perfect for you to try.
Amazon.com - $17.70
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
The CeraVe Retinol Serum is an amazing beginner friendly and sensitive skin friendly retinol that will not only address signs of aging, but also acne and hyperpigmentation. Retinol is extremely intimidating because it can cause irritation, like retinol burns, if you immediately start at a too high concentration, or use it too often without allowing your skin to get used to it first. If you are just starting out and would like to dip your toes into retinol, this CeraVe Serum is perfect for you. It has about 0.01% of retinol. While that might not sound impressive, this concentration is a good starting point and highly recommended by dermatologists and skin care professionals. In addition, this serum will help improve the appearance of post-acne marks, minimize the look of pores & refine the skin’s surface with encapsulated retinol, licorice root extract, ceramides & niacinamide.
Target.com - $16.99
Paula’s Choice 1% Retinol Treatment
The Paula’s Choice Retinol Treatment is an amazing product that will deliver exceptional anti aging benefits. It’s a high strength retinol treatment that will diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while also providing lots of hydration to the skin. It contains Vitamin C, which will help brighten uneven skin tone and fade discoloration, and is formulated with licorice extract, oat extract and other soothing plant extracts to calm skin and ease redness. This is an amazing product for more mature skin types as it has a high concentration of retinol and will really keep the skin firm, radiant and younger looking. I would definitely recommend this product only for those who have used retinol before and are comfortable with a fairly high amount of it. If you are a beginner, look for products with under 0.3% of retinol, and slowly go higher. If you start off with a too high of a contraction, you may risk irritating or worse, burning your skin. Start off slow and use only a few times a week so your skin can build tolerance to it.
Comments