Let's Talk Skincare

[candacebt]

Opinions Wanted! We pulled our top rated skincare products to find out what Sephora shoppers love, and now we want to hear directly from our Beauty Insider Community.

Fill out this quick survey featuring our top rated products to let us know your favorite skincare solutions at Sephora. Thank you for participating!

If you can't see the survey below, please click on this link:

https://goo.gl/forms/R5983pK8TRQxpXxT2

App users, please visit this post via your mobile phone browser (*not* the Sephora app) to take the survey.

[naturalooks15]

I filled many of the "other" since I mostly use Drunk Elephant line - B-Hydra gel, Shaba eye Complex etc. Though I have benefited from this line and love it, my skin is less sensitized now, I am still missing the hydrated inner glow and hence the search for more hydrating moisturizer.

[k617]

When it comes to food and skincare, I'm an ingredient list reader. I don't really care if something's marketed/labeled as "natural" (that term really means nothing to me, in food and skincare), "non-comedogenic", "organic", etc... if I don't like the ingredients, I won't buy.

On the flip side, if a product is completely synthesized in the lab, I'm still up for it as long as I like the ingredients list and it's an effective product.

Ingredients I steer CLEAR of, regardless of what other good things are in the product: denatured alcohol, sodium laureth/lauryl sulphate (the worst) - these have no business in skincare and anything else that is already banned/proven unsafe for use in skincare

I also avoid chemical sunscreen since I think I'm sensitive to certain combinations which result in a rash on my face. To be safe, I make sure to use physical sunscreens instead.

On a lower level, I tend to avoid products with a lot of added fragrance, either in the form of fragrant oils, outright "fragrance" in the label, or a combo of both.

[TamiSM]

I fell in love with the Biossance The Nourisher (Precious Rose Face Oil) about a year ago.  I use it at night and it helps keep my face moisturized and feels softer in the morning.  The brand was recently "revamped" and Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil replaced The Nourisher, I haven't purchased a new bottle since it was "revamped", but assuming it works the same.  A combination of Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Peel followed by the oil leaves my face feeling soft, smooth, and renewed.

[Uniqueizm]

READ THE INGREDIENTS!! Perfumes & fragrances are horrible for the skin, TheyWILL pre-age u & cause wrinkles and I've heard the same abt witch hazel. i have oily acne prone skin & use prods w/ retinol, aha, bha & salicylic acids in them.

[Anonymous]

There is no evidence of Witch Hazel promoting the appearance of pre-aging. Rather, Witch Hazel has been evaluated for antioxidant and antitumor activity. Perhaps you misunderstood what you heard since there is the consideration of some products with Witch Hazel that are distilled with alcohol, thus may promote dryness.

[Lunabellamia]

Drunk Elephant skincare is the bomb!! Simply the best.

[candacebt]

Thank you all for your participation, keep it coming!

And if you want to post your "others" products in this thread, feel free so we can all get some new recommendations! 

[erinmele]

Some of my favorite "others":

Farmacy Eye Dew eye moisturizer. Farmacy Honey Potion Face Mask. Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask. Fresh Rose water deep hydration Face toner/floral toner. Clinique Custom Smart repair moisturizer, serum, and eye treatment. 

[veronika23]

This was a super nice survey @candacebt! 

[KristiKellum]

Loving Belif skin care lately! I use the problem solutions cleanser and the aqua bomb.. I am obsessed! 

[RenitaB]

♥️Aqua Bomb too

[PrettyPaint]

I’m so curious about the mask. Thanks! That was fun!

[ElleElleG]

I am too!

[Magrathea]

More natural skincare please!

[veronika23]

I agree with you @Magrathea! I would love to see more natural skin care brands. 🙂

[lmi82]

Agreed!

Also, just in case anyone is confused, natural skincare refers to products made with ingredients that are not synthetic or synthetically altered (i.e. not made in a lab).  

I hope that clears things up! 😉 🙂

[Anonymous]

I want to further clarify this. Ingredients can still be considered natural when undergoing process. Some ingredients actually have to be processed because pure forms can damage our skin.

[lmi82]

There has been a lot of debate about what is considered natural and what is not. If you look up information about what ingredients qualify as natural, you will find many conflicting statements.

For example, some people do not consider naturally derived ingredients as natural. This is because some amount of processing takes place and synthetic chemicals may be used. On the other hand, some are fine with minimal processing as long as the natural source isn't altered too drastically or processed with synthetic chemicals. 

After researching all of this, I've come to believe that what's considered natural heavily depends on personal opinion. For me, natural skincare isn't an absolute must in my routine, but I do appreciate it when companies care about what ingredients they use. 

You also mentioned ingredients that are processed for safety reasons. Yes, that is true. I remember an example from my old biochemistry class. Castor oil is used a lot in the beauty industry. The oil is extracted from the seeds of the castor plant. However, ricin (a protein) found in the beans is extremely toxic. Therefore, the oil needs to be processed during the extraction to denature the ricin. The castor oil is still considered natural because the ricin is deactivated by using heat, not synthetic chemicals. Now, of course, this castor oil can be processed further away from its natural root. That's the type of processing that is a concern for the ingredient sticklers of the world.

Lastly, what I originally posted was the simplest definition of a natural ingredient, but thank you so much for your clarification.

[Anonymous]

If you could, can you link the blog that you used as your reference? Although I understand the author's content, I'd still like to verify her sources since it wasn't included in the image.

But you're right that it essentially does come down to the consumer's perspective of "natural." I just wanted to bring note that there is no absolute definition for it (yet?), especially when talking about the FDA. Regardless, I understand why you simplified for other readers. I sought to add on top of your PSA to further clear any potential questions/doubts.

[ShannonAlexis]

The "best skincare product ever" question was so hard!