Written by @Twist.It.Tea
I never considered my skin sensitive but as I’ve been getting older, my skin has required a little bit more maintenance than usual. I no longer have inflamed blemishes on my face, but there are some occasional pop-ups, scarring and redness that never used to be a problem for me. It’s a little annoying having to go through so many different products to find the right one, but I’m learning about what works and what doesn’t and the knowledge is invaluable. In order to combat my skin inflammation, scarring, redness and acne I started using Dr.Jart’s Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream on my face at night. I reach for this product when I need a quick fix on controlling the redness in my face, and when I need a locked in surge of moisture while I sleep as well. It's honestly one of my fsvorite products right now. I love that this formula is thick and creamy, which is perfect for me at night because I wouldn’t wear this kind of formula under my face makeup. The scent is delicious and natural and leaves a cooling effect on your skin which is incredibly therapeutic. But what’s even more therapeutic is waking up relieved of a lot of stress, because this product actually heals. The ingredient that inspired the Cicapair line is Centella Asiatica, which Asian Tigers would roll around in to heal their fresh battle wounds (there was a really cute promo video on their site but I can’t find it anymore). This stuff is jam packed with plants that help with vitality, and dripping with minerals like sodium, potassium and some other stuff that helps to make your skin look brand new and healthy. When I wake up in the morning my skin is glowing, renewed, smooth, and hydrated – and this was something I noticed the first time using it. For my nightly routine I do a little dual cleansing action with Bioderma Sensibo H2O and Murad, toning with Thayers Witch Hazael, eye cream, and I like to switch on and off between using the Dr. Jart’s cream and my two favorites; Lapis facial oil, and the Laneige hydrating face mask. I do love to throw a good face mask in there from time to time and most recently I was using the K-Beauty brand The Face Shop Character Mask. I wasn't a huge fan of the lemony scent it gave off but it was cute none the less.
I have combo/oily skin so I’m hesitant to wear the Tiger Grass Cream during the day because I do feel like it is too heavy for me personally. I wanted something that would moisturize, hydrate and help with the occasional irritation and redness without feeling like I was wearing a mask on my face. I love using my Lapis as a moisturizer but I’m always looking for an alternative to give my skin a break from natural oils twice a day. The Bioderma Sensibio line was introduced to me as a way to control my semi sensitive skin that was prone to redness and inflammation. I wasn’t 100% familiar with the brand but I knew enough from the name that biology was heavily involved. A company whose mission is to know your skin so well they break down the biological mechanisms to create products directly influenced by them, is something I can get behind. I won’t lie, I had high expectations for these products, especially coming from Lapis Facial Oil, AKA the product that changed my life. But also, what I was really looking for was a product that healed in the process of managing the inflammations. I wanted a direct replacement for the Tiger Grass Cream. First up was Sensibio Light, the moisturizer was formulated to “strengthen the skin's resistance to attacks and increases the tolerance threshold of sensitive and intolerant skin.” It also helps with over heating, tightness, and discomfort on the skin which are more extreme symptoms than my sensitive skin issues. I wasn’t crazy about this moisturizer under my makeup because I felt that the silky smooth cream formula left a sticky residue on my face. It took forever to soak in, made my face greasier, and in the end I don’t think it ever really helped with the irritations. I would wear this product at night but it doesn’t hold the same weight as the Cicapair in terms of hydration and moisture. Next was Sensibio Eye that had interestingly had caffeine in the formula to de-puff under your eyes while the hyaluronic acid and light-reflecting powder smooth and reduce crow’s feet. I thought I would like this is replacement of the Milk Aqua stick. Well to be completely honest, the 2mL sample I received wasn’t packaged the best and I feel like there is so much more product inside the tube than what I can squeeze out so my data is limited. From what I could gather, I came to the conclusion that I have used better eye creams with more significant results including, that include reducing dark circles- which this does not. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like this eye cream contributed to any major changes in my eye area. A plus was that the gel formula did not burn my skin but left a soothing and natural finish, which is important to me because I am cautious of putting eye creams near my eyes and contacts. Although I am not 100% sold on this product, it may be better for during the day under your makeup but I don’t ever wear eye cream during the day because my primer takes care of all of that. I love using my Laneige hydrating face mask under my eyes over night, I wake up looking so fresh and awake – especially if I know I’m getting to bed late and a little tipsy, this is the perfect hydrator.
Speaking of getting to bed a little late and tipsy, I will say Bioderma H2O is my absolute favorite make-up remover. It is a micellar water which is a 3 in 1 product: facial wash, makeup remover, and moisturizer. According to Google, and this Huffington Post article, “micellar water is made up of micelles (tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules) suspended in soft water. The idea is that micelles are attracted to dirt and oil, so they are able to draw out impurities without drying out the skin.” PERFECT. I struggle with finding a makeup remover that doesn’t completely dry out my skin, but also effectively removes my makeup. I also love that is so clutch when I’m traveling and need to freshen up. This was definitely my favorite product out of the few I tried from their Sensibio line, which I haven’t written off completely I think it’s just a matter of testing a few more out that fit my current skin needs. I am happy with my skincare routine right now, I think it covers all my needs although I definitely need a new eye cream replacement that targets dark circles and lines ! My go to for all irritation and redness problems will be Dr.Jart’s Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream, I love how much I can depend on their formula to deliver and heal and make me feel so great in the process.
