Do you ever use skin care products that feel like they are burning your skin? It may be ironic, but certain sunscreens cause my skin to feel like it’s burning, and when I wear the offending sunscreen in the sun, the burning gets even worse! The use of retinol products can definitely make your skin more sensitive and more susceptible to the burning sensation.

Benzophenones
Many sunscreens contain some form of benzophenones in it, which I believe is the culprit for sunscreens that feel like they are burning. In the old days PABA was the cause of a lot of burning problems, but I haven’t seen any sunscreens containing PABA in years. The EPA has an informative article called sunscreen: the burning facts.

Currently ingredients like Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Dioxybenzone, and Sulisobenzone can be an issue for people with sensitive skin, and these ingredients are very common in sunscreens. Avobenzone (probably the most common sunscreen ingredient nowadays) makes my face feel like it’s on fire when I wear a lot of it in the sun. If you haven’t had any issues with these ingredients, then by all means keep using them if you are seeing good results from the product.

I use face self-tanners that are basically moisturizers with self-tanner, however they also contain sunscreen ingredients. I really like Neutrogena Build-A-Tan Face and L’Oreal Sublime Glow For Face because they don’t clog my pores, and they work well. But lately they burn so much when I apply them (probably because I recently started a new retinol regimen) that I feel like it’s probably not a good idea to keep using them. I have not seen a single drugstore face sunscreen that doesn’t contain sunscreen with benzophenone ingredients, or pore-cloggers, so it’s quite annoying! I’ll have to check Sephora and the department stores. I also want to research to see if there are any regular body self-tanners that are safe to use on my face, since a lot of them don’t contain sunscreen.

There are other chemical sunscreen ingredients, and while any ingredient can cause problems in some people, the benzophenones are the most common ingredients that cause problems. I have no problems with these zinc oxide-based sunscreens, even though some of them contain some chemical sunscreen ingredients as well.

What skin care ingredients cause your skin to burn? I also get burning from glycolic acid (which is normal), menthol, peppermint, SD alcohol, and alcohol denat. Only the glycolic acid is beneficial for your skin.

Retinol, the main ingredients in the product Green Cream, is one of the best anti-aging skin care ingredients because it’s been proven to help with fine lines, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin texture, acne, and it helps achieve smoother, brighter looking skin.

Green Cream - Level 6
Even though I normally use TX Systems Afirm for my retinol cream, for some reason I was bored and thought I’d try something new. I also was using the prescription acne/wrinkle cream Differin, but had a mix-up with my prescription, so I decided to see what would happen if I went off Differin and just used a non-prescription product.

When I wrote about different retinol products to try, someone suggested Green Cream. I was initially hesitant to try it because the fifth ingredient in it is a pore-clogger, so it doesn’t seem like a good idea to use on acne-prone skin (even though retinol itself is good for acne). But I threw caution to the wind and bought it anyway, since no one who reviewed it on makeupalley.com complained of getting breakouts from it.

I’ve been using the Green Cream Level 6 (.6% retinol) for a week now and have had no problems with it, and no breakouts so far, luckily. The product comes in three levels - Level 3 (.3% retinol), Level 6 (.6% retinol), and Level 9 (.9% retinol). Level 3 is for people with sensitive skin, or someone that hasn’t used any retinol products and wants to start out slow. Level 6 is for most skin types, and Level 9 is for people that can tolerate higher percentages of retinol. My plan is to work my way up to Level 9 to see the maximum benefits. All levels of the Green Cream contain much more retinol than drugstore products, so if you really want to see results, buying retinol products at the drugstore just isn’t going to do much.

The Green Cream is a little bit drying, which can be expected from any high-potency retinol product, but my face hasn’t even peeled, which is good, because a lot of retinol products have caused me to peel. I’ve noticed my face is more sensitive to certain ingredients (glycolic acid, chemical sunscreen ingredients) and that can be expected, at least initially. It will take 6-8 weeks to start seeing the full benefits from the product, so after a week, my face looks the same as always.

The packaging on the Green Cream is excellent, because it keeps the retinol potent by protecting it from light and air. Overall so far I’m happy with the Green Cream, and hope to see results from it. Technically I wouldn’t recommend it for someone with acne-prone skin since it does have that one pore clogging ingredient, but I’ve had no breakouts from it, even though I’m very acne-prone. And in case you’re wondering why it’s called Green Cream - it’s because the product is green (they picked the color randomly). If you aren’t acne-prone, Green Cream should be a great high-potency retinol product to try.

There are so few drugstore sunscreens that have Zinc Oxide in them, my preferred sunscreen ingredient, but I noticed a few stores carry Solar Sense Clear Zinc products. Even though Blue Lizard is my favorite drugstore sunscreen, I wanted to try something new.

Solar Sense Clear Zinc Sport Stick For Face
I picked up the Solar Sense Clear Zinc Sport Stick For Face for $3. It says you can also use it on your lips, which is great because I have searched high and low and cannot find any lip balms that contain Zinc Oxide!

This Solar Sense Stick has an SPF 45, and contains 8% Zinc Oxide, which is pretty decent, plus it contains other chemical sunscreen ingredients. The product doesn’t appear to have any pore-clogging ingredients, although it’s pretty thick going on.

I first tried this fragrance-free product on my lips, and it was okay, but not great. It left a slight white residue, and it dried out my lips. You could always use this and then coat your lips with another lip balm or lip gloss, but it’s annoying that it makes your lips dry.

Next I smoothed the stick on my face. It does go on clear, and it leaves sort of a waxy feel. I can’t imagine coating my whole face with this stick, since it would take forever, and it’s thick. In the end, I’m not really sure what to do with this stick. It’s not practical to use on your whole face, and it’s too drying and chalky on your lips. It’s water-resistant, and due to its waxy consistency, maybe it would stay on better in the water than other sunscreens? It’s hard to say, but maybe it could work as an extra sunscreen coating on noses, ears, and other easily burned areas.

Solar Sense Clear Zinc For Face
The other interesting Solar Sense product is this little tub of sunscreen. It’s also only about $3, which is great. It contains 6.65% Zinc Oxide, plus chemical sunscreen ingredients. I haven’t personally tried it yet. My boyfriend used it and liked it, but he got a bunch of clogged pores, and it does have some pore clogging ingredients (although they are 10th in the ingredient list, so in theory this shouldn’t be too bad for acne). I’ve also noticed a few generic store-brand Zinc Oxide sunscreens out there in drugstores and supermarkets, so it’s worth checking where you shop if you’re trying to find a super cheap, yet effective sunscreen.

If you’ve been lucky enough to figure out how to keep your acne at bay, and prevent future breakouts, then you obviously feel a huge sense of relief. But what do you do when acne breakouts come back?

I’ve been relatively acne-free for a few years now. I had pretty significant adult acne which took a few years of trial and error before I found an acne regimen that worked for me. The fear that my acne will come back as bad as it was before is constant, but I feel like I have enough knowledge now to know how to prevent my face from going completely haywire. For the past few weeks, however, I’ve been getting several small breakouts - it’s nothing major, but enough for me to take action.

I feel like I’ve personally cured my acne and can now prevent acne breakouts by following my self-created regimen. So why am I suddenly breaking out then? It’s because I’m not following my own advice and regimen! If you find a skin care routine that works for you, stick with it! If you haven’t found a routine that works, then hopefully you will find that my own regimen works well for you.

Go back to basics
It’s now been a week since I had the last breakout. What did I do? I went back to using the exact products I know don’t cause me to breakout, and that I know help to prevent acne.

It gets boring using the same products month after month, and since I write this skin care blog, there’s always something new to try. The temptation is so great to be always searching for the best new product. But if you’ve found a routine that works, stick with it - it’s boring, but it works, and it will save you money!

Try one new product at a time
If you are like me and can’t resist trying out new skin care products, then only try one new product at a time. Keep everything else the same, and give the new product a week, or two ideally, to see how it works for you. If you try multiple new products at the same time, it’s impossible to tell what works and what doesn’t. Even if you pick a new product designed to help with acne, it could always make your acne worse, so the only way to know is to test it by itself.

Prevent future breakouts
Even if you rarely breakout, using at least one daily acne product can prevent future breakouts. Daily use of a strong retinol, retinoid, or good salicylic or glycolic product can help prevent breakouts if you rarely get pimples. To keep my acne under control, I need a whole slew of products, and I think my current breakout crisis happened partly because I ran out of my acne prescription for Differin several weeks ago. By not using Differin, I’m pretty sure my skin is much more susceptible to having problems with products that don’t usually cause issue for me. So it’s back to boring ole basics for me right now since it’s better to be safe than sorry (and pimply).

I recently received some L’Oreal Skin Genesis products to test - the Oil-Free Lotion and the Serum Concentrate. I love testing new products, however, if you read my avoid alcohol in cosmetics post, you’ll see that I had previously blasted the Serum Concentrate, although to be fair, I hadn’t tried it til now.

L’Oreal Skin Genesis Serum Concentrate
This product contains alcohol denat as its third ingredient, so normally I’d stay away from this product, since alcohol is an unnecessary aggravating and drying ingredient to use on your skin. Begrudgingly, I used this product for a week. The product is a lightweight serum, and even though it contains alcohol, it didn’t dry out my skin, luckily. However, the product really didn’t do anything for my skin during the week I used it. It’s supposed to “layer by layer, recreate stronger, tighter, brighter skin.” It contains Pro-Xylane, which is something that L’Oreal has patented to “reignite skin’s natural cell activity layer by layer.”

Since Pro-Xylane is a relatively new skin care ingredient, I wouldn’t want to spend money on a product that doesn’t have a lot of proven claims to back it up yet. Pro-Xylane could be the greatest thing ever, but I would like to wait to see more evidence. The Serum Concentrate does contain Hyaluronic Acid (sodium hyaluronate) which is an excellent moisturizing ingredient.

Since this product contains alcohol and is a bit pricey for a drugstore product (around $19), I would not recommend using it.

L’Oreal Skin Genesis Oil-Free Lotion
After applying the Serum Concentrate, you are supposed to use the Oil-Free Lotion. The lotion has an extremely unpleasant medicinal/floral scent that lingers way too long. The lotion feels really nice going on, it doesn’t contain alcohol, and it feels really hydrating at first. However I have dry skin, and this lotion wasn’t enough to hydrate my skin, so I ended up needing an additional moisturizer, which didn’t go on well over this product. If you have normal skin, this could be a good lightweight moisturizer. While this product also boasts containing Hyaluronic Acid like the Serum Concentrate, the ingredient is way down the list, and therefore its benefits are negligible.

If you have normal skin and need a lightweight moisturizer, this could be fine to use. I personally would stick with something that contains proven anti-aging ingredients - like peptides, retinol, or antioxidants. Pro-Xylane may end up being a great anti-aging skin care ingredient, but personally I’m not ready to go out of my way to use it.

Final thoughts
Both of these products come in great packaging - an opaque pump, which keeps the contents air-tight and fresh. Neither of these products contain pore-cloggers in the first ten ingredients, which is good. However they do contain pore-clogging ingredients after the tenth ingredient, which may or may not be a problem for acne-prone skin.

Read more about L’Oreal Skin Genesis at TotalBeauty.com

What are your summer beauty must-haves? Now that it’s 105 degrees, or super hot and sticky in most parts of the country, what can’t you live without? My friend was just in town visiting, and we were out all day yesterday gallivanting in the sweltering heat. Now she’s off to San Francisco, where it’s a pleasant 60 degrees and refreshingly foggy. Fog never sounded so appealing!

Beautiful Makeup Search has a list of a bunch of beauty bloggers’ favorite beauty items for summer. I’m sure you can guess what I’ve included on the list (hint: sunscreen)!

Now instead of having to go to the tanning salon to get a spray tan, you can do it in the comfort of your own home!

L’Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush
I’ve never gotten a tan-in-a-can before, so using this product was new for me. According to the directions, you are supposed to spray the product continuously at arm’s length, and you don’t need to rub it in. Just spray, wait a few minutes, get dressed, and you are done. The color is supposed to being to develop in less than an hour.

Pros
I’ve used this product every day for a week, and there are a few things I really like about it. It smells better than every other self-tanner I’ve used. It smells exactly like the Sublime Bronze Gelee that I normally use, and it has a nice light pleasant scent. The product dries really quickly, and it doesn’t contain alcohol, so it doesn’t dry my skin out very much. It’s super fast and easy to use, however it’s not possible to reach every place on my body, so I mostly used it on my arms and legs.

Cons
The main problem I had with the Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush was that it didn’t do much. You are supposed to use it every day until you reach your desired color, and then maintain the results by using it once or twice a week. I really didn’t get that much darker after the week was up. Maybe I just didn’t use enough of the product? The good news is that I had almost no streaking. I did have a streak on my arm, and I think the key is to hold the product as far away from you as possible. If you do end up with any wet patches, just lightly rub them in. If I had used more of the product, I wonder if the results would have been better. But then the chances of streaking or unevenness would have increased.

The verdict
If using an airbrush tanning product intrigues you, then it’s definitely worth trying. Like any self-tanner, practice makes perfect, so once you get the hang of it, your results should get better. Since I have dry skin, after I used this product, I waited a while and then applied a moisturizer over it. Because of my need for a moisturizer, I’m going to stick with my Sublime Bronze Gelee, mixed with a moisturizer. I also feel like I have a bit more control of the product when I’m using a gel/lotion, rather than a spray, since I can tell exactly what areas I’ve covered.

Read more reviews of L’Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush at TotalBeauty.com

If you’ve flown anywhere in the last few years, then you know that being able to bring all of your favorite beauty products is a big challenge, especially if you don’t check bags! And squeezing all of your necessities into a quart-sized ziplock bag is nearly impossible, plus most products exceed the 2 ounce limit anyway!

Lots of makeup, skin care, hair care, fragrance, and body product companies have recently created mini versions of their products to meet the needs of frequent travelers.

Check Out Sephora’s Airplane Approved Beauty Products
(type “airplane” in the search box)

There are tons of beauty products at Sephora that are airplane-approved. I also love mini products because it’s a cheaper way to test out new products before committing to a full-size pricy version. And these minis are also great to carry in your purse! Normally when I travel, I just stick all of my products in little plastic containers from Target and beauty stores, but that’s sort of a pain, and I’m always paranoid about them leaking everywhere. I just picked up a travel-size version of Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion and have lots more minis on my wishlist. Which minis have you bought recently?

As if my list of cosmetic ingredients to avoid to prevent cosmetic acne wasn’t long enough already, I have a few more ingredients to add to the list - cornstarch (also called Zea Mays or corn starch) and rice starch. According to Cosmetic Cop Paula Begoun, some food-derived cosmetic ingredients should be avoid if you are prone to acne. Currently the only ingredients I know to avoid are corn starch and rice starch, but if I come up with others, I will add them to this post. If you are not prone to acne, then there’s no need to worry about these ingredients.

Paula Begoun says cornstarch is a ”Starch obtained from corn and sometimes used as an absorbent in cosmetics instead of talc. However, when cornstarch becomes moist, it can promote fungal and bacterial growth.” About rice starch, she says it’s an ”Absorbent substance sometimes included in products rather than talc. It can cause allergic reactions and, because it is a food derivative (as opposed to a mineral derivative like talc), it can support bacterial growth in pores.” 

L’Oreal True Match Powder
Originally this post was going to be about this foundation, and how I really like it, and how it hasn’t caused me any breakouts. All of that is true, however its second ingredient after talc is corn starch. To be on the safe side, I wouldn’t recommend using a cosmetic with corn starch as one of its main ingredients if you are acne prone. Personally I will probably still buy this product because it goes on smoothly, has a nice finish to it, it comes in a lot of shades, and I have not had an issue with it. I never would have bought it if I remembered at the time to avoid cornstarch, so it’s only by accident that I’m using it.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder
This is the pressed powder I usually use, and I think it is totally safe if you are prone to acne. It only comes in three light shades, so the color choice is pretty limiting. I started using the L’Oreal True Match, because now that summer is here, I wanted a slightly darker shade to go better with my fake tan. Currently, the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder is the only powder I’ve tested that looks good, and that does not have aggravating acne ingredients!

It seemed like it was winter just last week, but here in Vegas, it’s now already 100 degrees out, which means it’s shorts, tank top, and flip flop weather. As much as I now pride myself on being ghostly white (because I like to think it tells the world I’m smart - well at least about sun protection), I look better with a tan!

Get the perfect self-tan
It’s now possible to get a perfect self-tan that looks natural, and not the least bit orange. Here’s an article about 10 tips for the perfect self-tan. However, I’ve found I just don’t have the patience to do all the steps necessary to get an instant fake tan that looks streak-free and natural, and I definitely don’t have the patience to maintain my high-maintenance fake tan all summer long. Even when I’ve tried my hardest at using self-tanners, I inevitably end up with a few dark splotches. I know practice makes perfect, but I don’t care enough to master using regular self-tanners.

Self-tanner moisturizers
Luckily, self-tanner moisturizers came out a few years ago, and they are easy to apply, and hard to mess up. They give you a subtle tan, and you can gradually darken your skin with daily applications. I’ve tried Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, Neutrogena Build-A-Tan, and a few other self-tanner moisturizers. They work fine, but the problem is that I hate the smell!

Every self-tanner moisturizer I’ve tried smells sour and horrible to me. Almost every regular drugstore self-tanner also smells horrible. I haven’t caved and tried department store self-tanners, because all self-tanners contain the same main ingredient, and I would rather be a ghost than to pay for expensive tanning products.

L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelee
I picked up this product last summer, and found out it actually smells almost good to me! It’s the only drugstore self-tanner that doesn’t smell sour and rancid, and it barely has that tell-tale self-tanner scent. The problem is that it’s a regular self-tanner (not a subtle moisturizer) so it’s hard to apply evenly if you are like me and haven’t mastered the perfect tan application.

However, I’ve found a great trick. I mix equal parts of this product with my favorite body moisturizer in my hands, and then apply it that way. As long as I rub it in really well, I get a subtle tan without any of the hassles. Then I apply it every day, or every other day. Make sure to wash your hands after you apply it! I like being able to use whatever moisturizer I want, especially since I’ve found ones that smell good and work well, and this doesn’t really interfere with their scent. I’ve only seen this product come in Medium-Deep or Deep shades, which both work fine for me. You can experiment with how much of this to mix with your moisturizer, depending on your skin color.

The L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelee has alcohol as one of its main ingredients. Normally I hate skin care products that contain alcohol because they unnecessarily dry out your skin. However, when it’s super hot and sticky outside, and you’re sweating up a storm, it really doesn’t matter that your self-tanner is a bit drying. Also, since you’re mixing it with a moisturizer, that pretty much takes care of the problem. I have found the Jergens Daily Moisturizer feels sticky on my skin when I get hot. The L’Oreal Sublime Bronze, mixed with body moisturizer, feels smooth and hydrated, and not sticky at all. The best of both worlds!

Self-Tanners For Face
For my face, I need to use self-tanners that don’t contain pore-cloggers. Currently I rotate between these two face self-tanners.

What’s your favorite body self-tanning product?