Tried It
Products I gave a fair shot to that didn't "wow" me or became redundant/obsolete.
Snail Rescue Intensive Serum Peach Slices
Has a high concentration of snail mucin with other great ingredients. Acne fighting and gave me smooth, bright skin. I finished the bottle but have since tried other snail mucin products with better value and packaging.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum The Ordinary
This used to be a 2x/day HG for years until I started dealing with some irritation and stopped using it. My skin has done much better without this, and it's basically obsolete considering how many products I use now that have HA in them.
Glass Skin Refining Serum Peach & Lily
It was pretty good, but it doesn't really have a place in my current routines as I want better control of the actives I use. I completely understand the hype though.
Eclipse SPF 30 Earth Harbor
I wanted to love this so badly, but this formula is SUPER moisturizing and can be greasy. After my serums & moisturizer, I looked & felt like a grease pit for hours. It's better for those with a minimal routine + leaves no white cast.
Vita Mineralâ„¢ Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream REN Clean Skincare
I used this for nearly 2 years before I really got back into skincare. It worked fine for the duration I used it until I upgraded to better moisturizers. The ingredients are pretty questionable, looking back.
Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Banila Co
Eh, I don't like that this is in a tub. I doubt I'll ever repurchase this in favor of Round Lab's oil cleanser.
1025 Dokdo Toner Round Lab
I started off loving this SO much and finished 3/4 of the bottle. This was my first toner after a long time & it worked great at first, but I cut it out to eliminate cotton pad waste & potential over-exfoliation.
Dermatology V.biome Advanced Eye Cream Neogen
Such a unique eye cream, but I have all of these ingredients covered by other products now. I wanted to love this so badly. It's just not moisturizing enough for my eyes.
Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser Neutrogena
I used this for about 2 years when I was first trying out new routines and it worked okay. Even Cerave's hydrating cleanser was better than this, but that's not saying much.
Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cleanser Q + A
Provides a slick, satisfying lather & clean feeling, but it didn't really help my skin. I still experienced some redness and styes when I was using this, but I'm unsure if this was the cause. My skin is much more balanced without this.
100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil The Ordinary
I seriously loved the texture & feel of this for so long but realized it contributed to pilling, which was doing more harm than good by clogging my pores. Once the pilling stopped, my acne stopped. I DO miss how good it sealed in moisture.
Virgin Marula Antioxidant Face Oil Drunk Elephant
It gives a more luxurious feel, but it's not worth the money at all. I only preferred to use this when I had free samples and still used oils. I miss how marula oil gave me a fresh, dewy finish and virtually sealed in moisture all day.
Sensitive Mineral Zinc Oxide Sunscreen SPF 30 Olay
I wanted to love this so badly, but my current sunscreen is just better. This is a very elegant formula, backed by a reputable company, but it never properly absorbed into my skin. I'm not wasting my time with non-tinted sunscreens anymore.
Vitamin C Serum Mad Hippie
I kept trying to make this work for over half a year, but I never felt it was doing what it claimed and if it was then it was underperforming. MH also removed the Vitamin C concentration info. Sketchy.
Level Serum Regimen Lab
Ultra comprehensive dark spot + redness reducing serum. It's the one product that finally faded my 3yo acne scar on my forehead. Only caveat is this DESTROYS my face if used daily. It even caused itchy backne with just 1x/wk body use.
Foaming Facial Cleanser CeraVe
This works fine and all, but I prefer the hydrating cleanser. This stings my eyes and the formula is messy and always drips down my arms.
Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence Dr.Ceuracle
I used this for over a year but stopped to test if it was causing problems. While it wasn't the main source of issues, I eventually stopped repurchasing.
Bifida Biome Complex Ampoule ma:nyo
I used this for over 6 months and while the ingredients seemed promising, I never felt like it did anything significant to justify using this as a standalone serum.
Hyaluronic Acid Vitamin C Serum Timeless Skin Care
Meh. I stopped using this to investigate what was darkening my skin and I don't miss it. I also hate how this has alcohol in it. I'm done trying to make Vitamin C derivatives work.
Daily Moisturizing Lotion Normal To Dry Skin CeraVe
The definition of mid and I'm mad I used this for entirely too long. I'd use it if it was the last moisturizer on Earth, but I have not missed this once since switching to Vanicream.