top 5 skincare of 2023

on 02/10 i made a status saying i had an 'incoming blog post incoming' and then didn't update anything for 2 months. classic! well, i DO now have a blog post recapping the last few months in the works - but i wanted to post this first in case i continue to be terrible, and 2023 eclipses before i get around to it.

as context for those unfamiliar: i made "microinfluencer" "content" on "instagram" for slightly more than a year, mostly in 2020. at the time i thought it could be fun to share reviews of products i liked and talk to people who shared my interests, but i quickly fell into various forms of despair over it. i stopped--unintentionally--in june 2021, which is actually an absurd amount of time ago now. i always meant to go back, but i'm simply too ambitious for my own abilities to keep up with and never did. a running theme...

in some alternate timeline, i became an anti-clean beauty icon or something. oh well.

with all that out of the way, here are my top 5 skincare products that i used in 2023 (not ranked, just in a numbered list)

1: skin aqua uv super moisture gel

I have several favourite sunscreens, but this one is the one i've bought the most times (i think) aside from one that got reformulated and made worse (sad face).
it has none of the typical sunscreen issues (white cast, irritation, eye stinging), with a good range of uv filters, plus water resistence. i've used it year-round in scotland on oily skin, and never found it greasy - though it does have a 'dewy' finish. it's also fragrance-free, though personally i find it smells faintly of almonds
typically, i use it without any skincare underneath (or maybe just a serum) as it's plenty moisturising. i buy it on amazon jp where it's £3.77 for 110g! ^o^)/

2: cerave sa smoothing cream

this is my favourite body product, hands down. i've found both this and the cerave salicylic acid cleansers to be more effective on my body than my face.

in addition to sa it has 10% urea, lha, niacinamide, ceramides for barrier function (of course), and some of my favourite moisturising ingredients like shea butter and dimethicone. it obliterates kp and has kept my legs irritation-free post hair removal.

i pretty much never repurchase body care, but i've bought this 3 times!

3: petrolatum-based moisturisers

petrolatum is a controversional ingredient for obvious reasons, and i'm not getting into all of that right now. my view is basically that of liah yoo's, in that although we'll likely have to abandon its use one day, it is currently a byproduct in cosmetics and thus arguably a sustainable choice.

the barrier-boosting powers of petrolatum are covered by dr dray here and it's good to keep in mind that it has a comedogenic rating of 0 (as does shea butter). i have found several products with it in this year and previous ones that leave my skin feeling so smooth and cared for, specifically:

• ihada medicated balm
• aveeno baby moisturising lotion
• aseline instant rescue
• pure vaseline, to 'slug' dry areas

i couldn't decide which one of these to highlight, so i'm just listing them all instead.

4: acnecide 5% w/w bpo wash gel

this is neither a face wash nor a gel. it's more of a watery-cream treatment mask, if you ask me.
benzoyl peroxide has been brilliant for me. i've lost count of how many of these i've bought, but it's more than 5 i think. one tube, which is £9.99 lasts about 6 weeks of twice-daily use. i saw a noticeable difference within about 3 weeks, and this has kept my skin the most consistently clear of any otc product i've used.
having used both, i highly recommend the wash gel over the leave-on gel. i've personally found the wahs gel to be as effective (if not more so), but significantly less irritating. i did experience some dryness from using it, but nothing that using a simple moisturiser couldn't sort out!
also: i recommend going to a pharmacist and asking for the larger tube, as it's more cost effective! the large one is marketed as being for the body, whereas the small one is 'face only' but they are the exact same product.

5: la roche-posay effaclar duo+(m)

in the us, this is a leave on bpo product. in europe, it's a moisturiser with salicylic acid, lha, niacinamide, and zinc pca (among other things). bpo cleared maybe 75% of my spots, and adding duo+(m) on top cleared the last 25%. i've used the effaclar serum 3 times before, and loved it each one. this year i wanted as minimal a routine as possible, and being able to combine my sa step with my moisturiser has been great! maybe, in 2024 i will be tempted to use the serum again, though currently duo+(m) is my preference.

the serum lasts about 3 months of daily use, and the moisturiser lasts for about 2. even though they're pricy (and they are), i think how long they last and how effective i've found them makes them worth it - for me. i also love the fragrance, which is something i typically avoid, but hasn't caused me any issues

honourable mentions:

• foreo bear: a device rather than a topical product, so i didn't want to include it in the list, but this has been incredible for me in a few regards
• sukoyaka suhada urea moisture line: i've not been using any serums/toners for a while, but when i did this was a great one - i really enjoy urea as an ingredient
• cerave resurfacing retinol serum: i've not been using retinol for a bit now, but i used several of this one and might go back to it one day

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