From Category: SKINCARE

Sunday, July 25, 2021

My 3 Tried & True Skincare Products From The Ordinary | Muted Muse Mag

  Not only are The Ordinary products essential to my skincare regimen, but I have seen the effectiveness of their products on my skin. This brand is a brand that I genuinely love and support. It is a brand with products that are effective, affordable, and made with clean ingredients. The Ordinary, a Deciem brand, focuses on functional beauty and unlike other beauty brands in the industry, integrity is something that they highly prioritize. For a beauty company to be transparent, good quality, and affordable is rare. 

   I definitely plan on trying more products from The Ordinary, but for now I'm going to share my 3 tried and true products with you. However before I do, I think it's important to note that if you  purchase any of these products, as with any skincare product, do a patch test and wait 24 hours to see how your skin reacts. If you have no reactions you're safe to use the product, do follow the product instructions and visit the website if you're unsure whether you can or cannot use the product(s) in conjunction with other skincare products as certain skincare products should not be used together.


My 3 Tried & True Products From The Ordinary:

A picture of three of The Ordinary's products


1. The Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% - If you've talked skincare with me then you know I love this serum. I credit this serum with being the main contributor in clearing my skin when it got plagued with hormonal acne last year. It helps to decongest pores, improve skin texture, and balance sebum activity. I use this serum morning and night before moisturizing. I apply it directly to my T-zone and to any breakouts I may currently have. 

Disclaimer: This serum should not be used in the same routine as Vitamin C or on dry patches as it can cause irritation and redness. 

2.The AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution - I use this product to exfoliate my skin and help fade the scars that my hormonal acne left on my face. If you're looking for an intense exfoliator, then this is the product for you. It helps to remove dead skin cells, decongest pores, improve skin texture, and fine lines. This product is meant to be used once a week and I personally like to use this peel at night. Anytime I leave my house after using this product that week, I make sure to apply sunscreen as new skin is exposed due to exfoliation.

3. The Caffeine Solution 5% + EEG  - I haven't had a product specifically for my eyes in a while, so I picked up this eye serum. I apply it as directed both morning and night. It helps with dark circles and puffiness. 


   The Ordinary products can be purchased at Deciem.com, Ulta.com, or at your local Ulta Beauty store. If you have any favorites from The Ordinary, I'd love to hear about them.

Love, 

             Des.


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Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The Serum That Got Rid of my Hormonal Acne & Keeps my Skin in Check | Muted Muse Mag

      Last year, I was going through it in all kinds of ways and one of those ways happened to be acne, hormonal acne to be exact. I've never dealt with my skin in this condition and for four months I often wondered when my skin would return to its normal state (you can read about it here: What I learned About my Hormonal Acne and How Reinventing my Skincare Routine Got Rid of It). 

    In that post I talk about what caused my hormonal acne and how I built the skincare routine that got rid of it. In this post, I'm going to focus on one of the products from that skincare routine that cleared my skin. If I wouldn't have incorporated this product into my regimen, I honestly don't think my skin would have improved in the way that it did. Once this product was introduced to my skincare regimen, my hormonal acne that would not go away ended up going away once and for all. So what is this serum I speak of?


An up close picture of The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10 % + Zinc 1% Serum

     I'm talking about The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum, this serum was a gamechanger for my skin. As I was reading reviews on all kinds of products and reading the description of what those products can do for the skin, I came across this incredible serum on Ulta Beauty's website. The Niacinamide + Zinc serum helps with pore congestion and sebum activity, which is what I had been dealing with when my face was breaking out. I remember feeling so lost and almost purchasing a Curology subscription but I decided not to. I went back to the basics of skincare and decided to figure this thing out. First, I started off by purchasing good quality, affordable, products that addressed my skin concerns. I told myself that if those products didn't work after trying them for a while, then it was back to researching and trying products until I find what works. Thankfully the products that I decided to purchase ended up working effectively for my skin and I spent under $30. 

    The reason I feel that those products worked so well for me was because each of them targeted my specific skin concerns. On top of that, I only purchased what I needed and I was consistent with my skincare routine until I saw results. I believe that skincare isn't that complicated and at times we make it more complicated than it is which leads to us overwhelming ourselves and our skin. I kept it simple, bought good quality, affordable, products that targeted my skin concerns because lets be honest expensive doesn't always mean effective. When you don't know what'll work it's better to go the affordable route, it's more cost effective and you get more bang for your buck versus spending a ton of money on expensive products, them not working, you being disappointed and having to spend more money to find what works. That's just my personal preference, that's what worked for me, to each their own. 

   I struggled with my skin for four months and in ONE month it cleared up, yes ONE month. I honestly believe that this serum played a huge role in that. Being patient with my skin and consistently applying this serum as directed was also KEY.


HERE'S  HOW  I  APPLY  IT:


A picture of The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10 % + Zinc 1% Serum being applied


‣How often: 2x's a day as directed, morning and night after cleansing my skin and before moisturizing.

‣Where: Directly on my T-Zone, I also use it as an acne spot treatment and apply it to any breakouts I may have at the moment.

Disclaimer: This serum should not be used in the same routine as Vitamin C or on dry patches as it can cause irritation and redness.


      Even though my skin cleared up, I continued to use this serum. I love this serum, and it has become and remained an essential in my skincare routine. It balances my sebum production and decongests my pores which keeps my skin in check. 

    What skincare product is an essential in your skincare routine? I'd love to know.

Love,

                 Des. 

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Thursday, June 24, 2021

What I learned About my Hormonal Acne and How I Got Rid of It | Muted Muse Mag

     Last year during the nationwide lockdown my skin took a turn for the worst. In all my years, I've never dealt with any type of acne apart from the occasional blemish that would emerge and eventually disappear in about 1 to 2 weeks. This time in particular the breakouts were not going away and I'll be honest, sometimes I pick at my face with my blackhead extractor tool to remove blackheads. Yes, I'm well aware that picking at my face causes breakouts. However, at this point in time I did absolutely nothing to bring this acne upon myself. I even told myself, "just don't touch your face and the breakouts will go away", only they didn't.

    What I ended up learning was that stress affects our body in many ways. I think we can all agree that 2020 was a hectic and stressful year and for four months that stress was displayed on my face. During those four months I often wondered how long until my skin would return to its original state. So I idly stood by waiting for the day that my chin acne would just disappear, just kidding. I turned to good ol' google to get answers on what was happening with my skin and why. Here's what I found, the acne that had presented itself on my skin was hormonal. Hormonal acne can be triggered by stress and when we're stressed our adrenal glands release cortisol. Cortisol is a helpful hormone that plays an essential role in a number of bodily functions including the body's stress management. Basically, when we become stressed our cortisol levels rise thus altering our hormones. In my case, the stress I was undergoing caused a spike in my skin's sebum production. This higher than normal sebum production caused many of my pores to become clogged leading me to experience many blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and cysts like never before. My breakouts went from making an occasional appearance on skin to a consistent appearance and I had to do something about it.

    Being that I was lost and didn't know how to handle what was happening to my skin, I almost purchased a Curology subscription. However, I decided not to go through with it because I didn't want to subscribe to something that I wasn't sure was going to work let alone pay monthly. I prefer to just walk into a store and get what I need when I need it and call it a day which is something a subscription can't offer me. That's just my personal preference, no shade to Curology or any skin care subscription at all.

    So what did I do?

Went back to the basics of skin care and the basics are:

1. Cleanse
  2. Exfoliate
3. Serums
     4. Moisturize

  After going back to the basics and understanding that I only need a cleanser, exfoliator, serums, and moisturizer, I did my research, read and watched many reviews, and reinvented my skin care routine. (If  your interested in knowing which products I incorporated into my routine see the video below.)




Cleanse:

    When I took a look at my current skin care routine I realized that the cleanser I was using didn't have salicylic acid (a BHA that penetrates deeper into the skin and dissolves the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that clog your pores). Salicylic acid not only targets pimples, but blackheads and whiteheads which do not come to a head at the surface of the skin like pimples do. Being that my pores were more susceptible to being clogged with this increase in sebum production due to stress, I felt it was necessary to include a salicylic acid cleanser to my skincare regimen. Now blackheads I was use to, but whiteheads not so much and I was getting them like never before. Whiteheads unlike blackheads, are closed comedones which is a fancy word for acne that resulted from a clogged pore, and they're difficult to extract. A blackhead remains open and can be extracted a lot easier, a whitehead is closed within the pore and can grow in size. I had many of these and they looked like pimples but with no pustule to squeeze. See, with this type of acne you have to use products that target that buildup within the pore which is why I introduced salicylic acid into my routine. You then have to extract these whiteheads otherwise they'll appear to be going away, only to fill back up and I definitely recommend a blackhead extractor tool for that. I also learned long ago that what you do or don't do after the extraction of a blemish is what determines whether that now exposed pore becomes a pimple or not. For this reason I usually extract blackheads or whiteheads right before I cleanse my skin. My current daily cleanser does not have salicylic acid in it, but I do have a salicylic acid cleanser that I use when I breakout.

Exfoliate:

    Another important factor that my skincare regimen had been lacking was a good exfoliator. I had a decent physical exfoliator but I wanted something a little more intense. I wanted something that could exfoliate my entire face and dissolve any and all of my dead skin cells that were causing uneven texture and congested pores. Exfoliation allows you to get a deeper cleanse when cleansing your skin because that layer of dead, dry skin is removed and the pores are now unclogged. Now when you apply your skincare products they can be better absorbed into the skin and work more effectively. Knowing this, I searched the web, read, and watched many reviews and decided to go with a chemical exfoliator.

Serum:

    Before my skin had this stressed related flare-up, I didn't know much about serums let alone used them. Boy did that change, in the same way we apply primer before foundation, serum is applied before moisturizer. The purpose of a serum is to target specific skin concerns and they're formulated to address those concerns. While I was scouring the internet for products to include into my reinvented skincare routine, I stumbled across a serum that is meant to decongest pores and regulate sebum production which was perfect because that's exactly what I was dealing with. When I tell you I can't imagine not having this serum in  my routine, I really can't imagine because this serum alone made my skin go back to normal.

Moisturize:

     Have you ever ran out of moisturizer and used lotion on your face instead? I have, and lotion is not non-comedogenic. I quickly noticed this when I applied lotion onto my face on a hot day. I could FEEL the lotion just sitting on my skin waiting to clog my pores. Needless to say I don't apply lotion to my face any longer and I use a moisturizer with SPF to protect my skin from the sun. I learned the importance of moisturizer back in 2010 thanks to YouTube for existing and Michelle Phan for uploading videos where she talked about the importance of a good moisturizer, especially one with SPF. Continual sun exposure and sun damage ages the skin, causing a lack of moisture which makes the skin look dull and dry. There are moisturizers out there that don't contain SPF and I prefer to use those at night because who wants to smell like they're going to the beach when they're really going to bed. However, during the day I like to use a moisturizer that has SPF so that my skin is both hydrated and protected. That's a win win  because it's a 2 -in -1, you don't have to apply your moisturizer and wait for it to dry and then afterwards apply your sunscreen. I've tried many moisturizers since 2010 and I haven't found one that I absolutely love. I'm still looking, but you better believe ya girl ain't skipping moisturizer and she definitely ain't using  lotion on her face.

    Going back to the basics and finding products to address my skin care concerns was so necessary. I truly believe that if I hadn't done this I would have struggled with my skin for longer than necessary. I also feel that if I would've went with skincare subscription before trying anything else, I would've been convinced that I needed that subscription in order for my skin to stay clear. I'm so glad that I decided to do my research and take a chance on the products I purchased. I spent less than $30, learned so much, and my skin cleared up in a month. Yes you read that correctly, a MONTH. Before I introduced these products to my skincare routine, I had been dealing with hormonal acne for three months and on the fourth month my skin was able to heal and clear thanks to these products (watch the video below to see the products). Since then I haven't had any issues with my skin other than the normal, occasional, blemishes that come and go. 

    If you find yourself in the same boat, there's hope. Do your research and find products that address your skin concerns, keep your routine simple, be consistent with it, and wait it out until you see results. 

Love,

                   Des.




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Thursday, April 19, 2018

Affordable natural deodorants that work | Muted Muse Mag
    I've been using natural deodorant for the past few months and I can honestly say that I'm happy with the decision I've made. I'll never go back to using antiperspirant deodorant for reasons I've explained in my previous blog post (check it out here: Why I made the switch to natural deodorant). Finding a natural deodorant that works, is affordable, and can be purchased in store has been a long time mission of mine. It's taken me a couple of years, but I'm happy to say that I found two that fit the criteria. I'm genuinely pleased with each of these deodorants and use them interchangeably, otherwise I wouldn't be speaking of either on my blog.


    Before I expound on these two deodorants, let me just say that switching to natural deodorant takes some adjusting. Your underarms will be a little more moist than you're used to, they might even smell a little funny, emphasis on the might. Don't be alarmed, your pores are simply getting used to breathing since they are no longer being plugged by aluminum. As you already know, sweating is a normal bodily function. It's how the body cools and detoxifies itself, just because your underarms are slightly more moist than you're used to, doesn't mean that you stink. Without further a do, lets jump into these two affordable natural deodorants that keep you smelling fresh by fighting odor and absorbing moisture.




Schmidt's Deodorant:

 
    Schmidt's is an all natural deodorant with all natural ingredients that help neutralize odor and absorb wetness. It does not contain aluminum, propylene glycol, or any artificial fragrances. The Schmidt's deodorant line has several fragrances to choose from including a fragrance free option. I'm currently using the lavender and sage scent which smells lovely. To be honest, I really wasn't expecting to find this deodorant at Walmart. On the contrary, I thought I'd find it at a health food store retailing for $9 (its original retail value). However, Walmart sells this product for only $4.72 and I'll take $4.72 over $8.99 any day. That may seem a little pricey for deodorant, but when you compare five dollars to ten or seventeen dollars, in the realm of natural deodorant that's a steal. Not to mention, you don't have to pay for shipping because Schmidt's is sold at Walmart and Target.


    You might be thinking, "Yeah that's cool and all but does it work?" The answer is yes. A little goes a long way, it's long-lasting, and holds up well even on gym days. When I wear this deodorant I hardly ever need to reapply because it doesn't lose its strength throughout the day. Although I prefer a gel formula, this deodorant is a solid deodorant. The directions for use advise you to hold it momentarily to your skin. This way your body heat can soften it on contact when applying. Do follow the instructions! This product is grainy in texture and if you don't warm it up by holding it to your skin for a few seconds, it will feel rough when you apply it onto your underarms.





    Schmidt's is also a unisex brand meaning that it is suitable for both sexes. My boyfriend is currently using the charcoal and magnesium scent, and his only complaint is that it stains his shirts gray in the underarm area. This could be because the charcoal and magnesium deodorant is dark gray as it contains charcoal, but it does come off when washed. I didn't have any staining issues with the lavender and sage scent.


Arm and Hammer Essentials Deodorant:


    Arm and Hammer Essentials Deodorant is a natural deodorant made with natural plant extracts, and pure baking soda that fights and absorbs odor. This deodorant does not contain aluminum, parabens, colorants, or animal-derived ingredients. Arm and Hammer Essentials can also be found at Walmart for $1.88 and at Target for $2.89. I'm currently using the Fresh scent and the name of this scent describes it perfectly. This deodorant is also a unisex brand and my boyfriend prefers this deodorant over the Schmidt's brand. He is currently using the Clean scent which smells like fresh linen, there is also an unscented option. The Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant has a gel formula, which I love because it's light and goes on smooth. The lasting power this deodorant has is pretty decent. I do bring it with me throughout the day so that I can reapply it after a few hours as it does loose a bit of strength. 







    Most natural deodorants, such as the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant use baking soda to absorb moisture in the underarm region. This can cause irritation of the skin for some people. I experienced some irritation when I applied this product after shaving my underarms. I felt a burning sensation strong enough to make my eyes water but it subsided after a few seconds. Sometimes this reaction happens because your underarms are adjusting to the baking soda or because your underarm region was sensitive due to shaving. It has been said that it is safe to continue the use of natural deodorants that contain baking soda, even though a reaction occurred as the pH level of your underarms will adjust. However, if a continual reaction happens and it is painful, discontinue your use of the product. You can opt for the sensitive skin formulas, or the fragrance free options. Both options are normally formulated for sensitive skin.

    Although the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant does not contain aluminum, parabens, colorants, or animal-derived ingredients, it does contain propylene glycol and its by-product dipropylene glycol. I've done some extensive research on these two chemical compounds and what I have found is that research on both of these ingredients are pretty obscure, but they are deemed safe by the FDA when used at the correct concentration. Some companies use propylene glycol that are produced from petrochemicals while others use propylene glycol that are manufactured from a plant-based by-product of the biofuel industry (blog.honest.com). In regard to the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant, their website states that "all the ingredients are safe at the levels used." Being that they use natural plant extracts in formulation of this deodorant, one can assume that they use plant-based propylene glycol, but there is no statement of this on their website. However, this information does not make me dislike the product.

    As I stated earlier, I use both of these deodorants interchangeably and I'm pleased with each. I tend to gravitate more towards the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant because of its gel formula. I have always enjoyed using gel versus solid deodorant but that's just my preference. However, if I know that I'm going to be in a humid environment for most of the day and I don't want to have to reapply, I will wear the Schmidt's natural deodorant because its lasting power is a little stronger than the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant. This might be because the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant is a gel, and since it's a gel it's lighter than the Schmidt's deodorant. The Schmidt's deodorant is solid in consistency making it a bit thicker and less soluble. However, this doesn't mean that the Arm and Hammer Essentials deodorant wears off easily. If you apply enough it does hold up, but after a few, hours it might start to lose some strength. The same goes for the Schmidt's deodorant, only it might not loose strength as easily because it's thicker in consistency.






    I've had these deodorants for two months now, and it doesn't seem as though I will be needing to hit the store for repurchase anytime soon. What I love the most about these deodorants is that they don't buildup on my skin. In the past, when I used antiperspirant deodorant it was tough to remove, soap and water wasn't cutting it. Regardless of how well I thought I cleaned my underarms, the day-to-day layers of deodorant where sitting on my skin with questionable chemicals. That's no longer a problem for me thanks to the Schmidt's and Arm and Hammer Essential deodorants.

    So there you have it, two of the most affordable, effective, natural deodorants that can be found at your local drugstore. If you can't find either of these at your local drugstore, you can purchase them on their respective websites or on the Walmart and Target websites. I recommend purchasing both deodorants from Walmart as it offers the most affordable price for each. I hope this blog post was helpful to you if you've been on the hunt for an economical yet effective natural deodorant. 
Love,
              Des.



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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Why I made the switch to natural deodorant | Muted Muse Mag
    A couple years ago, spin brushes were a sensation on YouTube and beauty bloggers were reviewing all kinds of expensive ones. Eventually, I found a good spinbrush at an affordable price from Ulta Beauty. The Dual Action Cleansing Brush was the tool that lead me to really think twice about using antiperspirant deodorant. How? Just keep on reading.


     The Dual Action Cleansing Brush comes with one brush head and one foam pad for moisturizing. There was a promotion going on when I purchased this spinbrush, so I grabbed a set of two extra brush heads to use them on my face, neck, back, and eventually my underarms. Just after a few uses, I saw the benefits of exfoliating my skin. My skin was softer, less dry, and looked more alive.



     To make a long story short, one day I decided to use my spinbrush to exfoliate my back, as I was dealing with a few breakouts. In the process of doing so my underarm got itchy and I scratched the itch away. Now, I had showered the day before and did not wear deodorant to bed, nor had I applied any yet. Immediately after scratching my underarm, I noticed a thin layer of gunk under my fingernails. I was thrown off because as I mentioned I had showered the day before. I certainly cleaned my underarms to the best of my ability while I was in there, and I didn't wear deodorant to bed. So, what was this waxy, gray, rubbery, gunk that was underneath my nails? You guessed it, deodorant. After I made that discovery, I put my spinbrush to work in my underarm regions and let me tell you, I had no idea how much buildup I had sitting in my underarms from previous applications of deodorant. The crazy thing was that my skin appeared to be smooth on the surface and the buildup wasn't evident at all. I guess this explains why you can see deodorant stuck in-between your razor blade when you shave your underarms, although you scrubbed the area clean prior to shaving.

     This made me think back to some of my high school days when I would go to bed late and tell myself I'd shower in the morning. Consequently, I'd wake up late for school, couldn't shower because I had to catch the bus, and in the process of getting ready in a rush I'd forget to wear deodorant. I was bummed the first time this happened to me, and I was scared that my underarms were going to smell funny throughout the day. I asked my friends if they had any deodorant to lend me, but they didn't have any on hand. So, I was forced to face the day deodorant free. However, through that experience I realized something and that was that the layer of deodorant I applied the day before still had some lasting power and it got me through the day without smelling crazy. That really got me thinking, if my deodorant isn't wearing off after a single use, is still on my skin even after I shower, and is only effectively removed through either shaving or abrasively cleaning my underarms, are my underarms even breathing? In my opinion, deodorant should wear off. Our bodies are meant to sweat and yes it's necessary to prevent our underarms from smelling, but deodorant should not be so difficult to remove either. I'm convinced that the only time my underarms were deodorant free while using antiperspirant deodorant was when I either shaved my underarms or exfoliated them. Other than that the day-to-day layers of deodorant were still on my skin, though I'd shower and scrub the area clean because I knew in my experience that gentle cleansing wasn't enough.

     Antiperspirant deodorants contain aluminum, a chemical that is used to plug your pores in order to prevent you from sweating. Aluminum has been linked to very serious health issues, but because there isn't enough scientific evidence to support the claims they are considered "harmless". At the end of the day everything we apply onto our skin is absorbed into the body and makes its way into the bloodstream. Not every product I use is natural or chemical free but my main issue with antiperspirant deodorant is the fact that it builds up and plugs my pores with the use of chemicals. I for one hate buildup, and I certainly don't want chemicals sitting on my skin for long periods of time especially in an area that has lymph nodes.

    For quite some time, I searched and searched for natural deodorants. I tried the TOM'S brand but it didn't work for me. As a result, I reverted back to the use of antiperspirant deodorant sprays and gels versus stick deodorant to reduce that residual buildup. As time passed, I still felt uncomfortable using antiperspirant deodorant because I knew my pores were being congested with the use of chemicals. So after a couple of years, I started looking for options once again. I just wanted to find something natural that worked and be done with it. In my search, I learned that most of the options were pricey and there was no way I was going to spend money on a pricey product, considering the last natural deodorant I had tried didn't cut it. However, I'm happy to say that I found two natural deodorants that work for me, are affordable, and can be found at your local drugstore (most natural deodorants can be found online only). I've dedicated an entire blog post regarding these two deodorants. If you are interested you can read my review on them here: Affordable natural deodorants that work. 
Love,
              Des.


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