MY FALL EMPTIES 2020: GOOD MOLECULES NIACINAMIDE TONER, BANILA CLEAN IT ZERO, SKIN AQUA UV MOISTURE MILK AND MORE
Hmm…it’s kind been an unusually eventful yet balanced week — with high highs and low lows. A real mixed bag of events.
NYC just announced that indoor dining will be banned yet again. Eating out has always seemed the most normal of things, no longer to be taken for granted. Of course, I haven’t been doing much of that, but it was nice to go out for dinner every two weeks or so with a willing friend!
That was then, this is now. Covid cases are on the rise here in the City again, so it’s best that we clamp TF down one last time.
And among the week’s whiplash of events, the FDA (the slowest bureaucracy-laden organization on Earth) approved the first Covid vaccine for use in the US. It’s kinda cool that people will begin to be vaccinated on Monday, starting with the elderly and frontline healthcare workers. What a long and torturous road it’s been!
Perhaps the highlight of my week was my facial with my friend Nachi of Mist Beauty. She’s the best aesthetician in New York City and it had been about 10 months since I’ve seen her. My skin quality was excellent, pores woefully clogged. Thank you Nachi, for getting my skin right again. If you want the best facial of your life, check out Nachi’s services here.
I started work on a new branding project, too, this week. Whilst I’m unable to discuss it just yet, let’s just say it promises to be one of the most exciting brand launches of my career. Stay tuned…and stay safe!
The skincare stuff starts here.
It’s been three months since I last posted about my product empties, which I shared in a piece titled, My Summer Empties – The Best Anti-Aging Moisturizers, Cleansers and Serums from Paula's Choice, The Ordinary, Beauty Stat and More! You can still catch it here, if you’re so inclined.
I love to reflect on the skincare that I’ve actually used up. It’s always so telling. In fact, there are two “tells,” if you will, that indicate I’ve been into a product: if I get excited to use it in my daily routines and, of course, if I actually use it so much that I finish it.
By my estimation, I probably only finish about a 25% of all the skincare products that I start. There’s just so much in the rotation! So many cleansers, toners, moisturizers, facial oils and a whole lot of Niacinimide serums!
Sometimes, it takes me months to empty a product — as is the case with the Good Molecules Niacinamide Toner. Between my first post on it and today, I’d guess six or seven months have passed. Conversely, with the Maysama Green Rooibos Pressed Serum, I finished it up in a matter of four or five weeks. I loved it that much! And of course, I go through a bottle of The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Toner once a month, since I use it mainly as a daily deodorant.
Let’s have a look at my latest collection of empties from the last three months…
Good Molecules | Niacinamide Brightening Toner
What I said about it: You may recall that in my blog article on Bakuchiol a couple weeks ago, I made light of the fact that the Indeed Labs Bakuchiol Reface Pads was the weirdest of the five Bakuchiol products I’d tested. It wasn’t simply that I found it odd to put the product in a pad form — although many people mentioned they liked the idea because it made the product easy to travel with.
What I thought was truly weird about the product was that the second ingredient was Niacinamide. I love Niacinamide; I just didn’t get why the pads contained so much of it. It should be in the name!
So, it’s timely that I find a new brightening toner that embraces its “niacinamideness”!
Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner contains a high level of Vitamin B3, likely 10%.
Niacinamide is a fantastic active with many pro-skin health benefits, including the ability to improve the look of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, dullness — and to strengthen the skin barrier.
There’s so much more going on with Niacinamide Brightening Toner formula that I also love. Like Cocoa Seed Extract, Licorice Root Extract and fermented actives. The real star here is the 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid — a derivative of pure Vitamin C that helps increase the vitamin’s stability and enhances skin penetration for greater efficacy.
What is Niacinamide and What Does Niacinamide Do for the Skin?
I found a comprehensive article on the form of Vitamin B3 written by the skin experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, titled simply, How Niacinamide Helps Skin. Here’s what I find most insightful
How Niacinamide Helps Skin
Niacinamide is a skin care ingredient worthy of your attention and your skin will love you for using it. Among a handful of other amazing skin care ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C, niacinamide is a standout because of its versatility for almost any skin care concern and skin type.
As many of you know about us, but for those who don’t, the conclusions we make about any ingredient are always based on what the published research has shown to be true—and the research about niacinamide unanimously demonstrates how special it is. New research keeps showing it’s one of the most exciting skin care ingredients around.
What is Niacinamide?
Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinamide, niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly minimize enlarged pores, tighten lax pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen a weakened surface.
Niacinamide also reduces the impact of environmental damage because of its ability to improve skin’s barrier (its first line of defense), plus it also plays a role in helping skin to repair signs of past damage. Left unchecked, this type of daily assault makes skin appear older, dull, and less radiant.
Explore my favorite Niacinamide serums!
What’s remarkable is that 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is relatively expensive. Yet K-Beauty sensation Good Molecules managed to pull all this goodness together for just $14. I don’t get it. But that may be what I love most: it’s a surprisingly good formula for such a low cost. This is the model for democratically priced skincare! Yeah, it’s Skincarma Approved.
What I think now: I was really into this toner! It’s in a category all by itself. It’s not an acid toner, not a true hydrating toner either. The fact that it took me six months to use it up isn’t an indication that I didn’t like it. It’s actually the result of the fact that I’m constantly testing toners and, well, Niacinamide serums. But it was good (no, great!) to the very last drop!
Do I miss it?: Yes, waaaaah.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner for $14 here.
Maysama | Green Rooibos Pressed Serum
What I said about it: I was having a conversation with a biologist the other day and our in-depth chat turned to the skin, skin aging, and the role that antioxidants play in skin health.
My question: Is there such a thing as too many antioxidants in a skincare routine?
While neither of us had the definitive answer, we agreed that you can’t get enough antioxidants in your skin each day. The skin will use what it needs — and it needs antioxidants in abundance.
When people ask me about my skincare essentials, I always mention the importance of a really well-formulated antioxidant serum morning and night. Even two or three of them! There are multiple antioxidants with proven efficacy — some in the form of vitamins others botanical extracts. Among them, Vitamin C and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) — both powerful antioxidants that protect skin from free radical damage while defending skin against aging.
What are antioxidants?
There’s an outstanding article on the importance of antioxidants from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, How Antioxidants Fight the Signs of Aging available here. In it, I found this:
“Antioxidants play a unique role when it comes to diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Years of environmental damage (including unprotected sun exposure—one more reason to apply that broad-spectrum sunscreen!) slowly chip away at skin’s natural ability to look and feel healthy. As this damage builds up, skin gradually loses its ability to recover and bounce back as it once did. It’s not an exaggeration to say that after years of damage, skin becomes overwhelmed, and its “look young systems” begin to slow down.
Antioxidants in skin care step in to help shield skin’s surface from further deterioration by calming stressed skin and defending against the visible effects of pollution —something all of us encounter on a daily basis.
What happens as a result of applying antioxidants to your face is truly impressive: Skin’s appearance begins to turn around! It regains a firmer feel and more even skin tone—and those wrinkles you’re probably not fond of will visibly soften.”
I recently discovered a superb new antioxidant serum that I can’t get enough of! It’s become a daily staple in my morning routine. From indie brand Maysama, the Green Rooibos Pressed Serum is a next-level antioxidant treatment, infused with potent rooibos extract.
I first discovered rooibos tea on a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, 7-8 years ago. Sipping a hot cup of rooibos red tea in winter has been a secret pleasure of mine ever since!
Composed of an extraordinary 85% active ingredients, the Green Rooibos Pressed Serum incorporates 1.3% pharmaceutical grade green rooibos extract as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient.
Green rooibos is a remarkable substance. Not only does it contain potent antioxidant properties, it’s also an antibacterial and a source of natural AHA’s.
Maysama didn’t stop there. The Green Rooibos Pressed Serum contains brightening complex of 3% Niacinamide, Licorice Root and Turmeric Root Extracts.
Maysama’s Green Rooibos Pressed Serum is a rich, pulpy serum that feels great and melts instantly into the skin, making it easy to layer into an existing skincare routine to boost its pro-skin health benefits.
Try it! I’m confident that you’ll love it as much as I do!
What I think now: Maysama’s innovative Green Rooibos Pressed Serum is such a wonderful antioxidant serum — and really fun to use. If you recognize that antioxidants are the true anti-agers, then this is one of the best antioxidant serums you’ll come across.
Do I miss it?: I’m on my third bottle!
SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 10% on all skin care from Maysama Beauty with code SKINCARMA10. Purchase the Maysama Green Rooibos Pressed Serum for $52.56 here.
The Inkey List | Glycolic Acid Toner
What I said about it: I love this product and it’s become my daily deodorant go-to when I’m not testing anything else. In fact, I’ve probably gone through a half dozen of The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Toner since it launched late last year. Funny, come to think of it I’ve rarely, if ever, actually used it on my face!
It took some initial trial and error to find one that worked perfectly — but when it comes to a glycolic-toner-deodorant-concoction, this one is the holy grail! It has just the right balance of ingredients and has never caused any irritation.
At a 10% concentration, Glycolic Acid is the the second ingredient. Third is Propanediol, a glycol that can enhance the absorption of the actives (such as Glycolic Acid) into the skin.
Honestly, I think that’s a main factor in why it’s such an effective hack for deodorant.
What is Glycolic Acid?
There is an insightful article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Glycolic Acid: What It Is and Why You Should Use It. In it, the experts expound on the many superb benefits of Glycolic Acid for the skin.
Glycolic Acid Benefits
Using an exfoliant with glycolic acid for your face results in a brighter, more even toned complexion. Like all AHAs, glycolic acid works by helping turn over spent cells on skin’s surface.
This type of exfoliation addresses numerous skin concerns, including sun damage, uneven tone, rough, flaky patches of skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. In higher concentrations, glycolic acid can even improve the look of deeper wrinkles.
Studies also show that glycolic acid significantly increases skin’s hydration. It does this by helping skin make substances like mucopolysaccharides, which help skin stay hydrated by increasing its natural content of hyaluronic acid, which in turn enhances skin’s resilience.
One exciting new note about glycolic acid: emerging research shows it might even protect skin against UV damage (in addition to reducing its damaging after-effects), though more studies need to be done and of course it doesn’t replace the need for sunscreen. Still, it’s a promising development!
Glycolic acid occurs naturally in sugar cane, but is most effective when synthesized in a lab, where its potency and concentration are optimized for use in skin care. Using plant sugars, like sugar maple, for their glycolic acid content is an option, but the bulk of the research on glycolic acid’s benefits for skin is about the synthetic form, because this type can be optimized for effectiveness, purity, stability, and pH, all critical to getting effective glycolic acid products.
I don’t love the added denatured alcohol, though it contains no fragrance or fragrant plant oils that would cause irritation and perhaps even nourish the odor-causing bacteria.
With a pH of 3.6, this toner is everything!
One of the main concerns I hear from people surrounding the use of a glycolic toner in place of a deodorant is price. If they’re too expensive, it’s just not worth it. Most of us are used to paying $4 for a product that lasts a couple months. But The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Toner makes more sense at $10.99. One 3.4 oz. / 100 mL bottle lasts me about 2 months.
What I think now: To this day, it seems a bit nuts to use a Glycolic Acid toner in my underarms. But it’s never steered me wrong!
Do I miss it?: Nope, I use it nearly every day, when I’m not testing out something else!
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner for $10.99 here.
Curious about using Glycolic Acid as a deodorant?
Check out my blog article titled, Skincare Hacks: Glycolic Acid is the Natural Deodorant that Works!
The Ordinary | Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
What I said about it: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG from Deciem the first skincare product I use every single day, the kickstart to my morning regimen. I’m up at 5:30, turn on the Keurig, feed Orpheus (who’s meowing like mad by this point!) and dab a little of this on my crazy puffy under-eyes bags.
Before I know it, they’re gone!
I read somewhere that Deciem claims they use the highest level of caffeine of any similar caffeine eye product. (Though I can’t find that now!)
Whether that’s true or even significant doesn’t matter because IT WORKS!
From Deciem:
“This light-textured formula contains an extremely high 5% concentration of caffeine, supplemented with highly-purified Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (EGCG) from green tea leaves.
Independent studies have shown that topical use of each of caffeine and EGCG can help reduce looks of puffiness and of dark circles in the eye contour.”
It’s got a thicker, silkier texture than expected and is much more than a caffeine serum for puffiness under the eyes. It’s loaded with protective antioxidants, including from the caffeine itself and from Glutathione — a potent antioxidant that’s found naturally in the body. The EGCG derived from green tea leaves is also a powerfully protective antioxidant.
And although conventional marketing wouldn’t classify the The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG as an anti-aging serum, it is certainly one of the best anti-aging serums for eyes that I’ve come across.
The best part? It’s $6.70! It’s almost always sold out on the Sephora website but if you sign up for an email alert, you can grab a bottle when it's back in stock in a week or so. You can also purchase it directly from Deciem here. A little goes a long way!
What I think now: I’ve gone through so many bottles of The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution that I’ve lost count — and lost all sense of time. I can’t even imagine a morning without it. If you loathe your under-eye bags like this Italian-American, you need a bottle of this.
Do I miss it?: I’ve never run out of it and don’t plan to!
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG for $6.70 here.
Biophile | Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum
What I said about it: If you’re not yet familiar with Biophile, let me introduce you to what I believe is the most innovative new skincare brand of the past year. Based right here with me in Brooklyn, Biophile is the brainchild of Alison Cutlan — a brilliant biologist and former colleague of mine from Kiehl’s.
Alison developed what she terms biotic broths — fermented concoctions that consist of a blend of probiotic bacteria and plant extracts.
Each of the three products in the Biophile range is a powerful nutritional formula that works synergistically with the skin to nourish and promote optimum skin health. And, each of the formulas is self-preserving — an extra-ordinary feat that raises the Biophile formulas to what I believe to be the next level of clean skin care.
Biophile’s award-winning Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum is perhaps the star of the three-product range. There’s just something that seems so otherworldly about this serum! And that’s precisely the reason it was awarded the 2019 Indie Beauty Expo “best in show serum”.
Ninety-percent fermentation-derived, the Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum is powered by one of the brand’s unique, proprietary broths — the SHROOM BioticBroth™.
In this case, the broth is a blend of mushroom extracts derived from chaga, reishi and tremella (also known as snow mushroom) that “are bio-processed with multi-strain probiotic bacteria to create a unique fermentation broth rich in adaptogens, antioxidants, lactic acid and hydrating fungal polysaccharides to feed the skin while supporting the barrier and biome.”
You see what I mean! How much more pro-skin health can you get? If you’re interested in a serum that helps to rebalance the skin’s surface microbiome, this is it!
The Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum has a slightly pulpy, amber formula that feels like liquid silk on the skin. It’s intended to calm reactive skin and protect against environmental stress.
What is the microbiome?
I found an insightful article on the NIH website simply titled, The Skin Microbiome. This segment is helpful in understanding what the skin’s microbiome is and its role in the health of the skin:
An enhanced understanding of the skin microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human skin disorders and to enable novel promicrobial and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches for their treatment.
The skin is an ecosystem composed of 1.8 m2 of diverse habitats with an abundance of folds, invaginations and specialized niches that support a wide range of microorganisms. The primary role of the skin is to serve as a physical barrier, protecting our bodies from potential assault by foreign organisms or toxic substances. The skin is also an interface with the outside environment and, as such, is colonized by a diverse collection of microorganisms — including bacteria, fungi and viruses.
The serum is infused with protective antioxidant vitamins, including both Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Ethyl Ascorbic Acid — a relatively stable form of Vitamin C that’s close in molecular weight to pure Vitamin C and has a visible brightening benefit on the skin.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing actives in Biophile’s Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum formula is Acetyl-Glucosamine (NAG) — a component of polysaccharides found in our cells that helps to stimulate the production of Hyaluronic Acid in the skin.
I have rarely come across a brand or skincare product that talks about stimulating skin’s own Hyaluronic Acid.
Also included in the serum concoction is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, a smaller molecular anti-aging peptide that can penetrate the skin barrier more easily and is believed to have the unique ability to enhance skin firmness. Biophile says it “can activate the body’s own Tissue Growth Factor (TGF-B) and stimulate collagen synthesis in fibroblast cells.” I love dope science.
What I think now: This is true skincare innovation. With its self-preservation system, Biophile’s Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum is one of the most remarkable products I’ve experienced in the past 18 months — since the brand’s launch. If you’re looking for a truly clean, pro-skin health serum to rebalance skin’s surface microbiome, this is it.
Do I miss it?: Ouch, yes I do.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Biophile Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum for $148 here.
Discover Biophile’s fermented skincare that supports the microbiome!
Check out my blog article titled, Brands I Love: Biophile Award-Winning Probiotic Skincare and the Best Facial Serum to Support Skin’s Microbiome.
Banila | Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm
What I said about it: The Banila Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm was the first cleansing balm of its kind that I’d ever tried. Which is why it will always hold a special place in my heart. But even more so today with the K-beauty brand’s new and improved formula. Banila decided to clean up their act by removing toxins and potential skin irritants — in turn, cleaning up ours!
Out are the parabens, including butyl parahydroxybenzoate, or butylparaben — an organic compound that’s been a popular antimicrobial preservative in cosmetics and skin care until recently. And good thing, too, because it’s a bit of a nasty — though the jury is still out on parabens in general.
The experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team rate butylparaben as a “good” ingredient in skin care formulas; yet, it’s rated a bright red alert nine from EWG.
In fact, “the European Chemicals Agency classifies butylparaben as a substance of very high concern due to endocrine disrupting properties and associated effects on male fertility.”
- Source reference: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) 2020. Substance of very high concern (SVHC).
Yikes! So, it’s gone from Banila’s new Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm — though its replacement preservative phenoxyethanol is hardly without controversy and has the potential to be toxic to skin over time.
Are parabens in skincare bad?
The controversy over parabens in skincare is discussed in an article published by the Paula’s Choice Research Team of experts titled, Are Parabens a Problem? Particularly noteworthy to me was this:
Parabens: Fact and Fiction
The reason there’s concern about parabens is because of research suggesting they can alter or disrupt how some biological systems work, potentially leading to health problems. There are also claims that parabens can cause skin to break down. The problem? The studies that used to make these alarming allegations didn’t take into consideration how parabens are used in cosmetics products.
In some studies, high concentrations (up to 100%) of parabens were used. Much lower amounts, usually less than 1%, are used to preserve cosmetics. In other studies, large quantities of parabens were fed to lab animals, not applied topically as they are with skincare and makeup products.
Let’s clarify a common misconception: Most ingredients applied to skin do not get into the body. They remain within skin’s uppermost layers where they do the most good. One of skin’s natural roles is to shield the body from external influences, and that includes things we apply to it. Besides, if all those ingredients sailed right through skin, nothing would be left to protect it and lead to visible improvements.
The most salient point is that most of what we apply to our skin in the form of topical skincare doesn’t actually get past the skin barrier. Hence the popularity of derma-rollers, micro-needling devices and the use of denatured alcohol in skin care — all to get actives deeper into the skin. So, the conversation about parabens continues.
Not the least bit controversial in Banila’s new formula is uber-emollient and antioxidant Tocopheryl Acetate, aka Vitamin E. There are a smattering of botanical extracts in the iconic cleansing balm, too — and very low oil content.
Discover some of the best cleansing balms on the Skincarma Blog!
Check out my recent blog article titled, The Best Cleansing Balms for Dry Skin, Oily Skin and Sensitive Skin and discover some of my favorite cleansing balms.
Oddly, and I’m not sure if this is new to the reformulated version of Clean It Zero, about mid-way down the INCI you find a bizarre sounding ingredient called, Onsen-Sui. Of course, I had to look it up! Onsen-Sui is a Japanese hot spring water believed to possess an anti-inflammatory and vasodilative benefit. Umm, okay.
Interestingly, according to INCI Decoder, Onsen-Sui is popular in K-beauty products, though not necessarily in Japanese skin care. The Japanese probably think it’s just water. In Korean skin care, Onsen-Sui is actually found in everything from the Tonymoly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm to Missha’s Near Skin pH Balancing Cleansing Oil. Even Dr. Jart is on the Onsen-Sui bandwagon, incorporating it into many of its skincare formulas.
So what about the balm’s texture and its efficacy as a cleanser? Well, Clean It Zero has a waxier feel than the more luxuriously textured, oil-based Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser and Ayond Metamorph Cleansing Balm.
But it does melt nicely into the surface of the skin when massaged and warmed up. It also has a mildly soothing emulsifying effect that transforms the balm into a lightweight, gentle milk when mixed with warm water.
There’s also a slightly sweet scent to it that reminds me of Kool-Aid fruit punch, which I don’t mind. If your skin is super sensitive, I would avoid this one. With its low level of oils though, the Banila Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm is really the best cleansing balm for oily skin.
What I think now: Banila’s Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm is the true OG in my book. It was the first cleansing balm I’d ever tried and it was the initial spark in my long love affair with this type of cleanser. There’s just something amazing about it that wows me to this very day.
Do I miss it?: I do and I don’t. I feel nostalgic over it, of course; but, I’ve come across so many superior cleansing balms that it feels a bit dated. There are just too many cleaner, equally effective formulations.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Banila Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm for $19 here.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
THE BEST CLEANSING BALMS FOR DRY SKIN, OILY SKIN AND SENSITIVE SKIN
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.
Skin Aqua | Super Moisture Milk SPF 50 / PA ++++
What I said about it: This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, A Complete $100 Skincare Routine with The Inkey List, The Ordinary, Benton & More! You can catch the full piece here.
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Our hundred-dollar healthy skin regimen would be meaningless if it didn’t include sunscreen. I’ve written several articles about the importance of finding one you love, including a recent blog about my top facial sunscreen picks.
Sunscreens usually aren’t all that expensive. And they’re not particularly difficult to formulate. But finding one you really like at the right price takes some thought. As with the Squalane Cleanser, though, this one was a no-brainer. I’m already madly in love with a well-formulated, effective and affordable sunscreen! It’s the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk SPF 50.
The cultish J-beauty formula contains a combination of mineral and chemical sunscreen filters. In addition to Zinc Oxide, this super (and I mean suuuuuper!) fluid milk also contains Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate — a chemical sunscreen active more commonly known as Octinoxate, the oldest and most common sunscreen used to protect skin against UVB rays.
Formulated without alcohol, something common to Japanese sunscreen formulas, the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk is a whole new level of awesome. I have never experienced a sunscreen like it — having come across it a year ago.
This Skin Aqua sunscreen is, as the name implies, as light as water. It’s literally the most watery sunscreen I’ve ever used — with a texture like an ultra-lightweight serum. Because it’s so super light, it’s really easy to spread over the skin. With an SPF 50+ and PA ++++, it’s also powered by two forms of humectant Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin — as well as replenishing amino acids and collagen.
We got bonus skin health points in the the hundred-dollar regimen with this one. As I said previously, “it goes on like magic and just feels like it was made in some off-planet laboratory.”
I didn’t have to go to Mars to get it. I got it on Amazon, illegally, for just $39 for a 3-pack or $13 apiece.
What I think now: I’ve been through maybe a dozen bottles of the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk since that first alien abduction and it is still a favorite all these years later. It’s literally the lightest mineral sunscreen on the market and sometimes I just don’t want anything too heavy on my skin — particularly on warmer days.
Do I miss it?: I would if the aliens forgot to drop me off a supply of it on their fly-by of Earth every few weeks.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk for $15 here.
Discover my fave sunscreens for face!
That’s it, guys! It’s always fun to look back on my product journeys. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Psst…I’d love to hear about the skincare products you miss when they’re finished in the comments below.
💟 SKINCARMA
Orpheus finishes everything!
The Ingredient List of the Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner:
sii|h 0 0, Niacinamide cci|sb|aacne|h, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, 2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer emo|solv, Betaine 
h, Arbutin aox|sb, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract aox, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate so|h, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract so|sb, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract aox|emo, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Carbomer vc 0 1, Tromethamine buff, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chel, Dextrin vc|hThe Ingredient List of the Maysama Green Rooibos Pressed Serum:
so|h, Aqua solv, Niacinamide (3%) cci|sb|aacne|h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Aspalathus Linearis (Green Rooibos) Leaf Extract (1.3%), Citric Acid buff, Lysolecithin emu, Sclerotium Gum vc, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil emo, Sodium Benzoate pres, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil emo, Potassium Sorbate pres, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil aox|emo, Sodium Phytate chel, Ubiquinone aox, Glycine Soja Oil emo|perf 0 3, Silica vc, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin , Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract aox|so|sb|perf, Chlorella Vulgaris Powder, Tetrahydropiperine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Liquorice) Root Extract so|sb, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract so|aox|perf, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 cciThe Ingredient List of The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner:
exf|buff, Propanediol solv|h, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water so, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Phenoxyethanol pres, Alcohol 
amic|solv|vc, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Betaine h, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emu|surf, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chelThe Ingredient List of The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG:
aox|perf, Maltodextrin, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Propanediol solv|h, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside aox|so, Gallyl Glucoside aox|so, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Oxidized Glutathione emo, Melanin, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract aox|sb|so|emo, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 vc, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Lactic Acid exf|h|buff, Dehydroacetic Acid pres, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chel, Propyl Gallate aox|perf, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Benzyl Alcohol pres|perf|solv|vc, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Phenoxyethanol pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emoThe Ingredient List of the Biophile Bio-Shroom Rejuvenating Serum:
so|h, Propanediol solv|h, Niacinamide cci|sb|aacne|h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid aox|sb, Betaine h, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Lactate buff|h, Acetyl Glucosamine sii|sb, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 cci, Inulin , Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide surf, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Sodium Polyglutamate h, Maltodextrin, Biosaccharide Gum-1 so|h, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment amic|pres, DL-Panthenol so|h 0 0, L-Arginine sii, Aqua solv, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Phytic Acid chel, Sclerotium Gum vc, Glucomannan* hThe Ingredient List of the Banila Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm:
perf, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Water solv, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract h, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract perf, Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Polydiethyleneglycol Adipate/Ipdi Copolymer, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/Methoxy PEG-15 Methacrylate Copolymer vcThe Ingredient List of the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk SPF 50 / PA ++++ :
sunsc 0 1, Silica vc, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone emu|surf, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate sunsc 0 0, Isononyl Isononanoate emo, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate sunsc, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Lauroyl Lysine vc, Methylparaben pres 0 0, Propylparaben pres|perf 0 0, Disodium EDTA chel|vc, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate h, Panthenol so|h 0 0, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate so|h, Hydrolyzed Collagen emo|h
