Cate's Skincare Favorites

This is my first cleanser, and it was actually recommended to me by my dermatologist after I told her that all the oil cleansers I'd tried were breaking me out. I use it to remove sunscreen and makeup before using my second cleanser. I've now discovered that my skin loves jojoba oil, and while I sometimes use jojoba as a first cleanser, I still always use this micellar water to remove eye makeup first (I don't like the feeling of oil on my eyelids/lashes, and oily contacts are no fun).

I found Vanicream when I was searching for a hyper-gentle cleanser, and it's exactly that. It has a creamy gel texture and rinses clean without leaving my skin feeling stripped. It doesn't have the luscious foam of Andalou, but I use them both interchangeably.

I love this cleansing foam. It's incredibly gentle, cleans well, and has a delicious rose fragrance.

I fell in love with this product after a friend generously let me borrow hers. My skin has become increasingly sensitive to acids, and this AHA is gentle enough that I can use it nightly with no stinging or irritation. I also noticed something interesting with this product: when I DID get a breakout (and mine are usually cystic pimples along my chin/jawline), this AHA somehow made them shrink and clear up in just a couple of days. I also love supporting small businesses - I bought my own bottle ASAP.

Azelaic acid helps fight acne as well as redness/uneven skin tone. Those are two of my major skin concerns, so this product is a dream for me. I also love that it contains licorice root extract and salicylic acid (two other ingredients my skin loves!) because it eliminates the need for me to have separate products containing those ingredients. This is an extremely cosmetically elegant product...Paula's Choice describes it as a "lightweight, oil-free cream-gel texture." I love that it sinks into my skin immediately with a nice matte finish. I use it every morning.

Note: Sephora and most other retailers carry a 1.35 oz jar for $48, but on the Korres website, they carry this 2.03 oz jumbo size for $54!

I've always struggled with creams, many of which break me out (even many of the lighter gel creams beloved by women with oily skin) or they pill when they come into contact with my sunscreen, or they just don't feel good on my skin. This hyaluronic acid cream is super hydrating and helps seal moisture into your skin. It has a slightly slick feel when applying it (not greasy, just slick) but within a couple minutes it sinks into the skin. During the drier months I mix this with a couple drops of jojoba oil. I've repurchased this product multiple times and it's absolutely holy grail status for me.

My skin absolutely loves jojoba oil, which is an oil said to mimic the skin's natural sebum. It never breaks me out, leaves me with beautiful glowing skin, and has really helped to repair my compromised moisture barrier. I even suspect it's somehow magically shrinking my pores. I sometimes use this as a first cleanser (after using micellar water to remove eye makeup), but I also always mix a few drops into my hyaluronic acid cream.

I'm always afraid of acne with body lotions, especially those that describe themselves as for very dry skin. I never would have purchased this left to my own devices, but a friend gave me a bottle and it's been a surprising hit for me. Super moisturizing, dries down pretty quickly, and doesn't break me out. I also use this on my 6yo who struggles with eczema in the wintertime.

I've gone through so many tubes of this hand cream. It's quick-drying, non-greasy, actually moisturizes, and has a nice citrus-floral fragrance.

When I'm at the pool with my kids in the summer, I slather myself with sunscreen multiple times a day. I never burned, but kept getting darker nonetheless. What gives? I switched to this sunscreen halfway through the summer and it kept me from not only sunburns but gradual skin darkening/damage.

If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, this is amazing. Since I started using this I almost never get razor bumps or ingrown hairs anymore. It really does feel weightless and doesn't smell weird.

I love this shower oil, it's lightweight with a pleasant fragrance (reminds me a bit of Clinique's Happy) and helps keep moisture in my skin. It also doesn't break me out, which is rare for me with anything containing the word "oil."

My skin is very delicate. I like to have a little physical exfoliation during my second cleanse in the evening, and I've scrubbed my face too hard with a washcloth many times, leaving my skin red and angry and compromising my moisture barrier. These little silicone scrubby pads are quite soft (the little "needles" are gentle and flexible) and I really can't scrub too hard with them. They're great for facial massage and have really helped remove every stubborn trace of sunscreen/makeup.

These are described as reusable baby wipes, but I love them for drying my face after cleansing. They're soft and tiny and they feel luxurious on the skin.

These are the best acne patches I have ever tried. They are thinner and more pliable than the Cosrx variety (which have also given me an adhesive rash before) and they suck the nastiness out of pimples quickly.

The softest, dreamiest cotton squares- I posted an ode to them on my Facebook page a while back. I never want to be without them!

I've used this sunscreen for several years and it ticks all the boxes for me: lightweight, cosmetically elegant, and it works.

I don't mess with anything but Aquaphor for my lips. I slather it on every night before bed.

L'Herboflore Rosewater

L'Herboflore Cherry Blossom

AM Piggy Head Ali Shan Green Tea Purifying Mask

L'Herboflore Deep Sea Balancing

L'Herboflore Marine Collagen Resilience Lift

L'Herboflore Chlorella Antioxidant Firming

L'Herboflore Sweety Black Tea Balancing Mask

This smells delicious - like a watermelon jolly rancher - and has a lightweight jelly texture (you need to stir it up before putting it on your face, because the ingredients separate a bit in the jar. This has never bothered me). It contains AHAs, which smooth the surface of the skin. This is best for oily skin or as a summer product, it isn't intensely hydrating.

This was once my holy grail hydrating serum. I loved it dearly, but this fall it stopped feeling very effective for me. I'm unsure if the formula changed or my skin did, but I'm a little relieved; this product isn't cheap!

This body sunscreen has a super light gel texture that sinks in right away with no tackiness. I used to use this on days when I might be getting some incidental sun exposure (riding in the car, going in and out of stores) but it was never heavy duty enough for the pool or summer days at the park. I'm currently on the hunt for a cosmetically elegant physical sunscreen for the body, because I'm just so fair that I really need the protection of physical sunscreen, even on days when I'm only getting a little sun exposure. (For heavy sun exposure days I slather on Neutrogena beach defense, down in the Body section).

I absolutely adore the smell of this rose soothing gel, but it really isn't effective as a moisturizer, even during the summer. What I do like it for is, well, soothing - it's great in place of aloe for post-sun exposure. Still, I doubt I will repurchase when my current bottle runs out.

This is a great sunscreen. It has a slightly dewier finish than my beloved Goodal. It also has a beige tint, which can be slightly too dark for my pale self in the wintertime (but objectively it's still a very light beige).

This was once a holy grail product for me. It's light and feels like water, but I could never really tell how effective it was at reducing acne or blackheads. I never noticed a big difference when discontinuing it or starting it up again.

I used this for several years as my AHA step, and while I liked it, it was definitely a bit harsh on my skin.

I'm honestly glad my love affair with Good Genes has ended, because this stuff is $100 an oz. This a lactic acid exfoliant often described as an "instant facial." When I first began using it, it improved the brightness of my skin and plumped fine lines, but over the time I found it was too strong for me, instead making my face sting (and no longer delivering those good results). Also, I'm pretty sure this was contributing to my acne issues.