▎❝ Clean skincare to glow up in the new year. ❞

Glow ups! We love them and your haters hate them! For those unfamiliar with the term, a “glow up” refers to positive personal changes you make to your life that inherently make you more attractive and feel better about yourself. A self makeover! Think of it as a personal renaissance, if you will. Whether you decide to change your style, get a new haircut, start practicing more self care, be more active, or just start with some healthy boundaries among others, glow ups are usually a multi-step process that is worth the time they take to implement.

Since this is my first post of the new year, I thought I’d focus my January posts around glow ups and little changes you can make to achieve that rebirth within yourself. It’s important to note that not everyone responds to our glow ups as we would like and often times, when we thrive, our truest frenemies are revealed—believe me. I unfortunately know this very well and I would be remiss in my duties as a style godmother if I didn’t warn you ahead of time. It’s always worst from the ones you don’t expect and that can often hurt the most.

Both friends and family can be guilty of envy even if you wouldn’t anticipate it. They may pretend to be happy that you’re doing well and improving your life all the while feeling threatened by your achievements and starting to look for subtle ways to undermine you. Don’t let anyone dim that glow you’re working so hard to cultivate! The positive changes you make should always be for yourself first and foremost whether it’s something simple like switching to a healthier skincare or decluttering your space. Your success does not mean the absence of someone else’s and vice versa. Let the world keep it’s opinions and you keep your glow!

This is a follow up to my popular post about clean beauty that I encourage you to check out! To date, it’s one of my most popular. While you don’t have to explore that one first, I do suggest taking the time to read it some point because I talk in more detail about the toxic and harmful ingredients found in cosmetics and skincare. I won’t be doing that in this post because I’ve already covered it very recently. For the sake of anyone new and confused, clean skincare refers to products free of ingredients linked to dangerous chemicals or health conditions.

E.l.f Cosmetics

The clean skincare products that I’ve adopted into my life are all from the same company, E.l.f Cosmetics, which you may recognize as one of the clean beauty brands I discussed in my clean beauty post. They call themselves clean, cruelty free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic which is great considering how affordable they are! Advertised as suitable for all skin types, E.l.f has all their ingredients listed on every product and promotes transparency in the cosmetic industry. The lack of fragrance in their products makes them gentle and soothing on your skin.

Before I go into the specific products that I’ve been using, I would like to give my brief opinion on E.l.f as a brand overall for what it’s worth. I have found that most of their products are very decent—especially for the price. Honestly, it’s an amazing value and I wouldn’t just say that because you know I’ve got to pinch pennies for Ferragamo and I won’t waste coin on just anything. The foundation and skincare products have been the best ones I’ve purchased and I’m very happy to have found them in a sea of other brands. However, I did order a blush palette from them and it was probably the worst powder I’ve ever tried to use on my cheeks. I’m not hiding anything here, it was awful.

Since I’m curious, I will be looking into their other powder palettes to see if that was a one off or if they just generally do better with liquids like foundations, creams, and cleansers. I did go back and read reviews after the fact and found that others had the same concern with that specific blush but luckily it seemed to be one of the only products customers were unhappy with. Their other powders got high ratings, so I think it might’ve just been that particular palette. From what I have seen at the time of this post, their skincare is also rated highly across all platforms but feel free to look into it yourself if you’d like and don’t take my word for it!

Blemish Breakthrough

Though all our skin and it’s needs are different, we are human which means we get breakouts and it’s nothing to be ashamed of! E.l.f has a skincare line specifically for acne prone skin called Blemish Breakthrough. My skin is usually pretty clear but given my health conditions and weaker immune system, when my skin goes, it goes. Also as someone who is very naturally very fair skinned, it’s super noticeable which means that I need proper skincare to combat these issues on my off days or I can’t leave my house.

E.l.f’s Blemish Breakthrough line includes an acne cleanser, triple acid resurfacing serum, acne calming water cream, acne fighting spot gel, blemish pimple patches, and an acne treating body mist. If that sounds like a lot to you, you’re not alone! I only got the cleanser, resurfacing serum, and the calming water cream because as I said, my skin is not really acne prone, I just suffer from bad breakouts every once in awhile. I didn’t feel like I needed the entire line since I don’t use this daily and acne specific skincare can be super drying if you’re not careful. It’s also worth noting that not only are E.l.f’s prices affordable but for those just wanting to try them out, you can buy a small mini size as a sample and use it before you commit to make sure it works for you and your skin which is what I did with the Holy Hydration line.

If you’re like me and you have good skin that occasionally lets you down, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pull a few things from this line like their water cream, pimple patches, and spot gel for those days when your normal skin regiment doesn’t seem to be enough. I have used both the water cream and cleanser which work very well. The water cream does wonders to reduce redness pretty quickly and it works by drying up your infected pores until your skin is clear. Since it can make your skin really dry, I just dab it on wherever I’m having trouble but don’t necessarily put it all over my face however it’s important to remember that everyone’s skin is unique and you’ll need to figure out what works best for you!

Holy Hydration

Listen, this was the find of the decade for me and I’ll tell you all the reasons why! I know it’s very hard to believe but I am in fact aging—shh, don’t tell anyone! It’s important to remember that the sooner you start taking care of your skin, the better it will age. I started using collagen, moisturizing, and anti aging products when I was 16 in preparation for when my body would gradually start reducing it’s collagen production. Most skincare sources advise starting collagen supplementation in your early 20’s but your girl wasn’t taking any chances and wanted to get ahead! Preventative skincare is definitely a legitimate practice especially if you’re not interested in any cosmetic procedures later. Always moisturize your mug, babe.

Up until I found this line, I was using both Pond’s Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream and L’Oreal Paris Collagen Moisture Filler Facial and while neither worked that badly, neither were clean either which left me searching for alternatives once I started my toxic skin product cleanse. I was pleasantly surprised to find this line from E.l.f and even happier when I saw that replacing my entire unclean skincare was totally affordable with their prices! You can shop the Holy Hydration line directly on E.l.f’s website to see what I mean. This is a fantastic skincare set for anyone suffering from dry skin or wanting to slow the aging process. I was actually really impressed by this product and how well it works considering the price point.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t sold from just the advertisement so I bought a mini kit to use as a sample instead which included; a mini daily cleanser, eye cream, face cream, eye cream, makeup melting cleansing balm, and booster drops for $20 in most stores! What started off as a sample turned me into a fan and I returned to buy the full sizes of the products that I loved most as well as some new ones I thought looked fabulous! It’s worth noting that I never think eye creams do what they say but I never leave the house without putting this one on when I first wake up because the difference is visible to me. I used to think eye creams lied like weather people but now I’m a believer! This cream is heaven sent from the hands of angels. Hallelujah!

I did also like the makeup removing balm but since I’m more used to liquid makeup removers, I got a large size of that and I also snatched the Holy Hydration Sleeping Mask which is my favorite gem! Most masks you have to rinse off or worry about being too slick but this one works as an overnight cream. While the regular face cream works fantastically, it soaks in very quickly and is better for day wear. I feel that the Sleeping Mask really does work slower and more effectively overnight but that’s just me!

I don’t have anything terrible to say about this line and I was curious to see what the other people in my life thought about it given that skincare can sometimes vary on different skin. I turned to two of the most influential women in my life—both of whom approved! I think this is a really great moisturizing skincare line whether you have chronically dry skin which can be itchy and painful or are personally fighting off father time. It’s a relief to know there truly are good products out there to incorporate into our skincare routine to maintain ourselves without needing to result to the current female drug of choice, Botox. I’d like to keep my parts original as long as I can, thank you very much, and this line helps me do that.

Charcoal Sugar Mask

Do you get dry skin that drives you crazy? Does it make your skin red and cause more breakouts because it’s itchy and flaking and you can’t stop touching your face? Get yourself a sugar mask! Even if you didn’t resonate with the opening sentence of this paragraph, everyone should have a sugar scrub on hand for their dry skin because of how easy it is to use and how quickly it gets rid of those uncomfortable flakes.

There are many different types of sugar masks or scrubs and they all should do the same thing as long as there’s sugar included in the ingredients. The granular sugar in the product works to scrub or sand off your dead, dry skin leaving it clean, smooth, and good as new! Like a sanding or a buffing, you must remember to do it lightly so as not to damage your skin but done right, it will make your face baby smooth. There’s sugar scrubs for other parts of your body like hands, feet, lips, etc, and all are important but for the sake of this post, we are focusing on the face.

I have used and tried many sugar masks but the one I always keep in my beauty vault is Freeman’s Polishing Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Mask—a mouthful, I know. I get this from the dollar store because I’m a budgeting betty but you can really find it just about anywhere. The reason that I use this one the most is because of the charcoal ingredient which removes impurities from your skin while the black sugar sands away the dead skin. The charcoal is already working to cleanse the pores beneath the dead skin as it’s being removed so gross but effective!

Sugar masking can and should be done semi regularly not only to remove your dry skin but also to prevent it building up. Just don’t go crazy and scrub your face off! If you have not sugar masked in awhile—or ever—it may take a couple of rinses to get all of that extra skin off and that’s fine! I only scrub lightly so as not to tear my skin so I often end up doing my sugar mask twice in a night just to make sure my skin is flake free and feeling good. It’s better to do it lightly twice than hard once. Again, find what works for you!

Freeman Beauty says that they’re clean on their website and promises that their products are free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and mineral oil so they’re a clean way to keep your skin soft and youthful! Honestly, I have so many Freeman Beauty Masks that I could do a whole post just about them but in this one, I will try to be brief and just include the essentials.

Cucumber Peel Mask

If sugar scrubbing is a bit much for you, try a peel off mask instead! Sometimes our skin is too sensitive for the abrasion of the sugar and requires something more soothing. When I’m feeling like I want a more tranquil masking experience, I will reach for something in my beauty vault containing ingredients they use in spas like our age old beauty bestie, Cucumber.

I use the Freeman Renewing Cucumber Peel Off Mask to freshen up my skin and get rid of any unwanted dead skin and impurities. More hydrating than the sugar scrub which can require a moisturizer after, the Cucumber is alleviating and cool rather than rough. Containing aloe which is a wound healer, anti inflammatory, and moisturizer with anti aging properties, this mask takes a much different approach to removing flaking skin than the charcoal mask.

The Cucumber ingredient in this mask reduces skin puffiness—especially around the eyes, soothes irritation, reduces redness, works as an anti inflammatory, and provides hydration. Cucumber is also known for it’s anti aging properties and is a good source of antioxidants to fight skin damage and promote a youthful glow.

This cool gel will soothe your face until it dries. Once it does, you’ll peel it off slowly and when you do, any dry skin and surface level impurities will peel off with it. It’s very important not to get this gel in your hair such as your eyebrows or when you go to peel it, you may accidentally take some of your hair with it which is not the goal here!

Please keep peel off masks away from your under eyes directly and start applying them lower toward your cheeks so as not to accidentally pull or pinch the sensitive skin below your lower lashes. Some skin may be too sensitive for peel masks and can be sore if you apply them to areas of your face that are more tender. Whether you prefer the scrub or the peel depends on the person and it’s totally up to you which method you think works best for your skin!

Skincare is self care

Well, we’ve reached the end of another post centered around an often overlooked style topic—skin. Your skin is the clothing you wear all the time that you can’t take off and it should be taken care of like your favorite suit you never forget to dry clean. Our skin directly impacts not only our self image but our confidence and is apart of the canvas of our body. Before you throw on clothing to paint your own personal style, you must have a clean, healthy canvas and skincare is a large part of your canvas.

As we go into the new year, please prioritize taking care of yourself and your health. Far too often skincare is peddled as a vanity pursuit rather than part of a healthy life style—and that goes for everyone, not just women! We’re told by strict beauty standards that if our skin isn’t flawless it’s because we’re not wearing enough makeup, there’s something wrong with us, or we’re not doing enough it but it’s not true.

If you’re someone who is struggling or has struggled with your skin, just know that everyone struggles with something and if your struggle happens to be your skin, it’s okay! I’ve seen poor skin have a huge impact in people that I’ve met, even down to their day to day interactions but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

I hope that this post was informative and helpful! Remember that everyone’s skin is different so if you’re interested in any of the products I mentioned, definitely try the mini kits or samples first to make sure they’re going to work for you! I don’t advocate just going out and buying everything just because it’s affordable—try it out! If neither of these lines work for you or your skin has different needs, see what other products E.l.f has since they are a completely clean brand.

Should this post become as popular as my clean beauty post, maybe I’ll make more skincare content. If this is something you’d like to see, let me know! I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful holiday season and as we go into 2025, let’s all agree not to dim our light for anyone, yes? Stay glowing! All my love and well wishes for a good year!