the inky list oat cleansing balm

Fall Empties | Skincare

As much as I want to gush about and play tribute to the products that have gotten me through this transition into fall, I think I’m going to lose my mind if I have to stare at this full overflowing bag of empty products for much longer… and this is just the skincare empties to start with.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm ($44 CAD | 125 mL)

This is the gentlest balm cleanser that I’ve ever tried and suitable for every single skin condition that I can think of (and trust me I’ve suffered with a few) and absolutely annihilates makeup and sunscreen without irritating any part of the face or eyeballs. It doesn’t really use traditional oils that some report as clogging, so it would be appropriate for those who are oil-hesitant, has a super minimalist ingredient list and doesn’t include fragrance or anything irritating. I’ve actually been venturing out from using this one because it’s gone up in price, the fact that I love the balms with more traditionally oily and nourishing textures and the variety of balms on the market that I want to experiment with.

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm ($13 CAD | 150 mL)

This is another uber gentle fragrance-free cleansing balm, but it has packaging that has its limitations and it is nourishing and soothing in ways the Clinique is not. I’m quite a fan of the tube packaging for ease and sink-counter storage but it can be an absolute pain to squeeze out at times — but I don’t have really have significant issues with that and seem to actually have the determination to get the product out. It features sweet almond oil, oat kernel oil and a plant-derived wax to melt down makeup and and these in combination with the oat kernel flour leave the skin hydrated and calmed. It isn’t quite the makeup annihilator that the Clinique is but it will remove mascara and waterproof eye makeup with a little bit of patience. It does emulsify but many will find the film kind of unappealing and likely due to the tube packaging and the oils it contains, the mixture can come out kind of separated — but melts down with ease in the way that coconut oil and shea butter does. I have a fresh one to start on after I go through the cleansers I’m working on and currently have in my stash and will likely particularly enjoy during the winter.

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser ($53 CAD | 120 mL)

This cream cleanser was one of those things that I didn’t realize I loved until I was at the very end of the tube. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase two backups on sale, which speaks to how much I’ve grown to love this cleanser. It’s a real treat in cleanser form. There’s enough oil content that it melts makeup well, but doesn’t remove tenacious eye makeup with quite as much ease as a cleansing balm or oil. The cleansing agents are really gentle, the grape seed oil, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil and coconut oils are high enough on the ingredients list to really nourish the skin and the honey and lactic acid add a boost of humectants to the formula. It’s scented but not with essential oils and after I use it, my skin always feels soothed, comforted and less dehydrated afterwards.

Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence ($49.99 CAD | 150 mL)

I adored this watery first essence in the summer when it was beyond hot, humid and muggy as anything, and I finished it at the tail end of the summer. However, the water-light texture wasn’t ideal for my thirsty easily irritated skin, especially as things got cooler and my skin did its temperamental thing. Ingredients-wise, this essence relies on the probiotic-rich bifida ferment lysate, soothing humectant saccharomyces ferment, green tea, a variety of amino acids, replenishing ingredients and barrier-supporting niacinamide. It was rich in humectants, soothing ingredients and antioxidants but I’m not sure the texture was for me. It was super refreshing in the summer, without the irritation of essential oils or menthol or anything among that variety. I’m not sure the water-like texture is for me, however.

Dr Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence ($43.69 CAD | 150 mL)

If the Neogen was a product that’s great but not the ideal product for me, this essence exemplifies the kind of essence essentially for me. It’s a more traditional essence to be used later on in the routine but is also a milky moisturizer on steroids simultaneously. It contains emollients, glycerin, green tea, saccharomyces ferment, sunflower oil, sodium hyaluronate, cocoa seed extract, centella asiatica and ceramide np. It’s a kind of separated liquid consisting of tea and separated emollients that becomes a beautiful milk when shaken before use. It’s gloriously soothing, hydrating and moisturizing, even on compromised and irritated skin. It’s wonderfully anti-inflammatory and plumping and doesn’t even require a separate moisturizer. I often used it without a moisturizer over the top and I’ve already ordered a backup.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Probio Ampoule ($37.29 CAD | 50 mL)

This “ampoule” quickly became my favourite gentle daily non-active serum. It’s currently in the mail from Stylevana and the name is changed but the ingredients look identical. It does contain niacinamide but not in a ridiculous percentage that could lead to irritation and rather helps support the skin barrier. I would guess that it contains somewhere in between 3-5%, which is the sweet spot for many of its benefits. It also contains bifida ferment lysate, ten different probiotic ingredients and extracts, glycerin, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate and some oils including essential oils, which oddly enough don’t bother my skin whatsoever — but they are towards the end of the hefty ingredient list. I love this serum because it’s a great humectant, supports the skin barrier in a variety of ways and is instantly soothing. It helps that it never stings over a thoroughly pissed off skin barrier. It’s the perfect serum when you don’t want to come near your face with anything irritating and want to nourish and rebuild it instead.

Dr Dennis Gross B3 Adaptive SuperFoods Stress Rescue Super Serum ($96 CAD | 30 mL)

Thanks to the 2020 Caroline Hirons Summer Kit, I was able to try this pricier serum. I used it primarily last year but then I kind of left it towards the back of my skincare organizer, only to finish up recently. I really enjoyed this milky serum and the ingredients worked for my skin concerns but unfortunately some of the essential oils the formula contains irritates my skin around the mouth and cheeks with consistent use. It contains barrier-supporting niacinamide as the fourth ingredient, sweet almond oil, squalane, a bunch of antioxidant rich plant extracts and fatty acids. It’s a shame really but the essential oils were just not suited for my skin.

The Inkey List Brighten-I Eye Cream ($12.99 CAD | 15 mL)

This eye cream was a great everyday one for my sensitive dry under eyes, especially in the mornings under makeup and around tired eyes. It doesn’t sting like the majority of things do around my sensitive allergy-prone eyes, and the metal tip felt very soothing and awakening in the morning. The subtle cosmetic brightening effect was great for brightening dark circles. It contains glycerin, mafura seed butter, a man made antioxidant, mica, ginseng and centella asiatica. It was brightening, laid amazing under makeup, was soothing and affordable.

The Ordinary Caffeine 5% + EGCG Depuffing Eye Serum ($6.70 CAD | 30 mL)

I’m not sure why I slept on this product for so long; the ingredient list makes this one of the most robust and sophisticated formulas that The Ordinary has produced. My eyes are a problem area, being sensitive, dry, suffering from dark circles and prone to creasing with any kind of makeup, but I do not suffer with puffiness which is the primary concern this product corrects. I enjoy the thick gel texture that doesn’t migrate, adds substantial moisture with its oilier texture and doesn’t make my eye area burn randomly. It contains a number of antioxidants, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and lactic acid. Caffeine and the green tea derived antioxidant both are potent antioxidants with anti-inflammatory activity and have some research to support that they help with dark circles. I would repurchase because it actually has helped with the appearance of my under eyes and I enjoy it in the way I have enjoyed the Niod Fractionated Eye-Contour Concentrate at a fraction of the price. It doesn’t have the same sophisticated formula of peptides and amino acids but I get the same experience using it, especially when being incredibly sleep deprived.

Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb ($50 CAD | 50 mL)

This was an awesome moisturizer especially in the warmer weather months because of the cushiony lightweight cream texture and kind of refreshing feel it leaves behind. It contains a bunch of antioxidant-rich plant extracts including a number of fermented extracts, macadamia oil, panthenol and oat kernel extract. It’s really plumping, soothing and moisturizing and really helps with dull potentially flaking skin. I normally shy away from jar packaging but I’m willing to look beyond it for this product. It’s not fragrance free either but it didn’t irritate my skin and I would happily use again. It’s great for skins with dryness and irritation that helps without feeling suffocating.

What products have you finished?
Maggie, x.

The Winter Favourites

There’s nothing I love reading, watching and writing more than a favourites post or video but doing them on a monthly basis has proven excessive for me. Happily, we’ve reached the point in my year to do my winter themed favourites. It was actually really difficult to edit myself down to this many and I can easily say these were the products I enjoyed using and relying on when I wasn’t at home, complaining of tiredness and overthinking.

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm ($12.99 CDN | 150 mL)

I feel slightly ridiculous that I couldn’t narrow it down further than three cleansers, but when you have skin that hates surfactants and harsh cleansing like mine does, you really appreciate the good ones, as I have done. I’ve been loving this affordable fragrance-free cleansing balm. It removes makeup quite well (but requires more product than some makeup annihilating balms) and leaves the skin wonderfully hydrated and soothed. It uses sweet almond oil, oat kernel oil, candella wax and almond glycerides. I love how practical the tube packaging is — even though it can separate. I use it most nights to melt makeup and sunscreen happily and remove it after emulsifying with a microfibre cloth. It’s very gentle around my sensitive eye areas and is a gentle skin cleanser in its own right.

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser ($53 CDN | 120 mL)

This cleanser actually has enough delicious oil content to break down makeup and sunscreen without scrubbing or rubbing, but I actually enjoy it best as a treatment cleanser, or on the rare mornings I want to cleanse my face. It’s expensive but I honestly only use a little bit and would probably have never bitten the bullet if it wasn’t included in the Caroline Hirons Summer Kit. It contains fragrance but no essential oils and includes grapeseed oil, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, goat milk, milk protein, lactic acid and honey as ingredient highlights. The texture is a nice cream that leaves my skin soothed, glowing and hydrated. I tolerate it well even on my eczema patches, although it can kind of burn under the eyes if used to remove makeup — but this is probably because I have eczema patches around my eyes. I’ve been using for months and months and I’m happily going strong. It helps with texture, dry patches, general dryness and sensitivity.

Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser ($17.99-$18.99 CDN | 355 mL)

I’ve been a long term devotee of Cerave’s traditional Hydrating Cleanser but I love this one even more. It has a creamier lotion texture that foams slightly — but in a non drying way — and features amino acids, salicylic acid and natural moisturizing factors along with their classic ceramides. Unlike the original cleanser (since its most recent reformulation), this never makes my uber-reactive skin sting and it leaves my skin moisturized and comfortable afterwards. It does contain a little bit of salicylic acid so I don’t tend to use it to remove eye makeup but it does remove makeup better than Cerave’s other cleansers. It’s a great cleanser especially for skin with an impaired barrier from using actives, mask wearing and the like. It’s soap-free of course and uses very gentle cleansing agents.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence ($24.99 CDN | 100 mL)

This thicker gel texture more closely resembles a serum in my opinion, but I haven’t gone a day without applying it in months. It’s 96% snail mucin, along with betaine, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, arginine and allantoin and serves as a fantastic humectant serum, with anti-inflammatory properties. It’s profoundly soothing on an impaired barrier, fights transepidermal water loss, plumps up the skin, aids in skin healing and helps to prevent and treat scarring. I find it helps fade pink marks left on my skin after a breakout or reaction in a more timely fashion while keeping my skin hydrated and soothed. The bottle is huge, too, so its excellent value for money. I know I included it in my last few favourites posts but I couldn’t help myself.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Gel Cream ($23.97-$34.99 CDN | 50 mL)

This is another repeat favourite of mine but I do love reaching for it as a mild daily chemical exfoliant in a lightweight cream vehicle. It acts as a humectant, formulated with mandelic acid, gluconolactone, acetyl glucosamine and squalane. It’s perfect for when my skin is feeling a bit too fragile for a heavy-duty acid toner but I still want the gentle resurfacing of an acid, along with the hydration of a humectant. It also has a pink sheen that’s nice and brightening, yet subtle.

Sunday Riley Juno Hydroactive Cellular Facial Oil ($95 CDN | 35 mL)

This winter, I got right back onto the facial oil bandwagon on a daily basis, applying this fragrance-free oil blend on my cheeks, around my chin and mouth and under my eyes, where I experience flaking and irritation, exacerbated by daily mask wearing. It has made a huge difference in the severity of my flaking, dry patches and radiance of my skin, when applied just before moisturizer. I’ve always found the combination of cold-pressed omega-rich oils anti-inflammatory and soothing. No matter how angry my skin has been, this oil doesn’t burn, sting, or have any sign of reaction.

Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer ($35 US | 50 mL)

I’m onto my second container of this moisturizer this winter even though I’ve had plenty of others on rotation. It’s a lightweight whipped cloud cream that’s fragrance-free, kind of bland in the best way, and either super low on silicones or silicone-free and thus, never pills, even with the skincare layering I’ve been doing. It’s a beautiful comforting cream that works well as a barrier under a mask while sinking into the skin and leaving a demi-matte finish under makeup. It contains shea butter, omega-rich plant oils, fatty acids, amino acids, ceramides, an antioxidant or two and a bunch of skin-soothers. It’s great for an impaired skin barrier and generally angry skin.

REN Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask ($63 CDN | 50 mL)

This mask is the only mask I’ve reached for with any sense of regularity, because it’s fantastic for skin that’s suffering with dermatitis, eczema, redness, soreness and any sort of irritation. It’s that one product that never stings — despite the fact that it contains fragrance including fragrance derived from essential oils — even during the throes of flaking painful skin that can barely even be touched with water without potent discomfort. Coincidentally, this is a favourite product to throw on after hours of mask wearing. It contains shea butter, a bunch of emollients, lactobacillus-derived probiotics, algae extract and an angel dusting of white mushroom extract. The product leaves a definite film to the skin but I don’t mind as I tend to rinse off or pat off excess or leave on when my skin is in need of dire help. After use, my skin is calmed, soothed, less reactive and definitely moisturized. I notice an immediate reduction in redness and inflammation when I use this and am able to follow with the regular steps of my skincare routine.

Cerave Itch Relief Cream ($27.99 CDN | 354g)

This winter, I had the delight of an experiencing a months long eczema flare. Applying creams like this one, loaded with shea butter, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, emollients such as petrolatum and dimethicone has helped keep my dry itchy legs and arms under control. What particularly helped about this formula is the 1% pramoxine hydrochloride, which relieves the unbearable itchiness that accompanies eczema with none of the side effects that ingredients like menthol have. This cream reminds me of the original cream formula but with an added richness and whipped texture from the addition of shea butter and the itch relief. When used with ointments on the individual patches of concern, this kept me from itching patches for long enough to let them heal.

Curlsmith Scalp Recipe Clarifying Scrub Shampoo ($37.99 CDN | 250 mL)

This shampoo not only is clarifying without ruining my waves and curls or turning my hair into a literal lion’s mane of tangles, but also has kept my scalp happy and not itchy, dry or flaky throughout the entire season. I tend to reach for this gentle exfoliating sulfate-free shampoo in between more standard shampoos. It uses perlite, a volcanic rock, for exfoliation rather than irritating beads, keeps my scalp soothed with probiotic ferments and clarifies without traditional sulfates. My scalp is super happy afterwards and all product build-up is removed, without that stripped feeling. It’s concentrated — so I still haven’t gone through the tube — and has a delicious subtly fruity spa scent. It also contains vinegar without smelling like vinegar.

Maybelline Superstay Ink Crayon in 20 Enjoy the View ($12.49 CDN)

While I’m certainly not wearing makeup everyday, I have been enjoying wearing it 2-3 times a week. When I have been actually reaching for a lip product, I’ve been playing with this warm kind of rusty rose colour. The formula is a comfortable semi-matte kind of finish that lasts well without being drying or clinging to dry patches. I’m not selling the colour either, but it’s incredibly flattering, adding colour to the face without actually being a bold lip. It also easily applies at full opacity and works nicely as a stain with lip balm on top for more of a subdued flush.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette Vault ($86 CDN)

On the days I’ve been wearing makeup, I’ve enjoyed playing with eyeshadow. I think I’ve been reaching for this formerly limited edition palette the most. The formula is pigmented, buttery and a little bit powdery, and there’s a nice combination of spectacular metallic shades and practical matte shades of varying depths. Although this palette reads quite cool, I actually found it quite neutral on my warm undertones with a mixture of shades on both spectrums included in a neutral but not boring colour story. I love the mixture of different light-to-medium metallic shades to play with on the lid, of course I like the matte peach pop in the crease, and I love that the palette includes a matte black and matte chocolate brown with an impeccable formula. I like the shadows for an easy slap on kind of eye look but I love them for when I want a glitzier smoky eye. It’s kind of frustrating that the palette has to be bought in the vault form but I can’t complain, having missed out on it the first time around.

Christian Dior Miss Dior Le Parfum ($122 CDN | 40 mL)

I’m hesitant to include my staple scent over the colder months, as it — like all good things it seems — has been discontinued. It’s the warmer spicier big sister to Miss Dior in its standard version that captures some of the magic that previous iterations of the scent had for me. It’s not the kind of scent I would ordinarily expect to reach for in cooler months, spent mostly at home in casual attire but I learned that I love this heady scent applied lightly into clothing; it makes me feel cozy, sophisticated and put together. I get compliments when I wear it, especially when it has been applied to clothes days before — it has that kind of longevity. It’s a patchouli and rose scent with added warmth from amber and vanilla.

What were your winter staples?
Maggie, x.