SkinCeuticals and the NIMA Beauty Bar

Remember that time I went to visit the Spa at NIMA and they gave me some fancy skin products to try out?  Well, I've had the opportunity to test them out for a long period of time and I feel like I can give these SkinCeuticals products a proper review!

As I've mentioned before, I have somewhat bad skin.  I'm constantly getting break-outs and it's the most annoying thing.  I'm in my late 20s and I always thought acne was supposed to go away once people are no longer teenagers...not for me apparently!  Luckily, the NIMA beauty bar has so many different skin care products and they are able to help find the best items for your specific skin type. 

I'll start with my absolute favorite product: Retinol 0.5 Refining Night Cream.  This stuff is the best exfoliator I've ever used.  I put it on my entire face, every other night, for 30 minutes. Then I rinse it off and put on moisturizer.  On problem areas, such as my chin and forehead, I put it on every night.  This not only reduces my breakouts, it also helps to even out my overall skin tone.  The retinol supposedly stimulates cell regeneration and collagen production, but this girl is no scientist, so I can't really say if that's true or not...I just know that it's making my skin look better!

Retinol can cause sensitivity to light, so it's necessary to wear sunscreen (even when it's cloudy).  The Physical Fusion UV Defense has provided great protection and the best part is that it has a tint to it, which is nice for those mornings when I don't have time to put on actual makeup.  It's super light-weight and you can't even tell you are wearing it!

The other product I love is the SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture.  I use this product every evening after using the Retinol cream.  It's a lightweight moisturizer that doesn't leave skin feeling greasy and it doesn't clog your pores, which is obviously essential if you don't want zits to pop up all over your face!  

The one product I can't say much about is the Clarifying Cleanser.  It is a cleanser and exfoliator in one, which is fine if you aren't already using an exfoliator...but this, combined with the retinol, was too much for my face to handle.  My face got really dry and flaky, so I wasn't able to use both at the same time.  Maybe once I run out of the Retinol I will give the cleanser a try.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the SkinCeuticals line of products.  They are a bit pricey, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make my skin look and feel healthy!  If you are in Utah, make sure to check out the Spa at NIMA and their fantastic Beauty Bar!