Summer skincare essentials: scrubs and masks

Sorry for the lack of posts last week! >_< Today, I’ll be posting the second part of my summer skincare essential series. In part 1 I mentioned some of my essential moisturizers and sunscreens for the summertime, and today I’ll be sharing some some of the scrubs and masks I use:

St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub

This has been my favorite scrub since my college days, and though I did stop using it for a while  to try other scrubs, I found myself coming back to this one

St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub 10 oz ($8)

Product ♥♥♥♥♥
This  scrub makes my skin soft like a baby’s butt! I usually have some bumps on the sides of my cheeks, but every time after I use this the bumps just disappear. None of the other scrubs I’ve tried has been able to match up to the softening effects of this one I also like how it’s made from natural ingredients and isn’t tested on animals

Packaging ♥♥♥♥♥
You can buy this in a tub or a tube, and I chose the tub because that way I won’t waste any product. Of course, a tub isn’t as convenient, nor as hygienic, though since it’s a scrub, I’m not too concerned about the hygiene issue.

Price ♥♥♥♥♥
For a scrub that works like a charm, the price is absolutely worth it. Not to mention it comes with a lot of product, and you don’t need much in one usage.

Borghese Fango Active Mud for Face and Body

I bought this when I went back to Taiwan¹, and I can easily say that it’s lived up to its hype. I’ve tried other cleansing masks before, and while they weren’t bad, this one blows them all away.

Borghese Fango Active Mud Mask ($34)

Product ♥♥♥♥♥
I would’ve given it 5 heart, but it really stings when first applied, which is weird for me because my skin is usually very tolerant. Maybe I should’ve bought the one for sensitive skin? But after washing it off², my face feel cleaner, brighter, and softer. It also helps control shine and minimize pores, as you can see in my before-after photo.

Packaging ♥♥♥♥♥
There are pros and cons to this airtight glass container. I do like that it’s airtight, but sometimes it can be such a pain to open! Overall, it’s very high quality packaging, and you know how much I love that

Price ♥♥♥♥♥
I got mine for USD$20 in Taiwan, so yes, it was totally worth it. There’s so much product in one jar that it could probably last you a good 6 months! I’ve been using mine once/twice a week since January this yea, and you can tell how much is still left!

Brightening sheet masks

I know I’m really Asian for having this mentality, but I do NOT like being tanned! >_< However, I find that it’s somewhat inevitable, so the best I can do to reverse the damage is through brightening sheet masks.

My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Mask, T&T Ultra Thermo Whitening Mask, My Beauty Diary Arbutin Whitening Mask

As you can tell, I have no favorites – they all work equally well for me The thing with sheet masks is consistency – you should apply one once a week, or once every 2 weeks, but no more than once every other day, or else it’d be an overkill.

Product ♥♥♥♥♥
Hands down my favorite skincare product, ever. If I could only use 1 skincare product for the rest of my life, this would be it. Think of it as the superfood for your skin.

Packaging ♥♥♥♥♥
Each sheet is individually packaged to keep active ingredients from oxidization, and really there’s no other way to package them without ruining the integrity. Took off a heart because sometimes I’ll end up ripping the mask when trying to unfold them. Why must they make the sheets so flimsy? D:

Price ♥♥♥♥♥
In terms of dollar per use, these masks definitely don’t come cheap. Of course, you don’t use these everyday, so you can spend $20 on a set of 10, and that could last you 3 months, which isn’t bad at all.

Do you have any skincare products you love using in the summertime? Do share