My Top 3 Beauty Products Discovered in Lockdown

I've always found skincare very frustrating. My skin has been my biggest insecurity and I find it challenging to navigate the skincare world for what works for me and what doesn't. "You need to give this skincare product at least 2 months to see whether or not it works for you." "Your skin purging is good, it means it's being cleaned." "If your skin has a negative reaction to a product, ditch it!" "Chemical sunscreens need to be absorbed in the skin which makes it a bad choice for those for sensitive skin." "Physical sunscreens make your make-up look rough." "Don't forget to double-cleanse!" "Don't overcleanse." "Eye cream is super important for looking young." "Eye cream is just a glorified moisturiser." "Thanks to so and so skincare brand for sponsoring me to make this video!" "Oil is good for oily skin. It stops you from producing excess sebum." "Oil is bad for oily skin. It'll make you break out." See what I mean? I suffered several skin issues from my teen years to today including dry/oily/sensitive skin and all kinds of acne (mostly hormonal). I went off oral contraception (my holy grail skin saver) this past January and was low-key grateful that the 3+ lockdown followed in March so I could suffer any acne breakouts in peace and silence at home. To my surprise, my skin's been alright. I I tend to break out in the chin area pre-period and there are some spots that appear in other areas often enough but I know it could be much worse. Lockdown gave me a lot of time to do some proper research into products which I seldom had the patience for in the past. It was actually pretty fun and stopped my credit card from freaking out due to inactivity. In no particular order, here are my top 3 favourite skincare (well, technically beauty) products which I discovered in lockdown (images below were taken by me, links are also below, not in any way sponsored/gifted): Facial Stimulator £8 from The Body Shop I've seen all kinds of facial stimulators/massagers on the market which are super expensive for a relatively basic skin tool. The science on it makes sense (stimulating the skin helps circulate blood, etc.) so when I saw this affordable option on The Body Shop I was intrigued. I use it after applying moisturiser. It feels nice to do and I've noticed I have a more bright and even skin tone (even if it's a psychological trick, I'll take it). Schmidt's Rose and Vanilla Natural Deodorant Stick £14.10 from Amazon I'm really late to the natural deodorant game but better late than never! This deodorant smells incredible (if you're a fan of floral scents, I can't recommend it enough). It works really well as an odor neutraliser which makes me feel good (especially in lockdown where something as simple as feeling fresh can make your day). It is a tad messy. When I open and close the container, there's always some leftover which gets caught and it does leave some marks on clothes (which do easily come off in the wash). I've heard some natural deodorants can be awful so I've really been enjoying this first one I've tried. I definitely wouldn't go back to my others! Purito Comfy Water Sun Block SPF50 £17 from Skinsider You can't go wrong with Korean skincare. This is such an amazing physical sunscreen. It goes on like a watery moisturiser, absolutely no white cast or pilling. It's very gentle, even for skin as sensitive as mine where I can't hug bearded men without getting what looks like a rash on my face. I apply it after all my skincare but before applying make up (as you should always do with physical sunscreen). It does require reapplying throughout the day, trust me and learn from my mistake from a few weeks ago.