Skincare Products I HATE...But Would Still Recommend

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[AtnsDamar]

I love the ordinary because of your first explanation tbh. I do find them joyful skincare to put on. It’s like, ‘ooh what kind of serum do i need for today, hydration or skin barrier?’ It’s like playing cooking. It’s about progression over perfection!

[Annej-isnt-gomez]

So fascinating cause I love medical blandness of cerave. It brings me joy how bland it it. My house is also poster, painting and Knick-knacked up so I call it balance.

[shelleytee]

I really appreciate how well you explain things and how much you care. I found CeraVe after several years of suffering from eczema that would not respond to any treatment, prescription or otherwise. So to me, starting to use those gentle products *was* joyful - soothing and ultimately healing for the first time in a very long time. Now, after over a decade of healing, I am able to add far more interesting and fun kinds of products into my routine so I only turn to CeraVe at rare moments when I have a bad flare-up. It's no longer a source of joy (although it's not joyless either - just neutral) and I love that I can instead truly immerse myself in many incredible skincare products and sensations that were denied to me for a long time. So I can see what you mean ... but I hope you can understand those of us who see it as a line of products that heal(ed) us from suffering, which is a different kind of comfort if not necessarily full-on joy. Thank you for all you do! 🫶

[giselletorres]

As someone with eczema and diabetic skin, anything fragrance free gets the job done i went through years of that clean and clear and Neutrogena cleansers. I have also ditched face wipes in favor of Cerave's makeup remover balm which helps a lot with my eyelid area which flares up a lot.

I'm falling out of love with Thayers as i feel like even the ones without alcohol are too drying for me and i love the application of milky toners to hydrate my face.

[renewedhope]

When you mentioned that the price of cerave had almost doubled I had to lookup which company purchased it and sure enough it’s owned by L’Oréal 🤬 they buy other brands and then the raise prices a crazy amount!! Every time a brand’s prices go nuts…9/10 the brand has been taken over by L’Oréal!!!

[dogatadisco]

That bit you played from your Tik Tok really resonated with my experiences of using skincare as a teenager in the UK; I've genuinely never stopped to consider the negative effect of always feeling ashamed and embarrassed buying anti-acne cleansers from some well-meaning checkout person in Boots (who would often comment something like, "oh your skin's not that bad!" which, while obviously meant as a kind comment only ever made me feel even more self-conscious). Thankfully my attitude towards skincare has dramatically shifted since I stopped needing those types of stigmatising and over-medicalised products, but like you I absolutely LOVE that this stuff can bring me so much joy now and feel like such an affirming, holistic part of my self-care. I can definitely appreciate how people with our experiences would seek ways to somehow 'reclaim' our formative experiences and rewrite that into something more positive and nourishing. Thank you for putting that into words so eloquently, and reminding us that human brains are insanely complex and subtle in how they find ways to help us live our best life :)

[realmusic]

Omg, back to back good ones! I think my biggest recommendation from this list is the CeraVe hyaluronic niacinamide toner. It’s super soothing and affordable while also eliminating the need for a separate niacinamide serum.

[raisinbreanncrunch]

The ordinarys glycolic acid is my holy grail for my armpits lol. For that reason alone i love them.

[tigerlily]

so glad you mentioned the cerave price point! i recently purchased it for my grandma and was shocked at the price bc i had always assumed it was something that was a much more “affordable” option when in reality it costs just as much as any other decent skincare product

[YllonaRichardson]

Love your content ❤. Let me just say, my teenage years were the ‘70s, and drug store skin care options were *extremely harsh*. Thankfully my Mom and Grand-mom were devoted Erno Laszlo users. So yes, Ponds cold cream to remove makeup, grit, grime and sunscreen, followed by Neutrogena bar soap, then Thayers lavender/witch hazel toner, and a Neutrogena moisturizer.

On the weekends, when my Mom would wash and braid my hair, I’d also get to use the full Erno Laszlo skin-care regimen — which was absolute bliss 😍.

Nowadays, having passed through more luxury brands than I can remember, I’m back to Ponds for makeup/sunscreen removal, CeraVe foaming oil cleanser, Thayers toner, CeraVe retinol, Vitamin C, eye cream, moisturizer and sun screen for everyday.

I keep a full Erno Laszlo kit for when I need some pampering, and I will be buried with that same full kit — to maintain luminous skin in the afterlife 😂!

[serriayisasia]

Joyful skincare is the only way my ADHD will continue to derive dopamine from self-care and hygiene routines. Especially also being physically disabled with little energy, all my routines have to be established and maintained by how much enjoyment I get out of doing them.

Hell, my shower and hair routines are already ridiculous and my hair has never been better. My skincare is my daily self-care. That, and my face is so damn dry that I feel like a raisin if I don’t do it.

[briana]

I think The Ordinary has a few good products that there aren't really affordable alternatives for (correct me if I'm wrong) like the lactic acid, peptides, etc, but overall totally agree. K-beauty formulations are often much more enjoyable to use and a similar price point

[lisastankiewicz]

Love the
Hydro boost line for my aged skin!

[jenniferpetty]

Bring back the parabens! I’m tired of dropping money searching for shit that won’t burn my face or make me break out in hives. The only thing that I can tolerate for added moisture is emu oil and I don’t like putting that on my face. My rosacea flared up trying the Avene cicalfate serum.

[auklett]

I use la roche as a second cleanse and thayers for toner, because to me they’re a basic step so I’m fine with whatever works. What gives me joy are oil cleansers and serums! I remember to wash and tone my face more regularly because I love that part of the routine 😂

[albertqhumperdinck]

I feel you on the joy issue, although for me theres this odd through line; the earlier in my routine, or even the farther away from the sink the product resides, the more I value I place on that joy component. My cleansers can be clinical and boring, they are my acne defense steps, that feels like a more medical concern for me, and then they get washed down the sink so who cares. Next level up, my serums need to be nicer, and feel effective, because they are staying on my face, and hydrating toner should feel like a refreshing treat! A sunscreen absolutely NEEDS to be a lovely experience in order to keep me compliant with using it daily, and top tier for me, my moisturizer is part of my pre-bedtime ritual, why on earth would I put on a bad moisturizer that I don`t adore, so I can be grumpy right at the end of my day!? Nuts to that! So I agree with the premise, just on a sliding scale.

[morgiemango]

I totally understand why people have fun with their skincare or makeup. They want it to be exciting and bring them joy! As a user of Cerve who is lazy I do the slap shit on my face and go to bed/school routine. I have sensory issues so spending a long time on my skin isn’t just for me and thats ok! But yeah Cerave does work great, easily accessible, affordable, and its boring 😂

[BeHealing]

When I was a teenager in the 80's the only skincare was Clearasil which smelled so bad and it stung, it didn't work, so you still had teenage acne but you'd also stink & sting, yay. I'm with you on the Cerave POV James, it's joyless & there are just better alternatives that are more luxurious yet still cheap

[neurospicyrainbow]

I cannot stand fragrance so I do have to be particular about skincare. Drugstore skin care does have a time and a place, especially when you don’t want to wait for shipping for the punkyang yul or go over $20 in your skin care products

[katchernova]

I'm millenal, 42, and I "grew up" with decent skincare. I used Pixi Glow Tonic daily, as per Caroline Hirons' old advice, which worked well for me since my skin loves glycolic acid. I don't exfoliate at all now, but back then, it worked. I was also obsessed with Origins' mushroom line, as my main concern was always redness. It helped, though not as much as Korean skincare obv, but it still made some difference. I used cleansing oils long before they became mainstream - back then, I could only get them from Shu Uemura. Skincare has brought me a lot of joy for the past 20+ years... and I love CeraVe. Because I often experiment with other products, CeraVe Lotion is so basic that I can combine it with almost any toner or serum. Or maybe I was just influenced into not caring about moisturisers. Anyhow, my skin loves ceramides, so I also always have Dr. Jart’s Ceramidin Cream in my skincare cabinet - another piece of advice from Hirons over 10 years ago. And CeraVe Lotion is the one product that’s always with me, so I do find it kinda joyful :)