Here’s the thing: I think you can actually have too much skincare. Or rather, you can go too hard with your skincare so that it backfires.
As a beauty editor, I test a lot of products, and sometimes I use too many. Especially with acids, retinols and peels being the coolest thing on the beauty aisle right now, I’m a person that’s definitely guilty of over-exfoliating. And when I over-exfoliate with product, or if I scrub my face too much, it makes my usually healthy skin turn super sensitive.
Over-exfoliation makes my skin irritated, I have more breakouts, and my whole face gets extra oily for no reason. I end up needing to take a break from makeup for a week (which I loathe doing) and waiting it out till my skin recovers.
Enter: the indie beauty line that’s here to save me from myself
Recently, I connected with the team at Snow Fox Skincare and they shared the story of their founder, Phoebe Song, who struggled with Rosacea Subtype II (Inflammatory Rosacea). It’s a medically incurable disease that Song has been living with her whole life, including all the inflammation, soreness, and acne-like bumps that come with it. She ended up taking matters into her own hands to manage her skin and worked with chemists to create her vision of skincare that was incredibly potent, free of irritants, and able to target all her side effects without further aggravating everything.
Fast forward a bit, and Song launched Snow Fox Skincare in 2016 with its cult Arctic Breeze Mask sold out worldwide, and a global two-month waitlist. Yup. Just a few years later, its nine products strong and basically the most accessible option there is for common skin issues like redness, environmental irritation, oily T zones, dry patches, hyperpigmentation and clogged pores. Plus, Snow Fox is a certified-organic, natural, plant-based, vegan and cruelty-free skincare line, so it’s a win all around.
This last month, Snow Fox has been a holy grail for helping me change my routine and focus more on what my skin needs, which pretty much all comes down to only using gentle and hydrating ingredients.
So, let’s chat for a minute about all the products that are my sweet, sweet salvation during this recovery period.
My skincare heroes
When my skin feels sensitive, the thing I prioritize most is rebuilding its strength and tolerance back to where it was before over-exfoliating. So, I cut back on my usual routine until I’m using just a gentle cleanser, an irritant-free moisturizer, a nourishing serum and lots of hydrating sheet masks.
Cooling Foam Cleanser, $35
This cleanser is so cooling when I wash my face with it, mainly because of the peppermint oil and aloe vera leaf ingredients, and I can’t wait to use this during summer after I spend too much time in the sun and just want to feel fresh.
The formula is pretty amazing at removing all the dirt and residue from my face, but it doesn’t strip away moisture – which is crucial when skin feels extra sensitive.
Omega Repair Cream, $55
This price is definitely harder to swing on a college budget, but I will say that when my skin is at its most stressed and needs deep hydration, there’s really no comparison to this moisturizer. I can literally feel it repairing the damage done – it’s so powerful.
Cucumber Recovery Serum, $64
Again, this serum is a splurge, but like, you can’t cut corners when it comes to plumping and repair, in my opinion. This Snow Fox serum formula feels silky soft, and it restores all the moisture to my face even on the worst dry and flaky days.
Japanese Cherry Blossom & White Tea Soothing Mask, $35 for five masks
Japanese cherry blossom is an ingredient that works wonders against inflammation. I pop this on my face, sit in the bath for 20 minutes, and let the mask fix my whole life. After, my skin feels glossy and smooth, and I secretly love to use this as a primer before I put on makeup.
I know that skincare is super fun and Insta-worthy, but also depending on your skin type, skincare is something that can actually just make the day bearable if you’re having a painful breakout, or if your face is so dry that it’s being cracked to dust.
Most days, my skin feels pretty normal – but when I go too hard with my playing and testing of products, going back to my roots with plant-based ingredients has had my back.
