A running list of everything I've tried. Not just the ones I liked — the full picture, including the ones that did nothing, the ones that did too much, and the ones that surprised me.
La Mer
Three weeks in. Better than I expected — the texture is richer than my usual and my skin has welcomed it. Whether it's uniquely better than what I use every other night for a fraction of the price is what I'm still working out. Full verdict in July.
CeraVe
The one I've been using every day for fourteen months. There's nothing exciting to say about it, which is exactly the point. It does everything a moisturiser is supposed to do, it doesn't irritate, and it costs less than a sandwich. I tried to replace it once. I came back.
Cetaphil
Too heavy for me under makeup. Sat on top of my skin rather than absorbing, and caused a few closed comedones around my chin after two weeks. I know others love this — it just doesn't suit my skin type.
Weleda
My autumn and winter face cream. Rich without being heavy, absorbs well, and smells genuinely lovely in a way that doesn't feel synthetic. I reach for this from October through to March, then swap back to something lighter.
Elemis
Good texture, sits beautifully under makeup. I used it for three months and my skin looked nice — but I can't attribute that to this cream specifically. At this price, I want to be certain. I wasn't. I went back to CeraVe.
The Ordinary
Six months of use. Consistently calmer skin, less redness after the gym, smaller-looking pores — not dramatically, but measurably. This is one of the few products I'd tell anyone to just try. It's cheap enough that being wrong costs nothing.
Paula's Choice
The product I recommend more than any other. It took about six weeks to show results — congestion noticeably clearer, texture smoother. Use it no more than twice a week. Give it time. The people who dismiss it usually haven't given it long enough.
The Ordinary
The results are real — my skin looked brighter after four weeks. But the smell is genuinely difficult, the texture is gritty, and I eventually stopped because I dreaded applying it. Currently testing an alternative. Watch this space.
COSRX
I was sceptical about the concept. I was wrong. Genuinely the most effective thing I've used for calming stressed or reactive skin. One Sunday a month as a treatment mask, left on for fifteen minutes. Consistently leaves my skin looking better the next morning.
SkinCeuticals
An excellent vitamin C formula at an unforgivable price. Genuinely worked. But at this cost, I expected something that felt noticeably different from cheaper alternatives — and it didn't. The Paula's Choice BHA delivers more visible results per pound spent. I won't buy this again.
Altruist
£2.99 a tube. No white cast. Absorbs quickly. This is my everyday sunscreen — the one I reach for every single morning, seven days a week, whatever the weather. I have recommended it to everyone I know. The price is not the point; the fact that I've never found anything meaningfully better is.
Ultra Violette
More expensive, but worth having for days when finish matters — before events, for photographs. Leaves a slight luminosity that photographs beautifully. I use the Altruist for Tuesday mornings and this for Saturday evenings. Different tools for different occasions.
La Roche-Posay
The best SPF I've found for reactive or sensitive-skin days. Lightweight, completely invisible, doesn't irritate. More expensive than the Altruist but justified when my skin is going through a difficult patch. A good one to have on hand even if it's not your daily.
Bondi Sands
Left a white cast that no amount of blending shifted. Balled up under makeup within thirty minutes. Beautiful packaging. I genuinely cannot understand why this is as widely recommended as it is. Not for me, not for my skin tone, possibly not for anyone who wears makeup.
Ultrasun
Very good at what it does — visible improvement in uneven tone over two months, which I wasn't expecting. The problem: it leaves my face slightly shiny in a way I find difficult under anything matte. Good for bare-face days or weekends. Complicated for everyday wear.
Cetaphil
My morning cleanser since 2022. Nothing exciting to say about it — which is exactly why I'm still using it. Leaves my skin clean without stripping it. Quick, in the shower, no fuss. I've tried to replace it twice. I keep coming back.
DHC
The first step of my evening routine. Massaged in dry, emulsified with water, rinsed. Removes SPF and makeup completely without effort. I stopped double cleansing for a while but kept this — because it genuinely works and the Cetaphil doesn't do the same job on its own at the end of the day.
The Inkey List
My congestion cleanser. I use this instead of my usual Cetaphil when my skin is behaving badly — bad weeks, the week before my period, any time my T-zone starts looking congested. Not for every day on its own, but useful to have alongside a regular cleanser.
Clinique
Left my skin feeling tight after rinsing, which is not a good sign from a cleanser. A good cleanser should leave your skin feeling clean, not clean-and-stripped. I used up the bottle out of stubbornness and didn't replace it.
No7
The one I've actually finished — twice. I keep buying it, which tells you something. It's a good, lightweight moisturiser in exactly the right place. Whether it's doing anything beyond that, I genuinely can't tell. But I keep buying it.
La Roche-Posay
Early days. I'm two weeks in and my undereyes feel well-hydrated. Too early to say anything useful about the pigmentation claims — these things take time, and I'm going to give it three months before I write anything. Watch this space.
Kiehl's
Too rich for my under-eye area. It migrated into my eyes overnight on more than one occasion, which caused irritation. This happens with heavier eye creams — particularly if you use them on top of other products and then sleep on your side. Not for me.