**This blog post is sponsored by Olay Canada but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands and companies that support my blog
It has been a while since I have given an update on my skin journey and what I have been loving about my skincare routine. As you guys know, I started using the Olay Retinol24 Night Serum late Fall 2019 and was immediately impressed at how it made my skin smoother and brighter just after a few months of using it. Now that I have been using this for 6 months, I also noticed that my blemishes and scars from past breakouts are lighter and some even barely noticeable. I have always had acne-prone skin and, with my combination skin type, I am often left with a blemish or scar that would take (what felt like) ages to fade.
So let’s just rewind a bit and I can give you a little more background on my skin journey from my early twenties until now. In my mid-twenties, I started to develop cystic acne and this was something I had struggled with for years and was around the time I started to incorporate retinoid products (both prescription and over the counter) to try and battle the breakouts and residual blemishes that followed. Ideally, I was hoping to find a product that I could use daily to decrease the severity of the breakouts but also to diminish the blemishes and scarring. I found the prescription retinoid to be great to use during a breakout but I found them to be too irritating and drying to be used daily. I thought maybe a lower strength over-the-counter product could be my answer and, although they had less irritation, they were still causing a lot of dry skin. You guys know how annoying it is to apply makeup with dry skin… it drove me nuts! I basically gave up on my goal to find a daily retinoid product but continued to use a prescription product periodically during the breakouts and would just deal with the dry skin until the breakout was over and I would stop.
In late November, I started using the Olay Retinol24 Night Serum by adding it to my nighttime skincare routine. It was easy: I simply added the Night Serum to the end of my cleaning routine before bed and that was it! Nothing complicated at all! After a month of using it nightly, I could tell my skin was smoother and brighter. After several months of using it, I noticed that my pores were smaller around my nose (yay!) and the fine lines around my eyes were minimized (double yay!) and I am so pleased with the results. The best part for me was that although I have sensitive skin, I didn’t experience any irritation, redness or peeling from daily use. Now, I’m not going to tell you I have perfect skin because I have been using this product for a few months. During this time, I had my cycle return after I weaned Aria from breastfeeding and I did battle many monthly hormonal breakouts. I continued to use the Retinol24 Night Serum nightly bed and it was working its magic on whatever my hormonal skin was throwing at it. I’m quite certain I would be in worse condition blemish- and scarring- wise today if it had not been for my steadfast routine. But with like anything else in life… consistency is key right?
Now that summer is here and my complexion is smoother, brighter and more even, I find myself simply wearing a light CC cream with a built-in SPF on days that I want more coverage. Honestly, most days I am make up free with just an SPF on my face to run errands. And at 35 years old… I think that’s a cause for celebration!
The Olay Retinol24 Collection consists of three products that all have the same formula but only differ in consistency and texture. The Night Eye Cream is a thicker product so that it stays put when you are applying it to the sensitive skin around the eyes. The Night Serum and Night Moisturizer are designed to absorb quickly into your skin so you wake up feeling fresh and hydrated.
To find out more information about these Olay Retinol24 Night Collection head over to Olay.ca and as always, if you have any questions about my routine or results shoot me a message!
xo
Thanh