THREE DOPE PRODUCTS I COPPED IN THE SEPHORA BI SALE FROM DRUNK ELEPHANT, SUPERGOOP AND INDIE LEE - BEST SUNSCREEN FOR FACE, BEST LACTIC ACID SERUM
What an interesting week.
With a three day migraine, it wasn’t one of my better ones. I lost one entire day mid-week dealing with the onslaught. As I always do, I powered through until the storm cleared.
But…
I also had a huge breakthrough in potentially solving one of my most vexing migraine triggers: sensitivity to fermented foods.
Now, you have to imagine what it means that you cannot eat any fermented foods at all. The list is daunting and includes wine, all aged cheese, yogurt, most yeast and foods made with yeast (bread and pizza dough!), soy, tofu and soy sauce (ugh!), probiotic teas, even kimchi. I love kimchi and miss it so much!
I’ve been avoiding these foods for nearly two years now. Initially, it took months to understand which foods exactly were triggering migraines. And then, with the experience and a whole lotta googling, I came to understand that what those foods all have in common is higher levels of a certain amino acid called tyramine. Once ingested and digested, tyramine converts to tyrosine in the body — a migraine trigger in a small percentage of people.
So why me? I had to know what was causing a sensitivity that came outta no where.
It took me until this past week to find that answer. My nutritionist had ordered a GI mapping, essentially an assessment of all the bacterial strains in your gastro-intestinal tract, which includes your stomach, large and small intestines. The results of the comprehensive test came in last week and they were stunning,
I have a bacterial infection in my GI tract called H.Pylori. It can be a cause of ulcers but is easily remedied with antibiotics and other herbal supplements to restore gut health.
But, another indicator in the test results was more telling — and may be the cause of my tyramine sensitivity. There’s a digestive enzyme called Secretory IgA that is alarmingly low in my body. Secretory IgA is responsible for breaking down amino acids in the foods we eat. Because my level of Secretory IgA is so low, my body is unable to break down the tyramine protein in fermented foods. And that means rather than fully digesting and expelling it, my body is flooded with an elevated level of it, triggering migraines.
I’m hoping to be able to treat it with herbal medicine, the only way to reverse the levels of Secretory IgA in the body.
If I can do that, I can begin to eat fermented foods again. I’m dying for a glass of wine and smattering of parmesan cheese on my pasta. What kind of Italian am I without those?
The skincare stuff starts here.
Nothing gets me more excited than the bi-annual Sephora Beauty Insider sale. Like many people, I like to pre-fill my shopping cart in the week or so before the sale so I only need to go back when the event begins and hit the buy button. It also serves to assure that I’m not buying skincare products on impulse. We’re all guilty of that. So, the whole thing has become rather strategic for me.
In the FW20 Sephora Beauty Insider sale six months ago, I picked up a treasure trove of skincare to brace myself for the dry, dehydrating, cold months ahead. Among the products, I called out three in particular that stood out – the super soothing Farmacy Honey Potion, a new fermented toner from Sunday Riley amusingly called Pink Drink and a serious acid cleanser – the Sobel Skin Rx 27% Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser. I have since repurchased Sunday Riley’s Pink Drink three times! It’s one of the best fermented toners I’ve come across.
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This spring, I guess I copped a dozen or so products in all – some new, some refills of existing faves I was running low on (like Pink Drink!). Of the twelve, three new products have brought me tremendous joy over the last couple of weeks. I guess you’d say they were three of my favorite product discoveries of 2021.
I picked up an incredible toning mist powered by CoQ10, one of the most potent antioxidants in the body. The Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner is not only a terrific hydrating toner, but the first product I’ve tried from the brand.
Next in the collection is Drunk Elephant’s Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum — the first extension of the brand’s uber popular Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer. To this day, Protini is the top-selling Drunk Elephant product at Sephora and consistently ranks in the top 20 face creams.
The third product I picked up at the sale is a new mineral sunscreen from one of my favorite sunscreen brands, Supergoop! The Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen SPF 30 PA+++ has an incredible texture and has earned its place as one of my favorite daily sunscreens.
With that, let’s take a look each of the products I copped in the SS21 Sephora sale…
Indie Lee | CoQ-10 Toner
I am obsessed with toners! All kinds of toners — fermented toners, acid toners, hydrating toners and the super convenient toning mists. It always makes me sad when I hear someone say they don’t use a toner or can’t be bothered using one. Honestly, the two most important steps in a skincare routine come at the very beginning: cleansing and toning.
Using a hydrating toner like the iconic Hada Labo Rohto Hadalabo Gokujun Hyaluronic Lotion Moist from J-Beauty is essential for locking hydration in the skin. And hydration is everything when it comes to skin health. In fact, hydration is inherently anti-aging. Hydrated skin is best able to function optimally.
In addition, properly hydrated skin can also more effectively absorb the skincare products during your routine. Even the best antioxidant serums and best anti-aging serums aren’t as effective on dry skin.
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A great analogy is to think of two sponges — one wet, one dry. Now imagine soaking up water on the kitchen counter with each. The wet sponge will more quickly absorb the water than the dry sponge.
Why? It’s because water molecules attract one another like a magnet. The same goes for the application of skin care! Damp skin will draw in water-based products more quickly — and more deeply — than dry skin.
I only began to understand the importance of hydration when I left my work inside big beauty at Kiehl’s. Oddly, we never talked about the essential role of hydration in the health of the skin.
Long ago, I learned to use a toner the Japanese way, without cotton. Rather, I pore some of whatever toner I’m using into the palms of my hands and press it into my skin. In K-beauty, the 7-Skin Method is an effective means of deeply hydrating the skin.
When I was shopping the sale, one of the products I was most excited about was toners. I ended up buying three of them and the Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner was among the bunch. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to not only grab a great, cleanly formulated hydrating toner, but to finally try Indie Lee for the first time.
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I’ve long had my eye on Indie Lee and have only heard great things about the brand. It’s clean, natural, and seems to be quite pro-skin health!
Think of Indie Lee’s CoQ-10 Toner as one part antioxidant defense, one part re-hydration. It’s got one of the tightest INCI’s I’ve seen on a toner of any kind – with just 12 ingredients in all. The CoQ-10 Toner is super refreshing on the skin and because it’s a toning mist, you can just spray it right on, making application between skincare steps a cinch. Yes, I re-wet my skin in between applications of a serum and you should too!
Remember the analogy of the sponge.
What Is CoQ10 and What Does Q10 Do in Skincare?
Of course, the star active in the formula is, as the name avers, is C0Q10 or Coenzyme Q10 — a powerful antioxidant naturally found in the body.
What is it exactly and how does it work in skin care? From the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team: “Also known as ubiquinone, it is a vitamin-like, fat-soluble substance naturally present in the body. A handful of studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may help improve the appearance of signs of aging. There is also research showing that environmental factors deplete the presence of CoQ10 in the skin. The latest research suggests that topical application of CoQ10 has antioxidant and skin-soothing effects.”
I found additional insights on Coenzyme Q10 in the body on the rather authoritative Mayo Clinic website:
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally. Your cells use CoQ10 for growth and maintenance.
Levels of CoQ10 in your body decrease as you age. CoQ10levels have also been found to be lower in people with certain conditions, such as heart disease, and in those who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.
CoQ10 is found in meat, fish and nuts. The amount of CoQ10found in these dietary sources, however, isn't enough to significantly increase CoQ10 levels in your body. CoQ10 dietary supplements are available as capsules, chewable tablets, liquid syrups, wafers and by IV. CoQ10 might help prevent or treat certain heart conditions, as well as migraine headaches.
In addition to Coenzyme Q10, there are a handful of botanical extracts that double as both skin soothers and antioxidants, including Aloe Barbadensis, Chamomile Extract and Cucumber Extract. Plus, Hyaluronic Acid locks water into the skin!
The only drawback to Indie Lee’s CoQ-10 Toner formula is the inclusion of Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil — aka orange essential oil. Fragrant plant oils can be sensitizing to the skin. As I’ve said in the past, fragrance isn’t skin care! The only saving grace is that it’s the ninth ingredient out of the twelve, meaning it’s at a relatively low level.
If you’re not seriously sensitive to fragrance in skincare products, the Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner is an excellent option for all skin types.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner for $44 here.
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Drunk Elephant | Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum
I love Lactic Acid.
That sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it? But it’s quite true. For my skin, Lactic Acid is the most effective acid exfoliant. Its mean, aggressive older brother, Glycolic Acid, is very often too harsh for my skin.
I’m also a huge fan of Drunk Elephant — like all serious skincare users. The only people who don’t love Drunk Elephant are big beauty marketers who feel like the brand came out of no where to virtual stardom. They’d worked their entire careers to break through to similar status and DE seemed to do it with its eyes closed. In fact, last year the brand was sold to Shiseido for some ungodly amount.
I’m fond of numerous Drunk Elephant products, among them the Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser — one of the best cleansers for dry skin in winter.
I also really like Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum. It’s quite literally one of the best brightening serums with Vitamin C!
Oh and how could I forget Drunk Elephant’s E-Rase Milki Micellar Water??? I’d never come across a milky cleansing water before it. E-Rase has a thick, milky texture that reminds me very much of the Dr. Jart Ceramidin Liquid.
So imagine if Dr. Jart in all his wisdom (psst, there’s no such person!) turned Ceramidin Liquid into a cleanser. In fact, just like the Dr. Jart classic, Drunk Elephant’s micellar water is rich in ceramides. It’s a treasure trove for skin health!
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So with my love of Lactic Acid and just about anything from Drunk Elephant I was super excited to cop the brand’s new Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum in the Sephora sale! If you’ve ever tried the OG Lactic Acid treatment, the Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment, then you know what’s up.
And if you haven’t…what are you waiting for? Both the new Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum and Good Genes are equally effective exfoliating serums powered by my favorite acid exfoliant. I am not 100% certain what the level of Lactic Acid is in Good Genes, but it’s somewhere around a 5% concentration.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
What Is Lactic Acid and What Does Lactic Acid Do for the Skin?
Lactic Acid is my favorite of the range of alpha hydroxy acids. My skin seems to love it often and at any concentration. That’s not something I can say about it’s more powerful AHA partner in crime, Glycolic Acid.
But what makes it so uniquely effective? There’s a great piece on the benefits of Lactic Acid written by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Lactic Acid for Skin. You can catch the full article here.
Lactic acid is a skin care ingredient that quickly delivers numerous benefits when applied in a well-formulated exfoliating product. When used in a pH-correct formula (whether designed to be left on skin or in a high-strength peel that’s rinsed after several minutes), lactic acid works by gently breaking the bonds that hold dead, dry skin cells to the surface.
If you’re using a rinse-off peel with lactic acid, do so once weekly or every other week. Apply the peel to cleansed skin, leave on for the designated amount of time, rinse, and follow with the rest of your skincare routine.
These dead cells shed on their own when we’re young, but sun damage, aging, and certain skin issues can slow or even stop this process, leading to a buildup of dead skin that creates a dull, older-looking complexion. Regular use of an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) like lactic acid can turn this around.
As with other acids, research shows lactic acid’s ability to exfoliate effectively depends on the product’s acid concentration, with amounts between 5-12% having reliably impressive results.
I’ve been using the Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum nearly nightly for about two weeks now and have seen no signs of irritation, particularly on my overly sensitive forehead. That’s always the indicator that a product is too harsh for my skin.
In addition to a 10% concentration of Lactic Acid, the formula contains eleven signal peptides, rather blandly referred to as a Signal Peptide Complex. As I understand it, signal peptides communicate with cells, prompting them to function more efficiently. Signal peptides can help teach damaged skin to rebuild itself by relocating proteins in the cell membrane. Such wonky science!
There are also multiple amino acids in the formula — as well as a number of powerful antioxidants, including Green Tea Extract and Apple Fruit Extract.
It’s the texture of the Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum for me though! It’s a super light, semi-translucent serum that’s quite easily layered into any skincare routine.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Drunk Elephant Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum for $82 here.
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Supergoop! | Mineral Sheerscreen SPF 30 PA+++
Do you use sunscreen every single day? Supergoop! (and I!) sure hope you do. In fact, “Every. Single. Day.” is the brand’s tagline. I think it’s genius. And I love their emphasis on the vital importance of sun protection.
I’ve said it a million times before: the best anti-aging cream is a well-formulated sunscreen. If you’re not wearing sunscreen, don’t bother spending money on skin care because nothing will reverse the damage the sun’s rays inflict on unprotected skin.
Two of my favorite sunscreens are from Supergoop!
I use the brand’s Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40 in my eye area every. single. morning. With a subtle peachy hue and non-migrating texture, it’s simply one of the best sunscreens for eyes.
More recently, Supergoop! introduced perhaps their most innovative sunscreen for the face, the Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum PA+++.
What sets the Supergoop! Daily Dose apart? It’s the whole package! The milky serum texture. The cute round bottle that fits in the palm of your hand. The fact that it’s infused with 10% Vitamin C in the form of 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid. And the way it transforms on the skin. It’s quite otherworldly and makes me feel like it’s right outta J-Beauty. It also makes me glow!
If you’re okay with a chemical sunscreen, Daily Dose should be your favorite new sunscreen, too!
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So naturally, any time Supergoop! comes out with a new sunscreen, particularly a mineral sunscreen, I’m down for it! And their latest introduction is the Mineral Sheerscreen SPF 30 PA+++.
Again, like Daily Dose, the texture is fire. It’s quite surprisingly light and has a slight mattifying effect, leaving no white cast. (At least on my relatively fair skin.)
The Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen is powered by a single mineral filter, Zinc Oxide — at a 17.5% concentration, amounting to a solid SPF 30. I always prefer and SPF 50, but an SPF 30 still blocks out 97% of the sun’s UVB rays, the ones that burn the skin.
What’s the percentage of UV rays blocked by sunscreen?
SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays
SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays
SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays.
So, the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is about 1 percent.
In addition to the Zinc Oxide in the Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen, there are other pro-skin health actives, including humectant Glycerin and moisturizing Squalane and Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride — all three of which are in the top ten.
The one thing that’s lacking for me is the absence of any real antioxidant potency in the formula. Where’s the Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Jasmine Flower Extract, Daisy Flower Extract and Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract found in the Supergoop! Daily Dose?
What’s the Difference between Mineral and Chemical Sunscreens?
For some real insights, there’s an excellent article by the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Mineral vs. Synthetic Sunscreen Ingredients available here. In the piece, the experts explain the differences and benefits between mineral and chemical sunscreens — and even dispel a myth or two:
“The two types of sunscreen ingredients are mineral and synthetic [chemical], and both are equally protective. Further reassuring is that each can be included in formulas created for every skin type. For example, if you have normal to oily skin, there are weightless, non-greasy options; if you have normal to dry skin, it’s possible to find skin-smoothing, hydrating SPF products.
What’s the Difference Between Mineral and Synthetic Sunscreen Ingredients?
The differences aren’t about which type is more effective; rather, it comes down to personal preference and how sensitive your skin is—mineral sunscreens are considered the most gentle options.
Mineral sunscreens: There are only two mineral sunscreen ingredients: titanium dioxideand zinc oxide. They work in skin's uppermost layers to both absorb and, to a lesser extent, deflect and scatter the sun’s harmful rays. These mineral ingredients are sometimes referred to as physical sunscreens or physical blockers, although that’s not a factual representation of how they work.
Synthetic sunscreens: There are over 30 synthetic sunscreen ingredients, all of which absorb into the top layers of skin, where they work similar to mineral sunscreens: by scattering and deflecting the sun’s harmful rays, and by converting UV rays into heat and “deactivating” them. (Don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing.) Common synthetic sunscreen ingredients include oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and avobenzone. These are sometimes labeled “chemical sunscreens,” which is both misleading and false. All skin care ingredients, even water, are chemicals.
Oh wait, I see something interesting wayyyyy down the INCI called Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract. Also known as Bush Clover Extract, Supergoop! claims it “protects skin from free radicals and oxidative stress from blue light.”
Does it?
Even if Bush Clover Extract does protect against “oxidative stress from blue light, there’s no scientific evidence that we need to be protecting our skin from the blue light emanating from our technology devices. And even so, it’s nearly the last ingredient.
No matter, the Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen is a damn good mineral sunscreen with a great texture, application and protection from the sun’s aging UV rays.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen SPF 30 PA+++ for $38 here.
That’s it, guys! Share what you copped in the Sephora sale in the comments. I love new products recos and there’s always a Sephora BI sale right around the corner.
See you next week!
Carmine @skincarma
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The Ingredient List of the Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner:
so|h, Coenzyme Q10 aox, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) so|perf, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) aox|so|amic|surf, Carica Papaya Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract so|emo, Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil perf, Phenoxyethanol pres, Ethylhexylglycerin presThe Ingredient List of the Drunk Elephant Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum:
sii|h 0 0, Lactic Acid exf|h|buff, Dicaprylyl Carbonate emo, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Glycine Max (Soybean) Seed Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil emo, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil h, Sodium PCA sii|h 0 0, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil so|emo, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide h, Tocotrienols, SH-Oligopeptide-1 cci, SH-Oligopeptide-2 cci, SH-Polypeptide-1 cci, SH-Polypeptide-9 cci, SH-Polypeptide-11 cci, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14 , Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 cci, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 cci, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 cci, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 cci, Tripeptide-1 cci, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract h, Propanediol solv|h, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Panthenol so|h 0 0, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer sii|aox|h, Sodium Lactate buff|h, Pca sii|h, Alanine sii, Arginine sii, Glycine sii, Histidine sii|h, Isoleucine sii, Phenylalanine sii, Proline sii, Serine sii, Threonine sii, Valine sii, Adenosine cci, Nymphaea Alba Root Extract, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract aox|h, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract, Dextran vc, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil aox|emo, Linoleic Acid sii|emo|surf, Linolenic Acid sii|emo|surf|perf, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Acetyl Glutamine, Coconut Alkanes emo|solv, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate emo, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Isomalt h, Lecithin emo|emu, Xanthan Gum vc, Aspartic Acid sii, Phytosphingosine sii|cci|aacne|amic, Phospholipids sii|emo, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols emo, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Citric Acid buff, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol vc, Phenoxyethanol pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin , Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Phenylpropanol perf|solv, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Carbomer vc 0 1, Glyceryl Caprylate emo|emu, Ethylhexylglycerin presThe Ingredient List of the Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen SPF 30 PA+++:
sii|h 0 0, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate emo, Polyglycerin-3 h, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate emu, Polysilicone-11, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate emu|surf, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Xanthan Gum vc, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 vc, Isostearic Acid surf|emu, Lecithin emo|emu, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate emu|vc, Polyhydroxystearic Acid emu, Caprylhydroxamic Acid chel, Citric Acid buff, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice so|h, Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0
