Chatting, trialing, and reviewing skincare, plus, unlearning skincare rules along the way. My skin obsession started in my teens at the Clinique counter (to explain my channel name, haha).
As in NAG? It's known to weaken the bonds between cells allowing them to shed more easily. Basically encouraging natural desquamation rather than directly exfoliating.
Thanks Sam! I prefer the new cicaplast. It doesn’t feel so… I can’t find the word . It spreads, feels and sits slightly nicer on the skin. Nicer texture. Definitely wouldn’t use it all over my face all the time tho- restricted to where it’s needed. I tried a sample of the Avene - from what I remember it felt too much like diaper rash cream 🫣 perhaps I should try again. I’m sure I will get some hate for that comment 🫣 it was a while ago tho, and I am super fussy with textures! Just for extra info- I have dry & dehydration prone skin and hate things feeling heavy on my skin.
Ok… I’m sure I commented but apparently it’s disappeared or I accidentally deleted it whilst editing( likely!)… Thank you so much Sam- you summarised the key points amazingly & I’m sure many will understand it all now (if they hadn’t read or for some reason couldn’t understand it already 🤷♀️) And I agree with your personal views and thoughts Seriously, you summarised that fantastically.
well that was dumb....jumping from 100 to 700 without trying the 300 is really nuts and any stinging would have been well deserved.....what an idiotic review
Hmm I'm not sure it's "idiotic" to not want to use such abrasive products on my skin, haha. But if they have worked out well for you, I'm happy to hear it.
@@sambythecounter read the comment......im referring to you jumping from using the 100 reedle shot to 700, and yes, you were idiotic for using the 700 without waiting to finish the 100and trying the 300 first......you are the one who is using these abrasive products willy nilly, not I
@@sambythecounter I am a skincare junky, and I like to try new things but this I bought the 100 and it broke me out and turned me red I went back to my regular monthly micro needling thanks for the vid :)
I’ve been keen to try Naturium’s peptide serum. The thing holding me back is the packaging. I’ve heard it can be tricky to get the last third out and requires unscrewing the cap and digging for product and that drives me nuts. I would LOVE to see them use something like Theramid is using with the little silicone baggy inside that pumps out nearly every last drop without the need for unscrewing and digging.
Yes, it does become a struggle towards the end. Usually at the last third, you can shake the bottle around a bit and it starts pumping again. But definitely towards the very end you need to remove the pump for full access. Some brands overfill for their product to account for a bit of loss, but I've never asked them, and have never checked myself.
Thank you sam some good ones there i really injoyed the natrium peptides serum il be perchaseing again its great you can get every last bit out of the refection bottle with its scew off top i wonder what percentage the copper is in this one lovely product though
Thanks Sam! Always love seeing these! I keep seeing the cosrx serum being mentioned lately. May I ask, what benefits you have personally seen? Peptides are absolutely incredible molecules and it’s not surprising they can benefit the skin if formulated correctly and/or able to ☺️ Thank you so much again Edit- I was fortunate enough to receive the ordinary amino acids + b5 serum as an apology gift. I found it so hydrating and soothing for my skin & would considering re-purchasing it. technically it’s chopped up peptides 😂 and this serum is of course mainly focused on hydration ☺️
@@sambythecounter yes:) I heard that. I wondered l what improvement you have seen from any of the peptides you have tried ☺️ sorry if it wasn’t clear ☺️ reading over my comment It seems a bit jumbled or something! Apologies!! Typing on my phone too quickly!
@@paigeme886 I mainly use them as hydration ingredients, and to hopefully be acting in some form of skin signalling capacity over time. Kind of like forming part of an insurance policy, haha.
This video was so helpful and so interesting Sam - don’t you worry about that! The only bad thing will be my decreasing bank balance when I buy everything you talked about 🤭
@@sambythecounter luxury brand like ( the history of whoo ) i notice you love cleansers hope you can review , ( manyo , pure and deep ) , ( Round lab- 1025 doko cleanser ) , ( Bring green tea tree cica trouble cleansing foam ) , ( Iunik centella bubble cleansing foam ) , ( Youth to the people - kale and green tea spinaich vitiam super food cleanser ) , the history whoo fresh sun cream
I really like the cancer council Matt face sunscreen the pink package though it's not for swimming or where you will sweat. Their lip balms are pretty nice too great Australian options
I could not agree more!! Compounded Tret suckeddd, it was irritating and expired fast. Altreno is superior and changed my entire mindset around my tretinoin journey. GREAT NICHE VIDEO
@@sambythecounter i have one too but i have less shit in it and i write the expiration date on it so i use in order of expiration date lol. im sure you get pr stuffffff etc so ya can't help it.
Thank you sam some great ones there yes tret is the best 👌 iv user a few of these that you have use to love lamer brand but now im a big Korean skincare products junkie.
I really like the Niacid, by Slurp Laboratories. I finished the larger bottle and was extremely impressed with the healing properties that help with post acne scars, from my teen years. Good stuff, highly recommend ❤
I have a question for you have you ever tried Cipher 88MPH Retinoid balm / serum ? I’m in the U.K. and use Tret which I adore . I heard about this product and decided to give it a go ! I’m so so impressed ! It must be the incredible delivery system but used a few times a week on alternate days worth my tret my skin has never looked better . This Brand seems to be make incredible products just quite expensive and even more to ship to the U.K. . Ps if you ever need anything picking up from the U.K. and sending just let me know ! Your videos are really brilliant
I have used it, and it is a very unique and fascinating formula. Cipher is a great brand, with outstanding ingredient combinations. With 88MPH I found it a little difficult to integrate into my routine, probably cause I use so much stuff, and it's very crowded already. It's something I use on occasion, especially when I'm testing products that cause me to pause tret for a while. But, can't say I use it regularly. I'm glad to hear you enjoy it so much. And thank you for your generous offer to send things out :) Luckily, most UK retailers actually ship to Australia so that has been convenient. I love SpaceNK, haha.
your videos are informative, concise, and well spoken! hard to complain about that! lol in all seriousness though I really appreciate your approach to product reviews and I feel very seen as another person who is just very passionate about skincare whether its performance, science, sensory experience it all is something I am very drawn to. Love the videos! I know you can't film just any ol video for people but I wanted to say that if bifida, fermented and liposome type ingredients tickle your fancy I'd love to see you check out the Iope Stem III line! Their bio-conditioning essence has long been compared to skII and I'm personally intrigued by their retinol bounce serum as they have their own encapsulated system that enables 4 different retinol ingredients to be formulated together and cause no irritation supposedly
I'm very impressed with Iope and the technology they use, their focus on retinoids and care taken is very cool to see. Retinol Super Bounce is one of my favourite "beginner" retinoids, it's just that I ultimately didn't have much need for it as I'm on tretinoin, and this serum was too gentle to impart an effect. Sadly the Bio-Conditioning Essence didn't stand out to me, I used it for 5-6 weeks but didn't notice anything beyond surface hydration. Maybe it needed more time. With SKII, I feel like the way it absorbs is different and special. I compare it to the sensation of hydration from the inside out. Which is something most other essences don't achieve.
@@sambythecounter I see! I'm glad I could have your thoughts on these products. I'm looking forward to trying them out and seeing if my experience differs ^^ I'll head on over to your insta too. TY!
ectoin is definitely an unsung hero in my books as someone with sensitive combination skin! I feel like your skin and mine seem to like similar stuff as I remember you mentioning sulfur as well. other underrated ingredients I'd love to see you talk about would be colloidal silver, zinc pca, and betaine!
I'm a big fan of the 111 Skin 3 Phase Anti Blemish Booster with colloidal silver and sulfur. But, I think they may have reformulated sadly. And I enjoy the Officine Universelle Bull True Ionized Cleansing Water 2 with colloidal silver. Betaine is a great one, and I love sorbitol, and a bunch of sugar alcohols.
You are right about the Ordinary Alpha Lipoic acid serum it worked wonders for the skin as it’s such a potent anti oxidant . I used to layer it with a vitamin c derivative and the results were astonishing .
Thank you for this video. Love seeing empties and getting your reviews. I see a few here that I was “thinking” of getting and seeing this looks like I will be getting it 😂. Thanks again ❤
Is the zing/scent super light in the Naturium Energizing Body Wash?? I picked it up thinking “Yes! This is the thing I need for summer!” but I am getting no zing and only the barest scent when I do a really deep sniff of it. Maybe my expectation of “whoa!” is not the right expectation but was really hoping it would be more dramatic than it is.
Haha, yes, it is very light. Just far more noticeable than in their other products. But certainly not comparable to an intentionally fragranced product.
Oh, yes, that's a great one!! I just found after a few hours my oils would break through. But with Airyday, the finish is really consistent. Speaking as someone who rarely reapplies sunscreen. ☺
Thank you! I really love your videos & im addicted ( I think or hope you know that! I’m Always reacting to your Instagram stories and we briefly chatted a few times ☺️) ! Love the info and format of your content. So wonderful to have another Australian in the skincare community on RU-vid too ( doing us proud!😅)
Haha, thank you 🥰 I filmed my top products video for you a few days ago. The next post will be a 'top trending skincare' voting results video, and then my top products will go up. I'm still planning out my actual skincare routine video to film so that's probably a few weeks away.
If I were after a balmier and thicker (not sticky, oily, glossy, or wet) product what would you recommend instead? I was so excited for this but the watery texture is really not my thing. I'm trying my best to wrap my mind around it being a treatment product first and foremost, but a luxe rich formula is more my speed. Help 😢
Lately I've been enjoying the new Sulwhasoo Glowing Lip Balm. It does have an oil component to it, but definitely more of a true balm. And it gives a low to medium sheen, not gloss.
It is the most incredible cleanser ! I went to visit my sister in the USA recently I love in the U.K. . I ordered a bottle to arrive before I got there I was so impressed I ordered two more bottles and brought them home to England . It’s literally transformative ! How a cleanser can do that I’m just shocked ! Amazing videos ! I mean really amazing
![Sam [by the counter]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
![Sam [by the counter]](/img/default-banner.jpg)
