Skin, Skin, Skin

Gaining Knowledge/Intellectual Pursuits

51. Write 30 essays or articles about something I’m interested in and post it online (2/30)

Over the past few months I’ve had REALLY bad acne. And the funny thing is, it never used to be a problem — not even in high school aka the ‘raging hormones’ period. I know some would be appalled by the fact that I used to only wash my face and put a bit of Olay (my dad’s “Holy Grail” product) moisturiser on it but I confess, that was my two-step skincare routine from about ages 15 to 19. I don’t think I even washed my face before age 15 ! It was only after I turned 20 that I actually started to use more products than moisturiser. Makeup too. I never used to touch any of that stuff except for special occasions like formals. Not for fear of my face becoming a dried prune one day (all those icky chemicals !), but more like due to laziness and probably ignorance too. I mean, I never had any pressure at school or anything to “pretty up”. There were no boys to impress and I didn’t really want to impress anyone. Still don’t.

But now I have succumb to this other realm (have you noticed how many skincare/beauty blogs there ARE out there ?!) and have started taking proper care of my skin.  After some heafty research about what I’m ’supposed’ to be doing and carrying out trial & error with different products to use , I’ve actually got myself my own skincare routine because trust me, everyone who has excellent skin out there is using SOMETHING other than water. I only wish I had had more guidance from the start. So if you’re a newbie to it all, I hope this helps ! Here’s detailing my “5 step skincare regime“:

1. Double Cleanse = Makeup Remover + cleansing oil

So if you DO wear any kind of makeup, you should know how important it is to take off that grit and grime before you sleep (my sister doesn’t @_@). So before I get some zeds, I’ll take it off using a wipe followed by a cleansing oil to get rid of the stuff the wipe has missed. I’ve been using the Shu Uemura one for some time now and find it pretty damn good at getting make up off. Not to mention it’s quite a convenient method of taking off the grit and grime instead of using towelettes which just reminds me of camp when we didn’t get to take a shower for a week .. !   Anyhow, cleansing oils have been around for quite awhile now and people like them because it does a more thorough job than make up removers alone (especially things like waterproof mascara etc)

2. Mask

Masks make you look stupid. I thought so when sister, mum & I had a girls night out like we do once a year and just do all this girly stuff. One was trying on her SK-II masks.  Looking back on those pictures you’ll never see, they were waaaay too huge for our faces and it put me off wearing masks for a very long time. However, they are very very good for your skin as long as you don’t over use them since they will most likely dry out your skin. Once or twice a week is recommended. I alternate between Malin + Goetz detox face mask & My Beauty Diary Black Pearl masks which come in sachets. I prefer the former but they both leave my face feeling fresh after use.

3. Tone

Thanks to a best bud, MR, who got me on ProActiv, my acne is slowly starting to disappear ~ although for those who don’t want to spend $70 or so on the products (it comes with a scrub and lotion), tea tree oil may work for you though this has never worked for me ;-/ Anyway, for those who have combination (dry/oily) to oily skin — toners are REALLY good. It helps with the blemishes, unclogging of pores yadda yadda. You can read up on it if you’re super interested (my sister wouldn’t be).

4. Essence / Serum

Now a heap of people just skip this step in the Occidental/Western world but in the Asian world, this has just always been a part of the bigger picture (especially Japanese and Koreans ~ notice how they seem to always have perfect skin ? Generally speaking that is.. !). Essenses or serums will help the moisturiser absorb more effectively into the skin so will help with hydration for people will dry skin.

5. Moisturise

This one’s pretty much a given. Everyone does it. Even my dad. So you can too. :-D I used to have pretty dry skin around the cheeks and nose but after using a more hydrating moisturiser, it hasn’t been a problem since ! I suppose you really have to choose the product based on your skin type & income. Haha ! Nicole said once she can afford it, she’s going to start buying La Mer products — the one that J.Lo uses. Apparently it’s good. Anyhow they have a million different ingredients in their products which are quite rare so I suppose in that sense, you’re getting what you pay for. Anyway, I use Darphin products for the job. I can’t help it. They smell so good and they work very well. In summer when my skin gets more sweaty, I use the Hydraskin Light and in winter when my face tends to get a little drier, I’ll use the Hydraskin Rich. I admit, they’re kind of luxury items but they last FOREVER (like two jars per year ?) especially when using in conjunction with a serum. A tiny bit will just slide on.

*PHEW* Okay, that’s enough vanity for now. Makeup talk next post or the post after the next.