Morning Skincare Routine
I used to have great skin at a stage. It wasn't oily or dry. I didn't have to worry about sensitivity and I didn't have to spend a fortune on skincare. Apart from the odd pimple or two and the occasional blackheads, there wasn't much I had to do about my skin.
And then, after years of laser, something went wrong. One of the ladies used a current that was way too high for my face, and it completely destroyed my skin. Initially, I broke out into these huge, completely ugly hives. Then my face started to scab, a lot. Then my skin started peeling and I had terrible dry patches. To make matters worse, the intense dryness caused premature wrinkles. I was only twenty one! I wasn't supposed to have wrinkles. My dry, sensitive skin became a nightmare to work with. I could barely use any product on my skin and EVERYTHING burned. The salon offered me various skincare treatments for free but none of them helped. So I started to experiment with various different facial products and eventually, my skin became better. Initially, any product that I tried to fix my skin with, just burned. Suddenly, my skin had turned super sensitive.
It was a total nightmare. I actually cried over it.
After I got over the initial anger, I started to look for ways to improve my skin. Over the years, with my sister's advice and through experimenting, I found skincare that actually works wonders for me.
Last year, people would go on about how flawless and glowy my makeup free skin looked. I was ecstatic!
And then I went on vacation and I got such terrible sunburn (even though I always used sun screen), that my skin was an absolute disaster.
So although I had started a ten step skincare routine last year, that skincare all of a sudden just wasn't working. The sun burn was so bad that the texture on my skin refused to disappear. After my sister suggested glycolic acid, my skin has improved. A lot. Also, my dry skin has almost completely disappeared.
Skin type: Dry
Skin problems: Dryness, flakiness, occasional pimple
Morning routine
1. Cleanser
I don't always wash my face with a cleanser in the morning. However, I do use the Eucerin DermatoCLEAN cleansing milk and then I wipe it off with a muslin cloth. When I do decide to cleanse my face, I use the Givenchy facial wash.
I don't always wash my face with a cleanser in the morning. However, I do use the Eucerin DermatoCLEAN cleansing milk and then I wipe it off with a muslin cloth. When I do decide to cleanse my face, I use the Givenchy facial wash.
2. Mineral water
I'll spray some Vichy mineral water all over my face so that my skin has a little bit of natural moisture.
I'll spray some Vichy mineral water all over my face so that my skin has a little bit of natural moisture.
3. Rose water
I use rose water as a toner in the mornings. After soaking a cotton pad in rose water, I swipe it all over my face and neck (you'd be surprised at how effective rose water is! It attracts the dirt that you didn't think you had).
I use rose water as a toner in the mornings. After soaking a cotton pad in rose water, I swipe it all over my face and neck (you'd be surprised at how effective rose water is! It attracts the dirt that you didn't think you had).
4. Toner 2
I use the Givenchy Tone it Tender toner next. However, I simply squeeze out some on my fingers and then I pat it all over my face (instead of using a cotton pad since the formula is thicker than the average toner).
I use the Givenchy Tone it Tender toner next. However, I simply squeeze out some on my fingers and then I pat it all over my face (instead of using a cotton pad since the formula is thicker than the average toner).
5. Essence Water - I use The Body Shop Oils of Life Essence Lotion. Essences are known to be in between a toner and a serum and another prep step for moisturizing. This one is infused with oil and water. After a good shake, I pour 2 or 3 drops in my hands and then pat it all over my face.
6. Facial oil - I use The Body Shop Oils of Life Facial Oil. Since my skin had been so insanely dry, my love affair with facial oils began. I dab about 2 drops on my face and my skin soaks it right up without feeling too greasy.
7. Serum - I use the Givenchy High Moisturising Sap-Serum and gently pat it into my skin. This serum is quite thin and almost has a greasy feel before it soaks right into the skin.
8. Under eye cream. To be honest, I don't use an eye cream during the day. BUT, I do use coconut oil for my under eye since I have yet to find a daytime eye cream that I swear by.
9. Beauty lotion - I use the Givenchy Instant Beauty lotion which promises to make you look amazing. Side note: it doesn't work as a miracle lotion but it does work as a moisturiser.
9. Moisturiser 1 - Since my skin was so incredibly dry and itchy after the sunburn, I used Aveeno Eczema Cream and it worked wonders! After winter settled in, I noticed that my skin was super dry so I used this moisturiser again and it worked perfectly! This is the one moisturiser that I swear by, especially for very dry skin.
10. Moisturiser 2 - To be even more extra than I already am, I slather the Givenchy Rich Luminescence Moisturising Cream for dry skin all over my face to ensure that dryness will not creep up on me.
11. Sun screen - I do not have to stress how important sun screen is. Everyone and their mother's should be using it religiously. I use the Bioderma sun screen with SPF 50.
12. Hydrating mist - After all of the above, I spritz on the Pixi Glow Mist all over my face for a naturally glowy look.
So that's my ten step skincare routine that I do every morning. It doesn't take as long as it sounds because I'm so used to it. And because I'm using so many products, I use a little of each product and they tend to last me ages. I know, it sounds very extra and it probably is.
Now before you start wondering how on earth I purchase all these products without going bankrupt, the answer is simple: SALES! I only buy the above products (with the exception of some of them) on sale. Throughout the year, I won't spend a lot on skincare but when there are sales, I'll stock up.
Please note that just because it works on me, it may not work on you. Also you do not have to buy all the expensive products that I bought. There are cheaper, drugstore alternatives that provide the same benefits. Sometimes you'll only know what works for you through trial and error.
Aslmkm,
ReplyDeleteHow are you?
Jazakallahu khairan for sharing your skincare products and tips.
Any advice on what might work to remove part pimple marks?
Wslm, for something more natural, try organic Tamanu oil:)
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