My Current Skincare Routine
Hello, my name is Nessa and thank you for checking out my blog.
Today I'm just going to talk about my current skincare routine, what products I use and how my skin has improved. This is mostly inspired by the Korean 10-step Skincare Routine, but I modified it to suit me. I think that's how we should take any skincare advice, modify it to suit your skin, because what works for someone won't work for you.
Note: This includes my body skincare and not just skincare routine. It's two different sections so that it doesn't get mixed up.
Okay, so to start, just a few important things to mention -- I work at a call center, my shift is during the night, and I sleep during the day. To be more clear, I have classes 6PM-9PM and then work shift 10PM-7AM. So, instead of using AM or PM, I'll just use Before and After.
FACE
Before:
This is where I use the easy way -- cleanse, tone, moisturize with a bit of additions.
1. Cleanse
I use a moisturizing facial cleanser, right now I'm using the one from Human Nature. This is just to remove any sebum and sweat that might have gone on my skin when I was sleeping and to close my pores as well. I use a moisturizing cleanser so that I don't dry out my skin as I don't use a heavy duty moisturizer. I have oily skin, and the weather here is very humid so using a thick moisturizer just makes me very uncomfortable.
2. Tone
After moisturizing, I use a brightening toner, right now I'm using Pinking Glow from Royale, and I'm definitely not after the whitening effect of this, I just found that this helps me with my pores and with a youthful glow. It also helps mattify my skin which is a great plus since I have oily skin.
3. Lip Balm
Right after toner, I moisturize my lips with Petroleum Jelly. I apply a semi-thick layer and just let it sit there, drinking my coffee and applying more if I feel like I need to.
4. Moisturize
For moisturizer I switch from the Nivea Creme, the Iwhite Korea Aqua Vita or the Human Nature Day moisturizer, depending on the day. I use the Nivea Creme when it's kind of gloomy or if I feel like it's going to be a cool day and I can tolerate a heavier product. I reserve the Iwhite Korea Aqua Vita for hot and humid days, since it's water based, super light but a very effective and it dries demi-matte. For days when I'm not sure what kind of weather it's going to be, or when I want to play it safe since sometimes it's cool then it gets hot or vice versa, I use the Human Nature Day moisturizer. This one a perfect balance, neither light nor heavy, but very dependable. It also doesn't weigh down my skin but still gives me a kind of a dewy look that won't turn greasy when hot or dry up when it's cold.
5. SPF
After letting the moisturizer set on my skin for a few minutes, I start with the sunscreen. I use the Dermplus 130, and I know that's very high for just being in an airconditioned room in front of the computer, but I believe there are still radiations from the computer and also after shift when I go home I reapply a very thin layer just to reinforce it. I know it doesn't work like "the higher the better", but with a computation (# of minutes to burn w/o sunscreen x SPF # = maximum sun exposure w/ sunscreen). I mainly use that high SPF number to make sure I'm as protected as I possibly can, since UV rays still cause even while indoors. But that's a whole other topic, and maybe I'll just do a post about that in the future.
6. Makeup
If I decide to actually take the time to do my makeup, I mainly just use BB cream, blush, bronzer, brow makeup, eye makeup (usually just a crease shadow and eyeliner) lip makeup, and mascara if I'm wearing contacts instead of glasses. I'll do an everyday makeup routine soon for a more detailed post. Of course there are days when I go all out, but if I just want to look presentable or fake sleeping well, makeup is the way to go.
That's it for the Before part.
After:
1. Makeup Remover
If I wore makeup that day, I'll use either a makeup wipe or my cold cream (Etude House Happy Tea Time in Lemon) to remove most of the makeup on my skin. For my eye and lip makeup I'll use the makeup wipes from the Face Shop. After this initial cleansing, if it's my workout day, I work out.
2. Cleanse
If it's not a workout day, I go straight to using a foaming scrub, Pond's Acne Clear 10 to take off anything left by the cream cleanser.
3. Exfoliate
I only do this every other day, and use a mild scrub made specifically for the face. When I feel like I need to be squeaky clean, I use a gritty scrub, and other days I use the Iwhite Korea 2 minute mask which serves as a mild exfoliant. I also exfoliate my lips if I feel like I need to or I want to wear a matte lip the next day.
4. Peel-off Mask
Once or twice a week I use a peel-off mask, usually targeted for my blackheads and white heads. Either I use nose packs from BeautyFix or Iwhite Korea, and the Whitening Mask from Iwhite Korea or the Cucumber peel-off from Purederm
4. Toner
After patting my face dry, I use Eskinol Pimple Fighting to tone and pick up any leftover makeup residue.
5. Lip Balm
Then, I moisturize my lips with petroleum jelly, applying a think coat.
6. Eye Cream
I apply eye cream/gel after that. I also use Castor Oil to moisturize my lashes and brows to keep them full.
7. Essence
Right now I only have one essence that I have liked, and its the Chasing Daydreams beauty oil. I use this very lightly if I'm going to use a sheet mask or a sleeping mask. If not, I apply it kind of heavily and it serves as my sleeping mask too.
8. Sheet Mask
For days when I feel like my skin needs and extra boost or if its feeling dull, I use a Sheet Mask, depending on what I feel like I need for that day. My favorite masks are the Etude House I Need You Masks. If I have some parts that I need to target (like my poor tired eyes), I use under eye masks as well. Sometimes the good old cucumber works too
9. Sleeping Pack
After the sheet mask and I want to go the extra mile, I let the extra essence dry and I apply a sleeping pack. My favorite is the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel.
10. Moisturizer Locker
If I don't fall asleep while wearing the sheet mask, I apply a thin layer of either my beauty oil or aloe vera gel to seal the moisture in.
BODY
With my body skincare routine, I'll use Daily and Weekly instead of Before and After.
Daily:
1. Cleanse
I take a shower, and use Kojic for soap, not for whitening, but mostly evening out my skintone. It also keeps my body acne/pimples at bay so that's a plus. If I have time, I leave the lather on for a minute or two and just relax and let the citrusy fragrance awaken my senses. I also use the Olay body wash for days that I want some gentle exfoliation. I use it with a washcloth or my bath puff. I leave it on for a minute or two as well if I have time, and play with the foam just to relax and condition myself.
If I'm staying in the office, I just use the body wash because it's easier to store than a bar of soap. I usually stay at the office every other day or every two days, because it's easier since I have classes.
2. In-shower moisturizing
After rinsing off completely, I use Nivea In-Shower Moisturizer, and then rinse that off after two to three minutes. This helps a lot when I'm in a rush and have to skip the next steps.
3. Moisturize
I have different body lotions that I use just like on my face skincare. For daily use, I go between the Nivea Express Hydration for days when its very hot and humid and I don't want to be that sticky, and also when I won't be expose to the sun much before I reach an airconditioned room to apply sunscreen. If I know I'll be exposed to the sun, I'll use the Nivea Extra Firm and White since it has a bit of SPF in it, enough until I can replenish by SPF barrier. For days when I feel like my skin needs a little boost in appearance or if I'm gonna wear something that reveals a bit more skin for example, I'll use the Watsons Body BB cream which smooths me all over and improves my skin's appearance. It also has some UV protection so protected to some degree which is good.
WEEKLY:
1. Scrub
Even before I wet my skin, I use milk salts to scrub the heck out of my skin, especially after a workout and on my problem areas (knees, elbows, feet). I use the salts from Watsons but sometimes I'll use the ABonne and Asian Secrets or homemade scrubs as well. I let that sit on my skin since salt draw out impurities from my skin and then rinse off.
2. Shave
I apply hair conditioner (the thin cheap kind from Watsons which are pretty damn effective if you leave it on for a long time) to the areas that I need shaving, let it sit while I ponder on my week and mentally prepare lists and things do then I shave and of course rinse off.
3. In-shower Moisturization
After that of course I use my Nivea In-shower body moisturizer and this time let is sit longer on my skin and apply a bit more to the freshly shaven areas to avoid razor burn and all those irritations associated with shaving. This also serves as a body mask.
4. Moisturize
Now this is when I get moisture heavy. Either I'll use oil (coconut or olive oil) all over my skin or apply the Nivea Baby Smoothy Cream generously on my body especially on the freshly shaven areas. I also apply petroleum jelly to my problem areas.
Whew. I know my skincare routine takes time, but I didn't realize it's this complicated. But the effects have been very good, especially when I'm consistent. I get smaller pores, makeup stay on better, I have a youthful glow and I actually look my age. Those things are very good things in my opinion.
If you got to this point thank you so much for reading!
Today I'm just going to talk about my current skincare routine, what products I use and how my skin has improved. This is mostly inspired by the Korean 10-step Skincare Routine, but I modified it to suit me. I think that's how we should take any skincare advice, modify it to suit your skin, because what works for someone won't work for you.
Note: This includes my body skincare and not just skincare routine. It's two different sections so that it doesn't get mixed up.
Okay, so to start, just a few important things to mention -- I work at a call center, my shift is during the night, and I sleep during the day. To be more clear, I have classes 6PM-9PM and then work shift 10PM-7AM. So, instead of using AM or PM, I'll just use Before and After.
FACE
Before:
This is where I use the easy way -- cleanse, tone, moisturize with a bit of additions.
1. Cleanse
I use a moisturizing facial cleanser, right now I'm using the one from Human Nature. This is just to remove any sebum and sweat that might have gone on my skin when I was sleeping and to close my pores as well. I use a moisturizing cleanser so that I don't dry out my skin as I don't use a heavy duty moisturizer. I have oily skin, and the weather here is very humid so using a thick moisturizer just makes me very uncomfortable.
2. Tone
After moisturizing, I use a brightening toner, right now I'm using Pinking Glow from Royale, and I'm definitely not after the whitening effect of this, I just found that this helps me with my pores and with a youthful glow. It also helps mattify my skin which is a great plus since I have oily skin.
3. Lip Balm
Right after toner, I moisturize my lips with Petroleum Jelly. I apply a semi-thick layer and just let it sit there, drinking my coffee and applying more if I feel like I need to.
4. Moisturize
For moisturizer I switch from the Nivea Creme, the Iwhite Korea Aqua Vita or the Human Nature Day moisturizer, depending on the day. I use the Nivea Creme when it's kind of gloomy or if I feel like it's going to be a cool day and I can tolerate a heavier product. I reserve the Iwhite Korea Aqua Vita for hot and humid days, since it's water based, super light but a very effective and it dries demi-matte. For days when I'm not sure what kind of weather it's going to be, or when I want to play it safe since sometimes it's cool then it gets hot or vice versa, I use the Human Nature Day moisturizer. This one a perfect balance, neither light nor heavy, but very dependable. It also doesn't weigh down my skin but still gives me a kind of a dewy look that won't turn greasy when hot or dry up when it's cold.
5. SPF
After letting the moisturizer set on my skin for a few minutes, I start with the sunscreen. I use the Dermplus 130, and I know that's very high for just being in an airconditioned room in front of the computer, but I believe there are still radiations from the computer and also after shift when I go home I reapply a very thin layer just to reinforce it. I know it doesn't work like "the higher the better", but with a computation (# of minutes to burn w/o sunscreen x SPF # = maximum sun exposure w/ sunscreen). I mainly use that high SPF number to make sure I'm as protected as I possibly can, since UV rays still cause even while indoors. But that's a whole other topic, and maybe I'll just do a post about that in the future.
6. Makeup
If I decide to actually take the time to do my makeup, I mainly just use BB cream, blush, bronzer, brow makeup, eye makeup (usually just a crease shadow and eyeliner) lip makeup, and mascara if I'm wearing contacts instead of glasses. I'll do an everyday makeup routine soon for a more detailed post. Of course there are days when I go all out, but if I just want to look presentable or fake sleeping well, makeup is the way to go.
That's it for the Before part.
After:
1. Makeup Remover
If I wore makeup that day, I'll use either a makeup wipe or my cold cream (Etude House Happy Tea Time in Lemon) to remove most of the makeup on my skin. For my eye and lip makeup I'll use the makeup wipes from the Face Shop. After this initial cleansing, if it's my workout day, I work out.
2. Cleanse
If it's not a workout day, I go straight to using a foaming scrub, Pond's Acne Clear 10 to take off anything left by the cream cleanser.
3. Exfoliate
I only do this every other day, and use a mild scrub made specifically for the face. When I feel like I need to be squeaky clean, I use a gritty scrub, and other days I use the Iwhite Korea 2 minute mask which serves as a mild exfoliant. I also exfoliate my lips if I feel like I need to or I want to wear a matte lip the next day.
4. Peel-off Mask
Once or twice a week I use a peel-off mask, usually targeted for my blackheads and white heads. Either I use nose packs from BeautyFix or Iwhite Korea, and the Whitening Mask from Iwhite Korea or the Cucumber peel-off from Purederm
4. Toner
After patting my face dry, I use Eskinol Pimple Fighting to tone and pick up any leftover makeup residue.
5. Lip Balm
Then, I moisturize my lips with petroleum jelly, applying a think coat.
6. Eye Cream
I apply eye cream/gel after that. I also use Castor Oil to moisturize my lashes and brows to keep them full.
7. Essence
Right now I only have one essence that I have liked, and its the Chasing Daydreams beauty oil. I use this very lightly if I'm going to use a sheet mask or a sleeping mask. If not, I apply it kind of heavily and it serves as my sleeping mask too.
8. Sheet Mask
For days when I feel like my skin needs and extra boost or if its feeling dull, I use a Sheet Mask, depending on what I feel like I need for that day. My favorite masks are the Etude House I Need You Masks. If I have some parts that I need to target (like my poor tired eyes), I use under eye masks as well. Sometimes the good old cucumber works too
9. Sleeping Pack
After the sheet mask and I want to go the extra mile, I let the extra essence dry and I apply a sleeping pack. My favorite is the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel.
10. Moisturizer Locker
If I don't fall asleep while wearing the sheet mask, I apply a thin layer of either my beauty oil or aloe vera gel to seal the moisture in.
BODY
With my body skincare routine, I'll use Daily and Weekly instead of Before and After.
Daily:
1. Cleanse
I take a shower, and use Kojic for soap, not for whitening, but mostly evening out my skintone. It also keeps my body acne/pimples at bay so that's a plus. If I have time, I leave the lather on for a minute or two and just relax and let the citrusy fragrance awaken my senses. I also use the Olay body wash for days that I want some gentle exfoliation. I use it with a washcloth or my bath puff. I leave it on for a minute or two as well if I have time, and play with the foam just to relax and condition myself.
If I'm staying in the office, I just use the body wash because it's easier to store than a bar of soap. I usually stay at the office every other day or every two days, because it's easier since I have classes.
2. In-shower moisturizing
After rinsing off completely, I use Nivea In-Shower Moisturizer, and then rinse that off after two to three minutes. This helps a lot when I'm in a rush and have to skip the next steps.
3. Moisturize
I have different body lotions that I use just like on my face skincare. For daily use, I go between the Nivea Express Hydration for days when its very hot and humid and I don't want to be that sticky, and also when I won't be expose to the sun much before I reach an airconditioned room to apply sunscreen. If I know I'll be exposed to the sun, I'll use the Nivea Extra Firm and White since it has a bit of SPF in it, enough until I can replenish by SPF barrier. For days when I feel like my skin needs a little boost in appearance or if I'm gonna wear something that reveals a bit more skin for example, I'll use the Watsons Body BB cream which smooths me all over and improves my skin's appearance. It also has some UV protection so protected to some degree which is good.
WEEKLY:
1. Scrub
Even before I wet my skin, I use milk salts to scrub the heck out of my skin, especially after a workout and on my problem areas (knees, elbows, feet). I use the salts from Watsons but sometimes I'll use the ABonne and Asian Secrets or homemade scrubs as well. I let that sit on my skin since salt draw out impurities from my skin and then rinse off.
2. Shave
I apply hair conditioner (the thin cheap kind from Watsons which are pretty damn effective if you leave it on for a long time) to the areas that I need shaving, let it sit while I ponder on my week and mentally prepare lists and things do then I shave and of course rinse off.
3. In-shower Moisturization
After that of course I use my Nivea In-shower body moisturizer and this time let is sit longer on my skin and apply a bit more to the freshly shaven areas to avoid razor burn and all those irritations associated with shaving. This also serves as a body mask.
4. Moisturize
Now this is when I get moisture heavy. Either I'll use oil (coconut or olive oil) all over my skin or apply the Nivea Baby Smoothy Cream generously on my body especially on the freshly shaven areas. I also apply petroleum jelly to my problem areas.
Whew. I know my skincare routine takes time, but I didn't realize it's this complicated. But the effects have been very good, especially when I'm consistent. I get smaller pores, makeup stay on better, I have a youthful glow and I actually look my age. Those things are very good things in my opinion.
If you got to this point thank you so much for reading!
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