Promised skin care routine

Okie dokie~~ I'm back people.... It's been probably way too long that I've done a serious post coz my internet was capped what a bummer~~~ And I'll try to use my internet usage sparingly or I might even consider upgrading to more download usage? Hrmmmm... I like the 2nd idea hahaahahah

So this is the long awaited skincare routine I promised right after I shared my acne fighting post. I thought it would be great to do this since what you use on your face when you are fighting acne is completely different to when you have normal skin and you don't need to avoid anything. This is no longer the case for me since I'm have developed terribly sensitive, dry and sunsensitive skin all over (caused by Oratane).

Let me first mention that I was a huge Lancome skincare fan (up till 2months ago) hahaahhaa... My friend Sunny from Korea introduced the range to me and says that it was popular amongst Korean women. I gave it a try and didn't turn back especially coz I was using the whitening range which wasn't available in Australia (had to order from Japan).

It was quite effective and people started to notice that I was getting a lil whiter at a time (which was the point heheheeh). In terms of routine it was the full lot... cleanser, toner, moisturiser, whitening eye serum (shiseido) and eye soother (shiseido),sunscreen. For a long time since my teen years, I was using Shiseido products and couldn't move on from the brand. It wasn't like it was doing miracles on me but I didn't know what else I could use and I wasn't very experimental at all back then ahahahahaaha...

Then as soon as I ran out of my second batch of whitening products from Lancome and with the economy going bust  I didn't think it was worth purchasing more till the economy and exchange rate were getting better hahahahhaaha... (I'm quite practical). Then I got given certain skincare items which Sunny's parents would kindly add to her package over to Australia especially for me and somehow I was living off using them (just whatever was given).

When you run out and money is tight it's great to get free stuff to try and in the above photo I have to admit that I only purchased the Lancome tonique toner (blue clear bottle), the rest was a gift from Sunny's parents (God bless them, so terribly sweet~~~). Loved the Mousse Eclat foam cleanser and was also given the Giorgio Armani Crema Nera moisturiser (black container) this stuff was seriously expensive to buy retail in Australia and I got to try it for free hehehehe... I then got the Lancome Hydra Zen and the Kiehl's Ultra facial moisturiser as samples to try out. I was sorta alternating between 3 moisturisers before I started my acne medication... I particularly loved the Kiehl's stuff coz it wasn't as harsh over a prolonged period of time... So these were the stuff I would have used only months ago and now onto the stuff I prefer to use NOW (photos below).

Yep, packaging may not be as attractive and the products are mainly quite inexpensive but it gets the job done and protects you 24/7. Wanna check me out in action? Here we go.... (don't mind the photos I took them at night in the bathroom right after I showered...so it's a lil dark + my naked face bleh~~~ but you get the point)

It's the best time to do your skincare when you get outta the shower becoz due to warmth from the steam and water it keeps the pores open for a lil longer. So first you must cleanse to get rid of extra dirt and whatnot left behind from a full day out or even when you've been home all day, your face picks up stuff. TIP: DO NOT wash/cleanse your face in the shower... this is no joke. Many keep a bottle of cleanser in the shower becoz it's just easier to reach for it and wash ur face while you're already washing your body. BIG NONO!!! the warm water coming from the shower head due to gravity actually hits your face much harder than you think. Since the skin on your face is very delicate and sensitive, this face under shower head bad habit can permenantly damage your facial capillaries and is especially harsh on your facial skin when you're already sensitive (So please kick the habit if you're still doing it). I'm currently really into my Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser for sensitive, dry skin (recommended by my dermo). This stuff is great when you're fighting acne, it's terribly gentle, does not contain any soap ingredients (so it doesn't foam up), pH balanced, gooey liquid consistency and free from fragrance (which won't cause allergic reactions). I have to admit I wasn't overly excited about Cetaphil coz it wasn't Lancome ahahhahahaa... but it really does wonders, and works hand in hand with my acne medication.

Then I just moisturise with my trusty Kiehl's ultra facial cream...tried the moisturiser one but wasn't as longer lasting as the cream version. So I'm definitely loving this for my face. It's still quite light weight despite it being a creamy texture and boy does it keep you moisturised for the whole day. Really does keep the skin plump on the face and keeps flaky skin far far away. This stuff is a lil more pricey than Cetaphil but I'm willing to spend on a good moisturiser which also isn't too harsh. People when you apply your moisturiser and you feel a stinging, tingling sensation .... YOU ARE TOO DRY!!! You're not moisturising enough, not using enough and not doing it often enough... so keep it up and you can keep old saggy skin away for a lil while yet. It's terribly important to moisturise especially when you're on acne meds as it dries you out like crazy and there is no other way about it JUST DO IT!!!

Then it's time for moisturing your lips as that gets the driest of all... Lucas' papaw ointment is the best as it's made from fresh carica papaya which is then fermented (quite organic). This can be used for boils, burns, cuts, chafing, cracked skin, rash, insect bites, open wounds and nappy rash (multi-purpose ointment). Most girls in Australia has this in their handbag coz it's made locally in Aus and inexpensive. It does wonders on your lips in particular, I have to say it's my fave compared to vaseline :)

During the day I also cannot leave the house without sunscreen on the face becoz my skin turns real red once the sun hits my skin. So it must be protected...currently I'm finishing off my Lancome UV Expert also not available in Australia. And I love it for maximum protection with SPF50 PA+++ so the sun doesn't get down to damaging the DNA in the skin. But once I run out I'm gonna try something cheaper and more generic, since they say SPF 30 is all you need to stay protected in Aus (although I'm a lil unsure about this, coz I'm sure the sun is way more harsher or at least it feels that way~~~).

So I go from expensive high end skincare products cleansing, toning, serums, moisturising, sunscreen and eye stuff to pretty inexpensive stuff you buy at chemists or drugstores which consists of just cleansing well and just moisturising really thoroughly. No toning and no other mish mash. Keep it simple when you're on acne meds or just for the sake of not burdening your skin with too much.

Skincare to me isn't only about the face (although I have been focusing on it previously) but it's about  the whole body. Since I'm on the meds it dries out the entire body, so I moisturise with Cetaphil moisturising cream and this goes all over the body to help lock in the moisture while adding more moisture. And since I'm so dry nowadays my skin just absorbs the moisturiser, which means I have to do it at least twice a day so I don't become flaky all over. There are areas on the body which dries out more such as your knees, back of the knees, elbows, earlobes, hands, feet and the neck. For these areas I would use a baby product called Dermeze ointment which has the consistency of vaseline quite dense and thick. And you just smear it on the driest areas to keep them from cracking or drying up any further. Baby products are the best for people going through their acne treatments becoz it's the most gentle products you'll find in the marketplace for skincare.

So I think I've covered everything to what I used before and what I'm using now. From the face to the body. People I can't stress enough how important it is to care about the most important organ of the body (the skin) becoz it's whats protecting us from many outside extremities. Keep it simple but washing, moisturising and sunscreening and you'll be safe. This is especially important to those who are on acne meds like me...use what your dermo recommends coz they know best and don't be afraid of cheaper products coz it promises the basic protection for your skin while minusing out all the complicated stuff which may cause harm on your sensitive skin in the meantime when you're fighting acne.

Wow... so this has been another long post and I'm sorry about that but I just felt this all had to be shared for the sake of people going through their acne battles like me atm. Check out the finished product...clean and fresh face...ready for bed hahaahahaa

So you're probably asking can you wear makeup while fighting acne? Well I'll share that too next time and the changes I've made to my makeup routine...so stay tuned... Here's a preview of how simple I keep my makeup

A failed attempt of capturing my eye...had the strands of hair in front and I didn't even notice it... but you get the idea ahhahaha Shows my eye shape and what I look like with eye makeup on....

Alright till next time stay well you guys... Oh and don't forget to vote on my poll on the right side bar...I really wanna know how often other girls go to the salon to get their hair done hahhahaha

Luv from Me