Recently, I have been taking a renewed interest in taking care of my skin. I got lazy with my face care, and my skin was definitely feeling it. Even though my skin has remained relatively clear with the help of my Spironolactone prescription (that can be another story for another day), I was still having little breakouts here and there. I can blame that on my own laziness, opting for cleaning my face with wipes instead of actually washing and moisturizing.
I figured I’d try blogging about something else besides video games. I’m going to blog about my adventures in taking care of my skin. I’ve been buying all kinds of products, trying new things out, and I’ve been seeing all kinds of improvement. Why not share the knowledge that I’ve obtained so far? Let’s go!
Don’t Use a Towel to Dry Your Face
I recently read an article on Glow Recipe (a website I HIGHLY recommend for buying some Korean beauty products) regarding tips passed down from mothers regarding skin care. One tip mentioned not scrubbing your face dry with a towel (which is something I’ve been incredibly guilty of).
Instead of scrubbing your face dry with a towel, you should pat your skin dry with your fingers. I was a little skeptical at first, but after two days of doing this, I can see why it works. I pat my skin until it’s damp but not dripping, and then I move on to my toner. My skin isn’t all red and irritated like it would be after using a towel, and my toner goes on super easy. If my hands aren’t drying fast enough, I dry my hands off and continue to blot my face until it reaches the right amount of dampness. Then on to the rest of my skincare routine!
I can say that the lack of redness after washing my face combined with the extra hydration my skin gets with the water leaves my skin significantly happier. Give it a try sometime. You won’t regret it!
Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize
If there was one routine I would abide by when it comes to taking care of my face, this would be the minimum: cleanse, tone, and moisturize. Just following these three steps has made an improvement with my skin. Of course, there are more pieces to my skin care routine (exfoliating, masks, serums, etc.), but if there is a minimum recommendation, I would start with these three things.
When it comes to the Cleanse step, I’m still flip-flopping between a couple different cleansers. I haven’t decided on a nighttime cleanser, but I’m really liking the one I use in the morning. Right now I’m using Hey Honey’s Don’t Miss A Spot! Fresh Honey Cleansing Foam. I stick to using my Clarisonic Mia 2 at night when my face needs that deep clean but using Hey Honey’s cleansing foam in the morning with just my hands is an easy way to freshen up my skin before I run out the door. I’ve been using different samples I’ve received with my Mia 2 at night, but I haven’t found just one nighttime cleanser I’d stick with.
As for the Tone step, I’ve also been trying out several products. The one that I’m using right now is one that I got at a salon not too long ago whose name is escaping me right now. I haven’t opened it yet, but I also have belif’s Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner that I’m going to try next. I’ve also had very good experiences using Origins’ Zero Oil™ Pore Purifying Toner. Toners are great for nourishing your skin after cleansing and are a great way to prep your skin for moisturizing!
When I was younger, I never thought about the Moisturize step. My skin was always oily; why would I want to add a product to make it more greasy? I continued to think that way until I actually tried moisturizing my skin. Now my face doesn’t get as oily because I’m replacing the oils that I stripped from my face so my face doesn’t have to overproduce oil to make up for it. Currently, my morning moisturizer is Hada Labo’s Replenishing Hydrator. I still have other moisturizers that I could use, but this one is light and easy, especially before putting on makeup. At night, I’ve been alternating between Lather’s Honey Moisture Mask with Propolis Extract and belif’s The True Cream Aqua Bomb. Both products leave my face feeling happy from when I put it on to when I wake up the next morning.
Three steps may seem like a lot, but integrating those three steps have made a world of difference in my skin. Once you get it into your routine, it’ll seem like nothing. At the end of the day, your skin will thank you for it. Trust me.
New Skin Care Products
Even when I find my holy grail of skin-care products, I still like to try new things now and then. I’ve got a whole slew of new products coming in that I’ll probably end up reviewing on here. I love trying out new products and seeing how they work for me. And hey, they might even work for you, too! You can just call me your skin care guinea pig. (*・∀-)☆