My skincare approach

About my skin

My skin is oily/dehydrated with lots of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation/redness around my cheeks and forehead.  My skin used to be very sensitive and acne prone, but I find it is less so now.  Nonetheless, I still try to choose products that are generally formulated for ‘sensitive’ skin.

My face is really weird.  I mean, besides the fact it looks weird (hehe just kidding I'm actually rather fond of my face!), it never seems to agree with the cult favorites.  The raved about Benton products were just okay for me.  Perhaps it was hyped up so much?  Even the famous OST C20 Vitamin serum was only meh for me.  As in, I didn't notice any astounding brightening effects. Same with Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence.  What gives, skin?  So when I search for products to keep my face moisturized and happy, it's a bit hard for me to figure out where to start since the holy grails don't seem to work for me.  Products that people rave about are generally only meh for me.  Products that frequently break people out, such as coconut oil, have no negative impacts for me.  You win some, you lose some, right?

My skincare routine

I mostly follow an Asian skincare routine, which can consist of up to ten steps.  A bit crazy right?  I know some people who are dilligent in having products for each step of the routine, but I find that I don’t need that many products, so I try to pare it down a notch.

Aside: The Asian skincare routine

The Asian skincare routine consists of the following products.

1. Oil cleanser or cleansing balm
2. Foaming, milky, or gel cleanser
3. Toner
4. Eye cream (optional)
5. Sheet mask (optional; nighttime usage)
6. Essence/serum/ampoule
7. Emulsion
8. Spot treatment (optional)
9. Cream (optional)
10. Sleeping pack (optional; nighttime usage)
11. Sunscreen (morning)

Each step is meant to help hydrate the skin as much as possible.  I’ve found that this works best for my skin, and I really have seen significantly better results than when I was doing the bare minimum (foaming cleanser, moisturizer, spot treatment as necessary).  Also, it just feels so nice to go through all the steps at the end of a long day.  It’s like you’re pampering yourself, you know?

If you want more information on Asian skincare, I highly recommend checking out Kerry of Skin & Tonic’s amazing in-depth article about it.  Her blog in general is a truly fantastic resource, and what really helped me understand more into the scientific aspects of skincare.

Also, if you’re looking for an exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable community, do check out Asian Beauty on Reddit.  That community helped me get started on this skincare journey in the first place :)

Current routine

My routine is constantly subject to change, because I have such a hard time finding products that really play well with my skin (as mentioned above).  As such, I don’t want to make a static page on this, but instead will update on my blog every so often about what new products I’m using.  So please check out the 'Routine' tag to see current and previous items in my line up!