If you have been following my blog since the beginning, you may have recalled my post on my life with acne and how I combated it.
Recently on Instagram I asked if you wanted to see my skincare routine. 96% of you said, “Heck Yeah“, so here it is.
Disclaimer: I’m not a skincare specialist of any sort. I’ve tried copious amounts of prescription topical creams, antibiotics, laser therapies and nothing worked for my skin. Through years of constant research and trial & error, these are the products that have worked well for my skin and are my tried-and-true. From my post back in 2013, you can see that my face is now more even in tone and texture. This is not an AD of any sort as all products were purchased by me and my credit card sometimes cries at night.
For your reference, my skin is sensitive, extremely acne-prone, and combination with an oily t-zone.
If you didn’t get a chance to see on Instagram, here is my Before & After photos.
Side Note: my brows were microbladed back in October 2016.
MORNING ROUTINE
1. NIOD’s Sanskrit Saponins (SS)
First thing I do in the morning is cleanse my face with this cleansing balm. It is free of purified or synthetic surfactants, sulphates, oils, esters or micellar technologies. Be forewarned that It does have a funky smell as it is derived from plant saponins. What I love most about this cleanser is that it doesn’t dry out my skin and my skin feels clean afterwards.
2. Tea Tree Oil Toner
Tea Tree Oil has antiseptic properties which is great for my acne-prone skin and keeps my oily skin at bay. I use a few drops of the toner onto a cotton pad and wipe my face with it. More information mentioned below.
3. NIOD’s Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist (SDSM2)
I then proceed with misting my entire face and neck with SDSM2. This mist prevents oxidative stress, water loss and the look of inflammation. It leaves my face feeling refreshed and hydrated.
4. NIOD’s Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1% (now reformulated and renamed as CAIS2)
While SDSM2 hasn’t fully absorbed into my skin, I put three drops of CAIS on my face and rub it in my hands. If you had to get one product from NIOD, this would be it! It contains a high dose of Copper Tripeptide-1 to help strengthen the foundation of your skin. What that means is that it does not address visible aspects of your skin but leaves it in this heightened state of repair that tackles all signs of aging like wrinkles, elasticity, radiance, texture, tone and hyperpigmentation. Through continuous use, I noticed that the general health of my skin got better. I wasn’t breaking out as much (even during the time of the month), my skin tone was more even, and there was a lot more luminosity to my skin.
5. NIOD’s Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC2)
I then apply three drops of MMHC2 onto my face. Even though my skin is naturally oily, it’s still really important to keep it hydrated to prevent it from producing more oil. The formulation for MMHC2 is truly unique and nothing I encountered before. It combines 15 forms of hyaluronic compounds, hyaluronic precursors and a hyaluronic support technology that helps skin look plump, elastic, comfortable and uniform. It won’t combat any visible flakiness, but will help the deeper layers of your skin remain hydrated.
6. belif’s The True Cream – Aqua Bomb
To help with surface hydration, I love using this moisturizer. It is water-based, lightweight, and absorbs quickly into my skin. The best part is that it doesn’t break me out as I tend to have negative reactions to moisturizers that are too rich and contain a lot of silicones.
7. NIOD’s Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate (FECC)
When it comes to my undereyes, the most important thing is to prevent wrinkles and as a bonus, not having my makeup crease when applying on top. I can’t really decrease the size of my double eye bags because they are genetic (thanks Dad!). So as the final step, I massage FECC to my undereyes and upper eyelids. When using creams, I tend to get milia under my eyes, so I usually opt for lightweight serums/gels. Like all NIOD products, this absorbs really quickly.
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EVENING ROUTINE
My Evening Routine is pretty much the same as my Morning Routine except with a few additional steps. You’re probably thinking that I’m overdoing it with all these steps. But after years of having terrible skin, this is what works best and by keeping with it, I feel more confident going out with minimal makeup or even makeup-free days.
1. Foreo LUNA 2 + NIOD’s Sanskrit Saponins
Throughout the day, your skin goes through a lot of environmental stress and dirt, oil and bacteria accumulate on the skin. To give my skin a good deep cleanse, I use the combination of these two products. I definitely prefer Foreo over the Clarisonic. I used to own the Clarisonic but gave it to my sister as I noticed that even with the sensitive brush head, it was too harsh for my skin. The Foreo is great because I can alter the intensity of the vibrations to suit my sensitive skin. And with the silicone touch-points, it means that I can easily disinfect it and don’t need to spend money to get more brush heads. After cleansing my face, it feels so soft and clean. Another thing that I love about the Foreo is that it holds a charge like no other. While I was abroad for 4 weeks, I didn’t need to charge the machine once! It’s quite an investment, but well worth it in my books.
2. Repeat Steps 2-5 from my Morning Routine by using Tea Tree Oil Toner, NIOD’s SDSM2, CAIS 1%, and MMHC2.
3. NIOD’s Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid 30% Network (ELAN2)
The next product is one that brought me to Deciem. For years I was using a natural and very expensive 15% Vitamin C serum. Vitamin C is known to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration while supporting collagen production. In walks, ELAN2, which isn’t a natural Vitamin C serum but contains 30% of it and at a fraction of the cost. It did absolute wonders for my skin and was more effective in comparison to my previous serum. When first applying this serum, your skin does feel oily. After a few minutes, that feeling does go away.
4. belif’s The True Cream – Aqua Bomb.
5. The Ordinary’s Lactic Acid 5% + HA
To keep my acne at bay, this is my go-to product. Out of all the acne fighting ingredients out there, lactic acid works the best for my skin. I only put this on areas that have clogged pores or blemishes. By the next day, my skin feels a lot smoother and my breakouts are diminished. The reason why I apply it after my moisturizer, is that the lactic acid will cause some visible flakiness if applied on areas prone to dryness. The best part about this product is that it is only $6.50CAD! I mean where do you even find skincare products with that price tag nowadays? I used to use Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment which is ridiculously expensive and I had to be really careful when applying as it dried my skin out more. So it’s a win-win situation to find a product that is a fraction of the price and more suitable for my skin.
6. NIOD’s FECC
7. NIOD’S Neck Elasticity Catalyst (NEC)
The neck is often forgotten when it comes to skin care. The area under our chins and along our neck is such a delicate area and will start losing elasticity and show signs of aging. To prevent this, I use NEC after I shower in the evening. This formulation prevents the enzyme from breaking down elastin and increases the look of skin density.
TONER, MAKEUP REMOVERS, SUNSCREEN, AND FACIALS
Custom Tea Tree Oil Toner
This toner is so easy to make and super affordable. I purchased the bottle of 100% pure tea tree oil from Costco. To make the toner, I mix 20 drops with 500mL of water and put it in a pump dispenser.
Makeup Removers
To thoroughly remove my makeup, especially my waterproof mascara, I start off by using Bioré Makeup Remover for Eye & Lip on a cotton pad and place it over my eyes for 30 seconds. It efficiently removes my eye makeup without having to tug and doesn’t leave me with blurry vision from the oil. I’m not sure where to buy these in Toronto but I purchased multiple bottles of these at Sasa during my travels in Hong Kong.
To remove the rest of my makeup, I put a few pumps of L’Oréal Sublime Radiance Sensational Cleansing Oil in my hand and massage my face. The thing I love about cleansing oils is that it dissolves with water. Then I follow up with steps in my Evening Routine.
Sunscreens
Sunscreen is essential! It prevents the UV rays from damaging your skin like sunspots and wrinkles. After I apply my moisturizer in the morning, I follow-up with either NIVEA Sun Protect Plus Milky Essence SPF50+/PA++++ (during summer months) or ROHTO Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk Sunscreen Super Water Proof SPF50+/PA++++ (during winter months) on my face and neck. The reason why I have two different sunscreens is because my skin tends to be less oily during the winter, so I usually opt for a more moisturizing sunscreen. I prefer Japanese sunscreens over Western ones because I find that they don’t leave my skin feeling greasy or cause me to breakout. I also love how Japanese sunscreens can double as a makeup base 🙂
Cold Laser Facial & Microneedling
If you have the funds, I highly recommend spoiling yourself by doing a Cold Laser Facial. It’s Hollywood’s best kept secret and the latest innovation in skincare industry. The Cold Laser Facial is an all-natural non-invasive treatment that noticeably helps soften fine lines, wrinkles and improve skin texture that helps extenuate one’s own natural beauty. This treatment is not only safe, it has no side effects or downtime. Growing up with acne, I would frequently get facials to remove all the blackheads and dirt off my face. It was a very unpleasant process and would often leave my face really blotchy. Sometimes I would breakout even more after my facial with all the lotions and potions they put on me. When I discovered Vivian from Skin Republic Clinic, it was a game changer. After doing my first Cold Laser Facial, my skin was left supple and super glowy. This was the first time I didn’t feel the need to go home and wash all the product on my face. Rather, I could carry out my day and attend to my errands. The days following, my skin got even better. It was glowing from within, there were no breakouts, my existing blemishes were diminished, my fine lines started to soften, and I wasn’t as oily. Because I am a firm believer in Cold Laser Facials, I planned out all my appointments prior to my own wedding. On top of that, I’ve recommended several brides to Vivian and let me just say that their skin was a dream to apply makeup on.
This past year, I did something a little extra with Vivian. Instead of Cold Laser Facial, I did Microneedling (aka Collagen Induction Therapy). This procedure is minimally invasive as a device with fine needles creates tiny punctures in the top layer of the skin. It triggers the body to create new collagen and elastin. The results are reduction in scars, wrinkles, pore size, and improved firmness. The con to this procedure is that there is a bit of a downtime, around 2-3 days. So try not to schedule any important events following. The redness does subside but you do have to follow the aftercare procedure that Vivian provides to reap the best results. I’ve noticed that my wrinkles are diminished, I’m less prone to breakouts, and the overall health of my skin has been better. Honestly, Vivian is the only person that I trust with my skin. She has been a Godsend!
EXFOLIATOR & MASKS
Amore Pacific’s Treatment Enzyme Peel
I like to exfoliate my skin once a week. This help remove all the dead skin cells and allow my skincare products to be more effective and absorb better into my skin. The reason why I love this exfoliator is because it’s water-activated and contains no abrasive beads. You just dump the powder in your hand and mix it with water. After washing off the exfoliator, my face instantly looks brighter and feels really smooth. This exfoliator is a bit expensive but it lasts. It’s been years and I’m still using the same bottle.
May Lindstrom The Problem Solver
This is my hands down my favourite purifying mask. The names says it all. It does solve most of my skin problems by detoxifying my skin and making it more luminous. It’s quite a hefty price to pay for a mask but it has lasted me forever! Similar to the exfoliator, this mask is water-activated. Each time you use it, you are only scooping out a tablespoon of powder. I purchased this mask 2 years ago, even with using it once every 2 weeks, half a jar still remains. Definitely getting a bang for my buck!
Sheet Masks
I love sheet masks. I’m not really loyal to any particular brands but I found Korean and Japanese brands work best for my skin type as it isn’t too rich and provides the right amount of hydration.
There you have it…my super lengthy skincare post! If you have lasted this long and read through the entire post, I congratulate you! I hope that this post has helped in some way, shape, or form.