Skin Care Regimen

Since I don't have photos saved in the computer I'm using, I'll simply share with you my skin care routine. I'll add a little review after each product. Let me be clear that I'm only including products that have done good to my skin. I immediately stop using any product which irritate my skin.
Yes, I have very selective skin. Unfortunately for me, the selectivity is usually towards the pricey ones. I change my routine every once in a while depending on what I want to try or what I think I need to address. But for the month of April, this is what I've been up to. 

Disclaimer: This is not a post for me to brag about how much I or my family or my friends can afford. They were either given to me or I was fortunate enough to have saved up enough money to be able to afford them. Anyway, here goes...

1. Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser

I don't usually purchase anything from Rustan's because admittedly, stuff over there are a tad bit overpriced. (That's cause of the shipping costs and taxes, I guess.) But since a friend of my Mom gave it to her and the previous cleanser I was using was causing my skin to break out, I grew desperate.

The Good: I love this product because it has improved my skin a whole lot since I started using it. Just a week after I started using it my acne lessened & my skin became smoother. Actually, the first bottle I used was a sampler, but I loved it so much that when I ran out I just had to get the real thing. The real thing's the one in the picture.

The Downside: It's not an all-around cleanser. It hasn't completely rid my skin of pimple scars and the occasional acne. But I guess since it's just a face wash I can't expect more that it's cleansing function.

I got mine at Rustan's, Shangri-la.  (Before it burned down. SO SAD!)

2. Celeteque Alcohol-Free Toner

This picture has the Oil Control one. That's the one I used before but it contains alcohol so I switched to the Alcohol-Free one.

Not a lot of people know this but you need to use a toner. A toner tightens the pores after you cleanse so that it will lessen the chance of  dirt entering your skin which will cause pimples, whiteheads and blackheads.

The Good: It's alcohol-free so that when I go out it doesn't dry my skin which will cause premature lines or burn my skin which will eventually cause age spots. Check the ingredients in the skin care products that you use. Make sure that it doesn't contain alcohol. Otherwise, stop using them! You don't want to be spending so much on your skin only to find out that you actually made it worse.

The Downside: Sometimes, I break out from using it. But I'm not sure if it's this particular one that's causing the problem. I use a lot of products on my skin so I can't really tell if it's this one. HAHA.

I get mine at Watson's or Mercury Drug.

3. Skin Food Mushroom BB Cream

 

I was introduced to BB Creams by Maybelline's weekly product magazine and by a friend of mine.

The Good: Skin Food's BB Cream is amazing because it really makes my skin look almost like porcelain! You might be thinking that I'm exaggerating, but see the point of a BB Cream is to hide the redness you get from pimples, even out skin, & minimize pores and fine lines so this particular BB Cream does the trick for me! PLUS it has SPF so I don't have to worry about sun protection.

The Downside: Still this doesn't hide my scars. It just makes my skin look almost perfect. Almost being the key word there since my pimple scars are still evident after I put this on.

I got mine at Skin Food in Glorietta 3. I found a branch in SM Mega B.

3. Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil Concealer 02

My sister-in-law explained that this concealer does not just hide your pimples. It also helps in healing them because it's main ingredient is tea tree oil, which is the famous organic treatment for acne. So I had to try it. Now I've been using it for more than a year. I'm a satisfied customer. :) 

The Good: As I've already mentioned it doesn't just hide acne, it helps in the healing process. It also dries up my pimples real fast. After just 2 or 3 days, my pimple's gone but the mark's still there. It's a tiny stick but it lasted me more than 12 months. So one stick a year is pretty awesome. But that's on my skin. I only get occasional acne. 

The Downside: Since it's just a concealer, I can't really ask for more. Probably the fact that it doesn't prevent scarring after getting acne. I get very bad scars from pimples so that's not really good.

I got mine at Body Shop in Power Plant.

4. Skin Food's Muffin Cake All-Around Finish

I couldn't find a photo on-line so this is the next best thing. It's the on at the right top most part. Don't mind the other products. I haven't tried them so I don't have anything to say about them.

Okay. This Finish is a prime and probably the only example of the EXTREMELY RARE instance of my Dad's high-end impulse buying. Yes, this is already high-end for me. My Dad & I were waiting for my Mom when I chanced upon a Skin Food branch. And the next thing we knew, he was paying at the counter. To defend the saleslady, my Dad did like how the product made my skin look. That's why he was immediately convinced.

The Good: Because the BB Cream didn't completely make my skin look like porcelain, this one does it! On top of the BB Cream and Concealer, this product makes my skin look flawless plus it glows in all the right places! I just love love love this!

The Downside: If you don't know how and where to apply it, you're going to look like you washed your face with oil. Because it gives your skin that glow, overdoing it will make you look less porcelain and more oily. Goes to show... Everything in moderation!

I also got this at Skin Food in Glorietta 3. I found a branch in SM Mega B.

5. Nu Skin NaPCA Moisturizer

I use a moisturizer at night so that my skin can recover from the stress of the daily grind. I'm not sure if my BB Cream is also a moisturizer, the saleslady says it is but the product itself doesn't claim that. I might start using this during the day, too. Just to be sure.

The Good: It's from NaPCA so it doesn't use oil to moisturize unlike other moisturizers. Oil clogs the skin's pores which isn't good because that can cause blackheads or whiteheads or pimples. It binds with moisture in the air to keep the skin smooth and supple.

The Downside: There's really nothing bad to say about this product. I love Nu Skin. All my skin care products used to be solely Nu Skin but because it's quite expensive, I had to change after I stopped working there.

I got this from Nu Skin in Ortigas. There's also another branch in Makati.

6. YOKO Yoghurt Milk Whitening Cream

It's the third product from the left. I couldn't find another picture.

I use a whitening cream not to lighten my skin but to lighten my scars. Although most people I know want to have fairer skin, I'm perfectly happy with my skin tone. According to my Mom, I have olive skin. But I like thinking it's brown or tan. :)

The Good: It smells nice plus I think it helps lighten my scars. It's also supposed to help in removing lines & wrinkles, but I'm not a candidate for that yet so I won't comment about that.

The Downside: It takes a long long time for the scars to lighten. I'm actually thinking of switching to another one after I finish this one.

I got this from Watson's.

Personally, I prefer using organic products. That's the reason why I'm so in love with Skin Food's BB Cream & Muffin Cake Finish. I'm thinking of changing my regimen to make it completely Skin Food. I would suggest to anyone who seeks my advice, IF there were any, to look for organic skin care systems. I still think nature knows best.

Most of these things my Dad got for me. He's really concerned about my skin & he's willing to invest in it. I'm willing too, if I had the means. It's not to say that we're superficial like that. He & I just know how important it is to give a good first impression. Because no matter what people will say, it does affect you, your confidence and self-esteem, how you relate with people & how people perceive you.

I'm not sure who reads my blog, but I'm curious. How about you? What's your skin care regimen? I'm interested to see how YOU address skin problems or what products you use. I also want to know of the millions of skin care products out there which ones really work and do as they claim.

This is REALLY long! You can see I'm really into skin care. :P Leave a comment if you actually read through the entire thing!

Hanggang sa muli! 

EDIT: I forgot to mention my skin type! How silly. I have sensitive and combination to oily skin plus I'm also acne-prone, hence a problem with acne scars/dark spots. If you're thinking of doing the same things I do, make sure your skin type matches mine. Otherwise, I  apologize for not being of any help.