A little back-story: I have always had problematic skin since I hit puberty. I used to have super oily skin that I hated with a passion and I suffered from horrible acne growing up which left me with uneven skin texture especially on the cheeks. I had to be put on Acutane continuously in order to control them which was expensive and not good in the long run because it's extremely drying. For a while, though, I had a taste of how it was like to be having clear skin and it was joy.
Fortunately I came to my senses and appreciated my oily skin more as I grew older. Now it is not as oily as before and I still get the occasional hormonal acne along my jaw line. However, as with many other things in life as you get older, you've learned to accept your predicament and work with it instead of against it.
When I started earning money, I'd probably spent half of them on skincare and cosmetics, thinking the more expensive they are, the better they got at reversing all the damage I'd done to my skin while I was growing up. I've tried many expensive skincare (and the cheap ones, too) over the past 5 years. At my craziest, I've got about 20 products in my daily regimen and honestly, it didn't produce any significant result.
Deep down, I knew spending more money didn't necessarily mean better result and this revelation came on the heels of my big financial revelation. There was a major shift in my priority and scaling back on tertiary expenses was the way to go. So I stripped down my daily regimen to the essentials and my skin has never been better. Ok, to be honest, not all the stuff on the list below are cheap but they are the essentials and more importantly, they work well on me.
So, on to the list:
Daily Regimen:
1. FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil. This is the first cleansing oil I've ever tried and since then, I've gone on and tried almost every other cleansing oil available in the business and this one still beats all of them every time. This is not exactly cheap but given the performance, I'd say it's well-justified.
2. Biore Pure Mild Facial Foam. I used to use Cetaphil because my skin has gotten drier in the recent years and Cetaphil helps a lot with it but I don't like the suffocated feeling my skin gets every time I rinse it off. Biore Pure Mild leaves my skin feeling fresh, with the right balance between clean and moist. It is also mildly scented with a fresh scent.
3. Clarisonic Mia with Deep Pore Brush Head. The most expensive item on the list but it's an investment. Facial brushes have worked well on me in the past and they still do. I've had my Clarisonic for a year+ and I must say I've been loving every moment of it. They recently came up with the Deep Pore brush head which I'm currently using and loving.
4. Curel Moisture Lotion II. I love to use toner after cleansing. I usually squirt this soothing product onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over my face then pat it gently over my eye lids.
5. Akin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil. I've read everywhere that rosehip oil is a clinically-proven natural remedy for scars. I use this as serum / moisturizer. Simple, relatively cheap, and natural. This isn't a miracle worker, mind you, but so far I've noticed my skin's texture has improved albeit gradually.
6. Seven Wonders Moroccan Argan Oil Skin Serum. This product claims to contain 98% certified organic argan oil. It is enriched with vitamin E and contains natural rose fragrance but I must warn you it is very strong. Combined with rosehip oil, however, this stuff works like magic, making my skin soft and plump.
Special treatments (twice a week):
7. Lush Oatifix Fresh Face Mask. This is meant for sensitive skin and my skin feels extremely soft after using this. I am utterly speechless.
8. ExfoliKate by Kate Sommerville. Super expensive product but a little bit goes a long way. Use sparingly. This product also leaves my skin as smooth as a baby's bottom after usage.
There you have it, my entire skincare regimen. Together, these stuff have provided me with my best skin ever, no prescription needed.
