My Skincare Routine: Masks Part #2

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I love moisture masks because they seriously load up my skin with all the hydration and nutrients that it needs to repair itself, and my skin always feels super smooth and soft after using them.

Antipodes Manuka Honey Mask contains manuka honey which draws moisture to your skin while also being antibacterial. I find it just really calms down my skin, and reduces any inflammation or redness from any breakouts.  It is super gentle yet effective on the skin, and makes my skin feel like a baby's bottoms.

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My Skincare Routine: Masks Part #1

Masks are something that I use religiously every week as I found that they make the biggest difference to my skin. I often like to use a few different masks in conjunction, starting off with a detox mask to give my skin a deep cleanse, I then usually follow up with a radiance mask to exfoliate the dead skin cells off my skin, lastly I try to put back moisture into my skin by using a hydrating mask. I found that this routine has really improved my skin and has become a crucial step in my skincare routine.

Since I have a lot of masks to go through, I've decided to split it into two parts. Part one is going to be all about detoxifying masks, and part two will be about radiance and hydrating masks. I like to use detoxifying masks right when I get out of the shower, as the hot water in the shower really gets my pores open and facilitates the detox masks in getting deep down into my pores and getting all the gunk out.

Michael Todd Kaolin Clay Mask has all kinds of clays in it to help absorb excess oils, dirt and toxins deep down in your pores to create a clearer complexion. It also has sulfur in it, which is a natural ingredient used to treat acne. As you wash off this mask, the tiny clay particles help to gently exfoliate your skin without being harsh and drying.

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask uses active charcoal to dissolve and draw out the the gunk that's clogging your pores. I find that this one is really effective at getting out those stubborn whiteheads, and I've noticed significant smaller pores every time I use this.

Elemental Herbology Facial Detox is something that I've recently discovered after reading so many good reviews on blogs, and I'm completely in love with it. It's gentle yet effective, and it's just a quick pick-me-up when my skin is looking dull and congested. While the clay helps to decongest the skin, the manuka honey helps to calm and hydrate the skin as well as providing antibacterial benefits. This is a must-have for oily, congested and acne-prone skin!

I've mentioned the King Olive Olive Sebum Care Mask before as my go-to product for getting rid of any blackheads. It is the only thing I found that completely gets rid of my blackheads while also being gentle on my pores, unlike a lot of traditional nose strips which can be harsh and even make your pores larger in the end which leads to the formation of more blackheads. You can get this from sasa.com for around $10.

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My Skincare Routine: Eyes & Lips

I'm pretty low maintenance when it comes to eyes and lips, so I don't do much besides just making sure that they are moisturized and hydrated. For my nighttime eyecream, I use the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream, which is the only eyecream I've found that truly helps with dry undereye area and fine lines. It is packed with vitamin E and other beneficial nutrients to help to keep your eye area hydrated. I've suffered from fine lines for a few years now, and I've noticed a huge reduction in my fine lines ever since I started using this.

For my daytime eye cream, I use the Lierac Instant Smoothing Gel. It has a cooling sensation when you put it on, which helps with depuffing your eyes. It dries down to a slightly tacky finish, so it also acts as a primer to help any eye makeup that you put on top adhere to your eye lids better. If you have dry skin, you can definitely use this as an eye cream and primer in one, but as I have oily eye lids I still use a primer on top just to be sure.

Since I wear a lot of waterproof mascaras which can be a bit harsh on my lashes, I find that it's really important to take care of my lashes as well. Canmake Lash Care Essence was rated as one of the best selling makeup items in Japan so that's why I decided to give it a try. It contains several types of botanical ingredients which help to nourish your lashes overnight. I've noticed that my lashes look longer and fuller since I started using this.

To exfoliate my lips, I use the Lush Lip Scrub, which is just a typical sugar scrub. There are other ones on the market but this is just what I have on hand. After I've exfoliated, I usually will slather on a thick layer of Dior Creme De Rose Lipbalm, which is a product that's totally worth all the hypes around it. It is packed with vitamin E, essential oils and shea butter, and it is an absolute savior for dry and cracked lips. It just feels so luxurious on the lips and doesn't leave a greasy residue- best lip balm ever! I sometimes also put this on top of my lipsticks which helps to make my lips look fuller and plumper.

If I'm in a hurry in the morning, I usually will slather on the Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate, which just gives my lips a slightly coral tint. These keep my lips hydrated throughout the day and they also come with several other colors, including a clear one that you can use overnight. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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My Skincare Routine: Acne Treatment

These three products are what I alternate between when I'm actively breaking out. I've tried out many acne treatment products over the years, including a few prescription ones, and these three are what work the best for my skin. I find that it's really important to switch up your acne treatment products every once in a while because your skin can get used to one product and the product will lose its effectiveness overtime, so it's just better to have a few products on-hand to alternate between.

La Roche Posay Efflar Duo contains a combination of benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and LHA to help to refine the texture of your skin, unclog pores, as well as treat and prevent any future breakouts. When you first use this, you will notice your skin getting worse and breaking more as this product stimulates faster cell turnover and will bring out the acne that's deep down in your skin to the surface, which eventually leads to clearer skin. I usually will use this all over my T-zone during the nighttime, and this truly helps to create more perfect skin overtime.

For spot treatment, I use the OXY10 10% benzoyl peroxide, which is the typical ingredient used to treat acne. Benzoyl peroxide is anti-bacterial and can be a bit harsh and drying on the skin, so if you're just starting out with benzyl peroxide, definitely use the 2.5% or 5% formula. I believe 10% is the highest percentage that you can find for over-the-counter acne treatments. This is a product that I know I can trust and depend on; it dries up my pimples over night, but you definitely have to wear a sunscreen during the day when you are using this because otherwise it will cause redness and scarring.

Another spot treatment that I use is Lush Grease Lightning, which I alternate with the OXY10. This is a much gentler yet still effective acne treatment. It contains natural ingredients such as tea tree oil and thyme, and I find that this one won't cause redness or scarring that the OXY10 can sometimes cause. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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My Skincare Routine: Moisturisers & Sunscreen

Moisturisers are something that everyone should use regardless of what type of skin you have and regardless of whether your wear makeup or not. Everyone has some extent of dehydration in their skin, which can lead to dull, uneven skin, dry patches, and an overproduction of oils as your skin is trying to compensate for the lack of moisturization. I think moisturization is the key to a lot of skin problems; if your skin is not moisturized it won't be able to repair itself, and any other skin care products that you put on your face will lose its effectiveness. So choosing the right moisturiser is the key to better skin as increased hydration can lead to faster cell turnover and repair, and better absorption of other skincare products.

In the morning, I'll use the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier on my T-zone, which helps to control my oil production throughout the day. I then use the Clarins Daily Energizer Cream-Gel all over my face for hydration purposes. These two are both oil-free and feel super light on the skin. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse is the sunscreen I've been using lately. It has SPF 50+ PA +++ which is usually what I go for. It comes out like a mousse and once you smooth it over your face, it melts down to a watery consistency and is super easy to blend. It feels super light on the skin and doesn't leave a white cast on my skin.

For the nighttime, I like to use something richer that's going to repair my skin overnight. Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins is an oil-free moisturiser that contains tons of minerals and vitamins that will help to resurface your skin and gently sloughs away any dull or dry skin. I've mentioned the Clarins Lotus Oil before in my go-to skincare post, which you can click on to read a more in-depth review. It basically helps to put back the oil that my skin has lost during the day and rebalance the water-oil ratio of my skin, which eventually leads to less oily and more supple skin. Caudalie Divine Oil essentially does the same thing; it is a multi-purpose oil that can be used on the skin, hair, and body. I find that the Caudalie one is a little richer and more hydrating than the Clarins one, but they basically do the same thing. The Caudalie one also contains their patented polyphenol, which is an anti-oxidant ingredient that helps to increase the blood circulation to your skin and repair your skin overnight. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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My Skincare Routine - Serums

Serums are potent skincare products that can totally revamp how your skin looks. There are so many different types of serums on the market that are all meant to target different skin problems such as dehydration, dark spots, fine lines, large pores, uneven skin, etc.. Serums are meant to be used under moisturizers as the particles in serums are much smaller than that of moisturizers, allowing them to be better absorbed by the skin and target deeper layers of the skin. Serums can also maximize the efficacy of any moisturizers that you put on afterwards.

La Roche Posay Derm AHA has been a lifesaver for me as I have really congested pores and bumpy, uneven skin, and this just helps to clear out my pores and smooth out the texture of my skin. This contains 10% glycolic acid which works to chemically exfoliate the skin and promote cell turnover.

REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate is a much gentler version of the La Roche Posay Derm AHA as it contains  a smaller concentration of lactic, glycolic, tartaric and citric acids. I find that this helps  to minimize the imperfections of my skin and gives my skin a healthy, radiant glow.

Lancome Visionnaire is one of those serums that promises to do everything for your skin. It claims to diminish wrinkles and pores, and correct any imperfections such as acne scars. This product is highly rated by beauty blogs and magazines everywhere, and I have to say that this product doesn't disappoint. It truly blurs out any imperfections on my skin and also increases the moisture retention of my skin; overtime my skin looks more supple and healthy. I find that I also break out less when I use this product thanks to its non-comedogenic formula.

Lastly, the Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome is a pretty famous product in Japan as a lot of celebrities use this. This helps to penetrate deeper layers of the skin to repair damaged skin cells and continuously moisturizes the skin throughout the day, and helps to improve the moisture retention of any other moisturizers that you put on afterwards. I can't emphasize enough how moisturization is the key to better skin- when your skin is moisturized, it repairs and regenerates itself better, allowing any skincare product that you put on it to work much quicker and more effective.


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My Skincare Routine- Toners

Toning is an essential step in my skincare routine- not only does it help to remove any makeup or facewash residues from my face it also helps to balance the pH of my skin and exfoliate my skin at the same time. I usually will alternate between these toners as I don't want my skin to get used to one product and lose its effectiveness.

The Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Toner contains many great natural ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial while still being moisturizing. It helps to calm down the redness in my skin and prevent any future breakouts.

Lush Tea Tree Toner is another one of my favorite; it contains tea tree oil which also has anti-bacterial effect on the skin. It also gives the skin a cooling sensation and helps to mattify your face on those hot summer days.

If you want a cheaper alternative, then check out Thayer's Witch Hazel. Witch hazel has been proven to have many beneficial effects on the skin- it helps to moisturize and heal the skin while also having anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects on the skin. You can find this for under $10 at any grocery store.

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir has been highly-raved about lately; it contains a mix of essential oils and plant-derived ingredients that just helps to give your skin a  boost when your skin is looking dull and lackluster. It helps to tighten pores and calm down any redness, and adds back any moisture or nutrients that your skin may have lost.

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My Skincare Routine- Facewash & Clarisonic

Washing my face is the most crucial step in my skincare routine as no product is going to cure your acne if you don't make sure that your face is completely clean of any makeup residues before you put on any skincare product. To make sure that my face is completely clean, I usually use my Clarisonic Mia along with my nighttime facewash. I'm sure all of you know about the Clarisonic by now, but in case you don't it is basically a vibrating facebrush that helps to deep clean your pores and exfoliate your face- a skincare staple if you're a makeup wearer. I usually use this every other day, which is how often I wear makeup.

The two facewash I use with my Clarisonic are the Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Cleanser and the Origins Zero Oil Cleanser. These two are both targeted towards oily and acne-prone skin, and are both effective at making my face squeaky clean without being drying. I've noticed significantly less breakouts and smaller pores since I've started using these two products. The Michael Todd one has charcoal as one of its ingredients, which helps to draw out the impurities from your pores. The Origins one also has great natural ingredients in it including saw palmetto and salicylic acid which help to prevent future breakouts.

In the morning, I like to use something that's more gentle while also slightly exfoliating to get my face bright and smooth and ready for makeup. I usually will alternate between the Alpha Hydrox Foaming Facewash, Meishoku Detclear Fruits Peeling Jelly, and the REN Micro Polish. The Alpha Hydrox one has glyoclic acid in it, which works as a chemical exfoliant to gently exfoliate my face, while the REN one acts like a physical exfoliant. The Meishoku Peeling Jelly is a really cool and unique product in that it comes out like a jelly, but as you massage it into your skin it turns gritty, and you can actually see your dead skin coming off of your face, which gives me a strangely satisfying feeling. This contains both AHA and BHA, which again just helps to clear out your pores and exfoliate your skin.

One thing that I want to emphasize is that all of these cleansers are sulfate-free, which is the most important aspect that I look for when I buy cleansers. Sulfate is an ingredient that's found in many cleansers and shampoos; it acts as a surfactant and is what makes your cleansers foam. It is very harsh and drying on the skin, so I would recommend to read the ingredient lists before you buy any cleansers to make sure that it's sulfate-free. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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My Skincare Routine - Makeup Removers

Being a beauty addict I have quite an extensive skincare routine, so I've decided to break it up and go through each step one by one in details.

The first thing I do when I get home is to take off my makeup; I like to do it as soon as possible because as much as I like makeup I want my skin to be able to breath and repair itself. Nuxe Reve de Miel Cleansing Gel is my latest favorite makeup remover for my face. It is an oil-based makeup remover which I prefer because the oils in it really help to break down and dissolve the makeup. It has great natural ingredients in such as honey and sunflower oil which help to leave the skin moisturized. It's great for all types of skin, especially dry and sensitive skin.

Kiss Me Mascara Remover is a must-have if you wear waterproof mascaras everyday like I do. You just put it on like you would with a mascara, and it just instantly dissolves your mascara. I then take the Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover to remove the rest of my eye makeup. These two as a combo takes off my eye makeup like a dream without tugging at my eyes.

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