Last updated on July 27th, 2023 at 10:18 am
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Today, I will be sharing my current skincare routine and share a review of each product.
If you’ve read 50 facts about me, you’ll know that I have oily skin and never go to bed without washing my face.
To some people, my current skincare routine is pretty extensive but I consider this to be a self-care activity.
There is a difference in how your skin looks when you spend time on a proper skincare routine versus when you don’t. You’ll feel cleaner and better about yourself.
Without further ado, let’s get started on my current skincare routine.
My Current Skincare Routine Daily Products
Cleansers
1) DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
There are MANY reviews of this cleansing oil online saying how great it is.
I concur.
I’ve been a fan of this cleansing oil and have been using the product for years. In the past, I’ve tried switching cleansing oils but always end up coming back to this one.
Some of the other cleansing oils I’ve used are thin and watery. Instead of 2-3 pumps, like DHC, I need to double the number of pumps.
The few pumps from the DHC cleanser will make your skin feel clean but not tight after you rinse it off.
I hate cleansers that make me feel like the product is stripping away all of my natural oils.
It’s a product you can rely on because it does its job properly. I will continue to buy this cleanser in the future.
The only downside I would say is the scent. It smells like olive oil.
It might take some adjusting because you’ll feel like you’re using olive oil on your face. At first, I even thought I bought the wrong product because of the smell.
2) Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
Cosrx is a Korean brand that has a lot of good products in its line. One of them is their gel cleanser.
It’s another cleanser I’ve been using for years.
Similar to the DHC cleansing oil, Cosrx’s gel cleanser doesn’t dry out your skin after using it.
An important thing to note is that this product has a low pH. There might be people who might not know a lot about pH in skincare. Neither did I. This article in Allure magazine has a good explanation.
The scent is also weird in this one. It smells like tea tree oil. It’s not super unpleasant but I know people can be picky about this kind of thing.
The product also does not produce a lot of bubbles. In a way, it’s a good thing because the cleanser tends to leak quite a bit.
When I slept over at my friend’s house, I brought my cleanser with me to her house. When I unpacked my toiletries, the bottle was leaking and it got on my other products.
At first, I thought it was a faulty bottle but it happened with other bottles too.
Cosrx needs to seriously upgrade its packaging.
Double Cleansing Method
You might be thinking about why you need two different types of cleansers.
You start with an oil-based cleanser because it breaks down sebum and SPF. Then, you use a water-based cleanser, which goes deeper into your pores.
Think of the pollution, makeup, sunscreen, sweat, and oil on your face after one day.
Yeah, no thanks.
Double cleansing helps clean out all that gunk.
Toner
3) Thayers Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner
I’m one of those people that go on Buzzfeed daily. If you’re an avid reader, you’ll notice that there are always articles for skincare recommendations.
Thayers Witch Hazel Rose toner was a product that kept popping up so I got myself a bottle.
It is a soothing and gentle toner. It’s great for all skin care types, especially those with sensitive skin.
It’s always satisfying to see my cotton pad turn black. The toner took out the rest of the gunk in your pores that the cleansers missed.
This product helped with my stubborn pimple scars. My skin used to be quite red but the redness has gone down a lot.
Tip: put your toner in the fridge for a refreshing effect. If you live in a city or town that’s hot, you’ll welcome the coolness.
Moisturizer
4) Meishoku Whitening Eye Cream
People have different concerns with their under-eye area.
Some might struggle with puffiness or eye bags but mine is dark circles.
The skin under your eyes is extremely delicate so that’s why you should take extra care of that area.
Through research, I found out about this well-known Japanese product that ‘whitens’ the eye area.
In Asia, when they use the word ‘whitening,’ it doesn’t mean that they are bleaching your skin.
If you look at the ingredients, most contain niacinamide and/or vitamin c (ascorbic acid). When they use the word ‘whitening,’ what they really mean is brightening.
What’s great about this is that you don’t have to scoop up the eye cream. It’s more sanitary if you squeeze the product from a tube.
The cream itself has somewhat of a thick texture, which I like.
In terms of actually brightening my under eyes, I would say it’s okay. There is no noticeable difference.
However, I will admit that I haven’t been using eye cream as consistently compared to the rest of the products in my current skincare routine. Maybe the results would be different if I did.
5) Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum
When you first hear the name by itself, you might think it’s a bit strange. Mad Hippie?
The main reason for adding this to my current skincare routine is that I prefer brighter-looking skin.
I did grow up in Hong Kong after all. As for the beauty standards, I prefer brighter skin over tanner-looking skin.
I didn’t have high expectations of this vitamin c serum. After all, it’s not easy to find a vitamin C serum that works well and is decently priced.
This product has a bit of a sticky feeling when you pat it on your skin but it dries fast. You can barely feel the stickiness after.
It’s also in a dark bottle so it won’t oxidize as quickly. If the product turns a different colour, that’s when you know it’s going in the bin.
It’s a product I will continue to buy only if it’s not so hard to find. In Boston, I bought this serum at Whole Foods. Now that I’ve left, it’s a bit hard to find.
6) Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream
A vitamin c serum is not moisturizing enough alone.
You must add a thicker moisturizer.
I’m using a brand called Klairs. As the name suggests, this cream is moist and soothing.
Problem is, there are pore-clogging ingredients in this.
Many moisturizing creams have comedogenic ingredients in them. It’s a struggle to find true non-comedogenic products that are thick moisturizers.
Although I’ve been using this for a while now, especially during the winter, I’m ready to move on.
Not because the product isn’t good. In fact, I have nothing bad to say about it other than it clogs my pores.
I am firm in eventually switching all my skincare products to be non-comedogenic. Therefore, I will be on the lookout for another nourishing cream to replace this when I finally use it up.
7) Dr. G Brightening Up Sun SPF 42++
I first found out about this product from a Korean TV show called ‘Get it Beauty.’ One of their segments is called a ‘blind test.’
The goal is to test skincare and makeup products without knowing their brand name.
Subconsciously, the brand influences your thinking. By taking that away, the show can objectively rank the top few products in each category.
This product was a winner.
This Dr. G sunscreen is a light peach colour and has decent coverage. It blends in well on your skin instead of leaving a white cast, a common problem with sunscreens.
It would be better if it has a higher SPF but SPF 42 is pretty good already. The real downside is that this sunscreen is another product that has pore-clogging ingredients.
Although I’m not too worried about finding another sunscreen because it’s such hype in Asia.
By the way, if you don’t already, add sunscreen to your morning skincare routine.
My Current Skincare Routine Weekly Products
1) Dr. G Peeling Gel
Yes, this is another Dr. G product and one of my beauty favourites.
Before discovering this peeling gel, I tried all kinds of harsh scrubs as an exfoliator.
I realized the damage it does to your skin so I switched to a peeling gel.
You rub the product onto your skin in circles and eventually see the dead skin come off. It’s extremely satisfying.
Please be careful not to overdo it though.
I introduced my friend to this product. The first time she used it, she kept on going because she thought her skin could handle it. Her skin ended up being red and super sensitive for the next few days.
On the bright side, it showed that this peeling gel is gentle and effective.
You’ll feel an immediate difference in your skin. It’s softer and smoother.
I use this without fail every week.
2) Clean & Clear Acne Triple Clear Clay Mask
For the longest time, I used Innisfree’s clay mask. It’s another popular product in Asia.
Then I found out the product contains hydrogenated vegetable oil, a pore-clogging ingredient.
I went to the drugstore one day and found the Clean & Clear clay mask. It’s neat because it doubles as a cleanser and a mask (but I only use it as a clay mask).
You leave it on for 2-3 minutes before washing it off.
This is the product to use if you’re short on time. Many clay masks suggest you to leave it on for 10-15 minutes. This product cuts the time by more than half.
I’ve only started using the product very recently so I need to wait for a bit and see the results before making commenting further.
So far, I think it’s okay though. I certainly love how fast it takes to work.
3) Sheet Masks
You might notice there is no brand attached to what sheet masks I use.
That’s because I switch different brands so it really depends on what I have at the moment.
There hasn’t been one I found I particularly love yet but I’m hoping I’ll discover one eventually.
Face masks are considered stay-at-home facials. You pop those babies at night on for about 15-30 minutes.
When the time is up, you take it off and pat the remaining essence on your face.
You’ll feel nice and moisturized after.
On the days you use a sheet mask, you don’t need to put on additional moisturizer.
The best part is that when you wake up the next morning, the right mask will still make your skin silky soft.
Final Thoughts – My Current Skincare Routine
Ta-da!
Does my current skincare routine seem like a lot?
But did you know it’s already considered a toned-down version compared to my previous routine?
I’m working on making all my skincare to be non-comedogenic. If you’re interested in doing that as well, Acne Clinic NYC has a great webpage that helps you check pore-clogging ingredients.
In my post, I avoided talking about prices. The truth is, all the skincare products I used are reasonably priced. I’m not one to splurge a lot on each skincare product because I buy quite a few products. It all adds up and I don’t think that at my age, I need to go crazy with expensive skincare. Yet, at least.
Now to You – My Current Skincare Routine
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Xoxo,
Nicole