ATM: My Skincare Routine, Post-Facial

After my facial at Porcelain, the Face Spa (Read about it here.) and completing the SK-II's 10-day Stempower Challenge, I have been keeping a very simple, essentials-only skincare routine in a hope to maintain the smoothness and clarity of my skin as long as possible. I have been enjoying every minute of this routine because even after I have applied everything, my skin still feels light, comfortable and like it can breathe. And yes, the condition of my post-facial skin has been maintained well enough for me to just slip on a light layer of B.B. cream these days. (:

I heard so much about Bioderma's Créaline H2O that I just decided to get the 500ml bottle from Eliza. This removes all my makeup easily with just 2 pieces of cotton pads. I make sure to pour enough so that the entire cotton pad is wet. If I were to drench it instead, I find that a significant amount gets into my eyes when I'm removing my eye makeup and it hurts. So just use what you need, though it can be a little difficult controlling the amount you pour out from the 500ml bottle. (: The remover also leaves my skin feeling refreshed and moisturized and so, it is perfect for days when I come home and don't want to take a shower immediately (The first thing I do when I come home is to remove all my makeup.). I also use this to remove sunscreens. (:

My skin always get the most care out of Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser. I found this in my teens and even though I do use other cleansers, I will always go back to this. It doesn't leave my skin feeling squeaky skin and neither does it leave my skin feeling tight. However, I don't recommend this as a makeup remover, though this is a function it also serves. It never ever removes every single trace of my makeup.

Witch Hazel & Rose Water Cleansing Toner can be found at Watsons or NTUC Unity outlets. This is also another gem I uncovered in my teens. It is alcohol-free and refreshes and provides just enough moisture to my skin. There are days when I stay at home and I don't have any makeup on. During the afternoons, when my face gets too oily, I will douse a cotton pad with the toner, swipe it across my face and apply my moisturizer.

Hada Labo's Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion is another favourite of mine. I use this to moisturize and prep my skin for my moisturizer. This isn't too heavy for me; I always start patting the lotion onto my cheeks first and then, using whatever lotion that is left on my T-zone. I understand that Taiwan has the light version and I will definitely get that when I go there next year and see if there's any difference.

Jorubi's Aloe Vera Gel contains 99% pure Aloe Vera. I used this to heal the little red marks I got from the facial (These marks are normal! My facial therapist had to make little wounds on my face to get rid of the clogged pores.). I now use this to calm any redness on my face (Around my nose, especially.) and also on small pimples. One thing that I really love about this is that when this gel touches your skin, it feels very cooling! Even when you didn't place it in the fridge!

Last but not least, La Roche-Posay's Toleraine Fluid. Initially, I started out with the Hydraphase Intense Légère, which isn't oil-free, and I used this before my facial. During my facial, my facial therapist noticed that there was a lot of sebum trapped right beneath my skin surface. She told me that my skin was dehydrated, and not dry. One indication of dehydration is your skin feeling oily when the surface of it looks dry. What my skin is lacking in is water, and not oil. Hence, I got the Toleraine Fluid and it has been doing a splendid job in hydrating my skin. I do apply this more than twice everyday. Each time my skin starts to feel a little dry (Happens a lot when I'm in an air-conditioned room.), I rinse my face with water (Instead of using the toner.) and apply the moisturizer.

Being a beauty junkie, I, most certainly, use other products too. I just got the St. Ives' oil-free Green Tea Scrub. Previously, I used the Apricot one and I really enjoyed it. But Green Tea triumphs over everything, so I got it instead. I find that the Green Tea is more drying than the Apricot one, so I use this only once a week. I like that it contains 1% Salicylic Acid, an anti-acne agent that works very well with my skin, and it leaves my skin feeling baby-smooth. But I will probably return to the Apricot one after this.

I am still using SK-II's Stempower at night, alternating it with La Roche-Posay's Toleraine Fluid and especially when I switch on the air-conditioner. I reviewed it recently, when I joined the SK-II's 10-day Stempower Challenge, and you can read it here. I'm only in my early 20's but I do agree with the axiom, prevention is better than cure. The Stempower isn't too rich for me and as seen from my Magic Ring Counselling, has produced pretty amazing results for me. (:

This entry is really wordy but I hope it has been helpful! Thanks for reading! (: