Skin Care Routine - The Basics

Introduction

This is gonna be the most BASIC skin care routine I’ll ever post up.

For in depth information and specifics, feel free to ask :)

The flawless skin everyone wishes to achieve is really simple.

Although I’m only going to explain the skin care routine, take note that your dietwill affect your skin as well. Eat many dark green veggies, keep a balanced diet, and trust me on this, fish oil really helps. It’s not as gross as it sounds. Plus, fish oil promotes great looking skin & hair, healthy heart, healthy joints, eye & nervous system development, and improve learning. Drinking water will also help a lot. It flushes out the toxins in your body, promoting brighter and cleaner skin.

Skin care routine

Cleanse - Use a cleanser that it suitable for your skin type (dry, oily, or combination). Gels are usually recommended for oily & combination skin, whereas a cream cleanser would be best suited for dry skin. Always, alwayscleanse your skin completely of makeup before you go to bed. Pat dry the skin after wards.

Exfoliate - Exfoliate at least once to twice a week, unless you’re using one of those gentle daily exfoliators. This will slough off dead skin cells, unclog pores, and promote better skin renewal. Exfoliating is essential to prevent dead skin cells from clogging your pores, and from overproduction of sebum. This is the most common way that pimples/acne is formed. Pat dry the skin after wards.

Tone - A toner suitable for your skin type and needs should be applied after you have dried your skin from cleansing. Probably the most simple step in the routine.

Moisturize - Moisturize your skin afterwards, no matter what kind of skin you have, even if you’re oily. If you do not moisturize your skin, it would become even more oilier because the skin is lacking its moisture, therefore producing more sebum. Find a moisturizer that is specialized for your skin type, then life would be alot easier. Never go for those one-size-fits-all products. Those are just clever ways to lure you in. 

Protection from the sun - Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the most important steps you should take, especially if you go out often. UVA & UVB rays will kill your skin cells (tanned skin is just dead skin), and causes wrinkles to appear faster. Although most people want to become tanner, going to a tanning salon is literally asking for cancer. Many sunscreens for the face is specially developed to be oil-free, and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. If sunscreen isn’t for you, wear a hat that covers your face well. 

That’s basically it. 

Some of you may have prescribed products that are specialized for your needs, but your dermatologist/pharmacist should be able to advise on how and when to use it in your daily skin routine. 

I hoped this has helped :)
Questions & comments are most welcome~ 

Laneige - Snow Crystal Dual Foundation

A really cute foundation and concealer in travel-friendly packaging.
A product that I’ve been wanting to try, but hesitant because of the price.
The reviews that I’ve seen for this seem to be fairly good though, averaged to 4.3/5. 

Hmmmm…

Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Description: “This miracle eyeshadow primer is unmatched by any other in the beauty industry! The genie in this bottle fulfills three wishes: eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing. Apply Primer Potion to lids before shadow application. It dries down almost instantly (and invisibly), creating smooth lids that are super powered eyeshadow magnets.”

Review: This was bought at Sephora for about.. $24 CAN.

So, allow me to be the gazillionth reviewer on this fantastic product.
This is used by many make-up junkies and make-up gurus alike, and it seems to be an HJ product for most. Since I have oily-lids and pencil liners tend to smudge on me (liquid is pretty resistant though), I thought it would be a great idea to try this out. Apparently, it’s really handy if you have oily-lids!  

After trying it for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised that the primer started out as a creamy texture, to powdery after you have spread it on your eyelid. It helps keep eyeshadows vibrant, or dark, if you’re going for a smoky look. It also really helped with my eyeliner problem! I was happy with that.

Primers are supposed to provide a barrier on the skin, so makeup can adhere better, to make eyeshadows more vibrant, and help makeup last longer.

Quality of product: Great texture, lasts long, helped with my pencil liner problem.

Quality of packaging: Although the packaging is very cute and did look like a little potion bottle, after reading many reviews, I’m afraid that I’d have to cut it open to get the rest of the product. 

Pros:

• quite inexpensive for such a quality product
• can be bought in 3 different formulas
• does its job very well :)

Cons:

• packaging may not be very convenient
• may be very drying to skin types other than oily/combination

Rating:5/5

“Your makeup should never enter the room before you do”

—

Rona Berg

C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries - Rose Salve

Description: “Developed by Bigelow Chemists. This finished product is not tested on animals.

Our Rose Salve, loved for its ability to beautify skin, uses extra Rose Extract to help soothe and condition.”

Review: Bought this at Bath & Bodyworks for about $5 CAN.

Okay, I’ll admit it. This is glorified Vaseline. But I still find it so lovely~ The packaging, the scent, and the texture are all so appealing to me. Especially the scent. I could sniff it all day.

I mainly use it for my lips, but it really helps moisturize my elbows and my cuticles. It does not leave a sticky residue like Vaseline, has a slight pink tint, and smells wonderful. Leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized, plus since it’s multi-purpose, I don’t need to buy another lip balm, or an intense moisturizer. 

Quality of product: A great moisturizer with no stickiness, just a really yummy and useful product. Lasts for a very long time.

Quality of packaging: I love the vintage tin design. Although I’ve heard that some people have a problem with opening it, I have no problem. It was hard at first, but now it opens pretty easily and smoothly. 

Pros:

• smells wonderful
• the packaging is cute/vintage
• affordable
• lasts for a very long time
• multipurpose moisturizer

Cons:

• basically just glorified petroleum jelly

Rating:5/5

Joico - K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor

Description: “Joico’s original intensive protein reconstructor for dry and damaged hair rebuilds and improves the structure of hair. pH 4.5 to 5.5. Contains QUADRAMINE COMPLEX, an exclusive blend of low molecular weight and size proteins (MWS 150 - 2500). This balance of 19 essential amino acids (the building blocks of hair) adheres quickly and effectively to ensure maximum protection and reconstruction from the cuticle to the cortex. Color-Safe.” 

Review: This is not a cheap product by any means. I bought this at Shoppers for about $25 CAN. The highest price I’ve seen for this product is $30 US.

This product helped strengthen, and actually reconstruct my hair. I recommend this product for anyone who’s hair has gone through dying, highlighting, perming, or any kind of chemical treatment. It heals your hair in ways that a conditioner can’t. This is a penetrating product, to put it simply. It does not coat, but reconstructs your hair from the inside out. 

Joico claims that it has a tropical and fresh fragrance. To me, it smells like a coconut/tropical kind of scent. Not the worst scent, but it could be better. 

Oh and one important thing you should know, Joico K-Pak Reconstructor is NOT meant to replace your conditioner! You must use it in conjunction with your conditioner as this treatment is not meant to add slip, soften, add shine, or moisture to your hair. 

Quality of product: It’s a great product, only if you know how to use it. Since this is a professional salon product, the directions are very sparse, very vague. It is said to simply “Apply to damp hair. Leave in for 5 minutes. Rinse.” but it does not tell you that you should only use this once to twice a week, and that it is NOT a conditioner. Only use this up to twice a week, even to the most damaged hair. Overuse of protein in the hair can actually cause your hair to be brittle and dry. 

This is a treatment. It is meant to be used after your shampoo and conditioning. It rebuilds your hair using the 19 amino acids in the Quadramine Complex. It does not condition, it does not moisturize, it does not detangle, it simply rebuilds the structure of your hair, filling in the structural holes in your hair and making your tresses stronger, more resilient, reduces breakage, resulting in healthier hair. 

Hair is basically dead protein (as with your fingernails). As a general rule, a healthy lifestyle leads to healthy hair, nails, skin..etc. Many products like Pantene, TRESemme, and BioSilk contain silicone. Although silicone does make your hair appear shinier, feel smoother, and look healthier, it does not penetrate inside the shaft to actually repair damage and reconstruct your hair, like proteins and amino acids. What silicone does is that it coats your hair, it acts as a barrier (just think plastic wrap), preventing nutrients from other conditioners/treatments/masks from penetrating deeply into the hair. It makes your hair look and feel healthier, but that is because it is only a coat, and not deeply conditioning. 

Joico’s K-Pak line is made to restore and rebuild, and over time, hair will become much stronger, there will be less chance of breakage, split ends, and hair will become healthier, and not just appear healthy.

For the consistency, I think that the product looks yogurty and fluffy. I think it is because of the yeast present in the formula. It spreads very easily so there is no need to use very much of this product. 

Quality of packaging: Comes in a typical squeeze bottle. Durable cap.

Pros:

• strengthens hair from the inside out
• delivers much needed nutrients and proteins to the hair
• fills holes in the structure
• it works!
• recommended

Cons:

• expensive
• scent may be off putting
• vague directions (only because it is a salon product)

Rating:5/5