Skincare Routine
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Hello you fluffy human being .｡;･+ヾ(♥◕ฺ∀◕ฺ)ﾉﾟ:｡･+
Well I've always been receiving questions regarding skin care and how I look after my skin; I thought maybe it is time to do a detailed skin care routine post u w u To be really honest, I do not stick to my skin care routines and trust me I've had quite a few. The products I've used are ones that can be found in my local supermarkets and I do not do much research before hand about them other than reading other people's reviews. Please do not get scared by the number of bottles I have because I do not use all of them at once~
I have oily - combination skin! I don't get oily around whole T-zone area though; my oily place is just my forehead but my nose sweats a lot~ Other places, such as my cheeks aren't oily but they do get these tiny pimples every now and then.
Here are the items that I currently have~ I guess I have one bottle of every essential skin care product: face wash, exfoliator, toner, mist, face cream. I do not think that my skin requires those really fancy products such as day cream or night cream because I feel like my skin isn't up to that stage yet. However, I do plan on purchasing an eye cream really soon because that is one of my must haves during university.
From left to right we have:
Kaidei Smooth Rosette Cleansing Paste ("Green", got this from someone who sells Japanese goodies)
Dove's Go Fresh Face Cleanser ("All skin types", got this from Pak'n'save)
Neutrogena's Rapid Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub (got this from Pak'n'save)
St. Ives's Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub (got this from Pak'n'save)
Seaweed Clarifying Toner (got this from The Body Shop)
Avene's Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water ("Sensitive Skin", got this from a Life Pharmacy)
Bio oil (got this from Pak'n'save)
La Reine's Intensive Placenta Cream (got this from my mum)
Merino's 97% Pure Aloe Vera Gel pH Balanced (got this from my mum)
This is pretty much the order I go for~
Kaidei Smooth Rosette Cleansing Paste (in "Green")
Before any questions are asked where I purchased this one, I actually bought this directly off a Chinese seller (my friend's friend) based in New Zealand, who sells Japanese things in general - 代购. Basically he would buy our items off a friend he has in Japan, and then ship it over to us. I do not recommend buying things this way because it was hella pricey - n - around 25$.
I also received another bottle from a really good friend who went to Japan for a school trip and he said that the supermarket was having a sale and it was buy one get another for a certain price. So right now I have another green one and pink one stored away hoho u w u It was no more than $10.
I am sure you can get this facial cleansing paste off eBay or Amazon.
I actually got this item because I was browsing through cleansers one day and a lot of people recommended this type of cleanser. The Kaidei Smooth Rosette Cleansing Paste is a series of facial cleansing pastes that comes in four different colours. This series of cleansing pastes also received a ranking in a recent COSME raknking~
Green: unclogs pores + limits black heads, strongest cleansing paste of the whole series.
Sea Mud.
(suitable for oily and combination skin types.)
"It contains botanical extracts and mineral-rich sea mud. It can work up a rich, elastic lather. The powder dust and fine sea mud found in the foam can absorb excess oil and impurities. It cleanses in a very comfortable way without drying the face. Also the rose fruit extract helps tighten skin.Rosette Cleansing Paste Acne Clear A medicated cleansing foam that contains Clay Sea Mud and Gasuru to remove sebum, pore dirts and dead skin cells while Glycyrrhiza and oriental plants moisturise and give anti-inflammatory action. It exudes a fresh green fragrance. No colourants and mineral oil."
Yellow: brightens skin, strongest anti-ageing paste of the whole series.
White Clay.
(suitable for all skin types)
"It contains fine-grained white clay powder to cleanse in a comfortable way without drying the face. It adsorbs sebum and removes dead skin cells and impurities, causes of dull complexion, and promotes turnover. Skin is left plump and silky smooth. It also contains hyaluronic acid and collagen to moisture for silky, smooth and firm skin."
Pink: contains collagen + exfoliates, strongest hydrating paste of the whole series.
(Suitable for dry skin)
"It's formulated with Moroccan rhassoul powder and Argan oil. Argan oil, rich in vitamin E oil and polyphenols, works to preserves beautiful skin. Maintain skin's healthy glow! It adsorbs sebum and removes dead skin cells and impurities, causes of dull complexion, and promotes turnover."
Blue: smooths skin + best for those with pimples.
(Suitable for acne skin)
Note: I only use this cleanser at night if I was out for the whole day.
This facial cleansing paste comes in a squeeze bottle and it is really soft ; u ; I reckon because the paste is really thick, it doesn't just flow out when you squeeze the bottle. This apparently foams up a handful amount but I've never foamed it as much as they show in pictures on Taobao otl. I guess you need to foaming sponges not hands sighh. I've been using this for the past year and around 1/5 is left now~
I also use this paste to remove make up after I remove make up with olive oil haha.
The paste is a silvery, greenish paste with the smell of the ocean u w u This is super cleansing and I could feel my skin squeaky clean after every wash. Because this is super cleansing, it can leave your skin stripped and you will break out because of this. But I have combination skin, slightly to the oiler side, so this has been okay for me. Ever since using this paste, I feel like my skin is a lot less oilier than before and I broke out only once last year, during exams.
As for the black head part of this paste, I guess it didn't do much for me because my black heads neither increased or decreased otl. I guess it just didn't work for my black heads because they are pretty deep down in the pores.
Well I still have two more Rosette pastes in my storage cupboard right now so I guess I would have to finish using these ones before I purchase another Japanese cleanser.
Dove's Go Fresh Face Cleanser (in "All skin types")
I got this from a local supermarket for around $6 or $7. I actually used the combination skin one before this bottle but it wasn't in stock when I wanted to repurchase it; so I got this one instead. This is an alternative to my Rosette one. Although my Rosette paste has been good to me so far but I am afraid that it will betray me one day and BABAM break out strikes.
I got this cleanser because this series had a combination skin one and I had a really enjoyable experience with it. However, in comparison to the Rosette paste, this series has a more gentle cleansing quality. My face never felt squeaky clean using these facial cleansers.
Note: I usually use this in the mornings~
I use this cleanser in the mornings if I go out during the day, i.e- school. When you sleep, your face makes healthy oils and it is a shame to strip everything off using the Rosette paste. I also use this cleanser before I wear any make up u w u I've been using this a little less than a year and around 1/3 is left now.
You can see that the Dove cleaner is more liquidy in comparison to the paste. This cleanser foams up really well just using your hands! If that is the case, using a proper foaming net will have plenty bubbles yay~ This cleanser smells like fresh cucumbers.
I won't be repurchasing this cleanser again because I would like to go on another hunt for the one and only cleanser u w u
Neutrogena's Rapid Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub
Here's another thing I purchased because it said "eliminating blackheads". My life is so blackhead centred yikes. This scrub was purchased before I discovered the Rosette paste ; u ; I've been using this for around a year and still half the bottle is left. I hope I could finish this soon.
Here's a good tip for you all ; u ; don't buy everything blackheads related because I feel so wasteful(?) I think this is like another exfoliator and it leaves this refreshing sensation after you finish scrubbing~ I think this was pricier than the Dove cleanser, so probably around $10 but I really don't remember.
Note: I use this when I feel like it.
As you can see in one of the first pictures, I already have a exfoliating cleanser u w u I am thinking about using this scrub for my face and the other one for my body now because a bean's size squeeze already takes you pretty far~ This scrub doesn't bubble much(?) It is kinda like a cream cleanser.
This has a creamy and smooth texture; the orange beads are the scrubs particles! If you rub this scrub a bit too hard on your face, it doesn't hurt too bad. After you cleanse everything off, it leaves your skin really soft u w u I usually use this scrub every two or three days, if I remember to that is. I use this either after my Rosette paste or my Dove cleanser! This scrub has those typical cleanser smells but a bit creamier.
I don't think I will be repurchasing this one anymore because I hardly use it otl.
St. Ives's Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
I think St. Ive's scrubs are really popular among teenagers and the price is really good - 白菜价格! This is currently my second bottle and the previous one lasted for a good two and a half years. I had to throw the previous one away because it started to smell kinda funny or maybe I was just paranoid ; n ;
If I had to pick between this scrub and the Neutrogena scrub, I'd definitely choose this one because it is a lot cheaper and it pretty much does this same thing. I use this as a body scrub too! If you use this as a body scrub, you'd need three beans' amount.
Note: I use this scrub whenever I wash my hair.
I wash my hair once every two to three days and I use this scrub as a body scrub when I wash my hair. It leaves my whole body soft like a baby's butt ; u ; This scrub produces a really minimal amount of foam~ I realised that this scrub doesn't work for everyone, especially those with sensitive skin! My skin is no way near sensitive and this scrub has always been kind to me ; n ;
This paste has more beads than the Neutrogena scrub and the beads are smaller too. It doesn't have a citric smell but more of a sweet, apricot smell. Well it does say apricot so no surprises here. I think it does an extreme good job at exfoliating too. It probably does the same as those Skinfood scrubs that I've seen around lately.
I will probably repurchase this scrub but in another scent u w u
The Body Shop's Seaweed Clarifying Toner
This is a pricey toner, I think it is a bit less than $25 dollars. This is my second bottle of The Body Shop's seaweed toner. I used the vitamin E toner before and it didn't do much so I switched to this one because it is for oily - combination skin yay! I basically purchase whatever that is combination skin related.
One thing I noticed after using this toner for a long time is that it definitely did some sort of magic on my skin. My skin is a lot clearer now! However, I don't see any changes to my pores - n - One bottle usually lasts around half a year and because it is so pricey, I try to use like a coin's size of liquid.
Note: I do use this every morning and night.
Sometimes I wouldn't even bother washing my face with cleansers but I would definitely wear this toner. However, this was before I purchase the Avene mist. I think that my skin became a lot better when I stopped using cleansers every morning and night. That's why I only wash my face with cleansers when I am going out during the day. However, sometimes I do leave the house with nothing but sunscreen on. This toner smells like the ocean too!
I think I am going to try another toner after this one ; u ; I am still on the search for the one and only!
Avene's Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water
This is one pricey mist, I think it was around $35 - n - I got this because a really close friend of mine kept recommending it to me and it does feel great on my skin so I purchased one during boxing day last year! The big bottles are cheaper than the smaller bottles oh my. I've read quite a few reviews on this mist too and every one said it is pretty good, especially those with combination skin.
The mist is really fine! However, it is a hassle bringing this mist everywhere so I bought a smaller spray bottle from a local Japanmart and sprayed this mist into the spray bottle u w u I also did that because there was no way I am bring this huge bottle back to China with me.
I shake this before I use it every time and when you shake it, the whole bottle turns a bit cooler than before too u w u It is a solid metal spray bottle, kinda like those whip cream ones but slimmer. It sprays out a really fine mist, leaving your face refreshed and lovely. However, the mist doesn't cover the full face.
Although it says "for sensitive skin", I think every skin type can use it? I mean I am combination and that's already two skin types and it works pretty good for me. I think after using this mist, my pores refined a bit more. I actually only bought this mist and my Rosette paste back to China with me and for a whole month, I only used these two products.
During the time I was in China, my face did get quite oily because I was missing a moisturiser and I was missing a toner. However, the places that I would always break out in never broke out. I had a few pimples around my chin because I was 上火 due to the food and I didn't drink water that much. I was pretty shocked to see that my face was better than any other time in my teenage years?!!
During my three years in high school, my face has never been as clear as it was during that one month in China ; u ; I was really happy. I also just started using this mist during the very days of 2015. This mist is actually slowly replacing my toner because sometimes I would leave the house with this + sunscreen. It is also great at setting make up! I spray this before I apply make up and after I finish. So basically before BB cream and after powder.
Bio Oil
I am sure you guys are all familiar with this oil. I was first introduced to this by my family doctor when I had chicken pox! He said that it will heal my scars and return my skin to its original state. However, I was too lazy to use this - n - regrets oml. I do know that this oil is a little on the pricier side and I think that it is a really good investment if it works for you!
I've heard from a few of my anons that Bio Oil doesn't work for them at all. However, my experience with this oil is actually surprisingly pleasant. My pimple scars on my forehead are slowly fading away during last year because I started using this oil; I've had those spots since year 9 and I had no hopes for them. The spots around my temples faded really fast too! Faster than my forehead pimples but they were around the same age. The dark pimples marks around my chin area faded really quickly after using this oil, around one month maximum because these spots were fresh, unlike my forehead pimples.
I have stretch marks around my hip. Believe it or not, I actually got them within a night? I remember that I was at a local Macdonalds earlier that day and during that night, my whole hip area burned up. I kept itching them and the there were stretch-mark-like bumps around my whole hip area. I could see blood seeping through the bumps sigh. I had to wake my mum up during the middle of the night ; n ; It was that bad. I hope this does something to my stretch marks.
The plastic bottle is really soft so you could easily squeeze a few drops out ; u ; one drop is enough for my whole face and I usually pore a coin's size if I have to apply this to my hips! I know that this oil is recommend by a lot of mums out there because it helped them with their stretch marks!
Note: I use this after the mist/toner~
This oil has a really strong perfume-like scent. I think it isn't too bad. I remember the my first impression of this oil is "wow it smells nice". I don't have that impression anymore because I am used to the scent now. I will definitely repurchase another bottle because I really like this u w u This is actually my second bottle!
La Reine's Intensive Placenta Cream
The logos and titles slowly rubbed off within the time I used this otl. But it is a New Zealand branded moisturiser and it is ones that you can get in those stores that sell New Zealand souvenirs! My mum bought a lot back to China for her friends and this is a spare one. This is actually just a cream I started using because I was missing one when I went back to China and I finished The Body Shop one.
I think the packaging was really cute before everything rubbed off and it is quite cute now too u w u Pink and white works wonderfully together! Here's half the logo left - u - I think I started using this moisturiser not only because there was this one around, but because it includes Manuka honey, bee propolis, aloe vera, green tee and vitamin E. Basically this cream helps to brighten your skin!
As you can see, almost half is gone after a month's usage. That's because I used this as a body cream when I didn't bring mine to the shower too~ It has a really floral scent with a hint of honey. I think it smells like spring u w u
Note: I use this cream on places I didn't apply bio oil on. I don't always use this cream
I think this is a relatively light cream! However, I still feel that my skin is relatively oily after a whole day when I used this in China. When I went back to New Zealand and had my normal skincare routine back, my forehead isn't as oily as before but still relatively oily.
Merino's 97% Pure Aloe Vera Gel pH Balanced
This aloe vera gel is my favourite! You may be wondering why I even have a bottle of aloe vera gel as a part of my skincare routine; I have this because it acts like a face mask and it leaves my face really lovely and fresh during the mornings.
Basically I apply this massage this gel onto my face before bed and just leave it in for the whole night. This gel is the reason why I can just leave the house without cleansing my face! Every morning I wake up, my face isn't oily at all. It just looks great and super hydrated. This gel is pretty magical to be honest.
Note: I use this before bed as a face mask, if I remember that is.
Aloe vera is highly rated by the whole beauty industry as it can treat sun burns and it is known for its hydrating qualities. Not only can you use this on your face, you can basically use this for anything: pimples, bug bites, cuts and it works wonders on scars apparently. It gives a cool and soothing sensation when you apply this to your face u w u
It is such an adorable blob oh my. I have literally no complaints about this and I guess my previous pimple scars are fading rather quickly when I started using this and the bio oil. This is something I would for sure repurchase and I highly recommend aloe vera gels!
I don't expect instant results with my current skincare routine but I feel like that after adding Avene's mist, my skin do feel a lot clearer and brighter. The aloe vera gel is something that surprised me the most so far because it left my skin refreshed and hydrated the next day. It is almost like a sleeping masks that doesn't require me to wash my face the next day!
My skin isn't the greatest. I've seen plenty of those who have literally no flaws in their skin. My childhood friend, whom I met up with when I went back to China, have the most clearest and flawless skin I've ever seen. You may think that she tries plenty of products but she doesn't use anything and she stays away from face masks. Her skin literally as smooth as a baby's butt and I am not even exaggerating.
The thing with skincare is that sometimes we don't need pricey products, we don't even need a lot of products to make our skin happy; we need products that are suitable for our skin. Therefore I do not recommend following someone else's skincare routine just because their skin is perfect. The products work for them but not necessarily for you!
Two important factors that have great impacts on everyone's skin are sleep and water. Sleeping late does so much damage to your skin. that even face masks won't be able to replenish your skin to its original state. Drinking plenty of water is really important; I mean your body is almost made up with water!
Anyways, I thought I'd give you the order of my skincare routine again in case you are confused:
1. Cleanser: Morning - Dove / Night - Rosette
(If I stay at home the whole day, I use Dove when I shower. I only wash my face with Dove in the morning if I have to go out during the day or I have to apply make up.)
2. Scrub: Neutrogena - face / St Ives - body
(I use scrubs every time I wash my hair.)
2. Seaweed Toner / Avene's Mist
(I normally spray mist on when I wake up and I will continue spraying it throughout my day if I am staying at home. I apply toner if I wash my face with cleansers; and then I spray the mist on.)
3. Bio oil
(I massage this into my scars and spots; usually my forehead, my temples, my chin and my cheeks.)
4. La Reine's Cream
(Sometimes I leave the house without this because I feel like it's too heavy and I don't necessarily apply this on at night.)
5. Aloe Vera Gel
(I've worn this out during the day before as a day cream and if I remember or is bothered, this is my sleeping mask.)
I guess this is it for my skincare routine! I am not a really dedicated person to this order though~ I hope this answers all your questions and fulfils your curiousity u w u Thank you for reading this post and I hope that you will have a wonderful Valentines day. Remember that you don't always need someone else to make you happy. I guess the next skincare related post will be the DIY face masks, part 1.
2 comments
Excellent skincare routine! I made a similar post in my blog and I hope you check it out. I'm trying to grow my blog and I hope you follow me back. Thanks!
ReplyDeletehttp://poshmakeupnstuff.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-face-cleansing-routine-and-products.html
Oh my god girl..
ReplyDeleteMy friend currently in japan and she found this rosette paste only for 4$ 😂 it is hella cheap if you buy it yourself.