Skin Care Routine

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 | 64 Comments

This post is about my skincare routine.

I was hesitant to do a skincare post mostly because everyone’s skin is different and what works for me might not work for others.

But I’ve gotten this question in comments & emails so much, I thought posting it would be beneficial for myself & others. And since my skincare routine doesn’t change very often it’ll be relevant for a long time.

Let me just say I don’t consider myself any sort of skincare guru. I’m just posting my current routine. I’ve been using the same products for about 3 years now and I’m very happy with them!

I’ll start out with describing my skin type!

I have an oily T-zone with other areas prone to dryness. I am also extremely acne-prone. I cannot stress that enough. I run a good 90% chance risk that any new facial products such as moisturizer, foundation, concealer, primer, and face mask will give me pimples. Because of my acne prone skin my routine is extremely strict and high-maintenance. However, when I follow it strictly I can go weeks, sometimes a few months without a single blemish! This is like night & day compared to my old blemish covered face.

Everything below looks more taxing than it truly is;
I was just being really thorough and wanted to completely cover everything.

Honestly this routine only takes me a few minutes a day.

Cleansing & Treatment

products in this routine

Most of my daily products are from Clinique’s Acne line.

In the morning I wash my face with Clinque Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam. Next I apply a thin layer of Clinique’s Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer. If I happen to have a pimple or maybe a spot where I can feel a pimple starting to come in, I apply Clinique’s Acne Solutions Emergency Gel-Lotion over the area.

After work (around 5:00) I come home and typically remove my makeup with another cleansing. I do this about every other day especially in summer. This may be too drying for others but it’s a must for me. If I know I’m going out that night I’ll leave my makeup on instead. But if I do that too many days in a row (3 or more) I’ll end up with a blemish! Never fails.

After work I use a different cleanser. I use Neutrogena’s One Step Gentle Cleanser because it’s also a makeup remover and does a good job on somewhat heavy eye makeup but also doesn’t break me out.

(*If my eye makeup is extra heavy though I’ll use Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover and Clinique’s Mild Facial Soap for my face instead.)

I follow that with just applying a very small amount of Clinique’s Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer again and their Emergency Gel-Lotion over any blemish that I might have.

(*I usually skip this cleansing on weekends b/c it’s not needed plus I’m usually out all day.)

At night I wash my face once again. This time I almost always use Clinique’s Mild Facial Soap for a quick, not too soapy, rinse.

(*unless I’m wearing makeup obviously, then I’d use the Neutragena cleanser here instead.)

If I have a trouble spot where I feel new blemishes are trying to appear I’ll use Clinique’s Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion over these areas. Though it’s a “lotion” it’s more of a toner. It’s extremely drying so I only use it when I have blemishes otherwise I skip it. Every night I reapply a thin layer of Clinique’s Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer again and the Emergency Gel-Lotion over any visible blemish areas.

I follow all of those routines with a moisturizer…

Moisturizing

products used

I use two moisturizers.

Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer and CVS Luminous Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream.

I only use the Ultra-Calming daily moisturizer in the morning after applying the Clinique products. It’s the last thing I put on before I start applying makeup. The night cream I use after my post-work and night routines.

Makeup

products used

Missha M BB Cream
Benefit Boi-ing Concealer
Benefit Get Even Powder
Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer
Victoria’s Secret Fluid Concealer

Including my basic full-face makeup routine with this just because I think it goes hand-in-hand with a skin routine especially for acne-prone skin.

Blemish Free Face:
I apply some Missha BB Cream working out from the base of my nose covering my face evenly but also lightly. I keep it thin. I then add another small drop for chin and under eyes separately. Next I dab on some of Benefit’s BOI-ING under eye concealer to hide dark under eye circles. I follow that with an all over application of Benefit’s Get Even Pressed Powder with a large kabuki brush. Done

If There’s a Blemish:
First I’ll take my concealer brush and dab a little (very little) of Clinique’s Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer in “Light” over the blemish. I then add a tiny bit of Victoria’s Secret Fluid Concealer in “Light 10″ over the area if it’s particularly red blending with my concealer brush. Next I grab Missha BB Cream and follow the “Blemish Free” instructions above!

Sometimes I’ll come back over the blemish areas with a tiny extra dab of the BB Cream in extreme coverage-need cases.

Other Stuff

There are other various things I do to keep my skin healthy and clear. I’ll list those here. These are things that are either indirectly beneficial or products I might not use daily or didn’t fit into the other routine categories.

Collagen - I wrote this post about taking daily Collagen supplements. I’m still taking them daily.

Hair, Skin and Nails daily vitamins - Something I wrote about more recently. This is a multivitamin but it also contains collagen.

Water - drinking lots of water! It’s something I’m always forcing myself to do. I do this best when it’s water from a washable Starbucks Customizable Cold Cup. I have one at home & one at work. If I have a breakout I switch to only drinking water! No tea, no coffee, no soda JUST WATER. And it clears it up more quickly than if I don’t do this switch.

Clean Scene Gaga for Glow Gentle Facial Scrub - A must for me in winter! I started using it this past winter because I get bad dry winter skin no matter how much I moisturize and the dry skin will break me out if left untreated. But all past scrubs I tried broke me out or could only be used once a week. This one is extremely gentle and doesn’t cause me blemishes! It can be used daily if needed but I try to only use it 2~3 times a week when I have dry skin.

Blotting Paper - For my oily skin it’s fantastic. I try to use one at around 2:00 every day (at work.) But I sometimes forget. My skin looks better when I don’t forget though . I’ve tried a lot of different brands and they all work fine for me.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel - this is an intense spot gel you place right over a blemish. I find this “draws out” a blemish. I only use it when I know I can no longer “suppress” the blemish away but instead must bring it out to clear it. It works usually in one day but I prefer to try to suppress blemishes away to avoid scars and dark spots.

Clinique Acne Solutions Post Blemish Formula - Used to fade dark or red post blemish spots. This works OK but isn’t really necessary since I can cover with concealer. I don’t rush to buy a replacement when I run out.

Boscia Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment - For dark under eye circles. Works amazingly well but at $40 I don’t rush out to replace it. Wish it were cheaper.

Fruits & Veggies - Honestly, I often had red blotchy, uneven skin until I started eating more raw fruits & vegetables on a daily basis and less sugary, fatty or oily foods.

Clean Pillowcases - At least once a week or more I clean all my pillowcases and sheets. An unclean pillowcase can transfer acne-causing bacteria and clog pores transferring oils, products, etc. This one is sorta obvious I think.

Well that’s it! That’s my routine + a little more.

“In closing” I’ve used a countless number of other products from high-end to low end, prescription to over-the-counter. Miracle products that work for everybody except me. So, as much as I appreciate the helpfulness and desire to share personal experiences and advice, I’m really not looking for suggestions or anything like that. My current routine & products keep me clear and happy Thank you though. If you have questions though I’ll do my best to answer