Skincare Regimen

I was never actually taught to put on sunscreen as a kid. I do not know if it is because I do not remember being told to or that my mother gave up telling me repeatedly as I would run across the brazen sun before her words ever got to me. Either way, I was a brat for not putting on sun screen as a kid because it left me with extremely noticeable broken capillaries on my cheeks that cheeky makeup sales associates would use as a sales pitch for me to purchase their skincare products. I have learned to accept my vein-y appearance and my freckles as they are not something that can go away with ease, let alone ever, but I can prevent a whole ton of other skin-related problems before they appear on their own.

So here I am writing a blog post on a few products that has been working for me in hopes that it can also help those who are weary about starting their own skincare regimen.

From left to right:
- Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil
- The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion
- The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream
- The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30
- The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner
- Origins Make A Difference Plus Ultra-Rich Rejuvenating Cream

I received these products as a Christmas gift from Richard, after complaining about how other products from other brands did not work on my skin. It was not to say that they did not work at all or that the brand is bad, it just so happens that I did not see any results. Throughout Christmas, a lot of bloggers were raving about The Body Shop and how amazing their Advent Calendar was and given that I have never really purchased anything from the brand, I gave it a try along with Origins.

My mother, whose skincare regimen requires over twelve products to which I dare not ask what they are as the name of the products alone are quite lengthy, is an advocate of well maintained skin. Aside from her porcelain pearly skin tone, she has made herself look like she is in her late 30's when in reality she is nearing her mid-50's. Fortunately (and blessed), half my battle is genetics as I already look quite young for my age, but in order for me to maintain my youthfulness, I need to keep up with the proper treatment that my face deserves. Here are my steps which only requires six products (five of which I use daily):
- As soon as I wake up, I would wash my face with the cleansing oil and gently dab my face dry with a towel before applying eye cream underneath my eyes and at the outer corners. Regardless if I go out or not, I still apply my moisturizer to keep my face hydrated throughout the day.
- Before I go to bed, I would wash my face once more with the cleansing oil to get rid of any dirty particles that may have had contact with my face and quickly apply toner with a cotton pad to tone out my skin. I then apply eye cream underneath my eyes and around the outer corners of my eyes and follow up with my hydrating cream.
- Every Saturday I would use the microdermabrasion scrub to remove any unwanted dead skin cells before I apply my daily moisturizer.

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Products and Reviews
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Product Description: A healthier looking future for skin begins here. This lightweight, high-tech, hybrid formula with non-comedogenic, Olive, Sunflower, Sesame and Safflower Oils removes dirt, makeup and pollutants with high efficiency. Kukui Nut and Macadamia help protect precious natural moisture resources. Vitamin E helps reduce effects of environmental hazards such as irritation that can threaten the comfort of skin. Skin breathes freely. And the energizing aroma of Grapefruit, Orange and Lemon renew your spirits.

4/5: I used to use Neutrogena products as a cleansing product, but they left my skin feeling dry. I never thought to use an actual oil cleanser since most of the Neutrogena products were of a gel or foam texture. I am glad I gave this product a shot as it really does feel light against my skin, but still have enough strength to clean my pores.

Product Description: A hydrating toner that removes traces of cleanser, dirt and make-up without drying the skin, leaving it feeling soft, supple and refreshed. It leaves a velvety feel on the skin.

4/5: While the product claims to hydrate my skin, I think it does it for a short amount of time before I feel like I need an extra boost. It does do a great job in evening out my skin after a cleanse which resulted in me giving it a 4 out of 5.

Product Description: Treat skin to a professional spa-inspired exfoliating facial once a week with our new and improved Microdermabrasion. Smooth dry, dull skin away for a bright, refreshed complexion!

4/5: Like most drugstore lovers, I enjoyed using St. Ives to scrub away at my skin. The problem was that St. Ives was a little bit too good at scrubbing away my skin cells leaving my face feeling extra sensitive and worsening my broken capillaries. Luckily this scrub is extremely gentle in scrubbing away my dead skin cells while still being gentle with my face.

Product Description: This ultra-rich cream fortified with Nature's miracle Rose of Jericho plus a breakthrough Lychee and Watermelon quenching complex reaches deeper than ever before to repair the natural moisture deficiency in dry, dehydrated skin. Clinically proven to instantly boost very dry skin's moisture reservoir to keep it hydrated and rejuvenated all day.

5/5: Out of the six products I am showing, this one probably does what it says it does the best. My skin is as dry as it probably can get (cue scary image of my ashy elbows and knees but sparing you the actual image of both parts). I do have random dry spots on my face due to years of not moisturizing properly as a teen, and this helped solved a lot of my problem areas. Because of how heavy it is as a cream, I use it at night before going to bed since it is something that does not get absorbed into my skin as quickly as the daily moisturizer.

Product Description: A moisturizing eye cream that helps protect the delicate skin around the eye area, reducing the appearance of fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth. Contains moisturizing shea butter and rose hip oil.

2/5: I do not have intense dark circles or anything, but they are noticeable under certain lights. This eye cream, as most reviewers have mentioned, do nothing to "brighten" your dark circles. It does, however, reduce some lines (not all fine lines) and leaves your skin feeling soft. It is definitely moisturizing, but not worth purchasing if you want to lighten your dark circles. I will opt for another product once I finish this one.

Product Description: Hydrate and enhance your skin's natural radiance while protecting it from damaging UV rays with a lightweight, easily-absorbed lotion.

5/5: For a while, I did not leave my house due to a large amount of school work that had to be done so I could not test how efficient the SPF was when going out. Recently, I had an opportunity to leave the house and had to battle a scorching sun whose rays were undeniably and irritably hot. I was out for an hour and a half under direct sunlight at an antique market and still came home without sunburns albeit a little flushed in the face, but without burns. This saved my face.

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Cheaper Alternative Skincare Regimen
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- Drink more water: It sounds super easy to do, but in reality it is quite tough to keep up with. With all the other drinking options out there like juice, soda, and more, water is usually the last thing that we crave. However, drinking water not only hydrates you, but it does so much good for your body than you think. Aside from cleaning out your system, it leaves your face glowing and fully hydrated.
- Exercise: How does exercise help your skin? It allows your blood to circulate throughout your body. Having blood pump throughout your body and allowing your body to perspire helps with cleaning out your body of bad stuff like unhealthy food or bacteria. Plus, it keeps your body healthy and who does not want a healthy body? Nobody!
- Getting enough sleep: It is really difficult to get enough sleep. Trust me, I am still in school and despite it all being online, I still do not get enough sleep at night. Getting enough sleep means your skin has time to build new skin cells and relax. It also means that your face does not look lackluster when you wake up and reduces the chances of you getting dark circles.
- Eating healthier: I am not saying to replace all of your eating habits in one go, but to slowly transition to eating healthy one step at a time. Rather than having late night meals, have small snacks like carrots with yogurt. Avoid anything with too much sodium as it can leave your skin feeling swollen and cause pimples.

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All in all, I really liked the products that I use. I try to switch them out for other products after a few weeks so that my skin does not depend on a particular product for it to keep itself looking healthy. I opt for the alternatives (mentioned above) more often than I do the products that I reviewed just because they have more benefits outside of just keeping my skin looking clear.

So if you have not started a skincare regimen, I highly recommend that you do. You only get one chance to live in the body that you are in, so treat it with a lot of care!