I started to seriously take care of my skin back in November so it hasn’t been that long. At first, I was doing AB products only. This really made my skin feel nice, hydrated, and smooth. Then I discovered The Ordinary products. They were on everyone’s holy grail list so I went a little crazy (especially because they are so affordable). I went from incorporating some acid in my routine to almost full blown using more The Ordinary products than not. So obviously, I ended up damaging my skin barrier and my skin became dry, flaky, and irritated. I stopped using the products altogether and went back to a more simple routine. Now that my skin has mostly recovered and I have incorporated some of The Ordinary products back in my routine, I will share what my current skincare regimen is like for this winter.
Morning (AM) Routine:
- Depending on how my skin feel in the morning, I’d use different products. If it feels okay and not oily or dry and irritated, I usually just swipe some Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Toning & Cleansing Micellar Water on my face before the next step. If it feels slightly oily and has a stickiness from the products I used the night before, I will cleanse with a cream cleanser. Currently, I’m using Sur.Medic+ Super Hyaluronic 100 Amino-Acid Cleanser which I got in my IPSY glam bag last month.
- My current toner is Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner which I absolutely love. I use the very thin toner cotton pads as opposed to the thicker ones you can find at your local drugstore. I found some toner pads at Ross and on Shein. I feel like with these thinner ones (which I use 2 of), I’m not wasting liquid. I do about 3 pumps.
- I’m still searching for a better Vitamin C product but currently, I’m using a serum I picked up on clearance at TJMaxx several weeks ago: Core Clinicals Collagen & Vitamin C All-Day Glow Radiance Serum.
- For essence, I love CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. This is probably on everyone’s holy grail list. I admit, at first, I didn’t appreciate it as much but after my skin barrier was damaged, this was one of the products that didn’t irritate me. Usually after I put on essence, I take a pause. It does dry quickly but I just like to give a few more seconds to absorb fully.
- The ampoule I use in the morning is Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule. This is another product that I didn’t appreciate when I first started using it. I actually really enjoy it now and feel like it does make a difference.
- I started re-incorporating The Ordinary acid serums back into my routine. I start with The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% Serum which I only put on my frown lines on my forehead and brows areas. I don’t even pump the serum but just use the wand to dab the liquid to those areas. Next, I add The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA Serum all over my face. I wait for it to dry before proceeding with the next serum, The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum. I kind of do a spot treatment with this so I only put it on areas where I can see pores, acnes scars, or anywhere that has discoloration.
- After adding the serums above, I give a few more seconds before putting on the next product, Etude House Soonjung Hydro Barrier Cream. This feels so nice on my skin and is perfect for winter.
- The last step in my morning routine is putting on SPF. I’m currently using CosRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF50. A lot of people like this SPF but I guess I’m not appreciating it as much as I should. I like the aloe smell and that doesn’t give a white cast but it leaves my face slightly sticky (not overly so but you can feel it if you run your fingers over your face).
Evening (PM) Routine:
- If I had put makeup on, I start with an oil cleanse using Hanskin PHA Pore Cleansing Oil. I only have a travel size of this product but I really like it. It works really well for my needs. I much prefer this over a cleansing balm.
- I do my second cleanse using the same cream cleanser I use in the morning, Sur.Medic+ Super Hyaluronic 100 Amino-Acid Cleanser.
- I follow up with the toning step using Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner.
- I try to exfoliate at least once a week. I currently use Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Pad. I have the individually packaged ones which is perfect for traveling. I did stop exfoliating when my skin barrier was damaged so it could heal. I felt like it was damaged partly due to over-exfoliating. I absolutely love these peeling pads, they leave my skin so amazingly smooth (which is addicting, thus over-exfoliated). Also, usually there are still some liquid in the packages and I like to rub that all over my face and chest areas.
- I don’t usually incorporate a sheet mask during my routine. I like to use them outside of my routine. For example, if I’m not doing much and just relaxing on a weekend or just need a little boost, I’d put one on. But if I were to incorporate it into my routine, I would use it in place of my essence. After the 20-30 minutes, I would use the rest of the liquid in the package to rub all over my face and chest areas. However, if I don’t use a sheet mask, after my face dries, I follow with essence. I use the same one from the morning, CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. I use about 3 pumps to be able to cover my face.
- My night time ampoule is Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule. I also really like this. Another underrated product in my arsenal.
- I currently only use one serum in the evening, which is Private Doctor Define Minus Serum. I actually didn’t think this was worth the hype at all and I hated he consistency of the product and sticky feel it left behind. However, I found a way to utilize this product that I think works well with my regimen. I wait until the ampoule I put on previously dry first before using this serum. I concentrate greatly on my jawlines and underneath the chin area but whatever’s left gets spread all over my face. I use about 2 pumps.
- I’m kind of a hit-or-miss with eye cream. The first one I’ve ever used really stung and sort of turned me off from using eye cream. I don’t have eye bags or dark circles. But I decided to start using it in case I get wrinkles in that area. I’m currently using Missha Ye Hyeon Jin-Bon Eye Cream which I like much better. It comes with a scoop and is really nice and creamy.
- For moisturizer, I’m currently using Etude House Soonjung Hydro Barrier Cream because I really like how this feels. Sometimes, I’ll use CosRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream instead if I don’t think I need a heavier barrier cream. Plus the snail cream is probably better in warmer months as I don’t think it’s enough for winter.
- My last step is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% Cream which is my favorite product from The Ordinary. I only put this on problem areas and I feel like my skin texture has improved a lot by using this product.
Lessons I’ve Learned
One of the lessons I have learned, in general, about skincare maintenance is that consistency is key. Both of my parents were acne-prone as well as all my siblings. Knowing so, I remember religiously washing my face with a bar of soap every morning and following up with lotion. I still got acne but it wasn’t as bad as my siblings. I think between all of us, I still came out with the better skin (without makeup). I actually didn’t realized how bad my older sister’s skin was until I slept over one day and she took off her makeup. I was pretty shocked.
Because I didn’t have clear skin, I never felt comfortable in my skin. I remember being in elementary and already using foundation daily. I had very fair skin as compared to my friends and cousins, so it would get red easily, which made me insecure.
The one period in my life where I had really good skin was the summer after high school and the first few years of college. I went to a local esthetician for electrolysis treatments. She was very passionate about skincare. I ended up buying a travel size skincare kit from her that cost over $100 that was supposed to be good for treating acne. It came with 5 different products, a cream cleanser, toner, morning moisturizer, night moisturizer, and a spot treatment. Although it was the travel size version, it contained much more product than the travel size toiletries in the travel section. A set usually would last me about 3 months. Because it was so expensive, I made sure to be consistent in using them to make it worth my while which meant that I was taking care of my face consistently. To this day, I’m not sure if it was the products themselves or the consistency that improved my skin. I didn’t really noticed until I bumped into an old friend who asked me what I did differently as my skin was very clear.
Back to present day, after I finished using the Esfolio Pure Skin Collagen Cleansing Foam, which I loved, I switched to the Hada Labo Japan Gokujyun Foaming Cleanser. This foaming cleanser has a lot of fans so I was excited to start using it. However, this cleanser really dried me out. I don’t think it’s a problem with the cleanser but it being winter so the air is dryer now and there’s a lack of humidity. Foam cleansers are known to be more drying so I will save this cleanser for warmer months.
I really believed that the reason my skin barrier was damaged is two-fold: over-exfoliating and the use of Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is a big ingredient name in skincare products these days. It’s in everything from foundation and lipsticks to cleansers and moisturizers. Also, I didn’t know how to use Hyaluronic Acid correctly, especially in the form of The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 where it isn’t diluted with other ingredients but a potent 2% acid (which is the max you can use). I was using this and other serums and products that also had Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acid works by absorbing moisture in the air and sealing it into your skin. The winter air is a lot dryer and there isn’t much moisture in the air so I drew moisture from within my skin, leaving it dry and irritated. By the time I started using it correctly (putting it on a damp face and misting my face afterward), it was already too late. I haven’t added this back into my routine but I know that my cleanser and one of the serums have Hyaluronic Acid.
Thoughts & Opinions 