My Skincare Philosophy & Updated Skincare Routine

Hello, everyone! A few days ago I was looking through my blog archives and realized it's been a hot minute since I last shared my skincare routine. I think this topic, in general, has been touched pretty little over time. I guess I am done with the oversaturated skincare content on the internet.

I still do get a lot of questions about what products I have been using and stuff like that. I have been using a lot of new products I believe so I thought it would be interesting to be talking about skincare again today and see what products I have changed and whether or not I still see eye to eye with my past self. Go grab a cuppa because this is going to be a long one.

My skincare philosophy

Honestly, I am more rigid now with my routines. I am seeing tons of positive results from it just by being firm and not changing it up much. It probably took me over a year to make little changes to my routines. I know there's no such thing as a single correct skincare routine, but I believe there's an optimal way to apply skincare products - whether it's a minimal routine, or a go big or home 10-steps routine. 

• My skin is oily and acne-prone I would say. It reacts almost immediately to every new skincare product I introduced to it. So my top priorities in my routines would be anti-acne, anti-inflammatory, anti-pigmentation, and of course, hydration because #HydrationIsKey

• I swear by a minimal routine now. I used to have that 10 steps skincare routine and boy my skin hated it so much. Using too many products at one go can be pretty heavy on my skin and it gives the chance to clump up and irritate my skin. 

• I have high brand loyalty. Back in the day, I love to mix and match products from brands and I like to rotate them pretty often. Trying new skincare is like my middle name. Now, I am at peace with my skincare and they work so no point in changing them.

• My skin has a pretty low tolerance for products that contain alcohol so please don't recommend products that contain alcohol even the littlest bit to me. And while I am okay with pleasant scents in skincare, I just can't tolerate rose scents. I don't know what's going on with my mind when buying the Mario Badescu Rose Water Mist and the Fresh Rose Hydrating Toner.

• I love humectants in my skincare products! I will spend hours just analyzing ingredients before buying anything skincare-related. I used to stay away from humectants because I thought they were too much for my oily skin. Well, look at me now. Products that contain high humectants rate wins my heart most of the time. They seem like they're only made to benefit people with dry skin, but humectants are just as awesome for oilier skin types as they hold moisture in the skin without adding more oil to it. 

• I am all about affordable, drugstore skincare products. While the high-ends might work better, I am fine with my inexpensive products that have proven to work for my skin. 

My skincare routine

I don't see many changes from the routine itself but I can definitely see changes in my choice of products and the usage. Now hear me out, just because I don't use products I have loved in the past doesn't mean I no longer recommend them - sometimes products got lost in the shuffle, and I have found similar products that work better. 

Then...

My skincare routine would look something like this:

Some of the “eww(s)”

Okay, let's clarify the elephant in the room. St. Ives scrub. I wasn't getting a lot of hate because of this but that definitely left people to question my skincare philosophy. LOL. It wasn't so bad, though. At least it wasn't the apricot scrub. And I still remember that was my logic while using the St. Ives Green Tea scrub. It has really tiny beads and a smooth texture. Completely the opposite of the apricot scrub. I think that's kind of forgiving.

What's with the makeup wipes? Oh my gosh! I am so embarrassed right now. I used to be obsessed with Sephora's fruity makeup wipes. How I despise makeup wipes now. It's terrible for your skin because of the pressure you put on your skin to remove your makeup, all the dragging. UGH. I can't even believe it. 

To be fair, I didn't bother to put on sunscreen until it was 2017 or something. That's when I found out the importance of sunscreen tweets being recycled over and over on Twitter. So I gave in and bought my first sunscreen which was the infamous Biore UV Perfect Protect Milk Moisture and I hated it. It didn't suit my oily skin and it contains alcohol.

Some of the yesses!

How could I not mention the aloe vera gel? My blog was getting tons of hits because of the post I wrote about aloe vera gel. It's so hard to find this specific aloe gel nowadays. It was my tried and true and I would still use this but I might need something else that will go with it to add more moisture to my skin. I wouldn't rely on the aloe gel alone. 

I am seeing better days when I started to take the first step of my routine seriously - adding the first cleansers. Note that micellar water isn't a makeup remover or a substitute for an oil-based cleanser of some sort. And I wouldn't recommend the Garnier Micellar Water blue cap though if your skin is acne-prone. I ditched it with the pink cap one and my skin definitely benefited more from it. As far as the Simple Cleansing Oil goes, that's my holy grail. It removes makeup 100%, it doesn't clog the pores, and a little goes a long way.

I still love Mediheal sheet masks. I rarely use them now though. It's so hard to get them here, I have to get them online every single time. I would still use it on days I feel like pampering myself. 

I think the rest of the routine and product choice was pretty alright. I have completely stopped using vitamin C serums because they tend to be unstable quickly and they need more love and care and I couldn't keep up with it. Pixi Glow Tonic was my first acid. It's known as one of the great entry-level skincare acids. I think I made a great decision sticking to it for over a year and then replacing it with something new. 

Now...

My skincare routine consists of:

AM Routine (in sequence)

1. Loreal Micellar Water - to remove excess dirt or sunscreen
2. Kayman CoalBerry Cleanser - gentle face wash to remove any excess film from the micellar water
3. The Ordinary Niacinamide Serum - spot serum to minimize pores, reduce sebum, and blemishes 
4. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel - one of the best drugstore moisturizers for oily skin
5. Some By Mi Calming Sunscreen - keeps the skin protected from the UV, suitable for oily, acne-prone skin

PM Routine (in sequence)

1. Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil - an effective way to remove makeup, light in texture, and leaves skin soft and hydrated
2. Kayman CoalFace Soap - a low pH cleanser to deep cleanse in the evening 
3. Some By Mi Miracle Toner - a gentle-on-skin chemical exfoliator (do not use every day)
4. COSRX Snail Mucin Essence - a nice addition to achieving a bright, plump, and dewy complexion
5. Kayman Skintella Serum - reduces redness, calms any irritations, and improves skin health
6. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel - because I love this moisturizer so much I am still waiting for the launch of Kayman's new moisturizer (you can finally purchase it here!)

Talking about a glow-up. LOL. All jokes aside, the main difference between this year and a few years back is that my skincare routine has shrunk for the better and my skin has gotten less irritated which is awesome. My skin has also gotten more hydrated maybe because the products I have been using contain more humectants in them.

It's pretty much the same routine if I am being honest. I think it's just my choice of products has gotten better? I don't know but this routine works really well for me. Just keep in mind what works for my skin probably won't work on yours. The best advice is to understand your skin and incorporate products that work for you.

*Some links used in this post are affiliated links, which allows me to earn a small commission when you buy the product using my link. No commission is earned through clicking links. I'm not being paid to mention any specific brand in this post. Thank you for continuing to support the content that makes my blog possible.

What is your skincare philosophy? Are you one of those who uses a lot of skincare or a minimalist?