Facial Skin Care

I never really cared about how I look in front of people until I entered my 30's...

Living in the Philippines, it has been difficult to have a dark complexion. Filipinos would always like to have a lighter skin tone, and I can't blame them for it.

Growing up, I never really care about my complexion, especially in college when I entered a university in the province of Laguna, where no one ever really cared whether you took a bath, combed your hair, or brushed your teeth before a class. That's unhygienic though, I know.

Anyways, I was so dark during those times and I never really cared. When I graduated and had my first job, I was exposed to the islands of Polillo, Quezon where I still didn't care. I was always exposed to sunlight, to an atmosphere of humid air coming from the Pacific Ocean. I was darker than ever, and I still didn't care.

I am 32 now.

And now, I cared more about how I look like, not because I don't want to be dark anymore... Mind you, my complexion's still not fair, but it's not as dark as before. I've learned how to take care of my skin, not because I wanted to have a skin as white as snow, but because taking care of yourself is one of the responsibilities that you should decide for yourself.

I am not a medical doctor nor a dermatologist, but I would like to share what I have learned in taking care of my skin, especially my face. So, I'm gonna share my routine.

Day Skin Care Routine

1. Right after waking up, drink a glass of water. That's what I do to boost my energy and get ready for the day. Does it have an effect on my skin? Well, definitely, you should stay hydrated all the time. Beauty is not only on the shell, it should also come from within.

2. Cleanse using a gentle cleanser. I have tried using a lot of foaming cleansers, what works for me might not work for you. Right now, I'm using Olay White Radiance Foaming Cleanser. Cleanse your whole face as well as your neck. Don't forget your neck!

3. Toner is essential. Why? Because it's able to cleanse thoroughly those parts that are not cleansed by the foaming cleanser. I use Belo Intensive Whitening Micropeeling Toner. According to them, it has the power of kojic acid and tranexamic acid with micro-peeling technology that gently clears away dead skin without visible peeling and flaking.

4. Anti-oxidant serum. What does this do? I got my anti-oxidant in Shopee, its brand is Laikou. I got the Vitamin C serum which is a good anti-oxidant for whitening, firming, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, anti-puffiness effect.

5. Eye Cream is optional, but it will help a lot in wrinkle formation around your eyes. I use Olay Eyes Ultimate, which fights off dark circles, wrinkles, and puffy eyes.

6. Moisturize... not! We're in the Philippines, and putting on moisturizer, as Dr. Belo said, is just a band-aid solution. If you put on moisturizer, you may feel lubrication and smoothness, however, the old skin remains sitting on top of your face, and it's not removed at all. So skip the moisturizing part. You'll be better off without it.

7. Apply sunscreen. I didn't know the importance of sunscreen until I learned about the harmful effects of UV radiation which are causing skin cells to age, and indirect damage to the skin's DNA. It is also related to wrinkles. Too much exposure to the sun can also cause sun burn.

Night Time Skin Care Routine

1. After having a full day, I usually start my night with facial cleansing using micellar water. In this case, I use Nivea Acne Clear Micellair Cleanser with 0% alcohol to remove the impurities brought about by makeup, etc.

2. Cleanse again with a gentle cleanser. I used the same cleanser which is Olay White Radiance Foaming Cleanser. Also, please cleanse your neck, don't forget the neck!

3. Try to exfoliate. It may seem not normal to exfoliate your skin every day, but I do and it helps remove my dead skin. I use Dove with micro-beads, I really don't know the other details because I got it from Japan and it has Japanese characters written all over it. I understood what Dr. Belo said to remove the dirt, impurities, and dead skin to grow new ones. Point taken, Dra. (Btw, she's not my derma, I don't have any. I just watched one vlog where she explained about skincare, etc.)

4. Apply toner. Same as above.

5. Try putting on boosters to your face. I apply Sakura Face Fluid Essence Moisturizing Skin Shining Cherry Blossom Hyaluronic Acid Serum Essence to help shrink my pores, it also acts as a tightening skin face solution.

6. To top it off, I usually use Olay Night Cream. But, I don't use it now. I haven't bought one yet coz it's pricy, you know.

So far, these products work for me for I can say that acne has not been occurring for a long time and that my pimple marks/dark spots are being "erased". My skin looks brighter, healthier, and glowing.

Always remember, you are beautiful... no matter what your complexion or your skin type is. But, let's be more responsible for taking care of you, you only have one body, one life, one chance to live it... live it to the fullest, live it with beauty and grace. :)

Thank you!