My Current Skincare Routine

I've been in dermatological heaven for the last few months. As previously mentioned, I've been taking prescription antibiotics for my acne, and it has really cleared up my breakouts. I still tend to get the occasional pimple, but its such a rare occasion that it's okay. Here's my topical routine for maintaining clear skin. The principles are simple: remove all traces of makeup and dirt, and follow up with a cleanser and/or exfoliator that encourages cell turnover. Cell turnover not only helps fade acne scarring, but can also prevent and fight fine lines and wrinkles, so this routine should work for a wide variety of skin types.

1. If I am using liquid foundation, I first take every thing off with MAC Cleanse Off oil. I skip this step if I'm using powder foundation because by the end of the day, the poor thing has worn off by itself.

2. I remove all my eye makeup with the wonderful Boots Botanics Soothing Makeup Remover. It has icelandic moss (yay for exotic ingredients!). This is so effective that I simply have to hold a dampened cotton square over my eyes and it melts all my waterproof makeup.

3. To cleanse, I use Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. Although this is technically an exfoliator, the rice particles are so fine that you can use it every day and not worry about over-exfoliation. It's pricey ($50) so I'm glad I won it in a giveaway, but I'm so in love with it that I may repurchase...may...**wrings hands**

4. After cleansing, I tone with Olay Refreshing Toner with witch hazel. This drugstore gem lives up to its name--its so refreshing! And it takes off every trace of remaining dirt and makeup. I also love that for a small price, you get a LOT of toner.

 

5. Finally, I spread a small amount of tretinoin gel on my cheeks. Tretinoin is a prescription gel for fading post-acne spots. I love this stuff--it has really diminished some of my most stubborn hyperpigmentation marks. 

And that's it. Although it looks like a lot of products, my skin has always been troublesome, and I find that a regular skincare routine combined with a bit of Western medicine has led to the best skin I've had since my pre-teens. 

What is your current skincare routine? Any product recommendations pour moi?  

PS. I purchased all of these products with my own moolah. The only thing I didn't buy was the Dermalogica exfoliator, which I won in a giveaway.

My Updated Skincare Routine

I've been using this skincare routine for a few months now and it has been working pretty well for me. This routine is gentle enough for normal acne-free skin, and yet strong enough to treat acne:

1. Remove makeup: I use Clean & Clear's Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser. It gets off all of my face makeup, and most of my eye-makeup. See my full review of this product here.

2. Cleanse: On most days, I use Biore's Ice Fighting Blemish Cleanser, which contains 2% salicylic acid (I reviewed it in my 2009's best skincare products post.

2.5. Exfoliate: About 3x a week, I substitute the Biore for my LUSH Dark Angels. Exfoliating with a charcoal-based product has revolutionized my skin by making it softer, brighter, and almost entirely acne-free. I've posted about it here.

3. Tone (when I'm not being lazy): I like to use Olay's Refreshing Toner with witch hazel (which is not only great smelling, but also a total bargain for around $4!)

4. Treat/Prevet acne: I apply LUSH Grease Lightning to my cheeks, where I tend to break out the most. See my review on it here.

5. Moisturize: Skin MD's Shielding Lotion is the perfect night-time moisturizer in my opinion. It goes on light, gets absorbed immediately into the skin, has no scent, and I wake up with a supple, smooth face every morning. I'll be posting a full review on that very soon.

I do all these steps at night, but in the morning, I use just the Biore cleanser, and then jump to moisturizing. Overall, I think this routine has been very effective for me. I think the only product I'm not completely satisfied with is the C&C makeup remover, so I will be trying something else once this runs out. All of the other products are amazing and staples in my collection! 

FTC Disclaimer: Skin MD's Shielding Lotion was sent to me to review. I was not paid to review it and this is my honest opinion. All of the other products mentioned were bought with my own moolah.

2009's Best Face Forward

As you all know I believe that beauty starts with clear skin (hence my blog's name, Clearly Beautiful. Get it get it? ok moving on...). Ever since my first pimple at the age of 13, I've been devoted to trying out everything the skincare industry can throw at me with the promise of acne-free skin. Now that I'm in my mid-20s, I'm not only concerned with combating adult acne, but also preventing visible signs of aging. So for 2009, these were the products that delivered on their promises. Although I still suffer from breakouts, several problem zones of my face have been completely acne-free for a while (like my forehead and temples). So although the battle is only half-won, here are the VIPs of the year:

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: the active ingredient here is salicylic acid. This face wash is to be used after you've removed your makeup. I love how it has a non-foamy consistency, a refreshing cucumber smell, and a cool tingling sensation as you massage it in.

Olay Regenerist daily thermal mini-peel: the powerful combination of glycolic acid, thermal action, and microscrubbers combats both acne and dull skin (which contributes to an aged appearance). I adore anything containing glycolic acid, because I really see results overnight. Love this peel.

Lush Dark Angels: Honestly, please go buy this. Yes, charcoal-based products are a pain in the a** because they make a huge mess in your sink, but your skin will thank you for the effort. I love using this on particularly oily, icky skin days. The charcoal, rhassoul mud and black sugar make for a super duper exfoliator. I feel like I've had a microderm abrasion Lush-style.

Lush Grease Lightning: I gave my benzoyl peroxide the pink slip once I started using this serum every night. It prevents new break outs and quickly dries out blemishes. Best of all, it does not dry out my face like benzoyl peroxide did. And the tea tree scent is wonderful.

Aspirin: If you have nothing else in your arsenal for acne, keep a bottle of uncoated aspirin tablets around. Whenever I get a breakout, I mix 2 dissolved aspirin tablets with a cream cleanser and spread it on my face. After 30 min, I wash off, and presto, my blemish is zapped in no time. I call this my bazooka because it definitely works, but dries me out.

Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub: Ok ok, I know I have used only a sample of this stuff, and only for 1 month. But I'm so impressed with it that it's made it on this list. This scrub not only exfoliates away dead skin cells, but brightens my complexion so I look a couple shades lighter. I absolutely love the texture and luxurious experience it delivers.

So there you have it, my favorite skincare goodies for 2009. These items will definitely be permanent pieces in my vanity. However, you may notice that I haven't raved about any moisturizers or makeup removers here, because nothing I've tried has blown me away enough to give it this recognition. Hopefully I will soon hit upon some gems.

If you have any suggestions for great moisturizers and makeup removers, please let me know!

Tag: Top 10 Drugstore Products

Fafinettex3 did her top 10 drugstore products the other day on YouTube, so I thought I'd chime in with my two cents.It's probably useful to first explain my skin. I'm an NC45 with a South Asian background. I have combination skin. I get oily on my forehead and cheeks, but always dry on my nose and chin.

1.Maybelline Define-A-Lash: this product does exactly what it claims. It defines and lengthens every single lash without clumping. It does not volumize though, so if you're happy with your lash length, go for this one. I also love the waterproof formula and how it holds a curl all day long.

2.Soft Lips: This works so wonderfully well. The consistency and non-greasy moisture is way better than Chapstick.

3. Tresemee Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray: I have to either blowdry or straighten my hair every day, so I know I'm protecting it by using this before doing all that stuff. Ooh and it smells good too.

4. Goody StayPut Elastics and Hairbands: These elastic scrunchies and hair bands are amazing. They are nonslip, grip really well, and don't pull out my hair when I take em off. I use the headband when I workout or play tennis--not one hair outta place.

5. Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: I've bought this for the 2nd time now and love it even more. I've written about it in an older post.

6. Oil of Olay Refreshing Toner: Wonderful smelling stuff, and it contains witch hazel. You're better off buying this over the expensive department store toners. Again, blogged about this before. 

7. Johnson & Johnson Baby Lotion: This is so much to love here. It's gentle, quick absorbing, nice smelling, super moisturizing and non-greasy. It's good in the winter and summer times. Not to mention the price! Seriously, I used to buy stuff from Bath and Body works, but its so greasy, over-perfumed and hard to absorb, that I am just gonna stick to this forever.

8. Uncoated Aspirin: This stuff is the cheapest and most effective exfoliator/face brightening mask. I mix it with honey, yogurt, random cream cleansers or masks, and I have a great weekend treatment.

9. OPI nailpolishes: sigh how can you not love these beauties? Their color selection and staying power are BEST, I just wish that I could find these somewhere for a better price!

10. Random brand Eyelash Curler from Target: I haven't tried any other eyelash curlers, but this one works great for me.

What are your top 10 drugstore products?

Product Rave: Olay Regenerist Thermal Face Polisher

Although most of the Olay Regenerist line seems to be aimed at anti-aging, this particular beauty does wonders for young skin too. I use this after my salicylic acid face wash on a daily basis, but you can also use it as a biweekly exfoliator.

First off I love how the cream is purple.  Second, as soon you put it on your face the cream starts heating up. Third, the exfoliators in the cream feel exactly like a microderm abrasion cream: sandy, very fine, not soft, but not gritty. As soon as I wash my skin, I look revitalized.

At $17.99, it's quite a pricey drugstore product, but it can go a long way if you save it just for the weekends to pamper yourself!

3 Day Drugstore Acne Cure

This night-time regimen will eliminate or substantially reduce your breakouts in 3 days. Do this treatment only on an as-needed basis because it will 1) dry out your skin (but clear it up), and 2) you don't want your skin getting used to it.

1. Remove makeup using an oil-based cleanser. I'm loving the St. Ives Olive Cleanser. Massage 2 pumps worth of product into the face for 10 sec, and wash off. Concentrate your massaging on problem areas.

2. Wash your face with an oil-free cleanser that contains salicylic acid. I'm loving Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser. Massage 2 pumps of product onto your face for 30 sec. The coldness of the cleanser is great for your skin. Wash your face and pat dry with a towel.

3. Using a square cotton pad, apply toner. I highly recommend Oil of Olay Refreshing Toner 

4. Apply a 10% benzoyl peroxide treatment to your zits and surrounding areas. I'm using Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream. Benzoyl peroxide works even better if its refrigerated.

5. Fill a small Ziplock bag with ice cubes. Place the bag on your zits for no more than 5 sec at a time. Do this for 10 min, then throw away the ice and keep the ziplock bag for future use.

Once your acne has cleared up, maintain good skin by following steps 1-3 at night, and 2+3 in the morning. In the morning, follow up with a good oil-free moisturizer.