Let's talk about skincare. When I was younger (years younger) I never really had problems with my skin and all the while I thought this was because I was lucky. There are times during summer that I get white spots on my face and the only remedy I had was this questionable cream my mom gave me to cure it. Other than that, I love having to use creams that had beads on them. I love the sensory feeling. This was prior to knowing they were called exfoliants.
I remember seeing my aunt keep a tub of St Ives Peach scrub near the bathroom and my curious mind read the instructions and they were for the face. My cousins and I used it to clean our faces, in hindsight, we might be exfoliating too much. We might have used up the cream. Fast forward to using Ponds and eventually Clean and Clear when I landed my first job. Along the way, I stopped any form of cleansers. Not certain for what reason, most probably because it does add up to my meager salary back in the day. So I lived my 20s with no cleanser and to everyone's horror - no sunscreen! Eventually, I stopped caring and did not even bother to use any type of cleansers but kept my Nivea moisturizer as my go-to.
I turned 30 I told myself that I will really need to invest in good skincare because I wanted to grow old looking good - not that it mattered but I wanted to feel good and also look good when I grow old. Like who doesn't? Or just me? I was in MOA once and I visited a Kiehl's branch to take advantage of their free consultation. I was asked about my skincare goals, I wanted to lighten up my under eyes and have more life to my skin as I feel that it looks pretty dull.
I was told to follow a simple regimen - cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Mind you, it's a lot for someone like me and upon checking, it can get expensive. I am guilty of even just using the same soap for both my body and face! I was given a few samples to start off the regimen.
I am not saying you need to choose #KiehlsPH but I was too scared to put something on my face with items I am not sure of and also I felt really welcomed at the store. Could be because the store rep/consultant was amazing, and after a few research there's no harm in really trying right?
So I made a plan on how to get the products at the cheapest I can get. I visited their MOA branch around December and I thought that time my 13th month will be enough to take care of everything - but per usual life happened and I was not able to get my products by then. I waited for a good deal from Lazada as they have an official store with them and bought things separately until I got everything completed. It took me until Feb 2021 to get everything completed from cleanser, toner, serum, and sunscreen.
Let's talk about how much does skincare truly costs? Let's start off with I am in no way a skincare expert, this entry is not in any way a sponsored post (how I wish!) and lastly, I am not an influencer that you have to really follow. What I am doing is sharing what I have experienced and if this works for you then yaaay for #SkincareGoals! If this does not or has not worked out for you, then I am sure you will find something that will work out for you and your skin type. My only advice is to seek out professional help - be it a dermatologist, an aesthetician whatever you want to work on yourself seek out help and not rely on online hacks or DIY tips from TikTok.
Here's the breakdown of how much it cost me to get started, mind you I had to buy some stuff separately as it can get too heavy on the pocket.
I also bought some extra stuff too like the Midnight Recovery Concentrate which is by far my favorite serum ever. I am currently saving up for the Daily Revitalizing Serum and the Midnight Recovery Eye Cream.
Here's a 3-month progression photo from January 2021. I have yet to remind myself to take photos at least once a month but the past few months have been rough for me - both mentally and physically. I will create a separate entry for an updated version of how my skin looks.
I know I had the worse lighting for the first photo and yes I could have prepared well for these before and after shorts. My problem areas were my panda eyes (black under eye), dull skin and look like I was well-rested. I was very religious to take a photo after I take a bath and once I am done with my daytime routine, this eventually stopped when I transitioned over to the night shift. But looking at the progress - I can see that my under eyes have become lighter, my skin brighter, and looking rather alive. Nothing drastic changed along my daily night and morning routine, same food and although I drink coffee and other colored drinks, I am a very good water drinker.
I cannot say that this will be the only skincare routine for me but I can see good changes since Day 1. Again, your skincare goals might not be the same as mine, you can find your magic formula from K-beauty products: You do you! At the end of the day, for me doing my skincare at the start of the day and end of the night gives me 10-15minutes of peace and quiet time. It brings me not only joy but it reminds me to take care of myself as I tend to forget that.
If anything, clean your face all the time before heading to sleep and always wear sunscreen regardless of the weather.
How do you take care of your skin? Any favorite products you consider as a holy grail? Share some in the comments.
It's Lazada's 9.9 sale today and if you plan to get started here are a few recommendations I can share with you.
Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Serum - fades dark spots and pimple marks
Midnight Recovery Concentrate - overnight glow
Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate - instant younger-looking skin/ anti-aging
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