About Face

12:00 PM


The other day, I made a post about my love for Bio-Oil and the amazing things it's done for my skin, rather, my face. In the post, I made a note about prepping and cleaning the skin first before applying the oil. This is my skin routine and these are the things that I swear by that I'm going to share with you.

Do note that what works for me might not work for you. For me, I find products for sensitive skin provide me with better results in combating my problematic, combination to oily, skin. (More info on skin types here.)

Let's begin!

+ Make-up Remover
I'm not a big fan of disposable make-up wipes for oh so many reasons. For one, I haven't find one that doesn't feel like sandpaper on my skin. Aside from that, I find that most don't do a good job removing all the makeup. My go-to is Bioderma Crealine H20 Cleanser. This water on steriods is super gentle yet super strong. I wet a round cotton pad with the cleanser and wipe the make-up off my face as you normally would. To remove eye make-up, false lashes and those stubborn waterproof mascara, I wet a round cotton pad again, this time, instead of wiping my eyes with it, I lay the cotton pad straight onto my eye and let it set there a bit for the cleanser to dissolve the make-up on my eyes. After a few seconds, I gently remove the pad, flip the pad over and clean up the remaining dirt with the other side. No rubbing. No oily residue. No irritation in my eyes. And no more makeup on my face. (For lazy days, I'm completely content with just cleaning my face with Bioderma then hitting the sack...no shame in my game...I am lazy.) 
For me, the biggest con about this product is that it's very rare that you'll find it in any American stores. I get mine from Amazon.com and take my word for it...go for the 500mL bottle. It's wayyy worth it!
+ Facial Cleanser
I personally have on hand 2 different facial cleansers, both with a purpose. I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser right after I've removed my makeup with the Bioderma. Cetaphil just picks up residue left behind by my make-up remover. You'll hear me say this over and over, but this product is really gentle and unlike those harsh alkaline soaps, it doesn't irritate my skin or strip it of its natural protective oils. If I don't have much make-up on, maybe a light dusting of powder, some blush and mascara, I simply opt to remove my makeup with this than the Bioderma. I basically take the product onto my fingertips and with a gentle massaging motion, I simply coax the make-up off my skin and my lashes. I usually repeat this process several times until all the make-up has been removed.  
The other facial cleanser I like to use is The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. I've added this on to my morning routine because, for one, it helps wake me up in the morning. The tea tree oil, lemon tea tree and tamanu oil gives the skin such a refreshing feeling that it makes waking up at 4am for an early call-time that much more pleasant. On days when I feel like my skin is extra oily, I usually go for this facial wash as opposed to the Cetaphil because I feel it's much more effective in removing all the excess oil on my skin. 
+ Moisturizer
If there's one thing you should know about skin, it's that what you take off you must put back on. While it's very important to wash the face and rid it of the dirt from the day, you're also inevitably removing a lot of the moisture and natural oils from the skin. When you're skin is dehydrated and lacking in moisture, one, it causes premature wrinkles, and two, it can cause the skin to compensate by producing more oil and thus causing break-outs. So what should you do? Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize.  
The Embryolisse Concentrated Lait Cream is one of my all-time favorite moisturizers. It's a must-have in my make-up kit! What I like to do is apply the cream evenly on my skin. I don't rub it in, I let it soak in while I do other things like find something to wear or do my hair. I simply pat off any excess that hasn't soaked in with a tissue and then do my make-up as usual. This product is most especially important in my make-up kit because as a Special Effects Make-up Artist, my client's skin, in one day can get a heavy load of products on their face in just one application. This goes for beauty make-up applications too. It's very important to keep their skin at a tip-top shape and by cleansing their skin and applying the Lait Cream, it can ensure they'll have great skin for 2 days to 3 months of filming/shooting! 
Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin is my personal everyday moisturizer. I mix this up with another one in their line that has SPF in it too. What I like about this is that it's super light & non-comedogenic,  it's perfect for everyday wear!
Bio-Oil I specifically have to use at night. Whilst some people may have a heavy cold cream on their nighttime routine, I have Bio-Oil. I'm sure you can put make-up on top of the oil after you let it soak into the skin a little bit, but I just feel so guilty doing that. (Read my post on Bio-Oil here.) 
Hope this helped! It seems like a lot to do when all you want to do when you get home is crash, but believe me, this routine lasts no more than 5 minutes. 5 minutes to healthy, beautiful skin. ;)

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