Everything's personal
Clear, healthy and glowing skin – that’s what most women aim for, including myself! Since my teenage years, I’ve always struggled with skin problems and the facial ones would always make me self conscious whenever I’m at school. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with researching about skin care – being extra cautious when it comes to buying things off the market (where literally thousands of cosmetic products are being mass produced).
How I wish there’s a single source of truth to how I can teach my dear readers on taking care of their skin but in fact, there is none! Everyone’s skin is different and while some products can react well on some skin, that doesn’t mean it would produce the same result on yours. Rather than go into the specifics and science of beauty products, I would rather dive into some common unwritten tips or pitfalls a beginner would make (speaking mostly from experience 
)
While the types and product brands for skincare can differ from person to person, the routine and methods towards applying them can be standardized (thankfully!). Using your products correctly will definitely make a difference between seeing results and seeing more acne in a month’s time. It’s always the small details that matters most and here I’m making sure that you will not be making the same mistakes I did!
Disclaimer: Standard caveats apply. I’m not a dermatologists or a skincare expert. All of the steps that I will be discussing are from my own experience that I find works best for my different kinds of products. Remember to always consult your doctor in the rare case that your skin is affected negatively. Cheers!
Lessons learned from experimenting
I only want to get you the best results in life and on camera. After trying out multiple products and A LOT of different techniques in using them, I’ve compiled some handy tips I’ve found to maximize the effectiveness of your products:
1. Facial cleansing
As the name suggest – it means clearing your face off from the grime and dirt of the outside world. Once you’ve prepared your cleanser of choice, make sure to follow these steps to the letter:
- Wash your face twice a day (obviously once in the morning and then at night)
- When washing, make sure to use warm water only
- Exfoliate scrubs are a bonus, NOT a necessity! Use them after cleansing to really remove those leftover dirt
- Post wash – make sure to gently pat dry your face with your hands, DON’T rub all the way or use a towel. Leave your skin damp for the next step in your routine!
2. Toning
Toning is your next step after cleansing. Other than choosing the right toner for you, I would also recommend simply using your clean hands when applying instead of the usual cotton pads – if you have normal, dry or sensitive skin. For myself, it saves me a couple of dollars without the need to constantly restock on pads. Plus, I find it much easier to cover more surface area of my face with less toner when I’m using just my hands.
3. Moisturizing
This is arguably the most important step in your routine. Moisturizing helps the skin to seal in moisture, keeping it hydrated and soft throughout the day (or at least most brands claim to do so!). The older we get, the harder it is for our skin to retain moisture which contributes to the unwanted wrinkles and dryness of the skin that makes it prone to being damaged.
4. Creams
I would consider this as optional add-on if you’re looking for that bright and glowing skin. Getting one that also contains an element of UV protection (aka one that can also act as a minor sunscreen) is essential for day creams. Otherwise you’ll have to deal with at least 2 layers of cream when going out – and let’s not forget putting on make up on top of that for the ladies.
Personally, I use both day and night creams everyday. Once you’ve gotten into the rhythm of the daily routine, I’m sure applying all of this would be a breeze. On a side note, since I’ve been sleeping quite late recently, I also have my handy eye cream as a finish to get rid of those dark circles 🐼.
What I should've known sooner
I once thought of my face as a separate entity from the rest of my body. I only wanted to take the bets care for my face in order to achieve the look that I’ve always wanted. Then I realize that working solely on plastering products on my face would only produce diminishing returns over long periods of time. What I should’ve realized sooner is that the body, the mind and the environment around me also plays an important role in maintaining my efforts.
The following are merely a fraction of what I did wrong but it should serve its purpose as to guide you on what NOT to do to get healthier a skin.
1. Get plenty of sleep
Have you ever noticed that when you’re not getting enough sleep, or you stayed up all night working on your thesis till 3am everyday, that your skin tend to breakout more often? Pimples, acne, dark circles – the whole shebang starts appearing, giving you that fatigue look.
Well I certainly did and trust me, it wasn’t a pretty sight 😭
If you haven’t then you’re either the lucky ones that always has that flawless skin OR you don’t really believe on any correlation between lack of sleep and poor skin condition. I can tell you right now that it is correlated! (you can read it right here). Just like how your stomach growls to signal an empty stomach, your skin breaks to signal a bad sleeping routine causing the reduction of collagen production. Aim for 7 to 8 hours minimum of uninterrupted sleep.
2. Stay hydrated!
DRINK MORE WATER EVERYONE! The cat says so!
3. Keep your diet healthy
What you eat is also as important as what you put on your skin. Fruits and vegetables are a safe bet towards better skin complexion. What your skin craves are vitamins and those nice antioxidants – so be sure to supply it regularly. Of course, the inverse is also true – avoid those sugary, fried and processed foods like the plague!
4. Have a relaxed state of mind
Stress can induce a breakout, period. Even while the world burns and the pile of paperwork keeps adding up, be sure to take some intermediary rest time for the sake of your mind and body. Do some slow exercises such as Yoga, meditation or a short stroll outside to alleviate your stress. No matter how trivial the activity is – it certainly beats worrying over deadlines like how I did during my university days…
5. Stop picking your skin!
We’re all guilty of this one way or another 
, Im no exception. Picking zits, pimples or acne will expose the pores to even more bacteria starting from those on your fingernails. This could potentially worsen your skin condition or at worse, causes a skin infection. Visit your dermatologist so they can perform specialized treatments or better yet, just apply antibacterial spot treatment to prevent it from growing!
Is the juice worth the squeeze?
It’s no secret that having and maintaining good skin can be a looonnng and potentially expensive journey. Similar to the fat loss journey, it doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t get better with no effort. Like everything else, consistency is key – only then will you be able to see results.
As a rule of thumb, I aimed for at least 6 weeks (twice a day) of being consistent at your skin care routine while at the same time, forming some healthy lifestyle habits. By the end of the 6th week, I can almost certainly say that you’ll notice a difference than when you started. Be sure to take some before and after pics! Celebrate small wins so that you’ll feel good while continuing on with this journey.
When you have healthy skin, and when you can smile confidently in front of everyone, that’s when you will truly glow 
.