I've been wanting to write about this for quite some time because I actually get asked a lot about it (kilig? Haha!) but besides the fact that I'm not so busy anymore, the reason why I haven't is because my skin has gone haywire since July. I didn't feel comfortable at all writing about how I take care of my skin when it wasn't in any good condition at all.
All my life I've had generally clear skin. It's far from perfect (read: OILY) but I breezed through my teenage years not worrying about it because I would only get pimples (just one big zit) when I'd have my period. So you can only imagine how I felt when this July I started getting HUMONGOUS ones on my cheeks (and I would never get them there). My dermatologist told me that she was alarmed because I've visited her more these past few months than I ever did in the last nine years that she's been my doctor. Apparently, I had a case of adult acne with CYSTIC PIMPLES sprouting right next to each other on my cheeks. They are deep, become really red, and are bruise-like. They don't have the usual zit "eye" and could (and should) only be removed by a licensed dermatologist. If not treated properly, they could leave permanent scars all over the face. They hurt when touched and worse, they hurt my supposedly clean and clear reputation! Hahaha!
Three months have passed and they have gotten better with prescribed medication. Although the scars are still there, I'm hopeful they'll disappear and I can have back the clean and clear skin I've taken for granted!
Let's begin with the Holy Trinity of skincare -- CLEANSE, TONE, MOISTURIZE.
CLEANSE.
Old reliable Cetaphil. The label says it all -- Every Age. Every Stage. Every Day. The most gentle cleanser of them all. This is what I use everyday.
I have to be honest. After I got those cystic pimples, I am terrified of using just anything on my face. I have a lot of different Clean & Clear products but I'm afraid that mixing them up and using all of them all at the same time would damage my skin more. BUT this Clean & Clear Active Clear Acne Clearing Cleanser, I just couldn't give up. When I feel like a zit is about to pop up, this is what I use. I love the thick consistency of the gel and the fact that it has salicylic acid in it. Plus it gives my skin that cool refreshing feeling afterwards.
Another pimple fighter -- Acne Aid. Strong but gentle and lasts for months! Does the trick. I guarantee.
TONE.
Most Filipinas are not toner users. People are just clueless about what it's for. I admit that I've only started using a toner around May of this year and I have to tell you that it absolutely one of those "Why did I never do that before?" type of thing. Once I started using it, the first thought that came to my mind was "OMIGOD MY FACE HAS BEEN SO FILTHY FOR THE PAST 22 YEARS!" Toner removes ALL excess dirt you can never imagine your cleanser hasn't been able to slough off. It's horrifying, really. I went on a toner frenzy when I was in Hong Kong and got myself one Clinique toner and two Kiehl's toners. As of the moment, my favorite is Clinique's Clarifying Lotion because it's specifically for my oily-combination skin type. I believe it has a certain percentage of alcohol my type of skin needs. (WARNING: drug store astringents are different from toners and may have more alcohol content which can cause extreme dryness. Best to consult with a dermatologist still.)
Available at all Rustan's Department Stores and Clinique stalls.
You can ask my best friend, Sab, what I always say about skincare and she'll tell you that I'm Miss "Moisturize moisturize moisturize!" I especially bug her about it because she has dry skin. However, I have recently been BANNED from using it because according to my dermatologist, my skin is just too "active" meaning that it produces more oil than my skin needs so slathering on moisturizer would be like...re-frying a french fry. Does that make sense? So I'm skipping this.
Get ready because you'll soon find out that skincare isn't as glamorous as you think it would be. A lot of what you actually need will come in these tiny white tubes with scientific names on them.
Adapalene is a third-generation topical retinoid primarily used in the treatment of mild-moderate acne (from Wikipedia). Benzoyl peroxide is used as an acne treatment, for improving flour, for bleaching hair and teeth, for polymerising polyester and many other uses. (Wikipedia)
I use Epiduo this twice a day, morning and night as advised by my dermatologist. It is both a preventive and active clearing gel.
Available at all Mercury Drug outlets.
Tretinoin is the acid form of vitamin A and is also known as all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA. It is a drug commonly used to treat acne vulgaris and keratosis pilaris (Wikipedia)
I use Retacnyl, also prescribed by my dermatologist, once a day, and ONLY AT NIGHT. It's a very strong cream which is used for exfoliation and therefore does not go well with the sun. Using this for the first time can make your skin really sting because of its peeling properties. Never go without sunscreen when using this.
Mometasone furoate (also referred to as mometasone) is a glucocorticosteroid used topically to reduce inflammation of the skin or in the airways. (Wikipedia)
Elica is my savior. It's the ultimate superhero for dry skin and pimples. I use it on my whole face about once a month or once every other month and I swear it's like a magic potion. Perfect skin the next day! However, the cliche "with great power comes great responsibility" perfectly applies to this. It is a steroidal cream and should not be used everyday. Again, your derma will know best.
Available at all Mercury Drug outlets
If you're like me who uses eye makeup on a daily basis (even just mascara) or also like me who has a bad habit of rubbing your eyes, eye cream is a must. Laugh lines, wrinkles, saggy skin and crows feet almost always appear on the eyes first. If you've got dry skin, I even suggest you start using eye cream at 18 or in your late teenage years! I use L'Oreal Plenitude Revitalift Eye with Elastin at night, before I go to bed.
Lancome claims that 2 out of 3 women who think about getting cosmetic procedures delay them because of Lancome. I haven't seen any actual proof on paper but I believe it 100%. Lancome is too expensive for me but after getting a bunch of samples, I BELIEVE. If there's any brand that I would say has instant effects, it would be Lancome. Their Blanc Expert line, although I only had like 1 packet of each product, gave me visible results overnight. I couldn't believe it myself. A big plus is that everything smells divine and you know how I am about scent. The sales lady at the Rustan's Makati branch was nice enough to give me a tube of Lancome's Blanc Expert Melanolyser Whiteness Activating Spot Eraser which I think is the best solution to my scarring. Of course this doesn't give overnight results but I know it works because my scars are fading much faster than previous ones that lasted for months because I didn't look for a solution.
I think I've praised this enough already. haha! Read about this in my past post HERE.
As much as I don't want that sticky feeling, sun block is NECESSARY not only for cosmetic reasons such as not wanting sun spots and wrinkles to appear as early as your 20s but more importantly, for the skin's health. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock does the trick for me. I don't want to go on about the ozone layer and global warming anymore but yeah, sun block will keep your skin safe from harm. Just trust me on this.
(I don't know where you can get it here because we buy in bulk from Costco but they probably have it in PCX or S&R.)
So there you have it. That's how I keep my skin as clean and clear as I can!