Disclaimer:  The products featured here are not a paid promotion, these are products that I use and work for my skin type.  Please consult your Dermatologist or Skin Esthetician if you suspect you may be allergic to any of the ingredient components of the items featured here and to prescribe what will work for your skin type.

For the past 20 years, I’ve had oily to combination skin and as I’ve gotten older, my skin type had changed to Normal to Dry. My Dermatologist had said that this is due to changes in my body chemistry and hormones brought about by aging.  My normal areas like the cheek and sides of the forehead have gone dry and have patchy skin sometimes while my T-zone is not as oily in my 20’s.

Because of Aging, my face needs a little boosting, my jowls have slowly been more prominent, blame it on what doctors call a texting neck since we spend a lot of time hunched up looking down on our phones, my jawline needs definition and eyes have become a  little puffy due to poor diet choices and lack of sleep.

So here is what my skincare routine looks like and sometimes, depending on the weather, where my skin tends to be oily during the summer months and dry in the cooler months, I switch up skincare products to address current skin issues.

1.  Cleanse the skin –  Use any cleansing soap that suits your skin type and make sure that it doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils.  Over cleaning your face sometimes can make you produce more oil due to the lack of moisture and hydration in the skin.  If your face feels tight after a wash, your soap may be a bit too drying.  Switch to a milder soap that’s good for sensitive skin.

2). Tone –  Look for a toner that has no alcohol that can further dry your skin.  The purpose of a toner is to bring back the ph levels of your skin, remove the last traces of dirt in your face and remove minerals and chlorine from the water.  It also closes the pores.

I like the Japanese variant, the Elixir Lifting Moisture Lotion II, (a Shiseido product), good for normal to dry skin.  Its watery texture doesn’t leave skin feeling tight, just refreshed.  It contains Collagen to lift skin and give it a dewy effect.  I’m so happy with the purchase, I added a refill so I won’t run out.

3). As an added boost, I apply a Hyaluronic Acid to retain moisture in the face and plump up the skin.  When skin is plumped up, fine lines are not visible.  When skin is hydrated, it helps in cell production because skin is not fighting hydration.  Why I like this brand?  Its lightweight and easily absorbed in the skin.  The name Mineral 89 is derived from the number of minerals found in the volcanic water used in this formulation.  This acts as a moisturizer as well.

Alternatively, I use a Vitamin C and E serum prescribed by my dermatologist to brighten and plump my skin.  Pictured above.  I squirt 3-4 drops and apply on my face.

4). Moisturize –  Because of our tropical, humid weather,  most women shy away from oils because it will make their skin oilier.  With better research and development over the years skincare products have improved in texture, its availability to penetrate skin and since this is plant based, the science behind it supports the claim.    This is one of my favorite moisturizers because it’s easily absorbed and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.  Apply a 3-4 drops and warm it against the palm of. your hand and massage it in the face.

5). Massage –  I saw this roller being demoed in a store in Japan, and what it does is, the rollers simulate physical kneading by a face esthetician on your face and neck to make it firmer and help contour the face.  For aging women that’s the jowl and jawline area.  The solar panel in the middle of the handle acts as a microcurrent, you know you’re doing it right if you feel a slight tug when you roll it across your face.  You can use this for the arms as well.  You may purchase this at Sephora online.  If this doesn’t fit in your budget, you may look for dupes in shopping sites but look for one that has platinum coating not plastic to minimize irritation.

What is pictured above is a dupe and the solar panel is missing.  The thicker roller I alternate using, not pictured here, contains the solar panel.  I was experimenting on the different rollers.

6). Lash and Brow Serum –

I’ve tried the expensive ones but nothing worked,  I made a simple recipe using the Essential oils from Young Living and researched on the recipe.  (I’m a member of Young Living Oils), It’s made from Castor oil, Lavender, Cedarwood, Rosemary and Vitamin E oils, ingredients that help lengthen and speed up the growth of lashes.  I apply this on my brows and lashes 2x/day.  See results in 6 weeks to 2 months if applied religiously.

If you’re applying brows and mascara during the day, skip this step and apply at night.  It does work and most of all doesn’t cost a lot.

7). Eye Serum –

I use this eye roller from Clinique as it contains caffeine to depuff and lighten the eyebags.  Again, aging hasn’t been kind to my eye area, the top eye are is slowly sagging creating a hooded effect.  To counteract this, by day I use the lighter eye serum and at night I use a slightly thicker eye product and apply on the top corner and contour of the eye avoiding the lid and in the undereye portion as well.  The rollerball gives a cooling effect.  Put this in the fridge to maximize the cooling effect.

8). Massage eye area

This pandemic has caused me severe retail therapy habits.  This led me to this gadget that vibrates and helps the eye product penetrate the eye area.  Battery operated, it’s perfect for the smaller parts of the face and doesn’t cause electric shock.  It feels like a soothing hum that can put you to sleep.  It also helps in the circulation around the eye area, an often neglected area.  It helps minimize puffiness, use this around 1 minute per eye area.

9). Sunscreen

The Holy Grail of Skin protection, again this is water based and does not feel heavy on the face.  Since its geared for sports activity, the longevity of this sunscreen will last longer and give your UVB/UVA protection a longer coverage.  Dermatologists can never stress enough the importance of applying sunscreen as this prevents aging, wrinkles and pigmentation on the face. I’ve worn this under makeup and it doesn’t cause flashback.

I also caution Brides and clients sometimes to shy away from a high SPF as this gives a white cast on the face when photographed.  An SPF of 15-30 is good if worn under makeup.

9). Lip Balm

One of my staples both in my personal and client makeup kit,  I bought this in one of my trips to France and discovered this in their pharmacies.  This was recommended by their in house sales staff as a bestseller.  It contains Honey, plant extracts, Shea Butter and Grapefruit essence, one jar is sold every 2 minutes!  It combats dry lips in the winter and she also taught me you can use this in the face when you have dry patches.  I bought a jar and 2 lip bullets to carry around with me.  It is now available locally in major department stores.

Do you have any skincare products you want to share with me?

You may purchase these products online at Sephora.com; Amazon, Lazada, Shopee and in Sm and Rustans Department Stores