I'm no skin-care guru, pero ever since I've graduated from college medyo na-conscious ako sa aking face kasi way back 2010's wala akong pake sa aking skin - particularly my face, for reals! And then, when the Korean wave hit PH, I suddenly wanted to be a Hallyu Star! Lol. (IYKWIM)
I assumed I can have that Korean glow through imitating the products that their using - yep, that's my first introduction to Korean skincare. Before talaga, I didn't know what to do, I was really overwhelmed kasi naman may 10 step skincare, and then 5 step, and terms if I haven't heard before. In short, nawindang ako! 😂
Thankfully, there's YouTube and Google to enlighten me. Now, I am maintaining a somewhat semi-Korean skin care (haha)- and it's not the ten-step BTW. It's actually pretty simple so without further ado, here are the steps & the products I use on a daily basis:
STEP 1: CLEANSERS
So cleansers are basically anything that cleanses the face (lol). And I don't want to complicate my description of it because a cleanser's job description is to obviously CLEAN THE FACE. One thing to note though, choose the right cleanser for your skin type - dry, combination, oily, sensitive. (Don't know your skin type? Look it up on the internet or go to a Derma clinic)
Since I'm aware I'm more of a combination skin and acne prone skin, I regularly use CETAPHIL Gentle Skin Cleanser day and night but mostly at night. It's a mild, non-irritating, noncomedogenic (meaning it doesn't clog your pores), water-like texture plus it doesn't have a scent so perfect for daily use. I kinda use it as a make-up remover because number one - I don't have a make-up remover and number two - I rarely use make-up naman so I just apply this after a long haggard day to remove the dirt I acquired from my polluted surroundings.(😂) I bought this 250ml at Watsons for around P700-ish, I believe it is also available in Lazada I think for a cheaper price. I can recommend this to any skin type especially those who have sensitive ones kasi it really doesn't irritate the skin and at the same time cleanses it pa. Thumbs up ako with this product although it's kinda pricey for a student. Pero I think carry na if good results naman kapalit diba? 😉
RATING:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The second cleanser is the COSRX Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser - I know this cleanser's kinda hyped na pero super amazing and cheap kasi siya! I bought this I think for less than P500 and on average it lasts me for about 2-3 months. Yay diba? Imagine I don't have to regularly purchase for cleansers kasi 1 tube nito is 150 ml and you'll only need a pea size of it. It has a PH level of 4.5-5 (hence the name Low PH), clear gel formula siya and it's not drying, personally I think it prevents future breakouts. (haha) May konting scent siya pero for me it's bearable unless sobrang sensitive ng pang-amoy I think it'll work for anyone. I love this cleanser, in fact I think it'll take a while for me to find another cleanser as good as this one! BTW, it can be also used at night - don't be fooled by the name! 😀💙
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEP 2: TONER
After cleansing, next is toning. In my recent routine, I've been using this Son & Park Beauty Water (in trial bottle) kasi nga I've emptied my previous toner which is the COSRX AHA/BHA Claryfing Toner (also an awesome toner, FYI) that's why I wanted to try this so-called Beauty Water. It smells like Eskinol (If you don't know what Eskinol is hit the link 😁) pero less alcohol-y siya. Texture is also like water, clear, walang kung ano. It's advertised as an all-in-one water - make up remover, toner, mild exfoliator, etc but I'm particularly using it as a toner. I don't have a detailed review on this product yet since I got this just a week ago but so far, so good!
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
After toning, be ready to moisturize. I use this MIZON Snail Recovery Gel Cream. Like the Cosrx Cleanser, this is also in gel type so it's clear and pretty much non-sticky. I really hate kasi those heavy creams where in you feel as if something is pasted on your face. I always opt for gel moisturizers and also the good thing about this is that it's also multi-functional (I like everything multi-functional. LOL) It can be used as a regular moisturizer (para hindi sobrang dry ng skin, ps: even oily skin needs to moisturize) or for recovering acne, although frankly I did not see much of a difference on my acne marks - I can say that I only used this as a moisturizer. Hehe. But nonetheless, good stuff!
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEP 4: EYE CREAM
Some people stop at Step 3 which is a major NO-NO! According to my research and skin care experts, you should start as early as your 20's on your eye cream game. It didn't occur to me that once you hit your 20's few lines will eventually come out maybe due to stress, extreme happiness (from laughing. LOL), and other factors which will sag our precious eyes and ever heard that "crow's feet" Yeah, to prevent that from occurring or to somehow slow down the ageing process - put an eye cream! By the way, I'm using this MIZON Snail Repair Eye Cream 😊
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEP 5: SUN SCREEN
Protect your face from UV rays they say, apply sunscreen everyday they say, and I did! In the morning, before putting powder or apply cushion (which is like applying make-up for me) I put on this BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel - and again, it's gel type although this time it is NOT a clear gel. This sunscreen (sun gel or whatever the hell it is) is a watery kind of sunscreen, SPF50+ PA++++ (what's with the +) , and unlike other sunscreens it is not sticky and too tinted. I bought this at Watsons but I know it's also available in online stores such as Lazada and Beautymnl. BTW, Biore is a Japanese brand and I've read really great reviews about it so I'm planning to buy more products from Biore in the future. But anyway, this sun watery gel is amazing, also I bought last year pa and it's March so a little goes a long way, alam na! 😉
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you want to shop for all the products I've mentioned you can check the links on each product. 😊