Overview: My skin care products! (May 2013)

First skin care routine overview! Holy I can't believe it's May! I don't want it to be May, I don't want time to pass so quickly! I have to so much do and so little time!

I've been very pleased with my last post which was of a green and yellow eye look! (Check it out here!) Been slowly going through the different colors in my Coastal Scents Smokey palette! I also did a smokey gray look too with it (Check it out here!)

I've been very shy of reviewing much skincare or recommending products as they are far more personal than make up and will likely work differently on everyone. However I've took the time and realized I would like to share a snapshot of the range of products I use on a regular basis!

Continue below for the overview!

My range of toners: The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner (my review here!), Clean & Clear oil control toner, Soskin Gentle Purifying Lotion, Bioderma Sebium H2o (my review here!)

The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner: A very powerful toner at stripping oils from the skin. I use this on the days and particular weeks when my skin is being extra oily. Be careful as it has a denatured alcohol which can be drying. I'd recommend this to those with combination/oily skin or normal skin that isn't prone to drying out. Do use this on and off as it is very strong! This has been in my routine for about 3 years now!

Clean & Clear Oil Control toner: A mild but also oil stripping toner with a very 'clean' sort of bathroom scent. This does a good job as keeping normal or combination skin free of oil and excess sebum/dirt. This is my 'regular' toner which I'd use more often.

Soskin Gentle Purifying Lotion: This is a very light flowery scented toner which has a very light sensation when applied. Almost like a softener, it doesn't strip the skin of oils but cleanses it. This is good for the day when my skin isn't producing as much oil and just keeps my skin supple and moist.

Bioderma Sebium H2o: Not as harsh as the Body Shop tea tree but it effectively also removes extra oils from the skin, this doesn't have the tendency to dry up the surface of my skin either. I love the scent, its a calming sweet swimming pool smell. I find this great for all occasions and days, whether or not my skin is feeling extra greasy or not.

Overall toners are good for those of us with oiler skin, I use it first thing in the morning and last before I moisturize my face for the night, at times when my skin is bare.

My scrubs: Quaker Quickcook oatmeal, St. Ives Apricot scrub (used with Biore cleansing foam to reduce the roughness)

Quaker Oatmeal: This combined with warm/hot water in the shower makes the best natural face scrub, it really smooths out the skin surface and helps to lightly exfoliate and keep small bumps on the sides of my face from forming due to oil. I've found this one of the best ways to scrub on days when my skin feels normal.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub: This very coarse and rough scrub made of crushed apricot seeds is great to use in combination with light fluffy face cleansers which I find lessens the roughness and at the same time I get a scrub and cleanse. This is amazing for those who enjoy the rough scrub, it really can help to reduce the small bumps and help heal blemishes for me.

Biore cleansing foam for 'normal' skin: This is just a very mild foaming face wash good for sensitive to normal skin. It has a very light fluffy texture, great for regular skin and as I use it, mixed with rough scrubs.

My cleansers: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, La Roche-Posay foaming gel, Hada Labo AHA + BHA cleanser (My review here!)

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser: A light gel light texture, this well advertised cleanser is soapfree and doesn't foam at all. However it really does do what it says it does, it keeps my skin very well cleansed and I have noticed a lot less blemishes and oily spots on my skin the last year I in-cooperated this into my routine. I've used this as my only cleanser for 5 months straight and my skin was great.

La Roche-Posay Foaming Gel: First off, this smells like diluting acrylic paint which is not pleasant but having used this for about 2 months everyday as my cleanser, this has maintained if not improved my now much smoother complexion overall. I use it with a silicon scrubber and I've had no ill effects!

Hada Labo AHA+BHA cleanser: This is amazing, if you've yet to try products with alpha hydroxy acids or salicylic acids do try this very gentle cleanser. The AHA helps to moisturize whilst the BHA or Salicylic acid dries up oils and bacteria that form pimples! When I first started using this last year I was amazed at how the texture of my skin improved from night to day, so much smoother and less oily during the day! It's still a part of my routine but I rotate with others!

My moisturizers: Hada Labo Arbutin  Whitening Milk, Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Milk, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Milk: I've been using this as a moisturizer for more than 2 months now. It's light milky consistency really gives a night even moisturizing quality without being sticky or too thick, it dries on the skin and in the morning I just tone as normal. I hope this will really help lighten scars I've got from blemishes and lighten freckles, otherwise I've had no irritation or problems with this.

Hada Labo SHA milk: Exactly like the Arbutin version, this is a milk textured product. I use this also as a moisturizer as I prefer this texture to the emulsion Hada Labo has which is like a straight up liquid.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: The opposite in terms of texture to the Hada Labo moisturizers, this thick creamy cream is non greasy and really replenishes the suppleness of my skin. Even on the days I have oily feeling skin, a good thick layer of this at night leaves my skin feeling non-greasy and soft in the morning. I think this would work for just about everybody as a good strong moisturizer to plump up lines and improve the softness to the outside of your skin.

My special care: Benzac AC 2 1/2 % Benzoyl peroxide gel, Shiseido Aqualabel white up cream, L'oreal youth code eye essence, Olay Regenerist serum

Benzac Benzoyl Peroxide Gel: This is my miracle product for getting rid of pimples, it simple zaps the oil in the pimple and within 1-4 days depending on the type of pimple the blemish dries up. I use the water based gel type as it is far less drying than the non water based formula. Use only as a spot treatment.

Shiseido white up cream: Not often used, I do sometimes use this on my freckles on my cheeks but not regularly enough. I plan to try to use this tub up in the next few months. In the past this seemed to cause me break outs but actually it may just have been my skin having breakouts and nothing to do with this product. I've used this on and off recently and its had no ill effects. Hope to use this more regularly to fade freckles and scars!

L'oreal youth code eye essence: When I do feel like it, this is what I'd dab around my eyes for a plumping, cooling effect. I'm not too confident about long term effects but it does help to lessen puffiness and I hope slow down the aging of my skin around the eyes!

Olay Regenerist serum: A thicker also paste like consistency, this gel is much firmer and I like to use this around my mouth area which tends to get laugh lines if my skin gets dry.

Miscellaneous: The Body Shop Peppermint smoothing foot scrub, Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer (My review here!), Simple Clear Skin oil balancing moisturizer, Shiseido Aqualabel white up softening lotion

The Body Shop Peppermint foot scrub: A thick rough pumice scrub that smells strongly of peppermint, used with a pumice stone to scrub your heels, this is magic! I use this regularly to exfoliate the dry heels of my feet that get thicker skin! Been using this for many years!

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer: This is so much like a sunscreen, this white thicker consistency and smell it doesn't really work it for me. I don't use this very often but will on my neck as it tends to irritate my eyes easily if it gets around my eyes.

Simple Clear Skin oil balancing moisturizer: A very light soft blending moisturizer it really breaks out into a water like feel on the face and dries up quickly! I love the texture and use this before I put on a full face of make up.

Shiseido Aqualabel softening lotion: This is my second bottle and I use this as a replacement to my toners when my skin is either feeling very good or more fragile. It doesn't have oil stripping properties and keeps the skin soft and doesn't dry out as much as normal toners. Good for those also with sensitive skin that want to give your face a refreshing wipe before your sleep or wake up.

Hydrating skin care: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel mask, Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

Neutrogena Water gel mask: Just another good short term moisturizing boost! I thick layer of this at night and it'd be dry in 15 mins or so, this helps to refresh the skin especially if you feel your skin is dull from a lack of sleep or just to freshen up after having pimples. This will not cause further blemishes.


Laneige water sleeping mask: My second tub, this really leaves the skin feeling surreally smooth the next morning. I tend to sleep with my layer of mask on and I think the over night penetration really makes a difference. However as I said before in previous posts, products that moisturizer are best for short term improvements, this is a pick me up and not a cure. Better sleep and diet improves skin the most.


Oh wow! That was a lot of mini reviews and summaries! I hope sharing with you lovely people what I use might give you some consideration of what you use and how you pair your products with your skin and your needs. Everyone's skin is different so I've stated on certain things that might be best for a certain skin type.

Do keep in mind that products should be used for several weeks before coming to a conclusion, even myself I have yet to use some of the special care items too regularly but I included them as they are the ones I'd reach for.

What are some of your holy grail skin care products? 

let me know!

Feel free to comment! 

Thank you so much!