Last Quarter Skincare 2013: What I'm using right now!

My basic skincare items! Hello ladies, my blog has always meant to be more beauty oriented and it's not really my habit to talk about my haircare or skin care. However I received an e-mail from a teenage reader of mine who came across my blog who asked about some skincare help and after replying her I realized that I should now and again show you ladies what I'm using or the types of things I'd reach for!

These are just an array of products I would use in my routine, I don't use all at the same time or only just use singular products by themselves. I'm always switching up or alternating between two in each category because of the change in condition of my skin during the month. Remember to give 4-6 weeks to be able to tell how the product is contributing to any improvements. Unless your skin gets irritated or reacts negatively very quickly!

Continue below for the skincare overview!

Face washes: These are the type gentle of foaming washes that work in general with most skin types and is a good choice for regular cleansing or a quick face wash.

I reach for these type of face washes at the end of my face washing routine on a regular day. When my skin isn't feeling very oily, or gritty. I also combine these regular washes with a scrub to wash off my foundation in the shower.

Garnier Sakura White Cleansing Foam: This baby sized product I purchased for use on travel but I've only used it the last few weeks. It's scented like cherry blossoms and is a very pleasant and gel textured foaming wash. Good for those without sensitive skin, it's just a normal face wash.

Nivea Extra White Pore Minimizer Mud Foam: Also a mini sized product, much like the regular whitening (white colored) foaming cleanser, it smells very strong and sweet and foams up crazily! It leaves the skin feeling a bit tight and very squeaky clean. It may tighten pores but I'd still use a treatment for tightening pore if needed.

Biore Mild foaming wash: Great for those without any special needs, a super soft, silky face wash. Good for dry to combination and sensitive skin, this wash leave your skin soft but not tight. A very mild face wash, don't expect any amazing skin improvements.

The Face Shop Rice Water Bright cleansing foam: A very mild, slightly grain scented wash, it foams up and leave your skin not only soft but a good slight tightness. It's meant to help naturally brighten up the complexion but I of course never paid attention to that. It's a good choice other than the regular washes at the supermarkets.

Face washes: The two other types besides the mild regular ones I keep handy. The Aqua Label line by Shiseido are super heavy duty, the Avene gel cleanser is for the days my skin feels sensitive or slightly oily, a gel texture is good for those days.

Aqua Label Wash Ex Royal Jelly line (my full review of the blue tube here): This soft super foaming wash is one of my favorite washes ever. I've used up 2 tubes of this wash in the blue tube, this one is extremely similar. Both lines claim to lighten pigmentation and I know from experience that it has improved the texture of my skin so much over the last year. My HG face wash.

Avene soapless gel cleanser : This line is meant for oily skin as this face wash is oil free and really strips the face of oil very gently. I recommend this for those with slightly oily skin and sensitive skin. If your skin isn't sensitive just go for a regular face wash!

All rounder face wash: This has the super silky gel like texture, well advertised by doctors and skincare clinics, it doesn't feel like anything special but it used regularly over at least 2 months your skin will improve in texture and feel very moist! This also can be used on the body if you have acne on your body!

Face scrubs: Here are the two mains types of scrubs I use, a physical scrub with sugar/seed granules and a chemical scrub with AHA or BHA!

The Face Shop Honey Black Sugar Scrub: A very luxurious, fun scrub, a must try for those who haven't tried sugar scrubs! It's very rough when first squeezed out, make sure your face is wet and your palms are damp, rub to melt the sugar a bit to round the crystals out and then scrub gently on the forehead, nose and face with your fingertips! After washing this off, it feels like there's a smooth layer of grease on your face but when your face dries it just feels smooth!

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub: Any of the 'apricot' scrubs from St.Ives is a huge thumbs up in terms of real 'scrub' scrubs. I like having rough gritty bits in my scrub. I often put this combined with some mild face wash for a gentler scrub! Great for helping to remove foundation!

Ducray Keracnyl foaming gel: A lot like the Avene soapless gel wash this is similar but has AHA in it so it's a type of chemical exfoliant without any bits of rough scrub! The alternative to this is the Hada Labo AHA/BHA wash which I find is my HG chemical scrub wash!

Face scrub: A completely natural option! Using instant oatmeal is a great way to exfoliate the skin gently! Put a nice big pinch in your palm and adding warm to hot water, slowly work it in the palm until a bit mushy and then rub against the face, rinse off and experience super silky smooth skin!

Toners/softner: Astringent products which are meant to tighten and clean oil/grease away.  I would recommend using a toner if you've got oilier skin.

The Body Shop Tea Tree toner: This is very strong, it contains a lot of alcohol like many toners do. They are what makes the skin dry, removes grease and tightens pores. If you have sensitive skin or a lot of pimples do not use this, it will cause more pain and sensitivity than good. Note that it's heavily scented of the tea tree oil smell.

Aqua Label by Shiseido softening lotion : Supposed to be good for evening out and whitening pigmentation, I've gone through two bottles, it's a very gentler toning type of product but is called a 'softner'. It does not have alcohol and therefore isn't strong on the skin. I like this for just cleaning my face when I'm a bit greasy or first thing in the morning to remove residual product from the night.

Bioderma Sebium H2O: A huge bottle at half a litre, this took me a year and a half to finish as I'm always using more than one toner at a time! This has a slight 'clean' type of smell and was great on my skin. Refreshing, used in the morning and evenings when needed, it's a good option for those with oilier skin.

Boots Tea Tree Witch Hazel toner: Similar to the one from the Body shop, this has witch hazel which is also great for blemished skin, Tea tree is anti bacterial so together this is perfect for slightly oily and blemished skin. I rarely get pimples nowadays but I love the scent of this and it's very gentle and not as strong as the one from The Body Shop. If you have boots, this is something worth trying!

Toner from Avene. A 'mattifying' toner, this is much more expensive than the rest above but is so worth trying if you have the budget. It truly leaves the skin 'matte' without over drying it and it has a lovely light scent.

Pimple treatment: I use Benzoyl Peroxide at 2 1/2 and 5%, these formulas are water based which completely dry out pimples or oily bumps over night or without a few days. Apply only onto your spots, the gel dries transparent if you apply thinly but otherwise is whitish.

Benzac AC Benzoyl Peroxide gel: My solution to regular pimples and breakouts (don't apply this is large quantities it will dry out your skin very badly) I choose the waterbased formula so it's more gentle. I don't really go for many natural options, I've tried and tested, this works, every single time and I use it whenever I need to. You must let this dry up on the skin and I use this at night so I sleep with it on before removing in the morning.

Thursday Plantation Tea tea Blemish Gel: An excellent alternative more natural pimple treatment. Tea tree oil is anti bacterial so it attacks the bacteria under the skin creating the pimple. Apply a bit onto the pimple and leave it to dry up the pimple over night. If you want something stronger, try their pure tea tree oil from Guardian. It's so much more affordable than the oil from The Body Shop and comes in 30ml instead of the sad 10ml from TBS. Very potent, very strong, the smell is intense but goes away, do not get any into broken, scratched skin or into your eyes or around your nose, it will hurt so bad and you won't forget it!

My favorite make up wipes ever. Made in Singapore too! I use this to remove all my face and eye make up (the only thing it can't remove is waterproof mascara and gel eyeliner)

Skin care products: Clean & Clear wipes ( I used to use this at school when I was younger) it's like a wipe with toner in it, The Face Shop Clay Mask is meant to tighten pores and leave your skin less oily and it does! I don't use it very often but it's a nice treat (my full review here)

Face moisturizers: One of the most important type of product everyone should have. No matter what skin type, oily, dry, normal, sensitive, combination you should have a moisturizer that works for your skin for at least night time application.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: Famous for their all round skin suitable products, this cream is thick and heavily moisturizing. It does not feel greasy and when applied thinly it completely absorbs into the skin and any fine lines around the mouth and nose and anywhere else on the face plump up by the morning.  I use this only at night before sleeping.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost water gel: Exactly like the Laniege Water sleeping pack (my review here), this is a soft, watery gel consistency that just melts into the skin, apply this all over the face and down the neck before sleeping and wake up with soft feeling, plump, hydrated skin. This is a 'perk me up' type of product and not one that should give you any long term improvements. I do recommend this, it's very affordable too.

Simple Clear skin oil balancing moisturizer: I bought this as I just wanted something to smooth on before applying my make up like a base. I liked how it had zinc in it to control oil. It's a typical moisturizer, very light though and absorbs almost completely. Good one for beginnings of moisturizers, this shouldn't irritate at all.

Hada Labo SHA hydrating lotion: A very liquid textured, light and super absorbent moisturizer that is full of Hyaluronic acid that plumps up the skin and makes your skin feel so moist and refreshed the next morning! This is well used as this is my second bottle, my first being the blue one which is meant for whitening!

My bare skin as of this month. I have slight puffiness and darkness under my eyes and some redness on my cheeks and around the mouth during the day without any make up on.

As I mentioned in the beginning, all the products I'm showing are a range of products I pick from at the moment for my daily skin care. I do not use all at the same time, that would be counter active and not safe either. Please note that skin care is very personal and that it works differently for everyone. 

I do encourage drinking enough water and eating as balanced a diet as you can under your circumstances. I also am on medication that helps keep my hormones balances so that's definitely helping but even without my skin has improved so much with certain face washes and with proper make up removal routines.

Overall, I do hope that all my lovely followers are having a good december! It's definitely more difficult towards the end of the year to keep fit or be always on the ball with what you're putting in your body so try your best and I hope to see lots of fun hauls, food and family post and lots of shopping this year end!

Thank you for stopping by!