The Case for The Basics: Skincare

Above: Skincare according to Jessica Harlow. (For reference, JH has dry skin and acne.)

Here's a dirty secret that I've been reluctant to share lately: I'm one of those beauty bloggers who have contracted the habit of not wearing that much makeup every single day.

My laziness when it comes to wearing the stuff is a combination of several factors, including but not limited to rushed mornings and extreme humidity. The only thing worse than being a makeup slacker, however, is the fact that I'm also a skincare slacker.

Yikes.

There's a lot of hubris to blame for that last part. For the last decade or so, I've been told that I have the kind of skin problems that most people wish they had: smooth skin, no pimples, the occasional under-eye circle or two. Even after I turned 30, I still receive scads of comments from folks who refuse to believe that I've aged a day past 21. (Okay, 15 at the earliest.)

Did I also mention that my skin can be very sensitive sometimes - acting OK with a specific product at first, and then freaking out on the next instance? Yep, it's that crazy.

And now that I'm also losing weight from my face as well, I've decided that I have to put a stop to all this madness and start taking care of my skin again, once and for all.

Here's what my course of action looks like right now - and remember, I have purchased all of these products on my own, without any promotional considerations from the manufacturers themselves...

- Face wash: Pond's Perfect Care (available at the supermarket)
- Serum: Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Serum, applied on bare skin
- Moisturizer: Pond's Age Miracle, applied on top of the serum. Usually I put on the Overnight Treatment, but sometimes I would put on the Daily Resurfacing SPF15 cream (during the daytime, natch) because I've found that the sunblock ingredients in that one do a good job of keeping the humidity in check.

(Side note: Yes, I understand that the above products are not organic and natural and stuff, but you have to understand that I really am that much of a skincare slacker, and as such I am rarely obligated to use anything that has no preservatives in them. That is, unless you consider the product that I am going to mention next...)  

- Eyes: Human Nature Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil. Yes, it's an oil - and therefore not a product that can work as a bottom layer for makeup - but I have yet to see an eye treatment work this well when it comes to both under-eye circles and overall puffiness. One application actually makes my eyes look less tired from the day before, so it's a good counter-offensive for sleepless nights and dry air. For what it's worth, I also use this on other dry parts of my face, especially during the days when my skin looks like hell.

- Spot treatment: Sometimes I use tea-tree oil, and sometimes I use a spot treatment if the zits are especially bad. Pimples have been few and far between so far, though.

- Others: I try to chill out as much as possible with a face mask every week. If I'm especially cranky, I might even fool around with a scrub (like this) and then follow it up straight with a moisturizer... but that's just here and there along the way.

This skincare routine, along with the diet and exercise, is a way for me to establish a routine, which in turn would bring me closer to putting things in order for the rest of my life. If I can do this, I'll be one step closer to bringing the sanity back into my life... and that's not something I can put off any longer.