So I was just on tumblr and decided to check my inbox and I had some messages, one of which was asking about my skincare. I'm not sure how long that message has been sitting there but it's worth doing a skin care routine if only because I'm obsessed with buying beauty products.
In all my back and forth with products, there are certain essentials I have never wavered from.
DERMALOGICA.
If they are a church, I am their priest and I have converted many people. The first time I used dermalogica was when I went to a Marie-Claire event and got a starter pack in my goody bag. Tbh I don't really appreciate free things, not with my heart, so I used the wash half heartedly a few times and left it somewhere in my bathroom. I must have been bored and decided to give the products another try , also incorporating the daily microfoliant (still my favourite skincare product bar none) and I was blown away. It really smoothed out my skin. You know all those things below the surface that never really come out? Gone. The samples lasted for months and when they ran out, I took the plunge and bought full bottles.
So after that long ass story- my fundamental staple is dermalogica.
In order not to turn this into a post detailing the pros and cons of every product, the have, I'll highlight three products I always have/use.
1. Special Cleansing Gel- This is a basic face wash. I think the formulation has undergone a slight tweak since I started using it but I love it all the same.
2. Daily Microfoliant- The powder exfoliator that existed before powder exfoliators became a 'thing'. If you don't know how to use it properly, it can seem ineffective but it works.
3. Overnight Cleaning Gel- OMG. This is phenomenal . There was a phase where I was just covered in acne. I was depressed and over it and I tried this. IT.CHANGED.MY.LIFE. The name doesn't lie, I actually saw an overnight change. Now I try to always have it- often buried at the bottom of a bag until those pesky spots surface.
4. I said three, I lied. Special cleansing gel is perfectly fine when you're skin is treating you well but there are times when it really messes up and you need to tackle it head on- Thats where the skin clearing wash comes in. It has the same calming consistency as the special cleansing gel but it tackles spots.
Okay dermalogica can feel a bit mediciny so moving on to some other products.
I'm obsessed with even skin. I still haven't managed to achieve it but my standards are probably impossibly high. But a few products have helped me in my journey. Currently, I'm trying a Khiels serum and seeing where it takes me.
The one thing I've never settled on is a moisturiser. Moisturisers are really essential and when I still lived in England, I slathered it on happily, switching to heavy formulations in winter but in the burning heat that is Abuja and the unbearable humidity that is Lagos, it's really hard to deal with moisturiser. I've used a few mattifying moisturisers and they did mattify but felt weird. There are two mattifiers I recommend though. One is a benefit pore minimiser and ding-dong DERMALOGICA again!
I recently started using the dermalogica skin smoothing cream, Bvlgari face emulsion and olay regenerist night recovery cream. I use them pretty much interchangeably but I get less of a shiny afterglow with the dermalogica skin smoothing cream and it's a lighter foundation for the days I wear make-up.
I don't take off my make-up *shock* *gasp* yah. I only take it off when it's making me feel hot and then I strip that off so quick. I had some time to kill in the airport recently so I decided to try the bioderma cleanser. Cannot say I can see what the fuss is about, I'm afraid. Before this I used one from clinique which was an oil and water mix and I liked it. Better than all of these things, is washing your face but hey! Do you know some people don't wash their faces ever? (looking at you Garance Dore), apparently its healthier for your skin?
Anyway, that's my skin care routine in summary- if it can even be called a routine.