Skincare routine

Overview

This is a guide to my skincare routine for those who might not know where to start. It may seem like a lot of steps, but I’ve been building this up over the years. I’ve tried many products and pruned the steps that dermatologists deem unnecessary.

Morning: Protect & Prevent

1. Cleanse
   • Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
     • Product Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser
2. Pat dry
   1. Gently pat your face completely dry with a clean towel
   2. Wait 30-60 seconds to ensure it’s fully dry
3. Apply vitamin C serum
   1. Drop serum into palm, then press onto face and neck; never dropper-to-skin
      • Product: La Roche-Posay Pure C12
   2. Gently press it into your skin until it’s absorbed. There’s no need to wait a long time, but a minute or two allows it to settle in
4. Lightly mist your face with water
   1. A simple spray bottle works perfectly
   2. Then, immediately apply your moisturizer to this newly dampened skin
5. Apply moisturizer to damp skin
   1. This seals the water in without interfering with your Vitamin C.
   • Product: La Roche-Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer
6. Apply Sunscreen (Non-Negotiable): Finish with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or 50. This is the essential final step that works with Vitamin C to protect your skin from UV damage
   • Product: ANTHELIOS 50+ UVMUNE 400 Oil Control Non-perfumed gel-cream

Evening: Repair & Renew

1. Cleanse
   • Use the double cleanse method to remove sunscreen
   • Products
     • Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Cleansing Oil
     • Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser
2. Pat dry
   1. Gently pat your face completely dry with a clean towel
   2. Wait 10-20 minutes for skin to be fully dry
3. Apply retinol serum
   • Drop serum onto fingertips, then press onto face and neck; never dropper-to-skin
   • Product: La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum (0.1% Retinol + 0.2% Encapsulated Retinol)
4. Wait a few more minutes
5. Lightly mist your face with water
   1. A simple spray bottle works perfectly
   2. Then, immediately apply your moisturizer to this newly dampened skin
6. Apply moisturizer: Finish with a moisturizer
   • Product: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 Soothing Balm

Takeaways

• I’m going to go back to a double cleanse method. That worked well for me in the past, but I struggled to get the La Roche-Posay cleanser when I was in Taiwan, and it seemed a little overkill to have two cleansers that I travelled with internationally. I’m ok with trying this again
• Always apply your cleanser to dry hands and a dry face first, adding water to emulsify it slightly before massaging it in. This can be gentler than applying a watery cleanser directly
• Apply your moisturizer to damp skin, not to dry skin. So don’t pat dry your face after the shower
  • This is important because the moisturisers I use contain humectants which can pull out water from my skin if it’s dry. Leaving my face damp will provide the humectants moisture to use and trap into my skin
• Apply antioxidant serums to clean, dry skin
  • The issue is with pH and stability, not hydration. Vitamin C is most effective and stable at a low pH (acidic, around 3.0-3.5) so it can penetrate the skin effectively. Water has a neutral pH (around 7), so applying vitamin C to damp skin can raise the skin’s surface pH, potentially reducing the serum’s stability and its ability to penetrate correctly. This can make it less effective and, in some cases, more irritating