Skincare talk: My current morning routine

During my early teens, I only used soap and day cream on my face. But I tell you, I haven't had problems with my face back then. I never had breakouts and I was content. When I started working, I began using other products primarily because now I had the budget. Haha! Of course, who wouldn't agree with me on this? Working girls, yes? Haha. If I remember it right, it was on the year 2017 that I started seriously taking care of my skin. I started with the basic steps: cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. When the K-beauty madness became wild all over the internet, I jumped on the bandwagon. I got curious with the 10-step Korean skincare routine so I read loads of articles about it and started buying serums, masks, and the like. My skincare journey, just like anybody else's, has been a tough ride. A game of trial and error. It was only last year that I finally found my "holy grail" products and I would love to share it all to you.

Step 1: Cleanse

Okay, so the very first step in my daily morning routine is cleansing. I don't double cleanse in the morning as I only do it at night. My daily facial cleanser is the Innisfree Green Tea Foam Cleanser. This was the very first Innisfree product that I tried and it instantly became my HG cleanser. My oily, acne-prone, and combination skin loves it. The cleanser has a mild fragrance but I like it. Every after wash, my face feels so clean yet soft and smooth. And it was because of this cleanser that I got hooked with Innisfree's Green Tea line that I keep adding more of the line's products to my routine.

I exfoliate my skin 2-3 times a week using the St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub. The scrub beads are really really tiny compared to their Apricot Scrub. It took me a while to find the best facial scrub for me but thank goodness I found this because every single time I use this, my face just feels extra soft and smooth like a baby's butt. Haha!

Step 2: Tone

Second step is toning. It also took me a while to find the perfect toner for me and I am so happy that I invested in Dear Klairs' Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner. I was really iffy about trying this toner because of course, Dear Klairs products are quite pricey but it was because of this toner that I started believing in truly investing on good skincare products regardless of its price. This toner has a mild scent but you won't really notice it unless you intentionally smell it. I apply this by putting 3-4 drops on my palm, rub it a little between my palms, then pat it on my face. I fell in love with this toner because it's very gentle on the skin, dries up fast, and really helps in keeping my skin moisturized. It's a really good toner to prep your skin for your next steps.

Last week, I received a beauty mail and it came with the Laneige Basic Care Moisture Trial Kit. The kit had two products and one of it is the Power Essential Skin Refiner Moisture which is basically a toner. I have been alternating this with my Dear Klairs toner and so far I have not seen any issues on my skin yet. Haha. Anyway, unlike the Dear Klairs toner, I use this by putting 3-4 drops on a cotton pad then apply it gently on my face in an upward motion.



P.S. They say that the upward motion is the key to success. Haha! This is because it helps encourage tightening and lifting of the skin to prevent it from sagging. If this is a myth or a fact, I'm really not sure.

Step 3: Essence

Third step in my routine is the essence. But what is an essence? An essence is a lightweight liquid with active ingredients that usually targets the common skin problems such as wrinkles, fine lines, uneven skin tone, and dull skin. Currently, I'm using the CosRX Two-in-One Poreless Power Liquid and the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence.

My main skin concerns are my enlarged pores in my cheek area and blackheads on my nose. They say this is normal if you have oily skin. These skin problems go hand in hand. And when CosRX released the Poreless Power Liquid, I got curious. Because who wouldn't? Especially if you have the same problem as mine. It was always sold out from the so I only got to try it last December 2018 when I finally bought one. I apply this after the toner and I like that it does not give me the stinging feeling. Although I haven't seen any significant changes with my pores, I will continue using this until the bottle runs out and I'll have to see if I'll buy my second or not.

Together with the CosRX Poreless Power Liquid, I bought the Missha Time Revolution Trial Kit and it comes with the First Treatment Essence and Night Repair New Science Activator Ampoule. This duo is one of the mostly raved in the skincare world which made me decide to try it once and for all. I include the essence in my morning routine while the ampoule in my nighttime routine. The First Treatment Essence has a watery consistency and is meant to help brighten and even out skin texture, hydrate, and improve the overall health of your skin to achieve that youthful glow. I'm still halfway the trial bottle and I'm actually not sure if I will buy the full sized product. I haven't had any problems with this product, no breakouts, no anything, but I think this essence isn't just for me. You know what I mean, right? It's like your skin tells you it doesn't like the product that you apply on it.

Step 4: Emulsion

Along with the Skin Refiner in the Laneige Trial Kit I received, is the Essential Balancing Emulsion (see photo above). An emulsion is like a moisturizer but lighter. Depending on the consistency of your emulsion, it can be applied before or after the serum. The Laneige Essential Balancing Emulsion has a thick creamy-like consistency so I use this after the Missha Essence. When I use this emulsion, I no longer apply serum instead, I proceed with my moisturizer. So far, I like the emulsion because it helps in making my face soft and plump. But still, I'm not sure if I'll buy the full sized product because it's too costly for me already. Haha. After finishing this emulsion, I think I'll stick with my toner-essence-serum-moisturizer routine.

Step 5: Serum

Next step is serum. And again, I have two serums that I use because I alternate them as well. I have the Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum and the Dear Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum.

The Green Tea Seed Serum was the second product that I bought from the Innisfree Green Tea line after the foam cleanser. I got addicted with skincare products containing green tea when I learned that green tea is very good for oily, acne-prone, combination skin. Tea tree is great as well. Anyway, this serum is included in my HG list and I don't think I'll be replacing this.. for now. It really helps in keeping the moisture in my skin and greatly helps whenever I have breakouts too.

The Dear Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum, on the other hand, is a really good product too. I bought this together with their Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum (I'll discuss this in my nighttime routine post). This serum is really good in moisturizing the dry areas of my face. Although this product is best for those with dry skin, I love using this and like the green tea serum, I don't think I'll replace this for now. These two serums are my best skincare weapons as of the moment.

Step 6: Eye Cream

This step is very essential because we need to take care of the eye area to prevent early signs of aging. I have used a lot of eye creams and eye gels and right now, I'm using the Innisfree Green Tea Seed Eye Cream. The eye cream has the same scent with the other green tea products that I have from Innisfree and it actually smells refreshing for me. I use this eye cream day and night and so far so good. It's really hydrating it keeps the area around my eye moisturized all throughout the day. A little goes a long way with this cream too because there was one time I took out more than I should and it felt heavy. So yes, a pea-sized amount is already good.

Step 7: Moisturize

One of the most important step in my routine is to moisturize. Because oily skin needs hydration too. If you don't moisturize, your skin dries out which pushes the skin to release more oil to replace the lost moisture. In short, not moisturizing will make your face look oilier and you don't want that, right? For oily skin types, the best types of moisturizers you should invest in are those in gel and lotion forms because these are lighter than creams. Also look for products that are non-comodogenic to avoid clogging of your pores.

The moisturizer that really really works for me is the Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream. It's so perfect for my skin type and it really moisturizes my face well including the dry areas on my face. It's very lightweight that it absorbs quickly into my skin. My HG moisturizer!

Innisfree's Green Tea line have different variants that will suit your skin type and the Balancing variant is perfect for oily skin. The lotion's consistency is lighter than a cream but still very hydrating. Actually, my skin seems to love all the green tea products I apply on it. And again, I alternate this with the Mizon moisturizer.

Step 8: Sun Protection

Last but not the least, and the most important step in my morning routine, is sun protection. Back then, I didn't care about applying sunblock on my face because I was young and naive. Also, I was only familiar with the beach sunblock so I was also ignorant then. When I started getting serious with skincare, I looked for a sunblock that isn't too heavy but still provides enough protection as I go throughout the day. And I found it with Bioré Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50 PA+++. What I super love about this sunblock is it's not sticky because of its ultra light consistency. It also has a light citrus scent which I like. It doesn't feel like you're applying sunblock but you know you're protected because it has SPF50 PA+++. This is my HG sunblock and I don't think I'll ever look for another one!



That's a lot of products, right?! And they're mostly Korean! Haha. That's how my skin loves Korean skincare products. Lol. And I swear this routine sometimes makes me confused but I got used to it. I always tell myself that this is for my future. Lol. I don't want to regret not taking care of my skin when I get older.

By the way, if you're not sure when to apply the products, the key thing you need to remember here is to apply the products in an order based on its weight. Start with the thinnest consistency then work your way up to the product with the heaviest or thickest consistency. This is to ensure that every product you apply on your face has the ability to penetrate your skin. If you don't follow this golden rule, the products that you invested in will not work effectively so it will only be a waste of your money, time, and effort. You're investing in good skincare products, so why not do it right, right?

Where I usually shop for these products:

• Althea Korea - Free shipping for a minimum spend of Php 999
• Go Bloom & Glow - Cebu-based online shop and offers free shipping for orders over Php 2000
• BeautyMNL - I'm not sure but I think free shipping also applies for orders over Php 1000 but they do provide a lot of free shipping promos monthly!

So how about you? What's your current morning skincare routine? Share it in the comment section below! :)

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