My Skin Care Journey and Favorites

Not gonna lie, I used to think skin care routines were overrated. I never put too much thought into taking care of my skin because I generally had “okay” skin back in high school… Or so I thought… I didn’t break out much back in the day but I definitely had and still have sensitive skin. Sensitive in a way that I have allergic reactions to outdoor heat, seawater, chicken, chocolate, dust and even my own sweat! A small patch of skin above my eyelids would just become really dry and flaky.

When I got to college and the all-nighters and unhealthy eating took a toll on my skin, I started getting pimples. There would be a horrible pimple patch on my right cheek that never seemed to go away. That certain problem patch would definitely be more prominent on days when I’ve had less sleep and was basically just stressed out. Up until recently, I got more interested in skin care and decided to invest in some skincare products that I thought could help clear up my pimple patch and moisturize the area above my eyelids where my allergies would show up.

Here are the products I use, what I love and what I dislike about them:
disclaimer: I am only expressing my opinion on these products and what these products have done to my skin which may not necessarily be true to all who use them.

1. Facial Wash
   I use the Clean & Clear foaming face wash
   when I wake up and before I go to bed. (this is only a 20 ml bottle and it costs P20!). I’ve been using this for quite a while now and I love how my skin feels after using this because it doesn’t feel like it dries out unlike other facial washes.For exfoliation, I use the Céleteque Hydration Gentle Exfoliating Facial Wash every other day and it’s hypo-allergenic which is definitely a plus factor for me. My skin definitely feels very smooth after I exfoliate my face with this.
2. CleansersMy first encounter with micellar water was in January on a field trip in Manila! One of my roommates brought with her a bottle of the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Water. I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about it and she told me it had been doing wonders for her skin and she was nice enough to let me try it out. It did remove a lot of the dust and dirt on my skin and I loved how my skin felt after using it and when I woke up the morning after. My only complaint with this certain micellar water is that if I put too much product on my cotton pad, my skin would feel a bit sticky once it dried off. Other than that, it’s been good to my skin and moisturizes pretty well on its own.I have also been recently loving the Garnier Pure Active Micellar Cleansing Water. It does remove dust and dirt quite well and it’s pretty much the same as the L’Oréal one as far as cleansing action is concerned. I’ve been using this for 2 weeks and my skin hasn’t broken out which means my skin is responding well to it and I’m pretty happy with the product itself. Even if I use too much of it on my cotton pad, it dries down without the stickiness I felt with the L’Oreal one.PS. I swapped out my Garnier micellar water for the pink one which is intended for sensitive skin. Only noticed today that the one I was using was for oily and acne prone skin. Ooops!
3. Toners
   I have only been using these for around 2 weeks and I have definitely noticed that my pores have mellowed down especially around my T-zone where I get very oily during the day. So far, I’ve been loving these 2 toners from Nivea. I use them as a “primer” for my moisturizers because they’re supposed to help the moisturizer cling to my skin and absorb better. One is the Refreshing Toner (Blue) which I use before going to bed and the Mattifying Toner (Green) which I generally use on my T-zone when I leave the house just to keep my skin hydrated and keep it less oily for longer without powdering myself. My skin definitely feels fresh after each use and it just finishes up removing the dirt and gunk that I didn’t manage to remove with the Micellar Water.
4. Moisturizer
   I use these 2 moisturizers and so far, my skin hasn’t reacted negatively to them. I love the iWhite Aqua Moisturizer (blue) because it almost feels like it just melts on your face. It’s a water-based moisturizer soyou don’t have to worry about getting sticky. It also smells really good and clean PLUUUS it’s absolutely affordable. You can also get the smaller 6 ml pack if you just want to try it out and see if your skin reacts well with the product. I know 6 ml sounds like such a small amount but it can honestly last you more than a week if you use it twice a day.The pink one is the QuickFX Tinted Moisturizer. This is the moisturizer I use when I go out and I can leave the house confidently even if it looks like there’s nothing there. It has the consistency of BB Cream and it’s very light coverage, it honestly looks like you have no product on at all. It just feels good on my skin and it’s probably placebo to think my face looks evened-out when I use it but I just like knowing my face isn’t going to dry out during the day. What I love most about this is that it comes in a tiny packet and it’s resealable so I don’t have to worry about it when it’s flouncing around in my bag when I’m out and about.
5. Aloe gel
   I know this somehow qualifies as a moisturizer but I feel like it just deserves its own section in this blog post because it’s honestly so much more than just a moisturizer. I use The Face Shop 99% Jeju Aloe Gel. I use it as a “night mask” where I just slather on a generous amount on my face before I go to bed, let it dry and wash it off with water the next morning. My face definitely feels so hydrated and it smells so clean. So far, I feel like it has helped reduce the appearance of the pores around my T-zone. I also use it as an after-sun gel. It’s absolutely amazing especially when you leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill. Once you apply it to your “sun-kissed” areas, it automatically relieves the heat and scorching from sun-exposure. I got mine from a friend, Cheska Antonio for P195 per tub and it’s absolutely worth the price.

If you have any questions, I’m totally open!
Facebook: Franchezka Salcedo
Tweet me: @chezkasalcedo
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Shoutout to Eña for letting me try out her Micellar Water when we were in Manila and shoutout to Tyra for getting me hooked on skincare products and to Cheska Antonio for introducing me to one of the best skincare products I’ve ever used. Big hug to you guys for contributing on this skincare journey! HAHA