New Skincare Regime

Hello!

For the past weeks, I've been fighting with my face to find a proper treatment and cure to heal my skin from all that red rashes and pimples >.< And I hope that I have finally found the proper skincare routine, thanks to my mom :) I did not include any photos of me "before" and "after" because I don't think any of you can deal with horrible photos >.< 

So please enjoy this post and good luck! 

This is my old regime, the skincare I used all summer. Let me list down each product for you guys:

1. The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner: To be honest I wanted to use the M.A.C Light toner but because I was so........ broke (at that time) so I decided to use something much cheaper and hoping that The Body Shop toner would do fine on my skin. Result? This toner didn't make a difference on my face. It felt like I was just putting plain water on my face instead of prepping my skin for moisturizer =.= Therefore I REGRET buying this cheap product! T^T Ok I have to also add this, although I don't think it's the main reason but, I think this toner actually made my skin EVEN MORE SENSITIVE! />o<\
2. La Mer The Radiant Infusion: this product is supposed to help minimize my pores and improve clarity of my skin. Honestly, yes it was doing a great job at the beginning when I was using the entire line of La Mer for a short term. As I ran out of other products from the same line, this "serum" was left alone, I couldn't just throw it away - waste of money DUH! - so I kept it in my skincare regime with other (new) products. I just kept on applying this product that did nothing to my face but make it worse.... read on to see why.... 
3. Kielh's Ultra Facial Micro Serum: the ONLY reason I bought this product is because the Kielh's Herbal Moisturizer was difficult to apply. Therefore, the lady advised me to complement my moisturizer with this "pricey" serum. 
4. Kielh's Herbal Moisturizer: i picked this moisturizer because a) it's a gel type, ideal for sensitive and acne prone skin type, b) i wanted to try out a new brand and due to historical background from Kielh's, I thought its products wouldn't be too harmful on my face, c) too conscious to the fact that my face was in bad condition so I really needed a new moisturizer to heal my poor face. Results for #3 and #4: as I used Kielh's products during the summer, I didn't realized that my face was actually very sensitive and allergic to Kielh's products. Every morning, I checked my face to see if there is any improvements when using these new products. But I actually never thought that my face was having a very bad reaction with Kielh's products. I knew only when my mother pointed it out. I have to say, though, every time I applied Kielh's products, compared to La Mer's products, I really felt like my face never felt as smooth as before. The more I applied them, the more I felt red rashes and more acne all over my face but I just kept on applying everyday! Could you believe that? What was the problem? Kielh's products were just too strong and harsh on my skin. >.< I just found this link online and wanted to share with you guys. Just some points I strongly agree with the writer: http://awayinstyle.com/article/520-kiehls-introduces-ultra-facial-micro-serum.html 
5. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Moisturizer: I used this product at the beginning of the year. It was fine for a short term (approx. 6 months) but as I used new products in my skincare regime, things went worse.
6. M.A.C Prep + Prime Skin Base: ok this is not a skincare product but this is a product that I cannot use on my skin regularly. Since my skin is very sensitive to any thing I put on, I have to keep harmful products away from my poor skin T^T 

Ok the reason I listed down my old regime is because I would like to warn for those who have VERY SENSITIVE SKIN +/ OR ACNE-PRONE:

1. Please DO NOT try new products here and there, your skin isn't the same as those makeup gurus that we follow on Youtube. Trust me, it's not fun when your skin is having a hard time to process all those products. 
2. Note down BRANDS +/OR PRODUCTS that you have had problems with in the past. This will help you to stay away from those brands +/ or products in the future. For example, I have been noticing that American-based brands (Kielh's, M.A.C and Bobbi Brown) are just too harsh for my skin and so I cannot use them in the future. But I noticed that Japanese-based brands seem to work better on my skin like Shu Uemura. (And I always thought Shu Uemura was bad for my skin.... = =) And now I'm using France-based products and it seems to work so far. 
3. Please DO NOT buy DRUGSTORE products like Neutrogena or Biore. Although it says "mild" on the bottle, I wouldn't recommend you guys unless you have tried in the past. But I have warned you if otherwise! :p
4. Look for high-end skincare brands that offer "GENTLE" or "MILD" products. This is what you're looking for. Usually it says "for dry or sensitive skin".
5. When applying products on skin (cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, etc), please warm the products on your hand first then GENTLY apply on your face starting from your nose to your ears. PAD.... PAD.....gently if you have to. 
6. Try to have the least number of products in skincare regime as possible because your skin cannot take all the products like other people. 
7. DO NOT mix up different brands in your skincare regime. Things work best on my skin when it's from the SAME BRAND. Otherwise, why would they produce a whole line for? .... = =""" So USE ONE BRAND ONLY FOR ONE PURPOSE! 
8. I DO NOT RECOMMEND TO GO TO CLINICS SPECIALIZED FOR EXTRACTING YOUR ACNE!!!! THIS WILL LEAD TO HORRIBLE SCARS ON YOUR FACE LEFT FOREVER!! Please take this into consideration. This is a serious matter! >.<
9. Look for products that are NON-COMEDOGENIC & HYPOALLERGENIC!

Above I'm showing you the cleanser I used before and after.

• BEFORE: cleanser: Special Cleansing Gel by Dermalogica; masque: Skin Hydrating Masque by Dermalogica
• NOW: Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser

MY NEW SKINCARE REGIME: Clarins Skincare Line

   

This has been my new skincare routine for the past week. Only the eye cream is from Sisley, which I'm in LOVE with it because this product really ABSORBS well on my skin. Just wonderful! XD 

Anyway, the Clarins lady suggested me to use the least number of products every day by using the most essential ones, cleanser+toner+moisturizer+sunscreen. She only added this Skin Beauty Repair Concentrate (middle left, orange cap) to concentrate on aging lines on my forehand and large pores on my cheeks. I also purchase their colorless powder so I'm sure it sets and protects my skin from makeup products. I'm currently not using masque products until my face is nicely healed. 

Lastly, I would like to end this hopeful entry with two last products I used in between my old regime and my new Clarins skincare routine: 

While I was using my old skincare, I was keenly looking for a cure to heal my post-acne scars. Additionally, because I mixed up too many products of different brands that my face became too sensitive and I had red rashes all over my face, so I needed to let my face breathe for a week. Therefore I used this amazing Camellia Oil for a week. Please note that this Camellia oil cannot be found in Thailand! This was bought from my parents in Shanghai. Note again that this is actually for COOKING purpose but it IS OK to use on your face too since my parents didn't know it was for my face = ="" You can search online to purchase a small bottle to try out. It's usually sold on Ebay at cheaper prices.

I came across online this amazing post from this forum (unfortunately the link is on my macbook and it's still in repair centre so I can't share here >.<) But this is another link which this writer points out well the benefits of using Camellia Oil on your skin. 

Camellia Oil is made from a flower that is planted on this amazing tiny island called Goto, of Nagasaki Prefecture and the Izu Islands of Tokyo Prefecture.

Apparently, according to that lost fond forum, the writer said Japanese people used this oil on babies to protect them from sun and any other harmful things that can get attached on their skin. Also, it helps to prevent any acne as they grow older. Amazing right? 

So here from that website the benefits of using camellia oil:

• Effective moisturizing
• Penetrates skin fast
• Forms protective barrier to seal in moisture
• Restores moisture balance in dry skin
• Soothes skin irritations
• Forms protective barrier against sun damage
• Hypoallergenic
• Non-comedogenic
• Softens fine lines and wrinkles
• Promotes wound healing

Also, it tells you several ways to use the oil on the skin:

• Moisturizer - Camellia oil can spot treat dry areas of skin and is also light enough as a daily facial or body moisturizer. Apply oil to damp skin for optimal moisture.
• Sunscreen - For centuries people uses camellia oil as a protective barrier over the skin to prevent sun damage.
• Anti-aging product - The antioxidant value of the oil helps the oil regenerate skin cells and encourages a more youthful appearance with regular use.
• Scar fading treatment - The oil is helpful in fading old scars when applied over a long period of time.
• Wound care - The oil helps speed up wound healing and discourages the formation of scars.
• Acne treatment - Light spot treatments of camellia oil can help heal acne pimples and encourage healthy, clear skin.

Read more at Suite101: Camellia Oil for Skin Care: Japanese Beauty Secret | Suite101.com http://adrienne-warber.suite101.com/camellia-oil-for-skin-care-a189431#ixzz1bQexAJVR

Also, from the photo above, I added the Vaseline because I had a rough time with my dry and chapped lips. Sadly, Nivea lip balm isn't going to be my best friend :( 

Alrighty, this is finally the end of my post! I hope this wasn't too long for you guys XD But hopefully it will be helpful and please consider what I said above :) 

Feel free to ask me or leave a comment! I will try my best to help you :) 

Good luck!

Take good care of your skin before winter comes!

Much love,

Rosie