Unless you live under a rock, you know the world (the world?) is in its skincare era. It’s like the weight loss era but a more ‘positive’ (definitely consumerism-driven) movement.

Look around social media and you see a lot of, ‘do you skincare, eat healthy, hit the gym, do yoga, journal, read a book, self-care’. It’s almost like everyone is looking for escapism in the smallest things; or maybe it’s just the aesthetics of it all, but of course, businesses are marketing off our need to feel good.

Could just be me but I feel like every year with skincare, there’s always that one ingredient that is marketed as a must-have in your routine- Witch Hazel, Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides. It’s like Trimagasi’s Samurai knife. And on another end, there are trends like the K-beauty trend that is supposed to put genetics to shame and give you glass-like dewy skin.

Anyways, seeing as I’m not a skincare expert, I cannot advise on any of those but like most of the population, I have MY own skin-care routine which is solely based on self-gratification with a side of consumerism.

What I mean to say is, with my routine I gravitate towards things that I like how they feel and look on my face and over time here are the ones that have stood the taste of time.

1. Cleanse

I’ve been using Cerave cleanser for over three years now, not because I particularly like something about it but simply because it does the one thing it’s supposed to do, cleanse, and I’ve never really had any reason to change it.

2. Tone

This is the part of my routine that consumersim affects the most. I’ve used more than 6 different toners in the past 4 years because the skincare market keeps marketing each one with newer ingredients and benefits. But regardless of how many toners come and go(and they always go), my go-to, is the Life Witch Hazel. A reoccurring theme you’d notice with the products I use is that I cannot tell you exactly why I like them asides the fact that they grew on me.

This summer, I started using the Glow Recipe Watermelon Toner. Like its predecessors, it might not make it past the summer but at the moment, what I like about it, is the way it leaves a dry sheen on my face. It’s the perfect base for my other face products.

3. Vitamins

Once my face is patted dry, I go in with The Ordinary Niacinamide. For me, nothing beats niacinamide as a primer. I’ve found that after it sinks in, any product I apply after feels like it sits firmer, for lack of a better description, on my face.

4. Moisturise

Again, I’ve been using the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Moisturiser for years now, I haven’t even thought of trying something else. Generally, I prefer oils over moisturisers for my skin so when I moisturise, I lock it up with a serum (Neutrogena Hydroboost Multi-Vitamin Booster Serum & Hydroboost Hydrating Serum) if it’s my daytime routine or retinol (I use The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalene) for my nighttime routine.

5. Lips

For my morning routine, I finish it with the Laneige Lip Balm. It’s called as a lip balm but it’s really just a lipgloss so it’s like a package deal. At night, I switch the gloss for the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask.

BUT WHERE IS THE SUNSCREEN?

If you want to know something about me, it should be that I hate summer and sunscreens. So much that I’d start a piggy bank for my botox injections.

But while the hype for the Unseen Sunscreen was going on, I discovered something else. The brand also had a face oil with SPF. I love face oils, so even if I had to pay extra to get this to Canada, I did and so far I don’t have any complaints? (asides the price) but let’s see how long I can put up with it.

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With skincare, I believe it boils down to using what your skin likes. When you find something you like, just keep using it cause you’re probably not going to get your skin to look like someone else’s even when you use their same products down to a t.

Let me know your holy grail skin care products! Do you have a standard skincare routine or do you like to try out new products in your routine?