First content post of the Spring Asian Beauty Party
and it’s all about our goals. A perfect place to start when beginning your
skincare journey.
There are three main goals that I have when it comes
to my skin.
1)Keep the acne away
2)Reduce PIH appearance
3)Even out my skintone
All pretty major goals for me, and I’m sure at least
one of these resonates with you guys out there!
I’ve always had pretty acne-prone skin, since I was
13 and puberty hit me like a rock in the face. That’s part of the reason why
I’m so obsessed by skincare now. It is something that does bother me, and on a
cloudy negative day I can get down about it. Luckily I now have a plan, and
problems always look a lot smaller once you have a plan of action!
Combatting
Acne
I’ve actually already written a pretty extensive
masterpost on this, which I’d recommend you’d read.
Essentially currently I’m using a BHA and an AHA to try and prevent the
re-appearance of acne. My current favourite AHA is the Mizon 8%, which I can
only find on Amazon currently. The BHA I use is the popular CosRX Blackhead
Liquid, though it has a slight pungent smell. I follow this up with my Mizon
Acence Blemish cream which helps prevent scarring post-acne.
Reducing
PIH Appearance and Evening Out My Skintone
These two next goals walk and in hand. A lot of the
brightening creams/serums which help with brightening out skintone also help
reducing the appearance of PIH. Left untreated PIH will naturally fade away,
unfortunately this takes anywhere from 3 to 24 months. And I’m not a patient
person! Although it’s worth keeping in mind that even with treatments they can
take months to heal.
The main products which help with reducing PIH, this
isn’t definitive there are more ingredients out there which help with
brightening, but these are the main ones I’m looking at:
1)Alpha Hydroxy Acids, your AHAs
2)Vitamin A
3)Vitamin C
4)Niacinamide
5)Exfoliators – Chemical Peels and
Physical
Suncream is also important as this helps to reduce
the chances that the PIH will darken. Another great reason to have suncream in
your routine!
This topic really deserves its own post, and it’s
now on my long list of blog topics!
My current products to help with this are:
1)Mizon 8% AHA, I love it to pieces
2)My prescription cream from my doctor is
a retinol which contains Vitamin A
Look at the citrusy goodness!
3)Melano CC Spot Treatment and Its Skin
Power 10 Vitamin C. Haven’t had the chance to fully test the Power 10 Serum
yet, but the Melano CC is a great product. Smells like lemons and has made a
noticeable difference.
4)On the hunt for my perfect Niacinamide
product! Leave your suggestions in the comments.
Shark Sauce sadly broke me out.
5)My BHA and AHA are chemically
exfoliators. For my once a week physical exfoliator I like to use the Skinfood
Scrubs line! When my skin is feeling particularly sensitive I use the rice one,
when I want an olfactory treat I use the strawberry one and my usual one is the
black sugar.
My Black Sugar and Strawberry Black Sugar Masks
My
Journey
The really difficult thing is being patient. I’m not
naturally the most patient person in the world, and sometimes it does get hard
when you wake up in the morning and see your face not as perfect as you’d like.
Being part of the AB community has really helped, with all the support out
there and encouragement. Having a plan is also important to me, as it gives me
back some of the control over what felt like an uncontrollable problem. Also my
skin isn’t consistent. It seems to change everyday, and not always for the
better. That’s one of the reasons I also like sheet masks! On a day to day
basis my skincare goals can slightly change. One day I need more hydration,
another my skin feels sore so I bring out the soothing masks.
Just some of my many sheetmasks!
I think that’s something skincare can also help
with. It’s not just there to help with the physical appearance. It also gives
you mental peace. Not everyone understands that and accusations of being
shallow and vain fly around often by male outsiders who don’t want to take the
time to understand. But I always remember that my skincare routine is about me
feeling good about me.
You can read about the skincare goals of my fellow
Asian Beauty Bloggers below!