Since I’m nursing my flu at home, I thought this would be an opportune time to update on my skincare routine (both day and night are the same). I’ve been using Derma-Rx products for a couple of months (except for a brief period of time when I switched to natural skincare), and I also underwent 1 comedone treatment administered by my dermatologist to extract whiteheads. Thus far, I feel that my skin has improved tremendously. Most importantly, my skin is now clear, smooth and radiant. I hope it stays this way forever *fingers crossed*.
Step 1: Dermalogica Precleanse
Cleansing is undoubtedly the most important step of the your skincare regime, but many of us tend to forget this. I’m very paranoid about my cleansing routine now, so I double cleanse even if I only have sunblock on.
I use this oil-based make-up remover to remove my make-up or sunblock. Its main ingredients include kukui and olive oils as well as vitamin E. This is very gentle, but it thoroughly removes debris and excess sebum from your skin. I can literally feel the gunk being rubbed off. No artificial fragrance or colour.
Step 2: Derma-Rx Foaming Cleanser
I double cleanse with Derma-Rx foaming cleanser, which contains marine and algae extracts for gentle exfoliation. This is one of the best cleansers that I have used thus far, as it cleanses thoroughly without drying up the skin.
Step 3: Derma-Rx Toner
This toner is alcohol-free and contains skin-calming ingredients such as chamomile and cucumber extract. It also contains glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which are supposed to enhance the cleansing process.
Although I have never been a fan of toners, I’m using this only because my derm told me to.
Step 4: Derma-Rx Comedone Formula (CF)
This is my favourite product of the lot. It not only soothes and heals existing pimples, it also prevents new bumps from erupting and keeps whiteheads at bay. I use this very religiously.
Step 5: Derma-Rx Lightener
This product promotes an even skin tone and helps to lighten existing scars as well as pigmentation. It is very effective in speeding up the scar lightening process, mainly because the active ingredient is 4% Hydroquinone, but you have to use this religiously to see results. As with all products, don’t expect to see miracles overnight. π
Step 6: Derma-Rx Vit-A-Gel
This contains a blend of Alpha Lipoic Acid, Retinol and Salicylic Acid (BHA) in optimum concentration to reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. My derm says it helps to prevent pimples in the long term too. The downside is, some may experience peeling in the first few weeks or months, but I didn’t really experience any discomfort or peeling.
Step 7: Derma-Rx Tinted Sunscreen
I love this sunscreen as it is fragrance-free and provides complete protection against UV-A and UV-B sun rays. It does leave white cast on your face, but it’s very close to my skin colour so it gives me very natural, light coverage. Sometimes, I’ll dust a layer of Chanel loose powder over it as it can make your face look quite shiny.
So there, these are the products that I’ve been using. I can’t say that my skin is perfect now as I still have some scars, but it’s definitely getting better. π