When I was younger (high school in particular) my skin was super oily and I was forever using mattifying products and powders to try and eliminate shine. Whereas now, my skin is oily on my T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin) and dry on my cheeks. It just goes to show that your skin type can definitely change as you get older.
For now, I think it's safe to say that I have true combination skin. I did get lucky with the fact that I don't get zits very often. I have blackheads thanks to my oily T-Zone, but as for full blown pimples, I barely see those.
(But I definitely did when I was a teenager - if you would like a post about acne or how to prevent blemishes/blackheads/whiteheads/etc., let me know in the comments!)
This is the current set of products that I have been using for my daily skincare routine. As you'll see, they're all for different skin types, but since I have combination skin, they all work together to form my skincare army haha Some of these products have been introduced fairly recently into the mix, whereas others have been faithful favourites for years.
My Skincare Routine - Morning
1. With the Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner, I dampen a cotton pad or two folded tissues with the toner and wipe my face to remove any oils from my skin that has accumulated overnight.
2. Then I apply a blueberry-sized dollop of the Nivea Visage Young Control Shine! Mattifying Gel Cream all over my face, first dotting it on and then massaging it in. I also make sure to apply this moisturiser down my neck as well.
3. From there I start my makeup.
My Skincare Routine - Night
1. First I take off all of my makeup using the Johnson's Face Care Daily Essential Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (how long is that name!). If I have heavy eye makeup on because I had a night out or something, I'll use two wipes. And I make sure not to rub too hard when removing my eye makeup - I don't want wrinkles at 20 years old!
2. In the shower, I cleanse my face with the Nivea Daily Essentials 2 in 1 Wash & Scrub. I just apply a small dollop of this all over my face and neck, gently massage it on my skin in circular motions then rinse it off by splashing the warm water from the shower on my face.
3. If I have dry areas on my face, I'll use the St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub to buff away any dead skin. Because it's quite coarse, I just use a small amount and very gently rub it into my skin, concentrating on the dry areas.
4. Once I'm out of the shower and dried off, if I want to use a mask, this is when I do. Otherwise I go straight to step 5. What masks I use depends on what my skin needs; my two favourite masks are listed and reviewed down below.
5. Then I apply my
Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner and my
Nivea Visage Young Control Shine! Mattifying Gel Cream in the same way I applied it in the morning routine. But if my skin is feeling a little dry, I'll substitute my Nivea moisturiser with the
Lancome Hydra Zen Neocalm Moisturing Cream.
My Favourite Skincare Products
Johnson's Face Care Daily Essential Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes
(Normal Skin)
I've been using these babies since I was in middle school. I find that no other makeup remover takes off my makeup as well as these wipes (that includes heavy eye makeup and waterproof mascara!). I remember when I was in one of the school plays, I used to hand these out to everyone in the cast to take off their stage makeup! I also love using these on nights when I don't have enough time to fully cleanse my face. Seriously big A+ to these.
Nivea Daily Essentials 2 in 1 Wash & Scrub
(Combination & Oily Skin)
I've always been really faithful to Nivea, ever skince (oops, that is a hilarious typo though) I started looking after my skin. I've never had any reactions to them and they clean my face really well. I only started using this scrub this year (I usually use the Nivea Visage Cleansing Gel) and I like that it has little micro beads in it. I don't think it's that great of an exfoliant, but they do help get rid of any surface oils on my skin. P.S: I wash my face in the shower.
St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub
This is a pretty recent addition to my shower caddy - I'm a big fan of the St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub but that one was sold out so I picked this one up instead. It's pretty much the same except with blemish fighting ingredients, but I don't know how well that works as I haven't had blemishes when I've used it. Although, maybe that's why! This is a pretty heavy duty exfoliant and really gets rid of any dead skin, but I'd recommend not rubbing too hard because you can irritate your skin.
Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner
(All Skin Types)
I've been using the Nivea Visage Young Purifying Toner since high school but I think it might have been discontinued because I can't find it anywhere. I find I actually like this better anyway! If you're wondering what a toner is, it's similar to a cleansing water. You use a cotton pad to apply it to your face after cleansing and before moisturising and it just picks up any leftover makeup or oil on your skin and leaves you feeling really fresh. I also like that this product is 95% natural!
Nivea Visage Young Control Shine! Mattifying Gel Cream
(Combination & Oily Skin)
Again, this is a Jessica-Anne favourite. I don't even remember how many tubes of this I have bought over the years, but it's definitely not going anywhere from my skincare routine anytime soon. This moisturiser has the weird ability to moisturise where I'm dry and keep my oily areas matte. I love it. So. Much. Plus it smells sooooo fresh and nice! Although I've always wondered whether my skin will turn blue from using it haha (it won't).
Lancome Hydra Zen Neocalm Moisturing Cream
My face is the weirdest of weird, because sometimes my nose can get dry and the skin flakes (TMI? Sorry...), especially in the summer. So I like to give my schnoz a good hit of moisture by massaging in a deep hydrating moisturiser like this one at night time. Is it just me, or does this product have the weirdest name ever? Regardless, I remember getting this as a freebie from Michelle Phan's Makeup Masterclass at MYER last year and I rationed it because Lancome is known for being expensive and I wanted this to last because it's amazing!
Grown Organic Alchemist Wheatgerm, Gingko & Cranberry Mask
My mum was actually given this as a gift and she gave it to me because she doesn't use masks. It's lasted me for ages because you really don't need much to cover your whole face (the amount shown in the picture is about the right amount). It goes on kind of pasty and dries clear and then you just wash it off after 10 minutes with warm water. I don't use masks that often, but I like to use this when my skin is feeling a bit dull and unloved because it does a great job at brightening my skin and leaving it super soft afterwards.
FREEMAN Facial Clay Mask in Avocado & Oatmeal
For days when I want to really pamper my skin and flush out any impurities and blackheads, I apply this clay mask. It's not heavy, it dries quickly and does a great job at tightening my pores and leaving my face feeling super refreshed. Like the previous mask, you just leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water. Plus the little kid in me loves that this is green and I look like those girls from cheesy movies with their green face masks on and cucumber over their eyes (that, or Shrek).
Oily, dry, sensitive, combination... which one are you? Let me know in the comments below, along with your favourite skincare product for your skin type!