Tuesday 21 January 2014

Night Skincare Routine & Recommended Products (Combination Skin)

Combination skin can be a tricky one. One day you've got dry cheeks and the next your T-zone is oily enough to cook a morning-after breakfast with (sorry for the visual!). Which means that the products in your skincare routine need to work together to both hydrate and keep oil at bay.

Even if you don't have a stellar morning routine *coughlikemyselfcough*, if you maintain a good skincare regime at night, you'll find that you'll be just fine. It's more important to look after your skin while you're sleeping, because it's while you're catching a few z's that your skin cells regenerate.

So what steps do I do and products do I use before bedtime every night to maintain healthy skin? Read on!

Taken By Surprise Tutorial: Night Skincare Routine



1. Removing Face Makeup


I know that these say they're for normal skin, but since we're working with combination skin, we'll be needing a combination of products, from normal, to dry, to oily, to sensitive! These have been a staple in my skincare routine since high school (a good three years ago now) and do a great job of removing all of my base makeup, such as foundation, blush, bronzer, etc. 

These are also gentle enough to use to remove my mascara and liquid eyeliner. If you're too tired for a full skincare routine, at least enlist the help of these lifesavers!


1.5. If Necessary: Removing Eye Makeup

This stuff is amazing–but expensive–so I only use it to remove eye makeup. I usually just stick to the makeup wipes above for my day-to-day eye makeup, but if I've gone for a complicated look with lots of different eyeshadows and thick mascara, then the Bioderma comes out! 

I just dampen a cotton pad with it and hold the pad to my closed eyelid for about 20 seconds, then gently wipe off my makeup. It doesn't irritate my eyes (a plus because I wear contact lenses!) or make the skin around it red/puffy, so it's a winner for me.


2. In The Shower: Cleansing

Yes, I'm one of those people who cleanse in the shower rather than over the sink! As long as the water isn't blasting directly on your face (try cupping your hands to collect the water then splashing it on your face), it won't damage your skin. 

As for what I use, I prefer a gel cleanser as I've found from experience that they are better at fighting blemishes than other formulations. I just use a small coin sized amount, massage it into my skin (avoiding the eye area!) and then rinse it off.


3. In The Shower: Exfoliating


You either love or hate this stuff. I'm a lover, for sure, and have been using St. Ives scrubs for a few years now. After cleansing, just gently massage a small amount (maybe a big blueberry sized dollop?) into any areas on your face that are rough, dry or feel congested (such as your T-Zone). The little granules in the scrub help buff away any dead skin or built up dirt on your face, leaving it smooth afterwards. 

The key here is to only use this baby every three or so days (unless you have a dry patch that just needs buffing, which this scrub is amazing for!) and to apply it in gentle circles in your skin. No harsh rubbing!


4. Toning/Refreshing


Juju Cosmetics Aquamoist Moisture Lotion
(I couldn't find a link, but try Asian cosmetic stores–especially Japanese ones)
Some people are divided on the benefits of toning, but I definitely think it's a great step to include in your night time skin routine. They help hydrate your skin and even out your skin tone (perfect for combo skin!) and afterwards you'll feel really fresh. 

I just use some folded tissues or a cotton pad, dampen it with the toner and apply it to my face, neck and upper decolletage. This lotion by Aquamoist is really gentle (stay away from toners that contain alcohol as they dry out your skin and give it that awful 'tight' feeling!) and just makes my skin feel amazing after using it.


5. Moisturising


Japan is known for their incredible skincare products and this does not disappoint (if anything, it impresses me every time I use it!). In winter, my skin went a little loco and began changing from an oily skin type to a combination skin type (hello dry patches, ugh). I tried a whole bunch of other moisturisers to try and fix the problem, but nothing worked. Then my cousin gave me this moisturiser (along with the toner above–thank you Jasminne!) and it pretty much changed my life–dry patches, gone! 

If you're having trouble with dry areas, try a 'milk' formulation of moisturiser rather than a rich cream. Thick moisturisers tend to stay on top of the skin, while a thinner one will penetrate the surface and hydrate your skin much faster.


These are the moisturisers that I tried when I was trying to fix my dry skin... I'm sure they're all good in their own ways (I used to swear by the Nivea Visage Young one!), but they just weren't hydrating enough for my–now–combination skin.

Yes, that first one is a moisturiser formulated for babies! I was willing to try anything haha

6. Taking Care Of Your Eyes


If there's one thing that you take away from this entire post, it's to start using an eye cream. It's not just for your mum! I really recommend starting to use an eye cream once you turn twenty, because it's never too early to look after that delicate area. The skin around our eyes is very thin and doesn't 'bounce back' like the skin on the rest of our body does, so if you're constantly rubbing your eyes or applying eye makeup on a regular basis, you need to protect those peepers! 

Eye creams aren't as expensive as you think either, I picked this one up for around five dollars and it does a fab job of keeping my eye area bright. Just use a tiny (think the size of a grain of rice) amount and apply it to your under eye area with your ring finger and a patting motion, and to the outer corner of your eyes where the skin crinkles when you smile. 


What does your night time skincare routine consist of? Let me know in the comments below!
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6 comments

  1. I'm also using Nivea and St.Ives for my skin, so far the result is good. It prevents my skim to have acne problem. Through this, I don't have to worry to go on my skin care center every month.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great to hear! They've been staples in my routine for a while now :) Thanks for stopping by!

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