Skin care products. I. can’t. get. enough. I’m not saying I have a shelf full of half used products, rather, that as much as I enjoy the rituals of daily care, I am always ready to absorb, learn, research and integrate things that give me that beautiful skin feeling.

I began my skin care journey in high school. I tried the store-bought products that were advertised so appealingly on tv but they never gave me the results i hoped for. Thank goodness my mum has always been a skin care nerd too because she took me to the beautician and got me off those skin stripping monstrosities that made everything worse. This is when my insatiable thirst for skin care knowledge started.

I probably need to add it in now so that no-one is led up the garden path but, I am not adverse to spending all my money on skincare instead of makeup, clothes, expensive mobile plans with bulging data bonuses and anything else “indulgent” you can think of. I have received treatment for rosacea and in a few days laser pigment removal (ya girl does not like freckles on herself). Now that my skin needs have changed ( I’m getting older you know) my essential steps list is bulging. So let me share what I’m using for my combination/dry, dehydrated and anti-ageing skincare survival routine.

Cleanser

My morning and evening routines are almost identical. Both morning and evening I like to double cleanse. First I use my favourite oil cleanser. It’s the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. I use a waterproof sunscreen and when I’m wearing makeup it’s waterproof too. So I’ve got to melt all that off first before I can get into my actually cleansing my skin. My second cleanse is with a water-based cleanser. Right now I’m using the Byvibes Wonder Bath Super Vegitoks Cleanser, the red one. I think this cleanses well but it’s staining my face washer red so I won’t repurchase this. I chose this because tomato and pomegranate supposedly help to reduce dark spots and scarring on the skin.

Toner

Next up is toner. My absolute all-time favourite is the Kale-Lalu-yAHA one by Krave. This is a skin resurfacing toner so you should be being kind to your skin and only using every few days according to the directions because it. is. STRONG. Yes I’m yelling. Follow the directions on this one! This product has been the cornerstone to lightening my hyperpigmentation. Other than this I use the Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner every day. It feels wonderfully gentle on my skin, doesn’t smell like liquorice and helps to lighten dark spots too.

Essence

Essence. Ahhh I can feel the moisture already. I have two favourites here. My super budget friendly choice is Snail Bee High Content Essence by Benton. My other favourite is Ultra B2 Hydrating Serum by Ultraceuticals. I have a focus on getting as much moisture into my skin as possible. Dry skin, dehydrated skin, all lead to lines and wrinkles eventually so i’m working hard to keep things hydrated.

Right now I’ve included a step between toning and essence. It’s a face mist. It feels glorious on a hot day (and there is a lot of those where I live). I don’t know if this is an all-year-round step at this point but I think this product is worth mentioning. Its the White pearlsation Divine Pearl Serum Mist by Klavuu.

Serum

Everything ‘active’ that I use is a serum of some kind. Every morning I use a vitamin C active serum. I have three that I rotate through depending on circumstance. Right now I am using Pure Vitamin C Serum by Purito. It is a vitamin C and hyaluronic acid mix as well as using small amounts of other things like ginseng. It’s not my favourite but it is not bad either. My absolute all time favourite is Ultra C23+ Firming Concentrate by Ultraceuticals. It does come with a price tag but it is well worth paying the extra for this product. If I am having trouble getting my hands on either of those, a budget friendly, and accessible, product is Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% by The Ordinary. It feels a little less finished in texture when applying but it works.

In the evening I use Retinol/Vitamin A. It is a game changer. But. Everyone else is on this bus too so it’s hard to get hold of unless you are willing to buy a more expensive brand. It is also worth noting that the higher the retinol content the more expensive the product. But. Beware. Start off with a lower percentage product and every time you need to repurchase, buy a slightly higher percentage. Your skin will take time to be able to cope with using this ingredient. My favourite is Ultra A Skin Perfecting Serum Mild by Ultraceuticals. My budget friendly choice is Retinol 0.2% in Squalane by The Ordinary. Right now though my efforts to find retinol in stock have been futile so I made a decision to try a different tack. For now I’m trying “Buffet” + Copper Peptides 1% by The Ordinary. It’s purpose is to target multiple concerns of ageing skin and the ‘peptides’ are supposed to concern your skins overall health.

Eye cream

I always apply my eye cream after my actives, morning and evening. This is because I cover a large area with my eye cream and that area also includes skin which I want to treat with serums. I am pretty serious when it comes to eye cream application and I apply it to my eye lids, the top of my cheekbone out to my hairline and in an upside down triangle underneath my eyes. I don’t remember when I started this but I feel like my skin needs the extra hydration and barrier protection an eye cream offers. My current choice is Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Eye Cream by Mizon. It works to reduce the appearance of fine lines and works to hydrate the eye area. I like this product. It absorbs rapidly and I’m quite satisfied with the way my skin looks and feels after application. If you aren’t bothered so much by the price I would recommend Ultraceuticals eye creams. I’m a big fan of this skincare company.

Ampoule

I’m relatively new to the world of the ampoule but for me any opportunity to increase moisture is a chance I’m not missing! I am quite a fan of snail and snail bee products. I was a bit irked and pretty sceptical at first but I am a convert now. Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule by Mizon is my go-to. It is for people with dry skin. I apply it to my cheeks and neck and the residual goes where it may. I use this morning and evening as well. This product works for so many skin problems, acne, anti-ageing, fine lines and wrinkles, blackheads, redness, texture and more. I haven’t found another product like it and I can not recommend it enough!

Moisturiser

If you’ve made it this far I’m impressed! My daily skin care routines are not for the faint of heart! Rest assured I only have two point five more steps. The quality I value the most in a moisturiser is not actually it adding moisture to my skin rather, that it acts like a barrier to keep the moisture in and the dryness out. My current favourite is the Water Bank Hydro Cream Ex by Laneige but anything from Laneige is good in my opinion. This line uses products which create a ‘film’ to help retain moisture (but please don’t start imagining this as vaseline!!), antioxidants, and purifying ingredients.

Sunscreen

I’m more and more obsessed about sunscreen these days. I have tried many! I can be sensitive to sunscreen and because this is an unmissable morning step in my skin care routine I am willing to go a little crazy about it. I have two sunscreens I don’t mind at the moment but (and this is important!) I cannot stress enough that you make sure your sunscreen is approved as being effective in your country. I live in Australia. The sun can burn your skin while you are inside, in the shade and wearing sunscreen! Where I live I have seen UV ratings as high as 17! Currently I am finishing off Waterproof Sun SPF50+ PA++++ by Missha. I like this product because it is waterproof. My favourite sunscreen is SunActive SPF50+ Face Cream by Ultraceuticals. I like the Ultraceuticals brand because it is made for Australian climatic conditions and this is really important in a country with extreme weather.

lips

I know, I know. You are probably thinking whaaaaat. But hear me out! I poo-pooed this for ages. I am a devotee to Carmex lip balms but doing this step at night has made putting on lip stick/gloss/tint/stain/whatever! to have such a better finish! I really like the Lip Sleeping Mask in Berry by Laneige. I prefer the 3g tubs because it lasts a long time.

All right. That’s everything. I’d like to say ‘and that it!’ but my skincare routine is extensive. The thing is this is what I enjoy spending my time on so it is no sacrifice for me to do this morning and night. I hope you find some products from this list that work for you.

Side note. I do use exfoliators, masks, sheet masks and other skin treatments, at home and at clinics, regularly so I will make a seperate post on that.