Skincare Routine as of November 16, 2015

This just in: I am no spring chicken. Obviously looks fade, youth dissipates like the sand in an hourglass. Fine lines build into deep valleys, and one day you wake up old.

However, I am a spring chicken compared to the me that exists in five years, ten years, twenty years. By then age will be only a facade, and I hope my heart stays a bright and peppy, even with the possible kids that will cause great joy accompanied with great anxiety.

The cliches are all coming true. It scares me to know how much more wisdom they hold and how much less original I become.

Back in my days in Taiwan (I have half as spent as much time "back" home as my entire Asian life abroad) I was told by a young mother (who was my age back then) to use 保養品. What is that she is talking about? Oh, only but the money making scheme that is called skincare. But not just any skincare, this is anti-aging and youth preserving skincare. In Asia, they not only have different standards of beauty, but another way of perceiving how to maintain such beauty.

The naturally beautiful look is revered, but believe you me, it's a process that lies far from natural. To have great skin and to look young, to stay looking young? The soft dewy skin that goes, "q" which is the slight bounce your fingers have against such great collagen-filled skin. Soft brows, long lashes, light rose cheeks and lips. To imitate the complexion of a porcelain doll, that is the beauty they strive for.

Sure, I might have the alabaster white look down, but my skin is not faring as well as I thought it would have. My neck is losing it's youth and I have rings akin to those that tell the age of a tree. Faint smears of forehead wrinkles for those faces I always make but don't realize how much it alters my fave. Skin that breaks out, and even more when my hormones are in flux.

The Western ideal of skincare is good for someone like me: lazy. However, the Asian skincare routine is better for someone like me: people who want to take care of their skin without hurting it.

There will be no Sonicares (though I really did want one for Christmas last year, I am counting my lucky stars that I or someone else did not waste $200 on something I would probably stop using within the year.) There will be no alcohol-filled toners, witch hazel just seems so barbaric and an ancient way of approaching things, like blood-letting with leeches.

Therefore I plan on adopting a routine that consists of a East Meets West sort of ordeal and hope it all works for the best.

There will be double cleansing on days where my face feels gross. Maybe twice a week if I feel I need it.

1. Oil Cleanser. I have my Shu Umera oil cleanser from ages ago, and though it works, I really only use it when I wear make-up. It looks like this, and I need a new one PRONTO. Not using it often really backfires when you have no idea how long it's been and if these things expire and if expired will it still be ok to use? Oh, but I don't want to waste it, so I end up using old products. It's not a good cycle, but it's one I am very guilty of. Especially when I am very attached to the product, or the fact that I do not want to waste something I spent my hard earned money on. This is why I will never run out of hand cream (I never end up using them up in time!)
2. Water rinse. Which will actually be step 1 if I did not wear make-up. The water is at a neutral ph of 7, so I am hoping that this is ok as it not too alkaline, because I read that alkaline products are no good.
3. Face Wash. Using a "Hydro Boost" product I got from Neutrogena. I honestly feel like I am in the minority when I say I do not like ANY of their products. However, this one is not only made in Korea, bought in a Watson's in Taiwan, but it also does not leave my skin feeling tight. Which is what most face cleansers tend to do. Except for things like Cetaphil which feels like I am just rubbing ooze over my face and then straight into the sink. (More about this Neutrogena cleanser here.)
4. Toner. Not Western toner that is used to shock the pores into shrinking or some crazy thing like that. Koreans call it toners, some call it skin refiners, Japanese call it lotion (they sound the most lost in translation). They products ready the skin to absorb products better than without, they also remove excess gunk that is possibly leftover. I have been using either samples from Sephora (usually too strong!) or this old Holika Holika Praha toner that I put into another pump dispenser because you couldn't get anything out of the original glass bottle. (I know, I know, I really should stop using it especially because it has a short shelf life and is past due, but it smells the same as I remember it...)
5. Serum or essence. Right now I have a freebie Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum. It has been a few days and I use it once a day instead of the directed twice a day. Custom-repair sounds like a whole like of advertising hocus pocus. As if a chemically engineered product would truly be able to tell where you need help most. I highly doubt it, which is going to be why I don't spend $70 on it myself. Freebies will just have to do. Or there must be a Koran alternative that is not as ridiculous, though advertising makes almost everything ridiculous.
6. Moisturizer. Currently I have been moisturizing twice daily. My go to is Aveeno's overly fragranced two-in-one SPF 30  moisturizer. It comes in a yellow bottle where you never know how much product you have left. For the lazy girl in me, I love that it combines two steps of two things I ALWAYS have to do. Since coming back home my skin has been dry. I am also deathly pale and need to maintain this Wednesday Addams look for the sake of avoiding skin damage. However, this presents a problem at night because I do not want to waste my SPF during the hours the sun doesn't shine. For this, if I have the time and will to put in the effort, I take out a small chip of cold solidified virgin coconut oil. Note that I had no idea that coconut oil is comedogenic, meaning it has the tendency to block pores and create pimples. Though I had always thought of myself as a sensitive skin type of person, it is not quite the truth. Sure, I am prone to turn red easily, whether it's by scratching at my face absent-mindly or otherwise. However, coconut oil really has been lovely for my skin. It feel so nice and though greasy, I wake up the next day with soft skin that has absorbed it (or maybe it's my pillow doing all the hard work?). Sometimes Clinique gives out freebie Moisture Surge, which is gel-based and works really neat if you need a matte surface quick. Your skin feels soft and I like it a lot, however, my friend had an issue where it just wasn't absorbing the same for her and left her sticky for a while, which was rather unpleasant. To each their own, you know. You must find what is right for you.

This is the skincare regime that I am hoping to adopt to maintain my youth appearances into less than spring chicken times. This is a complete change compared to my usual of 1. Splash water on face. 2. Pat dry. 3. Lather Aveeno stuff all over my face and neck. Feel a bit greasy, but WHOOPS you're five minutes later than planned and you get better get out that front door or your lateness will exponentially be worse. Which is actually just two steps if you don't count me patting my face dry.

Ah, what has happened to me?!!?!?!? My friend mails me some face masks, and I feel so pampered and luxurious when I used them once a week that I go out on a limb, research Asian Beauty all over the world wide web, and end up here. Slathered in layers of product.

I can't wait to go to the Lotte Duty Free shop in Incheon and swipe my credit card like it doesn't have a limit! There are some "holy grail" (aka really popular cool kids use this on their faces) products that are cheaper there than if I bought them elsewhere and had them shipped out of South Korea. Then Duty Free also sells in bulk, so lots of faces masks for much less than what it would cost otherwise. 

Already went through many pages of skincare products on their website and will definitely be getting my hands on some sum:37. Sum Sam-ship-chil. I got this. I want that cleansing stick. Even if it costs twenty bucks, I NEED IT, right?!

Also need toner, Laneige Ex Water pack (so I can sleep on the job and make it do its work for me), face masks for more weekly pampering, collagen eye patches, new cleansing oil, serums/essences and more. This is only the beginning......