current skincare routine: all the other stuff

La deuxième partie of what is currently going on my face: the moisturizers and all the other extra bits. I shall reiterate that I don't use these products all at once every single day since I do like to switch it up a bit depending on what my skin needs.

1. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
 I remember despising this lotion when I was younger (though I think I may have had the gel version) because it made my oily skin extra oily. Now that my skin seems to have dried up a tad, I find this to be the perfect daily moisturizer in the mornings and nights. Before this, I was using a Nivea face cream which was okay but it wasn't quite locking the moisture into my skin and I think it may have actually been causing breakouts but I'm still not 100% sure. Anyway, as soon as I started using this, I've found my face to be perfectly under control (for the most part).

2. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15
 Previously seen and mentioned here, I've given this a whirl over the last few weeks and it seems adequate and Cetaphil being Cetaphil, it doesn't make my skin break out or anything. However, I do have to say that it seems to sting my eyes a little when it gets too close. There was one instance I had put this on, done undereye concealing and my eyeshadow base and it stung so much the whites of my eyes had turned completely red so I had to remove all my eye makeup, chill out, and start all over again. Since then I've become quite weary about getting this near my eyeballs but on the rest of my face it seems alright.

3. Caudalie Beauty Elixir
I mentioned this briefly here, and I had my stint where I was obsessively using this every day morning and night but I've toned it down a bit now. I give this a spritz over my face whenever I feel like I've done my makeup and need a bit of a dewy-moisturized kick or if I just feel like spritzing it because it smells and is so incredibly refreshing.

4. Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil
I got a free sample of this when I redeemed some Sephora VIB points. This mini sample is fairly generous as you only need a few drops because a little goes a long way, so I expect this to last me quite a while. It's a dry oil and though I have somewhat put this aside since returning to a humid and tropical environment, I'll occasionally add this into my routine to get more of a glowy look. Also, since this bottle is so delightfully dinky, it's become part of my airplane routine -- a few drops of this stops dehydrating cabin air from drying everything out.

current skincare routine: cleansers

Since I seem to have gotten my skincare routine down perfectly and my skin isn't being crazy dry or overly oily, I thought I would take the time to share a little bit about what has been going onto my face in the mornings and evenings. All these items are definitely interchanged, what I use tends to depend on what my skin feels like, what I've been up to that day, etc. but these are the products I have been rotated around within my routine.

To stop this post from getting mid-numbingly long, I've separated it into two sections, so here is the first installment -- cleansers. Stay posted for the second.

1.  Bioderma Hydrabio
Since I previously reviewed this lovely micellar water here, I won't go into too much depth about it. I use this with a cotton pad to remove my makeup before I get into the shower (where I usually wash my face).

2. Bobbi Brown Eye Makeup Remover
For the times that my mascara is being ever so stubborn, I'll dip a cotton bud into this and swipe it over my eyes to remove anything that wouldn't come off with the Bioderma. Unlike oil-based eye makeup removers, this formula contains aloe vera and rosewater extract which is extremely soothing on tired eyes and I've found over multiple times of accidentally stabbing my eyeball with the cotton bud, that it doesn't sting.

3. Clinique Mild Facial Soap

I was given this centuries ago when I had the typical teenage oily skin, hence, I didn't feel like it really cleansed my skin so I put it away in the corner of my bathroom for a while. However, now that anything overly harsh and oil-stripping seems to wreak havoc across my face and leaving me looking awfully blotchy, I've resorted to the 'Mild'-ness of this soap which seems to be doing its job. It leaves my face feeling cleaner but doesn't turn it into a flaking disaster of dryness.

4. St Ives Naturally Clear Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub
This will be a little controversial to the skincare-obsessed-nazis out there since it is a very harsh particle-grainy scrub, but I have used this for years and it really makes my skin smoother whilst getting rid of outrageously stubborn flaky bits I tend to get sometimes. I have never used a chemical exfoliator before because I simply have not gotten around to it since I tend to absent-mindedly repurchase this whenever I run out, but perhaps I will venture into one in the near future. 

5. Sebamed Clear Face Active Cleansing Foam

I use this in the mornings since I always do a thorough cleansing at night and there is absolutely no reason to over-cleanse. I like foaming cleansers in the morning because they are quick and easy (awesome for when I'm running late) and this one in particular doesn't seem to make my skin act up. I've been using this for a few years now but I have yet to find another foaming wash that seems to tick all my boxes.