There is no end-all-be-all all-in-one antidote/regimen to
perfect, glowing, skin. That, my dear friends, is the truth.
While I have no qualms with accepting compensation for endorsing a
product, there is definitely something more satisfying about telling a friend,
“Hey, I've tried this, and it really works! I’m sharing these trade secrets with you
because you’re my friend and I love you.”
So here I am sharing my skin care routine with you, my
friends, as an honest initiative for those who have over the years asked me how I take
care of myself. I used to have really, really horrid acne all across my forehead when I was younger. But with careful attention to lifestyle choices, I've been able to smoothen out my face, and without a lot of makeup (as in these photos). The thing is, everyone’s skin is different, but there
are some simple rules that everyone can abide by. If you're interested to learn the routine I live by, do read on. :)
First, there are the general wellness habits that you’ve
heard over and over for a reason – because they are true.
1. Drinking
plenty of water everyday keeps your skin hydrated from within.
2. Cutting
down drastically on cigarettes and alcohol will make a huge difference in how
quickly you age, as these habits form ugly, lasting lines on your face and leave
you with dry, dull-looking skin.
3. Exercising
regularly gives you a natural, healthy glow; even a quick and fun 15-minute
cardio session will increase blood circulation throughout the body, including
your face.
4. Sleep
also plays a huge role in keeping your skin looking younger for longer, as you
may know from personal experience (i.e. eyebags and dark circles).
Now for the all-inclusive tip that most people fail to
realize is so important in keeping your face clear: SANITATION.
1. Sanitizing
your mobile phone – Have you given any thought to the surfaces your phone
touches when it’s not in your hands? Imagine putting your face directly on
those surfaces and letting your face sit there for an hour. Like, in your bag
next to your wallet, or on a table where the dirty bottom of your bag was
probably sitting a minute ago. Imagine that bag on the floor of your car. Now
imagine your face on that floor. Yup.
2. Sanitizing
your keyboard – Think of how many times you’ve shared a pen with someone, not
knowing where that pen has been or where those hands have been, then gone to
work on your laptop, while sweeping away a stray hair from your face with your
fingertips. Think about that time you ordered some food, reached into your
wallet to pay for your food, then went back to your online research or whatever
it is you were doing at that coffeeshop, then taking a break from the research
to reapply your lipbalm with your finger, the same finger that held money from
some stranger’s hands. Think about every time you’ve lent your laptop to a
sibling in need, not knowing if he/she’d just come from using the restroom. Now
scratch the tip of your nose, wipe the sweat off your brow, or sweep that stray
hair away from your face again. Yes, that’s right.
 |
| [In my own everyday barely-there makeup, no foundation.] |
3. Separating
your makeup brushes – If you carry a little beauty kit with you wherever you
go, it’s wise to keep your brushes in a plastic Ziplock bag, to keep them from
collecting dust and dirt from the outer surfaces of your makeup containers and
compacts. Those compacts touch the same surfaces as your mobile phone. Also,
washing your brushes regularly with baby shampoo is a good way to prevent the
buildup of bacteria.
4. Cleaning
your aircon/electric fan regularly – These machines are great for two things;
one, for regulating the temperature of your room, and two, for blowing dust
particles at your face.
5. Washing
your hands (and face) after playing with your dog/cat – Your little loved ones
are out doing what they love to do all day, that is to roll around in the grass
or lay on the floor. They don’t bathe everyday like we do. When you let your
puppy give you a nice little smack on your cheek, did you think about the
neighbor’s dog’s butt he/she was probably sniffing earlier today? Or worse,
what comes out of that butt as part of the natural digestive cycle, he likes to
sniff that too, doesn’t he? Washing your hands after touching money is equally
important. Actually, just sanitizing your hands as often as possible is key.
While it’s easy to protect yourself from the buildup
pimple-causing bacteria, there is one thing you can’t really fight, and that’s
hormones, especially when that special time of the month rolls around for us
ladies. Even I don’t have clear skill all year round because Mother Nature
tries to keep my vanity in check 12 times a year. But that is also the most
number of times a year I’ll fall hostage to the occasional zit. That’s just
once a month, the kind that lasts just 30 hours at most, and doesn’t
necessarily appear every month.
I try to keep this as under-control as possible by sticking
to a religious cleansing routine and never going to bed without having washed
and moisturized my face.
1. If
you went to sleep with a clean face, all you need in the morning is a light
facial foam to dissolve the natural film of oil on your skin that you wakeup
with. I use a homemade aloe-vera-based cleanser. Make sure to use light strokes
to keep from pulling your skin too harshly, the effects of which you will see
as you age and your skin begins to lose its youthful elasticity. Scrubbing hard
can irritate your skin and promote wrinkles, rubbing over acne can leave scars.
Remember that you don’t need a lot of product or a rough hand to get a thorough
clean.
2. Don’t
just dramatically splash water on your face like you see in the commercials.
Rinse more than you think you need to. Some products and soaps leave a thin
film of residue than can actually clog your pores. Splashing your face with
cold water at the end of your wash gives your skin a rejuvenated glow as well.
3. Gently
pat your face dry with a face towel, and by “face towel” I mean a towel only
used for your face. Remember to change this towel regularly. Please, please
don’t use your bath towel or hand towel. Remember the conversation we had
earlier about touching surfaces? Do you want to rub the dead skin from your
butt and underarms on your face after you’d just cleaned it? I didn’t think so.
4. Moisturize,
moisturize, moisturize. Never ever put makeup on without gently spreading
moisturizer all over your face and neck beforehand. Don’t squirt a big glob of
lotion on the palm of your hand and rub it up and down on your face. You’re
wasting product which is now being absorbed more by your hand than by your
face, and you’re again increasing the formation of lines and wrinkles. Use your
fingertips to apply the product in small, circular motions. Not only will you
save your face this way, you’ll save on having to buy more product so often.
5. After
you’ve moisturized, you can go ahead and apply your makeup following your own
routine.
6. At
the end of the day, use a good makeup remover to wipe off all the product on
your face before giving it a wash. By “good” I mean a formula that really picks
up the makeup pigments, your cleansers need help getting rid of deep-seeded
dirt.
7. You
can let your face get some steam in the shower to open up the pores before
using a facial scrub for your evening wash. Proceed with gentle, circular
motions, concentrating on the areas you get the most oily (usually T-zone and
around the nose). Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Don't forget to use your face towel!
8. Again,
moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Feel free to apply a more liberal amount on
your face at night and just let the product seep into your skin as you sleep.
I’m a simple girl. I don’t wear tons of makeup everyday, but
I do put on some mascara and at least a little concealer and lipstain even when I run errands
because I like to leave the house looking neat and sweet, the object being to
greet the outside world as a clean and polished young woman.
The truth is that people treat you better when you look put-together, and it's not necessarily a matter of discrimination but a subconscious natural reaction to pleasant appearances. I mean, do you ever pick the ugly cupcake out of the dozen? Someone once told
me that being well-kempt is a sign of respect both for yourself and for the
people you meet, and I definitely agree with that. I, too, occasionally watch
the video-blogs on how to apply the perfect “no-makeup makeup,” but the honest
to goodness answer for healthy, glowing skin is dedication to caring for it. :)
** To find out what my favorite skincare or makeup products are, Tweet me
@CaraManglapus!
** Photos by Alejandro Rivera.
