5 Skincare Tips to follow this Christmas

Ho! Ho! Ho! With festive season around the corner, I’m sure we’re all busy, rushing around the malls for some last minute Christmas shopping (*coughs, guilty as charged) or pushing the trolleys like we’re in Mario Kart, doing some grocery shopping for that Christmas dinner. Amid all the hoo-haa you’re going through, remember to

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Take a step back and remember that self-care is important, especially our skin because ugh, maskne. Oh the horror. Who knew with new pandemic, comes new a term for skin breakouts. But with some TLC & treatments, you can say goodbye to those nasty uninvited visitors!

Why not spend aside some time this weekend for some self-pampering skincare session at home, be it with your girlfriends or just you, yourself, a pair of cozy socks, a cup of hot chocolate & some of your skin care favourites?

Here are five easy skincare tips for your much-needed TLC skincare session & my personal top skincare product recommendations, which I will link to my reviews on IG (if available) for your easy reference!

1. Detox & Exfoliate

With the constant wearing of face mask, the skin around our cheeks & chin are the first to be affected with maskne. Concoction of perspiration & makeup underneath the mask isn’t the most pleasing experience, therefore, it is important to exfoliate our skin at least twice a week (once if your skin is sensitive) that will help in clearing congested pores and gunks that have been trapped in our skin.

You can choose to exfoliate chemically (think AHA, BHA, PHA) or physically (think clay mask, gentle peeling mask), whichever you’re more comfortable with. If you are a fan of incorporating physical exfoliants, I would highly recommend checking out Mugwort Pore Clarifying Wash Off Pack by Axis-Y. Just a thin layer of this clay mask & you’ll see it working magic in clearing congested pores whilst soothing our skin, thanks to its high mugwort content. For chemical exfoliants, I love using the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Serum! No doubt the price tag isn’t the friendliest out there but it does deliver fast overnight results. It contains higher percentage of acids, so using it only twice a week is enough to turn you into a glowy goddess (also, helps to prolong the usage of this expensive serum :p)

2. Hydrate, Hydrate, Soothe…

Hydration is key to healthy skin. Splash on some hydrating & soothing toner or essence to replenish back all the moisture from all the exfoliating steps we’ve done earlier. There are many types of toners out there but my personal favourite for soothing the skin will be the One Thing Houttuynia Cordata Extract that has anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial properties to further calm down our angry chin & agitated cheeks. If you like a more viscous toner for an extra boost of hydration, check out Pyungkang Yul Essence Toner that contains only 7 ingredients, perfect for those with sensitive skin.

3. Calming

Aggravated angry skin is not fun. I’ve suffered from redness under my eyes area that was caused by face mask! Thankfully, there are many types of serums out there that are great in calming our angry skin, just like how corgis & cats helps to calm down our nerves hehe. The Make Prem Tamanu Calming Serum, starring Tamanu Oil as the key ingredient that has been recognised for its calming & healing properties. Tamanu oil will also help in reducing scars & pigmentation, so hooray! Another great calming & repair serum would be the ginseng & green tea serums from Beauty of Joseon! Personal favourites are the ginseng + snail mucin & green tea + panthenol serums.

4. Facial Oil or Sheet-Masking

What’s a pampering session without these two, right? You don’t need to incorporate both in one routine or you’re just going to drown your skin. Just pick one that tickles your fancy for the day. There is always that sense of calmness, lying down with a good sheet mask hugging our face, telling us “its okay, I’m here…”. There are so, so, soooo many options out there but my two favs are Neogen Probiotic Relief Mask & Dr Morita Caviar Face Mask. Facial oils are great to further repair our compromised skin barrier, like how the Moringa Oil by Be Tree saved my dry, patchy & irritated skin that was caused my stress. Pair your favourite facial oil with a guasha roller & ma’am, you’ve arrived in heaven.

5. Moisturise

Nothing beats a good moisturiser to seal in all the goodness you’ve layered on the skin. It’s the perfect End Game to our skincare routine. The Thank You Farmer True Water Gel Cream, which is a lightweight gel cream is highly recommended as it will not “suffocate” the skin plus, it is infused with great ingredients such as niacinamide, betaine & aloe leaf extract. The best no-frills moisturiser for any skin type would be my holy grail Benton Aloe Soothing Gel. This is such a great gel cream which will not pill on any of the skincare you’ve layered on underneath this baby.