The beauty series 1

The beauty series 1 - skincare

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I have always seen my mum barely wearing makeup but applying lots of creams and serums on her face. I have been suffering from hormonal acne, now luckily at bay with dermatological treatments, and rosacea since I was a teenager, so the skincare department of my local pharmacy became a well-known place for me soon. In the last two years I have incremented my appointments at the dermatologist, along with discovering the amazing world of skincare knowledge that are Korean and Japanese influencers.

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So, when I came up with the idea of starting a series of articles about beauty, I could not have started anywhere else than from skincare. I have tried a lot of products during the years, sometimes wasting my money, sometimes finding amazing ones, so what follows is just an honest opinion of what my skincare is and how it changed during the years. Remember, also, that I am not a dermatologist nor an aesthetician, so if you have any skin issues it is better to always consult them before trying any product. Last but not least, none of the products mentioned here are sponsored.

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Premises made, let’s dig into what is my daily skincare routine!

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CLEANSER

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In the morning, I usually use a hydrating cleanser, be it a mousse, gel or cream: choose your fighter depending on your skin type, the more acne prone the lighter, like a mousse for example, and vice versa. Right now, I am using the Nuxe gel lavante surgrassante Reve de Miel, but I swear by any cleanser that is from La Roche Posay, Avene and BioNike (you can find them at the pharmacy or online).

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At night I do a double cleansing, first using an oil and then a water-based cleanser. I used to remove my makeup with micellar water on cotton pads (remember to always wash it off with running water or a delicate cleanser) but, since I started doing double cleansing, I use the oily detergent, even on my eyes, to remove the makeup and then wash it off with the water-based one. The combo that I am currently using is an oil cleanser by Uriage (always remember, if you have acne-prone skin, to check that the product is “non comedogenic”) and the Efflaclair water-based gel from La Roche Posay (this one is specific for acne prone and sensitive skin but, if you have dry to normal skin, you can use one that is thicker in hydration and less aggressive on the sebum, like the Nuxe one that I recommended).

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TONER

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After cleaning my face, I take a cotton pad where I put some toner on and gently tap it on my face. The tapping is a secret from Japanese beauty: always be gentle with your skin, no need for aggressive rubbing!

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My go to toner for day and night at the moment is this one from the Korean brand One Thing, with Centella Asiatica extract (it was gifted to me by my lovely friends Lu and Gianlu for Christmas, you can find it at Miin Cosmetics, both online and in their physical stores in Milan and Rome). Another ally of mine is spray thermal water: especially if your skin is super sensitive and irritated, thermal water is the best to soothe it. Again, I use pharmacy ones, my favorite is Avene’s. You can use a pad or spray it directly on your face. I usually carry a mini size in my bag to refresh my skin during the day!

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SERUM

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I usually brush my teeth in between the toner and the next step, as so to let it penetrate in the skin and dry.

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In the morning, I use Vitamin C serum by Dropology: I take three drops and mix it with my cream, as so to make it less aggressive on the skin. Remember that Vitamin C, while being super good for glowy and spot-free skin, is not a gentle product, so never use too much and always check the reaction of your skin, moreover if it is sensitive like mine.

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Last year in the morning, to help my skin get back to a healthy, hydrated barrier after many months of aggressive acne treatments, I used to use the Cicaplast B5 serum by La Roche Posay: vitamin B5 is miraculous when it comes to repairing the skin, bringing the nutrients and water back to it, and soothing redness. It will be good even if you have naturally dry skin. Another one I swore by during the treatments was the Rilast Acqua-Intense serum, super hydrating and light!

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I know what you want to ask: what about retinol? Hyaluronic acid? Ceramides in general? My mum, whose skin is as sensitive as mine, uses them alternatingly each morning: she is loving the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide capsules. Still, it is her dermatologist and aesthetician that told her how to use them properly, so always consult someone, even beauty store assistants , before starting to use a new product. For example: retinol is not the best for sensitive skin, but even if your is not the type, you should always wear it with SPF if used in the morning, and, even if at night, it should not be applied more than three times a week.

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At night I use a serum specific for acne skin, as to balance the sebum and control little pimples: I am currently using the Rilastil Acnestil serum, bought after I finished a cycle with the Avene exfoliating Cleanance serum: it contains AHA, lactic acid, and BHA, salicylic acid, so it helps levigating your skin and removing the excess of dead cells, regenerating it, without being too aggressive.

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CREAM

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I mix my Vitamin C with cream in the morning, but if you do it separately you should usually wait a minute in between serum and cream. My all-time favorite face cream, if you have rosacea like me, is the Toleriane Rosaliac AR one by La Roche Posay: it has helped me so much soothing the redness and reducing the sense of discomfort that comes from the thermal change of the air from inside and outside, especially in winter. It also contains SPF 30, against UVA and UVB sun rays!

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For nighttime I still haven’t found a good cream: I used to use heavy acne treatments, so now I need something more hydrating and I’m still testing some. However, as I said before, you should always look for a cream that is well suited for your skin type and needs.

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EYE CREAM

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I use the same eye cream both in the morning and at night. My three favorites, till now, are the Ordinary caffeine eye serum (it works well for dark circles, welcome to the club!), the Cerave reparative eye cream, and the La Roche Posay Hydraphase HA, all hydrating and depuffing.

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SUNSCREEN

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This is a morning step only. As I said, I already have SPF in my face cream, but if I were to use a different cream my sunscreen would for sure be La Roche Posay Anthelios 50+ SPF: it is light, non-sticky and does not leave you with a white layer on the skin. Even Korean Influencers swear by this one, but there are also really good ones from Korea that you can find in the SPF section on MiiN’s website.

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I have never tried a drugstore one, but Garnier is my favorite drugstore brand so their ones might be pretty good.

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LIPS

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There is nothing better than hydrated, plump lips. This is my last skincare step and maybe the most satisfying one, when all the skincare work is done. I am not as demanding with lipcare as I am with other skincare products, but I have sometimes tried lip balms that were more drying than hydrating and that’s a big no no, so the ones I would recommend to you are for sure the Frudia honey and blueberry lip balm (I use the purple cap one ‘cause it is transparent, but if you like a pop of color you can also buy the red cap one, which has a plumping effect too), the Nuxe Reve de miel and the Carmex one, better if it is the cherry 15 SPF version. They all smell amazing and leave a long-lasting thick layer of hydration to your lips!

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FACE MASKS

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The reason why I love skincare is that it is an act of love towards yourself: caring about your skin, protecting it, and gifting yourself the time to do so, is extremely relaxing and loving. So, I couldn’t not love to do a nice face mask at least twice a week. I usually do them at night, when I have more time, when I maybe light a candle and put on good music.

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I usually go for hydrating and soothing masks: purifying, like bubble and charcoal, and brightening ones are really good too, but I find them too aggressive for my skin type so, again, experiment and find your dos and don’ts. My favorite ones are sheet masks, ‘cause they contain a lot of serum. You should apply them with this order: cleanser, toner, face mask, letting it sit for as long as the packaging suggests, and then face cream to make sure that all the mask serum stays locked in the skin. Remember to always massage the serum into the skin, using the access on your neck and hands.

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My favorite Korean masks are from Tony Moly, Benton (I love, love, love the “Bye Bye Redness” one with centella asiatica) and Mediheal, all findable at Miin and Dm, but, again, Garnier is a good drugstore alternative that I really like.

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