My Current Skincare Routine

Currently preferred products in my routine:

Skincare:

Makeup:

Cleansers:

Alternating between:

Tosowoong Apricot Seed Oil (I believe discontinued so using as long as my stash lasts...)

Kicks Beauty Deep Cleansing Oil

Everyday; morning and second cleanse:
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Gel Wash


Micellar Waters:

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water (hate how it smells, love how it performs...)

Lumene Classics Micellar Cleansing Water


Scrubs/Masks:

1-2 times a week:
The Body Shop Tea Tree Scrub (using only because I happen to have it)

Konjac Sponge


Treatments:

Alternating almost daily for the night between:

Skinoren Cream 20%

Differin Gel 0.1%

1-2 times a week:
Kicks Beauty Vitamin C Face Tonic (suprisingly potent stuff even though it's more like a toner, I have only a decant bottle)

1-2 times a week:
Neulii BHA PHA 5.5 Peeling Pad

Tea Tree Oil (diluted as spot treatment when needed, but my bottle is getting old and I'm going to throw it out soon)


Oils:

Alternating between, also quite often replaces the moisturizer completely:

The Ordinary Rosehip Seed Oil

The Ordinary Squalane


Serums:

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5% (sometimes irritating, not good under makeup)


Toners/Essences/Similar:

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5


Moisturizers:

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask


Eyes:

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (using only because I happen to have the sample, looking to replace)

The Ordinary Squalane (too oily for eye contour but non irritating, non clogging, good for the night when feeling extra dry)


Lips:

Bepanthen Balm


Sunscreens:

Haven't found a perfect one yet. Usually replaces the moisturizer for the day:

Clio Matte Sun Base SPF50+ PA++++

Clio Glow Sun Base SPF50+ PA++++

Elizabeth Arden Sun Defence for Face SPF50 PA+++

Derma Face Sun Cream SPF30 (ending soon)

A'Pieu Madecassoside Sun Cream SPF39 PA++ (ending soon, clogging my skin but love everything else about it)


Foundations:

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in 21 and 23 (when the foundation has to stay put)

Lumene CC Color Correcting Cream in Light (when I want natural coverage but foundation doesn't have to necessarily stay all day)

Pladerm Dual Sun Cream (when I'm lazy and oiliness doesn't matter, ok on top of physical sunscreen)

Lumene Instant Glow Beauty Serum in Light (when my skin is looking extra good and I just want a little something sheer and glowy)


Powders:

Cezanne UV Clear Face Powder in Light (extremely natural finish)

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder (when I want extra matte skin)

Hean High Definition Matte Rice Powder in 301 (natural, matte-ish finish)

Lumene CC Color Correcting Powder in Light (natural, matte-ish finish)


Hair/Scalp:

Head&Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo

Head&Shoulders Classic Clean 2in1 Shampoo

L'Oreal Elvital Extraordinary Clay Shampoo

Cien Anti-Dandruff Smooth & Silky Shampoo

Every two weeks or so:
Nizoral Shampoo

I also use a pile of other products when I feel like it! Most of them something I just want to finish (= hate pan) or something I forget and rediscover from my stash. Usually though I try to avoid unnecessary additions or use them only a couple of times a week.

I have probably forgot to photograph something too and some products are ending soon/expired so I'm unsure how my routine is going to change... but I'll update later. Maybe. I have included foundations, powders and hair care because they affect my skin condition as well.

Other thoughts:

I feel the more I learn about skincare and the more I test products, the more I understand that it is the "heavy hitters" that matter. But the point is to find the hitters that suit my needs. For someone their heavy hitter might be a hydrating product, for someone else an exfoliating one... Also, more is not always more... For me, Skinoren and Differin have truly changed my skin (and squalane and rose hip seed oils and PHA/Niacinamide products). Also Nizoral, anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp scrubs.

I don't follow a strict routine, I change up things day top day depending how I feel. If my skin feels extra dry, I put more moisturizing products and skip drying treatments. If my skin looks extra congested, I might use a scrub. If I'm in a hurry, I use less products... Sometimes I use something in the morning, then move it to the evening if I change up my foundation and the products don't agree. Etc.

It is all about balance for me. I can finally tell when my skin is in balance. For me, skincare is more than what I put on my face. My acne seems to be heavily hormonal related as well. Keeping my weight in balance, exercising regularly both leisurely and hard, eating regularly and a lot of vegetables, sleeping enough, balancing my stress levels... as boring as that is. And my skin goes sometimes all whacky anyway, but usually it gets better when I treat my acne more like fungal acne and/or my health gets better (it's been up and down lately). Also all this business with "dehydrated skin makes your skin oily" is not the case with me. My skin is plain old boring combination skin, meaning my dry cheeks are lacking oil, not water and my T-zone does whatever it wants.

My older routine post (in 2017!):