Skin Care (Updated)

Hi guys! I still have entries from my trip to Korea but let me just put this up first, my updated skin care routine and other products that I'm planning to try out.

When it comes to skin care, I'm definitely one who will embrace it with arms wide open. I have problematic skin since I was in high school. I probably hit the jackpot when it comes to how problematic one's skin is. So, here's why. I have the following skin type:

• Combination (oily) - normal to dry on the cheeks, oily on the T-zone which means having big pores in this area
• Sensitive - easily gets irritated/redenned when exposed to sun and different products
• Acne-prone - breakouts occur during my period, when I'm stressed, when I didn't get enough sleep, or when I try a product that doesn't suit my skin

Right after graduation in 2008, when I got my first job, I started consulting a dermatologist. She gave me some products for the treatment of acne (pictured below) consisting of Acne Facial Wash, Antibac Toner, Antibac Cream, Acne Cream, and Acne Spot Remover Cream. For several years, I've been using those products plus doing some facial and peel. My breakouts were not gone completely but they were controlled. From having several big pimples at a time, it was lessened to one or two (usually happens before or during my period). I used to have an Acne Facial Wash but it was changed to Acne Soap since my dermatologist got a different supplier. Fast forward to 2016 and I'm still using those products. It's not continuous though. In 2011 and 2012, when I was studying in Korea, I stopped using those products in favor of other products found in the world of Korean beauties.

At present, I feel that those products prescribed by my dermatologist are not completely effective on my skin anymore. I was thinking maybe the bacteria causing my acne developed some resistance. So, I decided to try other products. I heard this from a friend, the Maxi-peel exfoliating solution. Whenever I get a pimple, I used the Maxi-peel and apply it directly on the pimple. It helps dry out the pimple. Sometimes, I also apply it on my whole face to exfoliate dead skin cells. A word of caution though, if you have sensitive skin, do a skin test first to see how your skin will react and dab only a little whenever you use it.

For sun protection, I got this product Hamilton Superblock SPF 80 from my dermatologist. I'm not a fan of sun screens because they make my face red and oily due to the chemicals in the ingredients. I also hate the icky feeling during hot and humid days. However, I need to use it to protect my skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

Last weekend, I bought Clinique's Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum (P3,000) and Repairwear Laser Focus Eye Cream (P2,950).  

I've been dying to use the Pore Refining Serum because of my large, visible pores. I used it for quite a number of days but I haven't seen the results yet. Hopefully, I'd get to use it regularly, and after some time, maybe a few months, I'll write a review on that. As of now, it feels more of a primer though. After application, it leaves my skin feeling smooth and prepped for other products.

Clinique's Eye Cream is my favorite among all the Clinique products that I used. I bought one last year and I used it all up already. Thus, I got another one again. Being in my late twenties, now that I look in the mirror, I notice I have a few lines and crow's feet whenever I smile. I can see that it's also in the genes, both my parents have fine lines around their eyes, so as an armor for the aging process, I am using an eye cream now. It feels light whenever I apply it in the morning and at night. I am not seeing some dramatic effects but somehow, I feel that it's working. My crow's feet are not gone but my skin around the eye area looks healthy and no new lines are showing.

And now, we've come to these two products, Origani Erda Manuka Honey Peel and Day Cream. I also bought them last week in a weird circumstance. I was in Glorietta mall shopping for some Christmas presents when suddenly, a sales lady started talking to me and tried their product, the Manuka Honey Peel, on my hand. I was reminding myself to say "No." and just go away but I'm a sucker for skin care products. After application, she rubbed it and there were some clumps on my hand. She said that those were dead skin cells. But later, after reading some reviews and applying it to my face, I find that those clumps were just the product itself and not dead skin cells like they were claiming it to be. Oh well, so much for their marketing strategy! Anyway, after removing the product on my hand, they compared my hand with the other hand. It's skin was brighter compared to the hand where the product wasn't applied. Then, she put on some moisturizer to both hands and the hand where the manuka honey peel was applied absorbed the product easily compared to the other one. 

A foreign lady then started talking to me. She said she studied about skin care (I forgot the term, she's not a dermatologist but something like that, more of a skin care guru) and that my face is very sensitive and that I have to use organic products free from chemicals, etc. Ultimately, she convinced me to buy the Manuka Honey Peel, which by the way is very expensive (P6,700). I wouldn't buy it, really, but I don't know. Maybe because of all the talking and the application on my hand and her giving the Day Cream as a free gift (yes, she got me into that) plus a free facial (which I have yet to redeem).

I've read the reviews and all of us have the same experience on how the sales persons do their job into convincing people to buy their product. They are really pushy and really talks you into so much crap. Oh, they also tried on their eye cream on me. They said that it's working on me (but when I looked at it, there's really not much change) and the foreign lady offered me this: if I buy the two creams (worth a freakin' P20,000), she'll give me the Manuka Honey Peel plus Day Cream plus Night Cream plus Mudpack Soap as gifts. It's very overwhelming, all the free items but sorry not sorry, I don't have that big amount of money to spend on skin care products. Even if I said I can't buy that because it's very expensive, she offered me half the price for the two creams but all the free items will not be included. Seriously, it's still big, P10,000 for two creams!!! After saying that I have to go several times because I still have to meet my friend (which by the way is true), only then did I got the chance to get out of their stall. Geez what an experience! Not a good one though.

Okay, so for the products itself. Well, the packaging looks luxurious. The bottles reminded me of Lancome. I tried on the Manuka Honey Peel and after the application, my skin feels smooth. It's to be used once a week only. But I think I used it twice already. Then, I applied the moisturizer. What I like about it is that in the morning, well my T-zone is oily as usual, but looking at my whole face, it looks pretty okay. It's not as oily as compared to when I used Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I still have to use these products for a longer time and by then, I hope to write a comprehensive review.

By the way, on the first instance of using, I got a pimple the next day. However I'm not sure if it's because of the Origani products or Clinique's Pore Correcting Serum because I used them at the same time. Note to self and to others: Using new products at the same time is not advisable. Think of it as an experiment, you have to use only one variable at a time to see its effects.

Whole gang's out! The Clinique repertoir! Hahaha! I got a gift set of travel packs (P1,200) which I'll be giving to my mom as a gift. By the way, I love the travel-sized chubby stick and the mascara.

Here's a parade of all my skin care plus some make-up products. Also included are Philosophy's Hope In A Jar Oil-free Gel, Clinique's Pore Refining Solutions Foundation, Clinique's Even Better Foundation samplers, Nivea Lip Balm, Maybelline's Baby Skin Pore Minimizer, Missha's Lip Tint, and Sudocrem Moisturizing/Healing Cream.


So after several years, here I am still searching for the elusive holy grail product/s. Hope you continue to join me in my skin care adventures and misadventures. Any tips for my skin type would be greatly appreciated. =)