The New Year's Resolution Haul

So this post came at least a year late but here it is anyway. After all, one can only give substantial feedback about consumable products after a significant amount usage, right? Well at least that's my excuse for this post.

So here we go...

I spent my entire 20s neglecting my skin. I barely had any skin trouble throughout the entire decade and I unconsciously just relied on my body's natural ability to heal and regenerate skin cells. I also had the rare ability to resist sunburn, so I barely used any of the sticky sunblock lotions unless I had to be swimming at midday.

By the time I was in my early 30s, I realized I was way past my teens and started seeing the signs of skin damage and premature aging. It was a turning point- I had to change my habits and only then did I start looking at what's out in the market and it turns out I have been missing out on a lot. So much has changed over the years and there is such a wide variety of choices of every skin care product. It's easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated by the trial and error of finding the right products that would work for you.

So here's my initial haul. I call it my "New Year's Resolution Haul" because I made the decision to take care of my skin at the start of the year, though it took me about two months to shop around, since it just wasn't part of my regular shopping list and kept forgetting to shop for them.

I may be sharing them a bit too late- some of them may have been repackaged or phased out but since I'm into sharing my experience with these products, here's what I have to say.

Cleansing
It's hard to believe I spent at least an entire decade without using a real facial wash and still got a way with it. Yes, I used whatever soap we had in the bathroom soap dish. Looking back makes me cringe; no wonder I have so much to make up for.

I picked Cetaphil since it's one of the most basic cleansing products out there- one could not go wrong with it. I have kept a steady supply of Cetaphil since my first purchase. I like how gentle it is and how it doesn't dry the skin.

Over the past year my skin situation has gotten worse (just when I thought I already got it right). My skin has become oily and acne-prone especially on certain times of the month when my hormones just go haywire. On those days, I now use a different cleanser, but I use Cetaphil in the morning as soon as I wake up as it gently cleanses any residue of the skin care products I applied overnight and any excess oils I may have produced but it does so without drying the skin.

Toner (Skin Refiner)
I was introduced to Laneige by a cousin a few months before I made this haul. I have to admit I was intimidated by the multi-step process of Korean skin care when I first got hold of it but I loved it on the first try and I became a believer from that moment on.

I invested on a bottle of Laneige Power Essential Skin Refiner Moisture and I say "invested" because for someone who did not use any skin care products for a long time, shelling out more than P1,000 for a bottle of toner was a big step. But this isn't your ordinary toner, instead of just the usual cleansing function of regular toners, this skin refiner moisturizes at the same time. It made the skin soft, smooth, fresh and nicely hydrated. Since I officially had aging skin, this product worked really well for me. Plus, one 200ml bottle lasted me about six months since I wasn't using it everyday, but it probably would have lasted around 4 months if I were.

Moisturizer
I liked to keep my skin care routine simple and (if possible) inexpensive, so for my daytime moisturizer I used the Celeteque Sun Care Matte Moisturizer with SPF50. I liked this product initially because it was multitasking as it was moisturizer and sunblock in one. But later on, when I started having breakouts, I stopped using it because of its heavy texture which would tend to clog my pores. I could not really say that this contributed to the breakouts (it was probably because I did not cleanse well enough after a whole day with make-up on) but to keep acne under control, I had to switch to a lightweight, water-based sunblock. This product is very affordable at P230.00 but for someone who has oily skin like me, it may not be able to maintain the matte finish it's supposed to give.

At night, I used a Laneige emulsion. It was in a sample size which lasted me a few months. I did not purchase it in full size because I ended up buying an entire trial pack of another Laneige product line. That will be the subject of a separate blog post.

Two to three times a night, or as often as I remembered, I used the Laneige Firming Sleeping Pack. I love how it locks moisture on the skin and how simple and easy it is to use. When I use it, I can do away with the usual multi-step process and just apply this after skin refiner and I'm done for the night. This was another investment since I had so much repair to do on my skin that I held my breath, held out my credit card, and bought it at P1,650.00. It bore a hole in my pocket but it delivers on its promise to lock moisture in the skin as I sleep. Besides, the product has been in my fridge for more than a year so it turns out I have after all made the most of it. To prolong shelf life and minimize contamination, I transfer a small amount into a container that I carry around and keep the rest in my fridge.

Sun Protection
I've avoided the use of sunblock in my hiking trips because of the sticky feel of most sunblock lotions. Hiking could mean several hours in the sun, drenched in sweat, and with the possibility of camping far from a water source which means I would not be able to wash up at the end of the day and would just have to rely on wet wipes to freshen up. But since I needed to make a change, I just went for the one that was easiest to carry around, and that's Beach Hut Sunblock Lotion SPF36. It claims to be waterproof and sweatproof, and the cute carabiner was a bonus. Because of it, I can attach it visibly outside my bag and I'd be reminded to reapply after every few hours. I didn't really look around much since three bottles after, I'm still happy with this sunblock. I did realize, though, that there's now a whole lot of options out in the market but until they come up with really handy ones like this, I'm staying with Beach Hut.

For daily care for my arms and legs and whatever gets exposed during the day, I used Vaseline Total Moisture Aloe Fresh SPF24. For this, I had to shop around because most products with SPF have whitening properties- something I just wasn't interested in. This was the best match at the time and I was able to use an entire bottle of it. It cost around P200.00. The moisture lasted the entire day, but it was quite greasy so I wasn't keen on repurchasing after. I now use a serum because of its lighter texture and yes, I finally gave in, it has whitening ingredients.

Body Care
Now this brings us to some of the products I picked up to care for the rest of me. The ones in the photo are just some of them; I have plenty more at almost every corner of our tiny apartment to make sure I don't forget to moisturize.

With sun damage, my skin has been dry and and my complexion was uneven. I basically looked withered and tired. I don't buy into the whitening trend that most Filipinas have been into and I just wanted my skin to look healthy and nourished.

A cousin gave me a set of The Body Shop Shea products (God bless her!) and I love them all. I love them so much that I used them sparingly at first, but I then had to use them more often because they have a shelf life of about a year.

For a luxurious dose of moisture, I use The Body Shop Shea Shower Gel/Cream. It does not lather like the usual soapy shower gels, but it gives the moisture that I need. I usually find myself not needing lotion anymore after using this, but I still put on a layer of lotion with SPF if I had to go out
during the day.

I rarely use my bottle of The Body Shop Shea Beautifying Oil. For one, the warm Manila weather makes applying any type of body oils unappealing. But this is my favorite-post swim workout moisturizer. I usually swim regularly in preparation for an aquathlon at the first quarter of the year- the coldest time of the year. This oil makes my skin warm, smooth, and nourished after getting all wrinkly during my swim. Of all the Shea products, it's this one whose scent I love most.

Then there's The Body Shop Shea Body Butter which is one of the best things that one could ever have for skin care. I regret not having heard of this when I was pregnant many years ago- it could have helped me avoid the unsightly stretch marks. But I claim those stretch marks as battle scars and there's no shame in having them. What I do have now is much love for this product. I feel like I have very thick skin on my torso that moisture could barely get past the surface. But this one gets through and gives my often neglected body skin just what it needs. With the warm Manila weather, I don't get to use this very often, only when I feel up to it before bedtime when I've cooled down for the night.

Finally, the Jergens Overnight Repair Nightly Restoring Moisturizer. I got this tube for P99.00 (if I remember it correctly). This inexpensive lotion was a good buy because despite its low price, it was able to help me repair by restoring moisture and smoothness on my arms and legs (my legs were a bigger problem). For some reason, the skin on my legs and feet are always dryer than my arms. By the time I finished this tube in about two months, my legs have recovered and I no longer had to carry around a small tube of lotion whenever I wore shorts and skirts.

And there you have it. This was basically my starter set that got me on the journey of finding the skin care products that would work for me. If there's anyone out there who has neglected their skin the same way I have, let it be known that there's hope for us. We just have to take the first step. And one more thing I learned from this is that not all new year's resolutions end up in failure. Sometimes we just have to pick one and stick with it.