Every Filipina probably has the same problem that I have. How do I maintain a good complexion in this kind of unpredictable weather that we have? No amount of foundation, concealer, BB cream, or CC cream can solve our problems. They can cover them up during the day, but in the evening, we will still have those pimple marks, those sudden breakouts, and acne marks. Lucky are those who have one-two pimples every now and then, but for girls like me, our faces are more susceptible to breakouts due to so many factors (stress, weather, food intake, STRESS). So for Filipinas with combination skin, here's a simple guide to good (I hope, because it works for me) facial skin care.

My facial skin care is no secret because every other girl out there probably uses the same products I use. My combination of products works best for me, it might work for you as well, but if it doesn't, don't hesitate to change them. I think the number 1 rule in facial skin care is to be able to know which products work best for your skin, so you don't have to follow everything I do or put on my face. It's going to be a basic process and you can always tweak things. I have three routines, one daily morning routine, one for every night, and one which I do twice a week in the evening before going to sleep, and for this post, I'll talk about my daily morning routine.

I do my routine right after I take a shower (except for cleansing) and basically, this is how I officially prepare for my day after an hour or two in the gym.

My Daily Skin Care Routine

• Cleanse. For cleaning my face, I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser For All Skin Types. Before I started using Cetaphil, I've heard/read a lot of good reviews about it, and my previous cleanser left my skin a little dry after use so despite the fact that Cetaphil is expensive, I tried it out and it worked wonders for my face. What I do is wet my face with water first, and then use 1 pump of the cleanser to clean my face and neck and then wash it off. After use, my skin doesn't feel dry at all! What I like most about Cetaphil is that you can use water to wash it off, or you can just wipe it off with a towel. So during times when I forget to bring it to the shower with me (or when I'm lazy), I use 2 pumps of the product if my face is completely dry or 1 if I haven't dried my face yet and then use a very soft towel which I only use on my face to wipe the product off. I would suggest not to do the wiping off thing very often because you're doing unnecessary exfoliating which should be done twice a week only (this will be part of my next post). So for best results, use the cleanser with water. 👍🏼
• Tone. After cleaning your face, you have to apply toner. I suggest for every Filipina with combination skin to use alcohol-free toner, and for me, Celeteque Hydration Alcohol-Free Toner works best. Alcohol causes skin to dry, and this is not what you want for your combination skin or any type of skin for that matter. I've seen a lot of alcohol-free toners in the market, but since I already have a product which I've tried and tested, I just stick to it. For toning my face, I just soak (not too much) a cotton pad with the product and wipe it all over my face and neck except the lips. One thing to know is that if your cotton pad has make up stains in it after using, it means that you haven't cleansed your face enough, so to avoid this, make sure to clean your face very well, okay?
• Hydrate/Moisturize. To ensure that your face is kept hydrated after cleansing and toning, you have to moisturize. There is a ton of moisturizers in the market and I honestly do not want to have just one, but I have to have just one for practicality, I use Celeteque Hydration Facial Moisturizer. Believe me, I want to try other moisturizers especially those that are already tinted which are total time-savers, but for the meantime, I'm sticking to the one I've used since the day I started with my skin care routines. The Celeteque Hydration Facial Moisturizer is a gel-type, lightweight moisturizer perfect for girls who don't want to feel like they have layers of products on their skin (like me) but in reality, there are. I place an amount just enough for the size of my face on the back of my hand and using my index finger, I dab the product on both of my cheeks, on my chin, above my upper lip, on my nose bridge, three dabs on my forehead, and the rest of the product on my neck. I love this product simply because it's lightweight, as if I didn't put anything on. Gel-type moisturizers are best for Pinays with combination skin because it will not leave your skin feeling too oily and dry at the same time during the entire day. What I noticed about creamy moisturizers (like the sun care version of the Celeteque Facial Moisturizer) is that when it gets very humid, your skin will feel oily, and we don't want that right? So yeah, I will stick to my moisturizer for now, and you on the other hand can always search for the best product for you, yes? 👍🏼
• Sun Care. Next to the number 1 rule is the rule of sun care (I guess). I know, it's the rainy season already and the sun won't shine on your face often, but UV rays can penetrate clouds you know? So for you to avoid the negative effects of those unwanted UV rays, it is a must to apply facial sun screen. I use the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA+++. It's a mouthful, I know. As in the label, so is the actual product when applied to the face. It's essence so expect it to be very lightweight. And if you've read through everything, you would already know by now that I love lightweight products. I use this the same way as the moisturizer, and let the product be absorbed by my skin completely before applying make up. To date, I have no intention of changing my facial sun screen because I think this is the best around for the price range.

Additional Note:

• Sometimes, I skip cleansing and just wash my face with water especially during breakouts and then proceed to toning.
• There are moisturizers and tinted moisturizers with SPF already so you can opt for those if you want to skip the sun care part.
• Aside from the pricey Cetaphil cleanser, you can also use the Celeteque Hydration Facial Cleanser which I use when I travel because I can't bring a whole bottle of Cetaphil during trips right? Plus, you can buy a travel set of the said Celeteque products in drug stores too! Or you can just stick to the cleansers that you already have if you believe that they are the best for your skin.
• During field works and family outings which exposes my skin to the heat and rays of the sun majority of the day, instead of using my Bioré UV watery essence, I opt for a more heavy duty sun screen which is the Beach Hut Face Ultra-sensitive Hypoallergenic Sun Block SPF 65 which is designed for sensitive skin.

As I've said, not all products work best for everyone, so you have to know which ones work best for you and your lifestyle.

After your morning skin care routine, you may now start with your make up routine (Should I make a post about mine? Hmm?)

I originally wanted to make just one post about my skin care routines but as it turned out, the post will be extremely long so I opted to just divide them into two different posts. I'll be posting my evening skin care routines next week!

I'm no expert but I'm certain that an effective skin care routine is worth way more than the make up we apply every day. I hope this post will be able to help girls out there who want to start their own facial skin care routines! I also would like to thank Michelle Phan because her YouTube videos helped me know a lot about make up and skin care. 👍🏼

Disclaimer: I was not paid by any of the brands and establishments that I mentioned in this post.