Hello everyone!
Talking with my clients, I am often asked what is a “good” face care routine? I don’t pretend I have the ultimate face care routine, but I can share what is working for me and some easy-to-do actions that you could include in yours – man or woman.
Step 1
First thing’s first: remove your make-up carefully EVERY NIGHT before going to sleep! That’s non-negotiable. To remove mine, I use a drop of oil (in my case coconut but you could use jojoba or almond) mixed with some water. You don’t need anything else other than this, even for lipstick or waterproof make-up – trust me!
Step 2
After that, because the homemade make-up is quite oily, I use a reusable pad with floral water; I like the smell of rosewater, but you can easily find lavender (soothing) or chamomile (calming) in Hong Kong.
Step 3
The evening is the perfect timing for skin repair. After a long day working/sweating/exposed to sun or pollution, the night is the opportunity for your skin to rest and be moisturized. Usually, I would simply put on a very hydrating night cream. I make one based on aloe vera gel and a cocktail of oils: coconut, almond, and avocado. To treat my skin even more, I add some drops of essential oils; I like to vary between geranium and frankincense, both for their anti-aging properties.
Here is a list of essential oils you can use on your face:
- restorative: lavender, helichrysum, myrrh
- purifying: lemon (photosensitive!), palmarosa, tea tree
- anti redness : helichrysum
- anti aging: Ho wood, geranium
- Soothing: lavender, chamomile
- Sebum regulator: Petitgrain, geranium, lemon (photosensitive!)
I would not recommend adding drops of essential oils in your industrial face cream or in any skincare: you never know the exact list of ingredients in a product, and even if you do, you cannot prevent the chemical reaction of your essential oil with an existing ingredient. It isn’t worth the risk.
If you have extra time… add more steps!
If I have some extra time in the evening or if I have spent the day outdoors, I will add some extra steps into my usual routine.
Step 3
After removing my make-up and using some floral water, my skin is ready for a scrub. I use the Braun Face Spa kit with handmade soap specially for the face as it is a really great deep cleanse for your skin. You would be surprised how dirty the brush might be even though your skin is already ‘clean’. Whatever you choose, make sure you use something that respects the skin’s natural PH balance.
Step 4
The second to last step is applying a mask: I use green clay, but you can use any other natural clay that works for you.
- For normal to oily skin: green clay (detoxifying, absorbing, cleansing), rhassoul or yellow clay.
- For sensitive skin: white clay (purifying, softens the skin, restorative, antiseptic, detoxifying)
- For skin tending to be red easily: red clay or pink clay
Step 5
And, last but not least, I will apply an oily serum based on jojoba oil, featuring lavender and geranium essential oils.
Through following these simple steps you will see an improvement after a few weeks.
During my summer holidays, I was watching a documentary about the skin, and it is alarming to see how it gets easily damaged after 5 minutes out in the sun. It is extremely important to hydrate and moisturize your skin deeply and regularly if you don’t want to end up with a wrinkled face. According to the documentary, the biggest cause of wrinkles are UVB. If you are interested to know more, here is the link to an article from The Guardian.
Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you have any questions!
