A couple of months ago my face decided to flip out on me and massive pimples started popping up. Left, right, middle — you name it, it was there. I was using products that people rave about all the time, so the breakouts seemingly happened out of nowhere. A good friend of mine told me, “Hey, maybe you’re just going too overboard and you just need a simpler routine.”
Prior to her advice, I was trying a crazy amount of skincare products, like snail essence, BHA/AHA, and clarifying treatments, hoping one of them would get my breakouts under control. But lo and behold, they only made things worse. So, just a quick PSA to all the folks out there: Don’t bombard your face with new products even if they have really good reviews when your skin is already going through it. After taking my friend’s advice, I made my skincare routine a tad bit simpler and gave my skin some time to breathe, which really helped my face improve. I wanted to share my current night time skincare regimen in hopes that maybe it could help people who are also going through it!
Step 1: Cleanse.
Currently, I use the Acne Facial Cleanser from the Korean brand Pyung Kang Yul. Even though it’s an acne cleanser, which is supposed to be more drying than a typical cleanser, I notice that this one is really gentle on my combination skin. It glides on smoothly, and I don’t get that tight and dry feeling that many acne cleansers have given me in the past. On top of that, it’s pretty affordable compared to other Korean skincare products at a price of $10.
Step 2: Tone.
After cleansing, it’s important to bring back some hydration and moisture to the face. I like using the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner because it feels super lightweight and hydrating. Before this product, I used the COSRX clarifying treatment toner that had great reviews, but it always left my face feeling really tacky. It never dried completely, and I personally don’t like that feeling. The Klairs toner dries quickly and still works amazingly under my other products.
Step 3 (Optional): Rub aloe vera plant on your face.
About every other night, I cut some aloe vera plant into small pieces and rub it all over my face as if it were a mask. I noticed that doing this helped my skin calm down a lot. Before, I was exfoliating my face every other night and doing a sheet mask, which in hindsight was way too strong for my skin. You don’t have to do this step if you don’t want to, but I think this might be one of the main reasons why my face started to clear up.
Step 3: Moisturize.
After toning, I go in with some moisturizer, and I use the Innisfree Jeju Cherry Blossom Lotion. This lotion is also very lightweight and dries quickly. When I first got this lotion, I thought it was going to be a thick and heavy consistency, but thankfully, it wasn’t. It dries super quickly and does its job. A little goes a long way, and it definitely isn’t good for the days when you want extra hydration, but for an everyday moisturizer, it works really well. Sometimes I add a couple drops of vitamin C to the moisturizer so I can brighten up my complexion, but that’s also not necessary.
This is my whole skincare routine and it only takes me five to six minutes to complete. It’s simple and quick, which turns out to be exactly what my skin needs. For all the folks who are currently experiencing crazy breakouts and nothing seems to be working, try giving your skin a breather and keeping things simple! It definitely worked for me, so hopefully it will work for you.