My Skincare Obsession

For as long as I can remember, I didn’t have anything to call “my skincare routine”. I have always been the kind of girl who didn’t really care about looking good. I blame myself for being always around boys (at home, at school, and everywhere) that I started acting and thinking like them. There was a phase in my life where I would rather be a boy because it was sooo easy to be one, LOL.

Anyway, I was already struggling with my skin since I was 12. You know, because of puberty and all that shiz. I would always just use a facial cleanser, a toner and, sometimes, an anti acne cream to keep my skin from looking like a disaster. Having an oily and acne-prone skin back then, stocking up on cleansers and acne creams with a high salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide concentration was a must for me, especially when visiting the United States (because the Philippines, my first home, didn’t have a wide variety like the United States has). I would choose brands like Clean & Clear, Clearasil or Pond’s. They worked in drying up my acne, but they just never really got rid of them?

After using them and getting to nowhere, I decided to consult a dermatologist. For so long, I would follow her prescriptions to use this and that, to not do this and that; I ended up with a dehydrated, patchy and sensitive skin. I struggled with my skin the most towards the end of 2015, where I had a facial treatment, then all hell broke loose. Literally. On my face. I had very dry skin (to the point that I got rashes and peels without putting any drying substance on my face), but there were acne all over my forehead and chin. I was so confused on where all the acne came from when I didn’t feel like I was excreting sebum? I honestly cannot fathom the frustration I felt towards my skin during that time. I was also graduating in a few months, so the frustration I felt plus the stress were really eating me alive. Ugh. That’s when I thought that I have to do something about it. I decided to do some research to handle my own skin problems. Since nobody really knows me (or my skin) better than I do, I felt like handling it on my own was the way to go, and I am glad that I made that decision. 

By December 2015, I felt like I had the knowledge to really start working on my skin. I read a lot of well-researched articles, and watched numerous skincare videos that would cater to my skin’s needs. My curiosity for getting the perfect skin slowly became an obsession. By the end of January 2016, I came up with a skincare routine that’s mostly made up of Asian products, and my skin has been better than ever (I swear, I am not exaggerating).

I have been in this journey for more than a year now, and I have never been happier with my skin. I transitioned from having an oily and acne prone skin to having a dry combination skin. My skin still has its ups and downs, but I can handle it a lot better now. I haven’t had a facial treatment for more than a year now, which I think is really great (I used to have them once a month when I was in high school and college — super hassle, and costs a lot).
So that’s how my skincare obsession was born — through the ups and downs, the trial and errors, and the frustration I felt that I thought was endless. I am still not a skincare expert though, I wish I could be one. Until now, I am still on the look out for products that will help my skin have that healthy glow. And since I am not getting (or looking) any younger, I feel like now is the perfect time to be more mindful in taking care of my skin. After all, prevention is better than the cure, right? 😉

Anddd that’s all for my first ever skincare blog post! I hope you enjoyed reading it! I’m sorry if it was too long. I will try to do better next time 🙂 I just wanted you to know about my skin type and skincare journey, before I start posting about the products I am using, and will be using.

If you have any questions, or would like to share any similar experiences with your skincare journey, please comment down below (or reach out to me through my Instagram account, where I am active most of the time)! I would love to read about your skincare thoughts, and chat with you guys. After all, I started this blog so we can help each other out in getting that youthful and healthy looking glow! 😉

Love,
Kim

Btw, I don’t have anything against dermatologists; I respect their jobs / profession. I know some pretty good ones, too, and I used to dream about being one. I just shared my bad experience with my dermatologist before. I am in no way saying that they are all the same. I am just saying that, finding the perfect dermatologist is just like dating (or finding the perfect hair stylist), you have to try and try until you find your perfect match ❤ and that while I was looking for mine, I took some matters on my own, and I am glad that I did.

Also, if you are just starting out, like I was in 2015, these links might help you:

Blogs:
Korean Skincare Blog – The Klog
Korean Skincare Blog – Peach & Lily

For Skincare in general:
Youtube – Gothamista

For Dry Skins:
Youtube – Joan Kim
Youtube – Wishtrend TV

The links above are just some of my go-to blogs / channels. They are not the complete list, because I don’t remember some of them already, but I hope this’ll help you get started still! 

Disclaimer: I am not a professional when it comes to skincare. I am just a girl who loves trying things out on my skin to get to my #skingoals. Please know that all our skins are different; what’ll work for me might not work for you, and vice versa. Everything written here is solely based on my opinions and my experiences with my skin and on my skincare journey.