My Skin Story + Updated Whitening Skincare Routine (and recommendations)

            Beauty is an essential part of every woman’s life. At a young age, we are taught to protect our skin with sunscreen before going out to play in the sun. Once puberty begins to creep in, acne cleansers and spot treatments from the drugstore are our favourite friends. In high school, we start to get curious about all the other products on those Walmart or Shoppers Drugmart shelves. We begin to choose one product and then another on the next visit. By the end of the year, you have at least 4-5 different products that you are currently using or have tried and left on the bathroom shelf to rot. Finally, during university is where we become individuals and find ourselves among the sea of people. Having good-looking skin has never become so important, as everyone somehow seems to have their eyes on you. Forget that! No one actually cares…But that doesn’t stop you from feeling smaller and smaller as the skin on your face starts to transform into an unstoppable explosion.

            My journey began when I was just in grade 5. It was the year that puberty decided to strike early and HELLO teenage acne. Now that I look back on my pictures, it really wasn’t that bad; I only had a couple of pimples on my forehead, chin, and occasionally on the upper lip area. However, something began to build inside me and an obsession over my looks became apparent as I transitioned into high school. One thing that I will never forget is that massive breakout I had at the beginning of grade 10. Imagine being on stage in front of the entire school, walking through what seems an endless path, and getting recognized for your grade achievements. It should’ve been a happy day, but it ended up being one of the worst memories I hold to this day. My acne had now spread to my chest and back. It was so bad that my parents noticed it and finally decided to bring me to see a doctor. Yes, a doctor, not a dermatologist. He prescribed something called “Benzaclin gel”, which I have been using religiously since grade 10. It’s been now 8 years and my skin is still not the best I’ve seen it. MIRACLE cream is what I thought it was…though the side effects of the cream were not so pleasant once my peers started noticing changes in my skin. The doctor had not informed me beforehand that it would: 1) dry out my skin and 2) I should wear sunscreen. So there we have it, going into grade 11 I noticed that my face had become about 3 or 4 shades darker than my neck. Keep in mind that I am originally a light skinned Asian, and even dare call myself pale in the winter. Skin tone was never an issue to me until people around me started saying that I looked very tan or dark (in Chinese we say “hak” which means black or dark). It is evident that in the Asian community, dark skin is not the most desirable, and dare I say it, I think most Asians do look better with lighter skin tones. This has been my problem and obsession ever since, and it was then when I took an interest into whitening skincare.

            Whitening skincare is perhaps my specialty. I have carefully researched and tried a vast majority of the whitening skincare available in the Korean market. I do however; pick and choose between mid-higher end brands as I have discovered that my skin is sensitive to road-shop and even drug store products. No I am not a brand-whore; my skin just doesn’t cooperate with me and prefers higher end products that have quality ingredients in them. Keep in mind that organic products and certain textures also irritate my skin for the most part. So continuing my story…I was already interesting in Korean culture by that time and so it was only natural for me to move towards that market, seeing that all these Korean actresses and idols had nearly perfect milky-white skin. I thought: “If I use these products, I’ll have skin just as white and clear as them!” Umm…I was wrong. Laneige, Hera, Su:m37, O HUI, HANYUL, IOPE,  I’ve tried them all. Yes they have some really good products, but in general, the whitening part just didn’t exactly work for me. It’s been 7 or 8 years since I started using whitening products and to be honest, the most effective way of lightening the skin, is by staying out of the sun. I literally tried to avoid long exposure to sunlight for 2 years at one point and it did work. I went back to Hong Kong for the first time in 13 years last year and I was pale. What was the trick within those two years? Sunscreen!!!! Oh Lord what was I doing all this time? Sunscreen was the answer to all my prayers and I am rather stupid for discovering it so late actually. Up until 3 years ago, I had only been using products that already contained sunscreen or none at all. It made such a difference that I’m now hitting myself in the head for not venturing into it sooner. Though the sun damage is now irreversible, I have managed to bring my skin tone back at least 2 shades lighter, while my neck is still a vast of paleness during the winter and summer.

            As I write about this, I feel a little silly for caring so much about how my face looks, but the insecurities are too real for me to just forget about them and start anew. While I still have many things to improve upon, I find myself accepting my flaws little by little. Hey, no one is perfect, and as I come with many flaws, I’m still ok just the way I am. Beauty is on the inside, but it doesn’t mean the outside is fully irrelevant. While I try to improve on both inner and outer beauty, I decided that I should share my skincare routine and steps to help some of you out there that share the same concerns. I have tried too many skincare routines to even count, but I have stuck to some very good products that have worked for me and many other people. My very first tip is to change up your skincare routine every season or every 2 seasons and really focus on what your skin needs. If whitening is your main concern throughout the year, then find an essence, ampoule, or serum that works well and use it throughout the year. Alternatively, you could replace your essential skincare (toner and emulsion) with some that have a whitening function. Another thing that brings faster results is an intensive night treatment and a good night cream. We are out of the sun during the night and so sleeping in the dark will help the skin regenerate overnight and speed up the function of the products. Last but not least, use a high spf sunscreen!! I use a whitening sunscreen that has spf50+pa+++. I also layer my spf as most of my base makeup products contain a high spf to protect me from the sun. Without further ado, here is my step by step skincare routine at the moment:

Step 1: Cleansing

For this step I use a makeup remover first and then go in with a cleansing foam.

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil – this is by far my favourite makeup remover and cleansing oil that I have ever used. It is not oily despite being an oil…I know -.- It seriously melts off all of my makeup and makes my skin feel very soft. I use it twice a day in the morning and night.

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam – I have yet to find a cleansing foam that I like more than this one. This is truly a gem and it’s really not that expensive either. I bought this for about $20CAD and it lasts me for a good 3-4 months. It leaves my skin clean but not dry. It also has calming ingredients to avoid irritation so it is great for sensitive skin.

Step 2: Exfoliation

While I do not and should not do this every day, I do incorporate this step twice a week after cleansing my skin. It is important to keep up with this step if you want your skincare products to absorb into the skin. It also gets rid of built up impurities and dead skin.

Hanyul Red Bean Peeling Facial Peeling – this is more of scrub than a peeling gel. It is gentle enough for sensitive skin and smells of herbal ingredients. I suggest massaging for no more than 2-3 minutes if you have very thin, sensitive skin.

Cure Natural Gel – I have literally searched for this product for a couple of years now. They do not sell it in Canada and I was only able to find it this year when I visited Hong Kong yet again. This was said to be a miracle worker and it is a good peeling gel. It is also supposed to help clear the skin and brighten over time but that is very relative. It is a good product nonetheless and it lasts a very long time.

Step 3: Toner

I love using toner because it takes away any residue that I wasn’t able to wash off. Also, a toner used with a cotton pad is good for texturing. I have used so many toners over the years and I have officially found my favourites (SK-II clear lotion is the best thing I have ever used but it is too expensive to keep repurchasing. Also, my skin goes crazy when I’m off of this stuff)

Hanyul Rice Essential Skin Softener – I started using this last year when it essentially blew up in popularity last year (probably because it was featured in a drama). It smells quite nice and it works very well for my combination skin. I have tried both the lighter formula which feels like a regular toner, and the thicker formula that looks like a watery gel. I’m not necessarily seeing the whitening benefits from this, but my skin feels more plump and hydrated.

Step 4: Watery Essence

This isn’t exactly an essence and you will see with the products I’m about to list. These help your other skincare absorb better and they also help your skin texture to become a little smoother. When I have a lot of bumps, I always go back this product and voila! I have used the SK-II facial treatment essence as well as the SU:M37 secret programming essence, but they were a bit out of my budget and at times too moisturizing for me. They were pretty darn good during those harsh winter days though, and my skin was so clear and soft.

IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning – This will always be my first love. It doesn’t seem like it does much and over time, it’s just like a toner, but when you have bumps, it flattens them! It also helps tone the skin and brightens when used together with a whitening essence.

Hera Cell Essence – This little baby I discovered during my trip to Korea this past May. I had seen the product online but did not want to splurge before I did a bit more research. Once I saw it on sale, I knew I had to get it. I liked it but it was the wrong season to try it. I think I would’ve loved it a lot more during the fall and winter. It is milkier in colour and more moisturizing than the IOPE. In terms of function, it still works just as good as the IOPE.

Step 4: Essence/Ampoule/Serum

This is perhaps the most important as it involves the most concentrated product in the entire routine.

IOPE Whitegen Ampoule Essence Bio Luminous – I have to say that I prefer the older version because it did more as a whitening product than this new one. Though I still love it regardless because it’s a little more moisturizing than others I have used, but still light enough to absorb quickly without any sticky residue. It has a very pleasant light fragrance to it and contains no shimmers. Over time, it does keep my face bright (not white). Whitening effects are more obvious when used together with the bio essence.

Step 5: Eye Care

To this day, I am very ashamed to say that I neglect my eye area. Why? Because it seriously takes so much time to just work the product in. However, I do admit that my dark circles are horrendously dark and huge and so I need something to control that and take it down a notch. I am nearing my mid-20’s now and eye care is an extremely important step to keeping my face looking youthful and alive.

AmorePacific Intensive Vitalizing Eye Essence – Yes I caved. This baby was $105 at my local sephora in Toronto and I am still kind of iffy on the purchase. I have never paid so much for an eye product. My previous IOPE Pro-Retinol Eye Corrector seems to be discontinued and I’m very sad because that seriously brightened my eye and I loved that stuff. I am still trying out this new Eye Essence but I am still undecided. A good eye cream is the Su:m37 Secret Programming Eye Cream. It is rich and it firms the eye area very well. So for the ladies who are starting to get a few wrinkles, this is the product to go for. 

Step 6: Cream

You will notice that I have dropped the emulsion altogether and gone straight to the cream. Well, that’s because I only use emulsions when I have texture problems or I’m lacking a little moisture in my skin. I actually don’t think it’s necessary but I used it religiously up until last year when I fully switched to moisture and gel creams. Creams are important to lock in all the products that you have previously put on. I did not start using these until the later part of university because my skin wasn’t as dry as it is now.

Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream – I discovered this last year on my first visit to Seoul, Korea. It was literally so good that I was sad I didn’t buy another tub before I left. I did repurchase it on my second visit to Seoul earlier this year, and I am now on my second tub. This stuff literally lasts forever. I’m saying this as a person that needs a little change because I prefer something a little more moisturizing around this time of the year. I still have one tub to go…

I did ask my best friend to get me the new SU:M37 White Award Ultimate Whitening ampoule in cream since she is now visiting Korea. I will update once I have tried and incorporated that into my skincare routine. At a hefty price of $140CAD, it better do something wonderful to my skin.

Step 7: Sunscreen

Yes, how can we forget the sunscreen. There’s no way a whitening skincare routine could be complete without the sunscreen. Simple emulsions or creams with spf are just no good to me. Sunscreen is something I want to wash off at the end of the day and so having it in any of my other skincare products is a little scary to me. Throughout the years, I have tried so many sunscreens from so many different brands that I can’t even count, but I have found myself a very loyal consumer of one particular one.

Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Sun Screen – This is actually a sun cream and therefore a lot thicker than most of your regular sun screens. It does absorb into the skin well and it leaves a nice glowing layer on top. It smells so good and light that I cannot stop putting this on. I have used this every single day since last year and it is without a doubt, my favourite. It has not broken me out once, which is rare for me with many sun screens. Highly recommend it. Even my friend loves it now!

Special Care: Don’t forget about the masks!!!

I use masks at least twice a week. Not as often as I use to because I don’t have time, but it is essential if you want to keep your skin nice and glowing. I used to use sheet masks every night for 2 months right before prom and my skin was beautiful for that one special night. I have gotten lazy so on days that I can’t even move to put on my skincare, I cleanse my skin very thoroughly and slap on a sleeping mask. The Laneige Water Sleeping Mask has been a Holy Grail for years. In terms of sheet masks, I alternate but I prefer gel masks as they absorb better into the skin and you can leave them on for a little logner.

So that is it! Wow that was long…If you managed to read through this entire article, congratulations! I’m glad I’m not the only one that cares about this stuff so much. Beauty is an ongoing journey, and the destination is undetermined. There are times in your life that feel very low and times that feel very high. Hold on to both and find a happy medium for yourself. Taking care of your skin can be therapeutic, much like taking care of your own emotions. This is my personal skincare journey. I hope you all found something useful and even maybe inspiring from all of this.

DISCLAIMER: Whitening does not mean bleaching nor am I trying to be white in any way. Whitening skincare evens out the skin and tones it by reducing melanin production, which creates dark spot on the face and gives Asians that yellow skin tone. No matter how much I stay out of the sun, I’ll never have white skin, I’m yellow and I accept it. I just want an even skin tone so that one that my neck and face will finally match up!