Well, inserting shameless bare faced selfie over here!
It's monsoon season over here in Southeast Asia, no longer the hot 'summer' heat, because that was in May-June. With weather changes, also comes skin changes due to the weather.
My skin currently has been at the best stage that is has been ever since I wore makeup since i was 18 years old, ever since I tested out the K-beauty 7 skin method. I've been really into taking more care of my skin to reduce my makeup used and eventually one day, be very comfortable to be foundation free.
I've always had blemished skin due to me constantly picking the pimples on my face whenever breakouts happen. They scab over and leave a mark that reoccurs. Even though I still have hyper-pigmentation on those spots still where the blemishes were, they are much lighter now and will continue to lighten with my efforts and end goal.
Of course, me looking like that all smiling with almost clear skin to me is an achievement, things weren't always that clear for my skin. It has seen worse days and as uncomfortable as it made me, I'm glad it happened.
So come on! Let me take you to a throwback on how bad my skin was 2 years ago!
Mid September 2016, this was the fate of my skin, it developed not overnight but started out as itching on the skin. I wasn't sure what exactly caused that kind of breakout at that time, but it could be multiple factors like bedding, makeup brushes or just some skin sensitivity that is stress induced. It was a bad time because I felt so insecure of my skin, but I knew I was the only one to blame for it because I was in control of what I did to my face and no one else.
Below was my face in Early November 2016 when I decided that I needed to take action on my skin. as you can see, it did clear up a lot, however there was still scarring and blemishes on my skin that was still there, my skin did look more hydrated than it was in mid september 2016.
Even after majority of my face had healed from that skin scare, I was still left with very textured skin. While most days that I would go out of the house I'd slap on some makeup just to even out and conceal my skin. I realised that my my skin and the amount of makeup I had packed on made my skin look really old from settling on the dry patches and creases of my skin.
Good from far but far from good!
At that time, I wasn't sure exactly how I would treat my skin and what was the products I should use to clear up my skin. I only knew I had to use a cleanser that will clean off any makeup residue I had on my skin, followed by a toner to remove any stubborn gunk, followed by a moisturiser and your're done!
Although that method did give me some sort of balance throughout most of my time trying to clear up my skin, I did experience more creasing on my base makeup still, the occasional hormonal breakouts, and of dry patches on the skin.
I still had no clue what I was doing and would ask my friends for any recommendations they had for me to try. I've tried scar gels, bio oils, argan oils, jojoba oil, coconut oils and even doing face masks 3 times a week. I wouldnt't say that those products did not work for me, and each product did help me at that point of time, however, it wasn't catered to my skin concerns for long term care. All of what I used were mainly for temporary relief that my skin didn't feel like it was suitable in the long run.
So, what changed it all?
I just came across a few skincare videos, mainly because I had wanted to go see vitamin C serums. I've heard that it does some awesome things to the skin, so I was watching a few videos from youtubers about it. I of course was drawn to this one Youtuber by the name Gothamista (from gothamista.com). She is a skinthusiast that researches and gives you in-depth information about what her experiences are and the skin types in which the products are suitable for!
There were a lot of notes taken down and internalised and what stood out for me, was the K-Beauty 7 Skin Method. A routine where you layer your toner to hydrate your skin before locking in the moisture using a emulsion. I had used hydrating mists prior to starting the 7 skin method and found it to be really useful in an additional layer of hydration. However, the thought of layering toners up to 7 layers after your face wash was intriguing. The final push for me to just try it out was how much the comments were raving about how they could immediately see a difference in their skin after just 1 week!
How I did it?
I made sure to remove any acid or alcohol ingredients and citrus ingredients from my toners and facial mists to ensure the full benefits can be seen in the shortest amount of time.
1. Fresh Rose Floral Toner
This toner was something that I was keeping to use sparingly, I would usually use 1 cotton swab to wipe my face after washing my face. However, I decided to just use it for the 7 skin experience as it had no alcohol, no acids nor citrus in the ingredients.
My face felt so supple and hydrated after just 1 session! I decided to find other products that was just as effective but at a fraction of the cost as the Fresh toner is pretty costly.
Retails at:
SGD68
Where to buy?
Can be purchased at Sephora.com online or in stores
2. PIXI Hydrating Milky Mist
This hydrating mist was one of the products which I also occasionally used to moisturise my face whenever I was lazy to use an emulsion or toner on my face.
Even though it did have some alcohol in it and citrus at the lower list of ingredients, I decided to give it a try to see how it does. I would say, 7 layers of this is too much as it does leave a lingering sticky residue on your skin once it gets absorbed.
Would recommend only using only 1 of the 7 layers or even just 3 layers for this product as it is heavier on the skin.
Retails at
SGD 24
3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater
This rose water facial spray was the most affordable of the lot.
Retails at
SGD 17
I'm not a big fan of rose scents, however I did like that it had aloe in it. I love using aloe whenever I have an itch or even a pimple I accidentally popped. This was a product I had on hand too like the PIXI, where I would use it as a toner/moisturiser before application of makeup.
This product using the 7 skin method is light enough and does not feel sticky. It has a very refreshing feel to it and maintains the suppleness of the skin just like the Fresh one did.
Starting from Left to Right
4. Mamonde AC Balance toner (BHA Solution)
Retails at SGD20
I think a lot of people including me will get confused at AHA and BHA toners. I had wanted a toner on the first layer that will exfoliate as well as had some astringent to it to get my routine started. I use it for only the 1st layer of the 7 skin method due to this toner having Salicylic Acid. The main purpose of the method was to hydrate your skin, and too much of this will make your skin dry out in the long run if you were to layer 7 layers of the balance toner.
5. Mamonde Floral Mists
Retails at SGD18
This is something similar to the hydrating mists mentioned earlier. However, this product when overused has similar effects like the PIXI Milky mist where it gets too heavy on the skin and leaves you with a tacky surface after it gets absorbed. I only tend to use 2 layers of this along with the Balance toner in the evening when I sometimes will use rosehip oil to massage my face.
6. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea
Retails at SGD17
This was another variation I wanted to try out to see which one I am liking more as a combination for my skin. It is also a lightweight product that you are able to layer on 7 layers without feeling heavy or tacky. I prefer using it during the daytime before I apply my makeup as I do add a layer of moisturiser and sunscreen and don't want my skin to feel heavy throughout the day,
Summary
I do like this method (though I usually shorten my layers to the minimum 3 layers when in a rush). It works for me and I've had other friend who have already tried this out give positive reviews about it too! I'm not sure what products they had used for themselves, but these are the ones that worked for me and I will continue to explore and switch up to products that will work on my skin. You can definitely mix and match toners for your different needs, but I urge you to go binge watch and so your research to understand what and why this method is used.
To some, 7 layers of toners is absurd and unnecessary, but don't knock it till you have tried it!
Have fun!
XOXO
Nash