My Basic Beauty Products

 

Just like any woman out there, I have my own list of basic beauty products. These are my tried and tested that I have come to love because I have been using them for quite some time.

I am a busy mother of 3 juggling a lot of other things, and just like most of you, I barely have time to do a complicated beauty routine day in and day out. We know what we all need are really just the basics – to help us look good and feel good.

First things first, I’m no beauty expert…but I am a skincare and makeup junkie. 🙂  I love trying out beauty products, makeup, or anything new in the market — especially the ones that come in bright, pretty packaging! I do trial and error with most of them and in my experience, I’ve learned that not because a product is imported, expensive or nicely packaged, it’s good for you. In fact most of the time, it’s the affordable brands found in supermarkets and health or beauty stores that I find more effective.

So upon prodding of some friends and suggestions from readers of the blog, I am sharing with you some of my favorite and basic beauty products :

DOVE BEAUTY BAR SOAP

There are a multitude of soap brands out there, but to me, nothing beats the moisturizing quality of Dove! I’ve been using this brand since I was 12 years old when I was diagnosed with Dermatitis by my pediatrician. She was the one who suggested that I change my body soap to Dove (and I thought I was already using the mildest baby soap then) — and ever since, my extreme dry skin has not recurred!

 I also bring this soap with me whenever I travel, since based from my experience, hotel bar soaps can really be drying. The best part about this soap is that they now come in many different scents and are very affordable! I get my stash from supermarkets and S&R.

VMV HYPOALLERGENICS CLEANSING MILK and CLEANSING SCRUB

This is as simple and as basic as it can get. I use the VMV Cleansing Milk in the mornings and the VMV Cleansing Scrub at night. What I love about VMV is that all their products are fragrance free, chemical free, allergen free and paraben free. They are locally produced, proudly Philippine made and are now being sold all over the world. This type of cleansing milk and scrub comes with moisturizing quality too. So in my case, it eliminates the need to use another product – a facial moisturizer after cleansing. (I feel that facial moisturizers just clog my pores and make my skin oily). These are available in all VMV stores nationwide.

SHU UEMURA CLEANSING OIL

I‘ve been using this cleansing oil from the Japanese brand Shu Uemura for about 10 years now and it has been the most effective in removing all traces of dirt and makeup on my skin. Even though it’s oil, it’s actually very light and non-greasy, so I don’t mind putting it all over my face. The Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil is the only makeup remover that I trust in terms of getting rid of the smallest particles of pollutants and chemicals on my face. The cute packaging is just a bonus. You can get this from any Shu Uemura makeup stores.

NIVEA FIRMING BODY LOTION

One thing about me is that I don’t like moisturizing my face but I love “over-moisturizing” my body! I am a big body lotion user! 🙂  I don’t mind getting that sticky feeling all over my body but I do mind having oily skin on my face. This means, I need to find a brand that’s not so expensive (because I use a lot of it!), that’s easily available and that will last me for a long time. I’ve tried several brands of body lotions out there, but what I like best is Nivea’s Firming Body Lotion, because it’s not too thick and is just lightly scented.

 I started using this from the time I gave birth to my first, which is about 9 years ago. (And ladies, we all know what happens to our skin after giving birth right?) So something that has CoQ10 or that firming quality is the one we should always look out for. This Firming Lotion has helped in bringing back my skin’s elasticity and strength. (Although of course I have to face reality that my skin will never be the same again 🙁 )

Nivea is sold in supermarkets and in health or beauty stores.

DESSERT ESSENCE JOJOBA OIL.

HELIOCARE SPF 90.

CARMEX LIP BALM.

The Dessert Essence Jojoba Oil is the only pure 100% Jojoba Oil I know that is available here locally. Although this can be used to moisturize hair, scalp and skin (yes, it’s all around), I use this only for my hair. I have very thick, wavy and unruly hair so applying a little bit of this oil from the middle part to the tip keeps my hair tame and in place. This is available in Healthy Options.

Heliocare Spf 90 is one thing I can’t live without. This is my daily facial sunblock and I believe that the higher the spf, the higher the protection, the better for my skin. I try to avoid harsh sun exposure (especially at its peak from 10am to 2pm) because I know how the sun can damage our skin badly. (I’m afraid of skin cancer too.) So I apply this after cleansing my face and before I put on my makeup. This is the only sunblock brand I’ve tried that hasn’t caused my skin to break out.  I first discovered Heliocare many years ago from my dermatologist, Dr. Sylvia Huang (I know most derma clinics have this too). I get mine now from the supplier, Hannah See (0917-5250419).

Carmex Lip Balm is my favorite lipbalm of all. It’s simple, easy to use and just glides on smoothly. I like that it has only a slight and not overpowering minty feel to it. This is available in supermarkets and health or beauty stores.

La Prairie’s Cellular Eye Contour Cream

Last but not the least amongst my favorite basic beauty products, is La Prairie’s Cellular Eye Contour Cream. This is one tried and tested product! I’ve been using this since I was in my 20’s, when my “ultra-cool” Mummy introduced me to this brand. Back then since I was still a college student and couldn’t afford to buy my own, she would give me the sample sizes she received from the counter whenever she would buy her stock.

They say the eyes are usually the first thing people notice about a person – because they tell a story. People can tell if you’re tired or stressed or worried just by looking at your eyes. So even though eye cream is more expensive compared to all the other beauty products we use on our face, this is one step in our beauty regimen that we shouldn’t skip. I know most of us tend to overlook our eyes, thinking that what we use on our face, can also be used around the eyes. I learned that they are actually 2 different parts with 2 very different needs! The skin around our eyes are the thinnest and the most delicate, and therefore this is the part that shows signs of aging and stress easily. Eyebags, fine lines, crow’s feet, wrinkles, sagging and dark skin : these are the things that we don’t want around our eyes and therefore early prevention and proper care are really important.

The good news is that there are so many brands of eye cream out in the market today. You can try as many as you want, and find which is the most effective for you. Once you find the right one, stick to it. You will soon notice the changes through time.

In my case, when I discovered the benefits of using La Prairie eye cream, I haven’t stopped since. I’ve noticed that the dryness and flakiness around my eyes have diminished and my eye bags are not as dark as it used to be. So if there’s really just one product that I have to have in my beauty arsenal? It’s my eye cream.

Share with me, what are your favorite basic beauty products?