Skin Care for Dummies

I think we know each other for quite some time now, so CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

"I dread skin care, like, I avoid it like plague, I am not best friends with my skin which I should be considering I am 28."

I grew up in a household that didn't bother much about beauty or skincare and this, in turn, limited my "MAKEUP" exposure to just kajal. I started wearing BB cream when I turned 23 and went on to become full blown makeup addict by 25!

Last year when I was in Bangalore, I used to follow 99-steps night time skin care routine. Post my move to Cochin, the steps just shrunk to washing and moisturizing before bed, all thanks to my 12-9 work shift and a house that requires 24x7 attention!

I am listing some products that I use almost every single day before bed.

*Maybelline Eye & Lip Makeup Remover l INR 225 (70ml)

The first thing I do when I hit my crib is to remove my kajal and any other makeup I have on. I use the trusty Maybelline makeup remover; this an oil based makeup remover that removes my eye makeup efficiently.

*This product might have been discontinued.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser l INR 795 (200ml)

As for the face makeup, I use The Body Shop Vit E cleanser. I was never a big fan of the Vit E range, but this product is really good in cleaning the face. Point proved by the fact that this is my third bottle. One small con is that the product leaves an oily residue on your face.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash l INR 695 (250ml)

I purchased this for my hubby as he has acne issues, and when the boy refused to use it, I took over and I have been hooked ever since. It leaves my face squeaky clean and dry. If you have dry skin, this may overly dry out your skin. As for the acne fighting claims, I am not the right person to judge, I do have occasional hormonal breakouts, but I haven't noticed any difference in my skin texture or breakout patterns on regular usage of this product.

BiPha Ayurveda Almond & Jojoba Under Eye Cream l INR 420 (25gm)

Ending the night with some eye cream from BiPharma, it is very thick and smells like oil. The product is enriched with the goodness of coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera and shea butter. The product claims to reduce dark circle and puffiness. I have not seen any results owing to how inconsistent I am with this step.

Clinique Moisture Surge Intense l $39 (1.7oz)

My final skin care step is to moisturize, I may not need this step as I have oily-combo skin, but post the Tea Tree face wash, my skin feels dry. I take a dollop of product and massage it gently on my skin.

Additional

I do try to use facial oils, and the one I have been using once in a blue moon is Lancome Advanced Genifique serum, but I don't have enough time for the goodness of oil to seep in before I hit the bed, so I do use the product only when I have extra time in hand.

So do you have an elaborate makeup routine or are you plain lazy like me?