My Morning Cleansing Routine

Photo: The Vancouverite

Some of you have sent questions asking about my favorite facial products. Now that I'm officially in my 40s (41 as of yesterday!) I seriously need to take care of my face, even though many of you think that I'm "so blessed with Asian genes." Dude, we get the same wrinkles and sun damage like everyone else. Seriously. 

Anyways, I do believe that daily cleansing is like brushing your teeth - it's kind of necessary. So here are my current go-tos. But seeing as I'm a product whore, these tend to change over time. 

1. Wash my face with CHANEL Mousse Confort and exfoliate (yes, brush) with a gentle face brush with water. A little bit goes a long way, which is good considering it's pretty expensive stuff. It foams up in a creamy fashion which gives the brush a lot to work with. Brush in circular motions, rinsing the brush every 10 strokes or so. You want to ensure that bacteria gets rinsed off and not brought back to the skin through the bristles. When done, simply pat dry face with a facial cloth.

2. Dab my eyes with KIEHL'S Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. I love how this product makes my skin feel. And when your skin is still a little damp, it will feel even juicier. Not sure why but it does. I always use my fourth finger to dab and apply as little pressure as possible around the eye bone and just under the eye.

3. Apply ETIVAL's Hydra Boost Serum with MultiPro. Hot summer days mean that my skin is more dehydrated so I use this as a 'foundation' moisturizer under my daily moisturizer. One pump is sufficient and I always apply to my neck first and move upwards to my face. It absorbs very quickly, leaving your face primed for actual moisturizer for the day.

4. Finish with CHANEL Hydra Beauty Creme Riche. This is my daily moisturizer. Note that I'll always apply a base of SPF 30+ first before I put this on. Don't let the name fool you - although it's 'Riche,' the cream isn't heavy. It's a perfect day cream with a gentle scent. As a general rule, I never buy personal products with heavy perfumes or dyes since I have very sensitive skin.