A Facial Tasting Menu

 
“Using the same 2-3 products day-in and day-out, every day for months, or years at a time is like eating the same cereal for breakfast, same salad for lunch, and same pasta for dinner, day-in and day-out, every day for months, or years at a time...”
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There’s a misconception about product-regimens in a skin care routine. We’re taught to use soap and lotion every day, maybe include sunblock in the mornings and possibly, an eye cream at night—so we find a product we like in each category, and we use it every day. We continue to use these 2-3 products until we run out, and most commonly, we buy the same products again. And we call this our skin care regimen, because it consists of the same 2-3 products we use every day, over and over again. Bear with me, as I ask you to reconsider.

The truth is, our skin isn’t the same every day, morning and night, for months, weeks, or even days at a time. Like everything else in our bodies, our skin is highly variable and constantly changing based on where we are, the environment we expose our skin to, and what we’re eating, drinking, and doing (or not doing) every day. Therefore, if you’re using the exact same products on a regular basis, you are most likely depriving your skin from what it actually needs today—which is most likely different from what it needed last week, or even yesterday.

My face is categorized as combination skin, both oily and dry in different areas. My T-zone is oily enough that I could fry an egg on my face if I sit outside during the summer. My jawline and other areas of the face are drier. The skin on the rest of my body, however, is extremely dry—and requires constant moisturizing and vitamin D exposure.

Colder climate and low humidity will turn my body into reptilian-like scaly leather, which means I have to use heavier products when it’s cold outside or if I’m on holiday in the mountains. It’s the same for my face—less drastic—but colder, drier weather means I need more hydration, while humid, tropical climate means I can get away with a light moisturizer without my face feeling like it’s going to crack every time I smile.

The proper skin product-regimen is a combination of different nutrients our skin needs under different circumstances and each environment we expose it to. If I’ve had a night of tequila with the girls, my skin is going to be dehydrated the next morning—because my entire body is dehydrated from the alcohol—so I prep my face with a gentle exfoliating toner before I moisturize, and then double-hydrate with a serum or jojoba oil before going to bed. In the morning, I go straight to the kitchen for a tall glass of water and follow up with a hydrating sheet mask to replenish my parched face.  

Bloated, puffy-face days are another regular for me—typically the result of too much sodium and gluttonous dining the night before—I’ll cleanse my face and use a retinol eye cream before going to bed with a cold, tightening or collagen sheet mask. Yes, it’s OK to sleep with a sheet mask on—you’ll eventually remove it from your face while half asleep, throw it across the room, and wake up with the mask stuck to your dresser mirror (or is that just me?).

And of course, how could we forget about our lovely breakout moments? Pimples require controlled, focused treatment—depending on the pimple’s location, size, depth, and likelihood of volcanic eruption, I use a combination of retinol, salicylic acid, Mighty Patches, clay spot-treatment, and an oil-free moisturizer.

When I listen to my body and pay attention to my skin—it tells me exactly what it needs today. Using the same 2-3 products day-in and day-out, every day for months or years at a time, is like eating the same cereal for breakfast, same salad for lunch, and same pasta for dinner, day-in and day-out, every day for months or years at a time, despite your cravings, nutritional needs, health variables, and dining environment.

It’s quite logical if you take a moment to think about it.

The flip side of this argument is that it typically takes 6-8 weeks of consistent use for a product to deliver promised results—in parallel with the time it takes your epidermis to completely turn over. Which in turn means, technically, I may never see the results of certain products. But the reality is, it takes at least 3 months for your skin to adapt and accept a new product within a larger regimen—this means using a single product 2-4 times a week, every week for 3+ months. When you listen to your skin and feed it whatever it’s asking for today, product absorption and effectiveness yield better, faster results.

Isn’t water so much more delicious when you’re really thirsty? Or how good does a piece of bread taste when your body is deprived of carbohydrates? If your body is deprived of these things, it breaks down the nutrients and absorbs much more efficiently than if you’re just eating bread all day long for no reason—because your body doesn’t need the extra carbs, it rejects the nutrients and converts them into fat cells. It’s the same concept with your skin—if you’re feeding it nutrients it may not need, it’s not absorbing them and ultimately just sits atop your skin.

We’ve already determined that everyone’s skin and complexion is different—no two types are exactly the same. And what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa—but that’s the beauty of this journey—it’s our very own, unique Beauty journey.

Here’s the tasting menu I’ve created over the years for my face. And most of the time, my face leaves me a generous tip of glowing, glazed-donut-looking skin after the much-needed, diversely nutritious meal.

Normal mornings, on the I-will-behave-today kind of days:

On the same kind of evenings:

The weekly visitors for preventative care and general maintenance:

The seasonal round-up for those occasional bad-behaviors:

The mask collection in rotation:

This may seem like a lot—but keep in mind that I don’t use all these products at the same time, and it’s taken me years to curate this collection especially for my skin’s needs.

The bottom line, our face needs options, and the proper cocktail of goodies to feed its various cravings. Different products can become regulars, while others rotate their way in and out—just like everything else in life, our skin evolves in the same manner we do. I encourage you to get curious, listen to what your skin needs, and create a tasting menu of your own. Bon appetite! #facialtastingmenu

 
BeautyHana Cha