[FOTD] 3 Year Asian Beauty Progress Update!

Howdy friends!

You may remember me from such posts as:

[Original December 2020 Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/comments/k80bqf/5_months_beforeafter_progress_ive_been_so/)

[April 2021 Update](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Ftlxf8qi68ks61.jpg)

I have been insanely busy last few years so haven’t had the time to sit down and do a long post, but I have made sure to keep my skincare routine up, so I wanted to share where I am with all of you!

**A Brief History**

I started seriously diving into skincare during COVID 2 years ago and it has been a really fun and rewarding hobby for me with amazing results. I always hated the scars on my face and while I accept them now, I also knew I could do a lot more to optimize my skin’s potential and beat back the aging process if I took better care of it.

* The photo on the left is the worst photo I have ever taken and shows my skin at it’s absolute worst. The one on the right is from about a week ago. Both reflect just-woke-up skin with no makeup or product.

**About Me:**

* 50 years old (gah!)
* Combination skin, but skews towards oily and definitely more dry during winter. New England winters are the worst!
* Major Problem Areas: Aging, scarred/uneven skin texture, discoloration and a couple of annoying age spots (because I neglected sunscreen for way too many years!)

**Current Routine:**

So I have done a lot of experimenting over the last few years and I think I have landed on a pretty good combination of products with my current skin regimen.

Some of the products I use are kind of pricy but I truly believe these are top quality products which work for my more mature skin. YMMV of course!

Hope the mods forgive a couple of non-Asian skin products sprinkled throughout.

*Morning*

* Wash with cool water most days. Sometimes I use La Prairie cream cleanser in the AM if I feel need it
* Skinceuticals Vitamin C + Ferulic acid: The BEST for evening out skin tone. I make sure my skin is super dry and then apply a few drops and let it sit for about 15-20 mins while I make coffee
* Cosrx Hydrium Watery Toner: 1 layer. Amazingly hydrating.
* Cosrx Propolis Energy Toner: 1 layer. I added this after I started retinol 1.0 because I needed something nourishing
* SK2 Pitera Essence: 1 layer. The best. No other essence gave me the same consistent results
* SK2 Spot Essence Serum: It does help to fade some of the marks on my face but it also really helped even out my skin tone
* Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel: I just introduced this into my routine and it seems to help with red spots. I just use 2 drops in my palm and then tap onto problem areas with my fingers
* Cle de Peau Brightening Eye Serum: My under eye area has always been dark because my cheekbones “push” the skin under my eyes up. However, I find this serum helps to even out the circles a little bit
* Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum: Adds an extra layer of protection and really nourishes my skin
* SK2 Skin Power Eye Cream: I really like this eye cream because it is so light, hydrating and brightening. Perfect for day wear
* SK2 Skin Power Cream: Same as the eye cream. Nice and light and absorbs quickly.

*Sunscreens*

I am always testing out new ones but these are my current dailies:

* Cle de Peau UV Protective Cream (SPF 50+): This is usually my base layer if I plan on wearing makeup that day. Unbelievably rich and hydrating but not greasy. Incredibly luxurious. I had a sample of this and fell in love and just went for the full size
* Missha Soft Finish Sun Milk: This is what I use when I don’t plan on wearing makeup. Nicely evens out skin tone and has a beautiful soft sheen finish. I can just tap on some primer or powder and I am ready to go
* Missha Cicadin Sun Protection Cushion: I love this product for sunscreen touchups during the day. Especially good over makeup.

*Nighttime (non-retinol night)*

* Double cleanse with Shu Uemura Ultime8 Oil Cleanser and Cle de Peau Synactif soap. Yes, I got the crazy $$$ bar of soap. But it lasts a whole year! All you need is to wet your hands, turn it in your hands about 3-4 times and rub and it produces the richest foam, which you then apply on your face. Leaves skin feeling soft, clean and not stripped. Pleasing rose smell too—and I normally hate fragrances
* Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum: About 2 pumps, which I pat on while my skin is still wet from cleansing
* Cosrx Hydrium Watery Toner: 1 layer
* Cosrx Propolis Energy Toner: 1 layer
* SK2 Pitera Essence: 1 layer
* Cle de Peau Brightening Eye Serum ◦ Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum
* [At this point, I may apply a mask. I am a big fan of the I Am Sorry hydrating jelly masks and calming jelly masks. I have been playing around with the Sulwhasoo Clarifying Peel Off mask but so far it just seems to be drying out my skin. Boo!]
* Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Eye Cream: Super rich and great for nighttime
* Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream: Again, nice and rich and great for nighttime. Goes on a bit shiny but that’s ok since no one sees it
* Cle de Peau Radiant Multi Repair Oil: Just a few drops in my palm which I use my fingers to tap onto my face. I wake up with super glowy skin because of it

*Nighttime (Retinol Night—2x a week)*

* Double cleanse with Shu Uemura Ultime8 Oil Cleanser and Cle de Peau Synactif soap. Then I wait for my skin to completely dry for about 30 mins.
* I then take a pea sized amount of Skinceuticals 1.0 retinol and dot onto my face and then massage in. I then wait another 30 mins to let it absorb in
* Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel
* Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Eye Cream
* Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream

**Results**

Overall, my skin just feels better and better! My everyday makeup goes on really smoothly and I use very little of it—my goal is to still let my skin come through.

[Photo here of me with makeup on](https://imgur.com/a/4CguWvk) and list of products below:

* Cle de Peau concealer in Beige around eyes and a few dark spots
* Sulwhasoo Cushion Ex in 023 (summer) or 021 (winter)
* A little bit of Laura Mercier translucent setting powder on shine areas
* Shu Uemura eyebrow pencil in black
* Cle de Peau eyeshadow palette in browns
* Bobbi Brown eyeshadow stick in Golden Pink
* Blinc tubing mascara in black
* Whatever lipstick or lip balm I’m in the mood for

**Looking Ahead**

My skin is still scarred of course but it overall looks much more even-toned, glowier and healthy and clean.

* I did get 4 courses of Fraxel done 2 years ago which helped with some of the surface texture and I am probably going to look into intense micro needling at some point if my schedule allows.
* I don’t think I am ready for fillers and stuff yet, but I am considering some minor eye work within the next few years to remove a little excess skin.

**Final Thoughts**

Skincare is a major self-care area of my life and clearly, I have invested time and money in it. But as I said in my other posts, confidence in how I looked was something which I severely lacked for much of my life. I never looked people in the eye and I felt ashamed of my bad skin and scars. For me, the investment is worth it. By taking control of this situation, I finally feel much better about the way I look and that matters, especially now that we are all getting back to the office.

I accept that it will never be perfect, which was never my goal, but it has improved significantly and that is what matters most.

I genuinely hope that those of you out there who struggle with your skin can find some inspiration in this, especially you more mature folks.

Feel free to ask your questions and I will do my best to answer them in a timely fashion!