My Summer Skin Care Routine For Combination Oily Skin and Some Skin Care Tips For You

I have a combination skin. Its normal to dry in winters, rest of the year its combination-oily with a little dryness on and my nose. My T-Zone and inner cheeks also tend to get oily soon. I've been using a couple of products since April and they have become staples in my routine. I've also gotten the habit of doing a night time routine no matter how tired I am, and this has really helped me. Recently I made a few changes in the way how I go about my routine,(after watching Michelle Phan's graduation tips video) and that's been pretty beneficial as well so I decided to share them with you!

Here are some things I follow:

• Using ice as a toner: Sometimes when the heat is unbearable, I take an ice cube and rub it all over my face, going over my cheeks in circular motion. I've been doing this since years and it really helps soothe and tighten the skin, ice is a natural toner.
• Patting, instead of rubbing: Earlier I used to rub moisturizer in circular motions on my face and when I'd wake up, my skin would be super grimy. Ever since I tried 'dab-dab' motion I've woken up with much less residue on my face. Now I'm all about patting/dabbing; whether its face cream, eye cream or pimple creams, I only dab. It helps the product sink in to the skin hence its more effective.
• Always apply and ice pack to sore eyes: There are alot of times when I end up sleeping late, like 3am or so and when I wake up my eyes feel really sore. I take an ice cube on a hankie and apply it to each eye until it melts off. This is very soothing and instantly lifts up my eyes.
• Use face mask after face scrub: I don't even know why I used to do the opposite. But seriously, using a scrub prior to face mask helps the face mask sink in to the skin and work better. 
• Always remove makeup before sleeping: This is pretty self explanatory and since I've gotten the hang of doing a night time routine I always take off makeup at night.
• Sunscreen, always: Again, I don't need to tell you why. Always keep sunscreen in your hand bag as well!
• Drink water every waking hour: I find myself thirsty all the time and end up drinking water every hour and this has really helped hydrate my skin. Of course I also make a lot of trips to the bathroom, but its worth it. 

Now here are some products that I use regularly, each one is not used everyday, just as per my needs. Not all of them have worked for me. Most of these are easily available in India: 

The Cleansers:

• Neutrogena Deep Clean Black Head Eliminating Scrub, 100ml: This is the most gentle scrub I've used! I used to use it everyday but since last week, my skin feels quite normal so I use this only when I'm feeling extra grimy. Its nice for gentle exfoliation everyday.
• Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser, 100g: This cleanser packs some serious cleansing power. I use it once I get up in the morning, it cleans all the residue of my night routine and leaves my skin squeaky clean. Its best suited for oily skin. It can dry out skin if you're not regular with a moiturizer.
• Loreal Hydrafresh Gel Foam Combination to Oily Skin: This is the least used product here. I purchased it on a whim online and I'm not happy with it. It has SLS as a second ingredient and I guess that's harsh for my skin. Its quite pricey as well. I won't recommend this to anyone. I use it on days where I don't feel the need to use a strong cleanser like the Neutrogena Deep Clean.
• Neutrogena Liquid Face Cleanser, 150ml (not in picture): I've done a full review of this HERE. Currently I'm just using this because I want to finish it off. I use this to get rid of residue once I'm done with makeup remover.

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