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My PMS Basic Skin Care Routine (Spring / Summer)

Published by Jasmine Seo

PMS insomnia and irregular sleep patterns have become a part of my life now! :(
To someone like me who just loves sleeping in, it’s torture indeed.
I just want to have a sweet 8 hour sleep...T_T

However, there’s one thing that matters more to me, which is

.........FOOD! :D

I can’t get through my PMS without so much deliciousness cooked by my man! <3 I must admit the fact that I love food, and it gets even more intense when I’m on PMS. My man’s very well aware of the fact, and when I’m on PMS, he has always been very generous asking me what I feel like having! That’s right, this is why I love this man ;) :P. And here are some sneak peak of the dishes that I normally crave for during PMS :P.





I know they might not fall into what we call healthiest diet category. Trust me, the ingredients that we use are mostly from organic sources. Less spices and homecooked! So I guess we can compromise there since Happy Tummy Happy Jasmine :P.

Oh, have I also mentioned that my man gets me little gifts when we go grocery shopping at Whole foods? XD I know, it sounds a bit like a child, but I love the routine! It makes me very content and I get busy thinking about the little special treat even before going shopping! Weeeeeee :D I will show you some recent ones that I picked in Whole Foods! XD

Mentos! Haha I know, I try to avoid too much sugar intake, but I love Mentos >_<.

And this Portland Bee Balm is one of my holy grails! :O It may seem just like a normal lip stick, but trust me, it feels like a light version of La Mer The Lip Balm, which I’ve been using for years! I have extremely dry lips, but the lip balm stick hydrates my lips very well. No matter how many times I re-apply throughout the day, it applies very cleanly and doesn’t irritate my lips at all. And my cold sore prone lips just love the a-m-a-z-i-n-g Portland Bee Balm! Mine’s Oregon mint, but I see that they also have an unscented version on their website. I highly recommend you to try it :).

Anyways, I’ve talked about the general highlights during PMS in my case. Now, let’s talk about PMS skin care routine :). By the way, I wrote big posts on Toners, Serums and PMS Moisturisers previously, so if you are interested, go and have a read about them.

PMS skin care products are very personal and varies depending on a person’s skin condition and preferences. I’ve seen lots of people around me, just simply focusing on finding and using products that can eliminate shine and/or reduce breakouts. Unlike their approach to the products, my expectation from what I use is different during PMS. I expect any skin products that I use to help to soothe my physical symptoms and relieve stress naturally, so my skin heals faster from less stress. Of course, you cannot just rely on the products since they are just supplementary. Regardless, here are some of my favourites that I enjoy using during warmer seasons, particularly when my skin leans more towards dehydrated combination skin.

Cleansing

I normally like to use some other subtly scented balms from Emma Hardie and Omorovicza when my skin’s normal, which you might have seen me post about a while ago. However, when I’m on PMS, I enjoy using the products that can relieve my headache and give me a moment of healing(?) twice a day. So I have a few products here to share with you!
By the way, I’m not really certain about the make-up removing power of the cleansers that I’m about to show you since I don’t use them to get rid of make-up normally. I usually use Bioderma cleansing water or Caudalie cleansing water before any of these cleansers that I use if I had make-up on the day.

When I have a massive headache and/or when my skin feels a bit dehydrated/dry,

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm (100ml)

It’s very nice to use upon waking up and/or after a long tiring day, very relaxing indeed.

Personally, I think it smells strongly of spearmint. There’s a punch of essential oil scent coming through, so if you are sensitive to scents, be aware. Technically, it’s balm yet more leaning towards whipped balm / oil texture, so I found it somewhat more hydrating and glowy after massaging with wet fingers and taking it off with a muslin cloth.

When I just feel sick for no reason and/or when my skin feels more oily or bumpy than usual,

Institut Esthederm Purity Cleansing gel (150ml)

It has a gel texture and foams very easily. You don’t really need much at all, and smells it very refreshing. Trust me, it lasts for absolutely ages! It doesn’t dry skin out, but leaves skin looking very awake.

When I need some spa sensation,

Sisley Phyto-Blanc Lightening Foaming Cleanser(100ml)

Subtly citrus scented, the gel cream cleanser is very easy to lather. You just need a tiny bit like the Institut Esthederm one when cleansing. I didn’t see any dramatic change in my sun spots, but my skin feels very soft and smooth after rinsing it off.

Exfoliating / Resurfacing

I normally go easy with exfoliation during PMS. It’s just because my skin tends to be more sensitive and I also normally feel like simplifying my skin care routine. I would do a physical exfoliation once a week, and use facial resurfacing wipes daily.

Omorovicza Gentle Buffing Cleanser (150ml)

When I first used the exfoliant about 4 years ago, it tingled a bit (but not anymore!). It works great for sensitive skin. It gently removes dead skin cells and leaves skin quite hydrated to certain extent. The finish isn’t super-duper hydrating like Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm that I’ve talked about in one of my previous posts.

Darphin Age-Defying Dermabrasion (50ml)

It gently smooths out skin very effectively. It feels like a very fine version of La Prairie’s discontinued Cellular Microdermabrasion cream. It doesn’t leave any greasiness or tightness behind. It just feels clean and normal after being rinsed off. I’ve noticed that it removes blackheads more effectively than the Omorovicza one that I talked about. Texture-wise, it’s creamy whereas Omorovicza Gentle Buffing Cleanser is more emulsion-like. The particle size is about the same, but I would say the Darphin one feels a bit more dense.

Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads

Unlike some of the other ‘leave-on’ peel pads, the Peter Thomas Roth one is designed to ‘wash-off’ after 1-3 minutes. After cleansing your face, you basically just wipe your towel-dried face, neck, decolletage with the pad in circular motions until the pad is dried. Just a quick reminder, if you go near your eye area, your eyes might sting from the smell. Trust me, it doesn’t smell really good, smells like chemicals, but it works! Oh, and personally I use it nightly, not day and night.

Toning / Balancing

When it comes to toner, I have just one philosophy during PMS; Quick and Easy. Yes, as you might have already guessed, I prefer to use spray types :).

If I need my mood uplifted, I would use;

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist (rose scented)

Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System Mist (flower scented)

Clark’s Botanicals Cellular Lifting Moisture Mist

Strongly spicy!, but I like that stingy sensation upon spray.

Otherwise, here are my favourites to use;

Sisley Floral Spray Mist

Avene Thermal Spring Water

Evian Facial Spray

La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water

All of these mists are very finely, but I’d say Sisley one’s mist felt the finest. Regardless, they all feel very light, soothing and refreshing upon spraying. They don’t provide long lasting hydration since they are oil-free.

Especially the Evian spray is Yena’s favourite! That’s right, our 4 month old puppy Yena simply loves Evian XD.

Yena loves Evian! :D from J Imms on Vimeo.

But currently I’m using Dr Hauschka’s Renewing Night Conditioner Ampules, you use this instead of toner for 30 days. You press it in with your palms and it’s like water. Although it says you’re supposed to use it for 30 days, I’ve been using it only during my PMS period. It seems to be working great so far. They also have a version for sensitive skin as well.

Moisturising

If you have been reading my previous posts, you might have already have noticed that I layer skin care products. However, I only do this when my skin’s normal. When I’m on PMS, my skin care routine gets simple and easy. Partially it’s because I get really lazy. Yes, I meant REALLY lazy and unmotivated. I just can’t be bothered doing my full skin care ritual that I do normally. What I want is just quickly finish my skin care routine and sit back and relax, listening to music and/or cuddling with my puppies. So unlike other days, I use one moisturiser at a time. Here are some of my go to products at the moment.

When my skin’s a bit spotty from excessive oil production,

Institut Esthederm Pure System Pure Control Care Cream (50ml)

Personally I’m not a huge fan of mattifying moisturisers since my skin doesn’t get along well with them usually. However, this one applies like a light cream, but finishes semi-matte without drying out my skin. So I like to use it on my entire face or just simple on my T-zone area during the day underneath my sunscreen and/or make-up. It smells very lovely too, which is another bonus!

When my skin feels a bit dehydrated,

Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 80% Emulsion (160ml)

I must say I love Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel as I mentioned before. Anyways, the emulsion from the same range spreads very easily and absorbs fast without feeling greasy. It instantly hydrates and leaves a subtle dewy glow unlike some of the other emulsion products on the market that just doesn’t penetrate in to the skin.

I personally like to layer a few layers depending on the extent of dehydration that my skin has on the day. As I said, it penetrates into skin quick, so just give it a minute or two with a massaging before adding another layer. When you decide to use this method, for each layer just use about a penny size and start applying from your most dehydrated skin area to the least, using both of your palms. It’s very soothing and subtly scented, so I still haven’t got any breakouts from the emulsion. I even use it around my eye areas, and it hasn’t made me cry unlike some other eye care products on the market.

After staying in the sun for long,

Sunleÿa Age Minimizing After-sun Care (50ml)

This is something that my man and I share together along with Nature Republic Aloe Vera 80% Emulsion. To be honest, we don’t use this everyday. However, it comes in handy if you keep one in the bathroom cabinet and use it whenever you had a long day of sun exposure, especially when your skin’s prone to be sensitised and aggravated readily. My man and I’ve been using this for years already, and we both just simply love it! It just works!

Further Reading

For a more in depth look at some skin care products, check out some of my older posts:

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