Before there was Christian Grey, the original sharp-suited young sadist to permeate our modern consciousness was Patrick Bateman of the 2000 movie American Psycho. Which in my opinion was far more sadistic and had more sexual allure than Mr. Grey, who was a tremendous bore on-screen. But enough about that Bateman vs. Grey debate, I’m here to talk about the “Patrick Bateman Skin Care Routine.”
Yes, ladies, along with business cards and murdering prostitutes (and even associates that get on his nerves) Patrick Bateman has an obsession with maintaining his body and most especially his skin. He was a psycho serial killer who had a skincare routine as rigorous as his killings and a Korean skincare routine. We can all learn a lot from his routine. Watch it below:
He’s very detailed, isn’t he? So I’m breaking it down. Below are the 5 lessons I learned from that routine:
1. Treat your puffy face with an ice pack
“In the morning, if my face is a little puffy I’ll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do 1000 now.”
If Bateman held off on his favorite tipple J&B, that might prevent a puffy face in the morning. Alcoholic drinks can cause dehydration, and dehydration causes blood vessels to dilate, which inevitably leads to water retention around the face and gut. The ice pack treats work but of course, putting frozen peas or an actual ice pack on your face is too unrefined. I suggest investing in an eye gel mask like he used in the film.
Alternatively, you can also use the Heimish Matcha Biome Hydrogel Eye Patch. You can use it in the morning too while you do stomach crunches a la Patrick Bateman.
2. Use a cleanser before anything else
“After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser…”
Cleansing is the first step in any skincare routine. It doesn’t make sense to apply anything else before it because dirt will just mix with your other skin care products and will be washed off if you do cleansing last. Which is why it baffles me why he started with an eye mask instead of cleansing. But this is his routine, so let’s just go along. Anyway, if American Psycho was written around these days, Bateman would surely cleanse his face with an expensive electronic cleansing brush like Foreo which is so trendy these days. But he wasn’t so let’s stick with good old cleansers that we know.
CosRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser is a favorite among many skincare enthusiasts, men, and women alike. It is deep pore cleansing (just like what Bateman likes) thanks to its natural Salicylic Acid content which can penetrate the pore lining and exfoliate inside the pore as well as on the surface of the skin, it is especially effective for reducing breakouts, including blackheads and whiteheads.
3. Exfoliate Daily
“…then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub.”
Ever since Korean Beauty went global, they introduced to us exfoliating products that are strong enough to exfoliate but mild enough for everyday use. Who knew Patrick Bateman was ahead of his time?! At least on skincare.
For the face, my favorite daily exfoliator is the cult-fave Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Exfoliant which is a chemical exfoliator that is mild for everyday use. But it is not the kind Batman uses. In the movie, he used an exfoliator with a physical scrub. The Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect Essential Scrub is popular. I used it too and reviewed it here as well.
“Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine.”
Normally, when you already exfoliate, the facial mask you will use to follow it up should be for moisturizing. But in Bateman’s skincare routine, it is counted as part of his part of his exfoliating process but it’s also to tighten and soothe his pores.
He mentioned using an herb-mint peel-off mask and him peeling it off which was one of the most memorable scenes in his skincare routine. It’s hard to find an exact product that he uses but the Freeman Renewing Cucumber Peel-Off Gel Facial Mask comes close to it. It’s quite popular among college students actually because it is affordable. This is also the exact product that makeup artist, Pat Mcgrath, used for the iconic Maison Margiela makeup.
4. Opt for products with little alcohol or no alcohol at all
“I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older.”
Bateman makes a good point about alcohol. Especially since he uses a deep cleansing facial wash and exfoliates twice which can be drying to the face. And to the women who are reading this, just because we don’t use an after-shave it doesn’t mean we’re safe from alcohol products. Most toners contain alcohol, so make sure to check the ingredients before buying.
The Round Lab Dokdo Toner is one of the best-selling toners in Korea this 2024. It’s very hydrating and good for all skin types you can use it for 7 skin method.
5. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
“Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.”
I think I cannot stress enough how important moisturizing daily, is because it will seal in all the beauty products you just used in your skin while helping to make it keep looking young. Patrick Bateman certainly does know that because he uses two different kinds of moisturizer. He makes an effort to use an eye cream too because under eyes need a different formula than your entire face, like your face, needs a different moisturizer than your body.
If Patrick Bateman is around these days, he’ll probably use La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer rather than La Mer because he is skincare-savvy.