Recently my skin has significantly improved, I still have a few blemishes but nonetheless, I can now confidently go out without foundation. I didn’t get an expensive treatment, I just adapted the Marie Kondo Method into my skincare, with the help of a little shopping spree in iHerb which carries over 30,000 natural products and ships to over 150 countries.
If you’re still not familiar with Marie Kondo, she’s a world-renowned tidying expert and has her own Netflix series that started streaming last January. It’s about… well, tidying up which inspired a lot of people to declutter including me. Just like everyone else, I own way too many stuff I don’t even use or need especially when it comes to cosmetics.
I kinda held Instagram #shelfie and flat lays responsible for this. Those beautifully curated mixes of cosmetic products, trinkets, and other cutesy stuff may look good in your IG feed but honestly, they’re becoming a little toxic. It does not only causes inconspicuous consumption, but also a range of skin problems. The most common are breakouts and fungal acne because people kept buying products without proper research or without truly understanding their skin.
Are you guilty of this too? (Be honest!) If the answer is yes, below is how I Marie Kondo’d my skincare routine for better results.
1. Clear Out
I cleared everything out of my drawers, vanity table, and bathroom shelves. I dumped them all on the floor. I suggest laying it all out so you can see what you’re working with. And then check the expiration dates. Those that are expired, throw them to the bin. Seriously, what’s the use of keeping an expired product?
2. Choose Joy
Marie Kondo’s famous philosophy is “spark joy” which – in this case, a cosmetic product – in your hand and ask yourself if it sparks joy inside of you. It may sound hard, but actually, you know if it really “sparks joy” in just 2 seconds. More than that, you’re just contemplating.
I know because when I saw the box of Papa Recipe Bombee Black Honey Mask Pack in iHerb, I added it in my cart in just 1 second. I love how it calms down and shrinks my pimples plus it brightens my face without leaving a sticky/greasy feeling which is common on sheet masks.
I also did felt a spark of joy when I learned that the tube of Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, for Oily and Acne Prone Skin was available. It’s one of my favorite wash-off masks, a lot of people were going gaga over the Aztec Secret Bentonite Clay Powder last year which I find tedious to use because you have to find the right ratio of it and water or ACV to use it. But a few people don’t know there’s an equally powerful, affordable, and ready-to-use bentonite mask in the market which is this one!
3. Assess
Besides determining if it sparks joy, I also looked in the mirror and assessed my skin. (If you have a magnifying mirror, better!) Through that, I determined the condition of my skin, is it dry, oily, peeling, itchy, or is it breaking out? And then have a follow-up question, “do my skin need this product?”
This is the stage where I actually determine the products I actually need. I realized I have way too many spot treatments that don’t work. So I told myself, I should try an oral treatment. So I stumbled upon this chewable tablet, NatraBio Acne Relief. Now, oral treatments like this work depend on your metabolism. But it usually takes a month to see results. I’ve been taking it for almost 3 weeks now, so far I notice my oily skin is starting to get a little dry, but no cystic acne even though I currently have a red visitor.
4. Cull
I give away the products I don’t need to my mom, aunt, friends, even our maid’s daughter, and my father’s secretary and her daughter. So there’s no excuse to hoard them until they expire which is so wasteful. If you don’t know anyone to give it to, there are actually organizations that accept cosmetic donations both unopened or barely used. And some are even for cancer victims.
5. Curate
After the first four steps, it’s time to start building a skincare routine according to what your skin needs based on what sparks joy and your assessment. So I focused on products I like to repurchase (which I mentioned above) and those that will target my skin concerns:
One of the first things I looked for was the VitaFusion PreNatal DHA, Folic Acid & Multivitamin, and no I am not expecting. I am anemic, and my doctor prescribed iron vitamins. At that time, I didn’t realize he prescribed me prenatal vitamins. But it has everything I need just like pregnant ladies who often suffer from anemia so I continued taking it anyway. But what’s interesting is, I find my skin looks brighter and my hair more luscious after two months of taking it. Turns out, some famous Hollywood actresses who are not expecting like Gwyneth Paltrow, Mindy Kaling, and Sofia Vergara are actually taking prenatal vitamins for that exact reason. “Prenatal” may scare some boyfriends, but it totally works! **In my experience.
Next thing I looked for is facial oils. I have oily skin at that time so it can be tricky. Luckily, I found the Acure Seriously Soothing Blue Tansy Night Oil which is no exaggeration the BEST night time facial oil for acne-prone skin because it soothes and lessens the redness of acne. It also helps to cure it faster and keep your skin hydrated all night. I also got myself a bottle of Acure The Essentials Marula Oil which is a good multi-tasking oil. You can use it on your face, body, and even hair to prevent split ends. I prefer to use this for the latter.
Of course, I’m not going to forget a sunscreen. I got the Etude House Soon Jung Mild Defense Sun Cream, which I featured before as one of the best sunscreens for oily skin. It’s non-greasy, safe for acne-prone skin, and has an SPF 49 which is enough for those who live in tropical countries.
Lastly, I got myself a box of Yogi Tea Soothing Caramel Bedtime Caffeine Free because nothing beats skin dullness than good night sleep. Trust me, I tried many sleeping masks already. This tea will not knock you out like some sleeping pills. This is more like a sleeping aid that will make you feel relax before sleeping, and then you’ll feel refresh like you had an 8-hour sleep when you wake up. That feeling actually helps the skin, you’re less stressed, so it shows.
6. Commit
Now that I cleared, culled, and curated my skincare routine, it’s now time to commit. Like thinking about how you will shop next time, maybe you’d like to commit to a one-in-one-out or the one I am doing now ‘buy less, buy better’ rule.
Another way to commit to your skincare, make it more fun to do! Like in masking, it can be a little boring, so besides scrolling through my Instagram feed for 5-10 minutes, I also nibble some treats like the YumEarth Organic Pops for a more sweeter time. Another thing you can do, make a playlist! So you can sing and dance while you do your skincare at night or morning.
Seriously, sometimes I feel like doing my skincare is tedious and I usually fall asleep waiting for my mask, so when I eat something it helps me to stay a little alert especially in the morning.
Commitment does not end with skincare too, it should extend to your makeup routine as well. Since we spent hundreds of dollars with our skincare, it’s not fair that our makeup will just break our skin. So when I Marie Kondo’d my skincare, I started to use makeup with skincare ingredients as well, like Physicians Formula Super CC Color-Correction + Care Makeup.
If you’re wondering how’s my skin now, this is what happened, here’s a before and after look:
That photo above was my skin late last year. But below is my makeup-free skin (though a little puffy) taken just last week:
I’m not saying you should cut down your skincare, don’t do 12-steps, whatever. It’s your face, your routine. What I am saying is, like Marie Kondo’s philosophy in tidying up, it should be what you need or rather what your skin needs, and it sparks joy into your life.
I know finding the right products can be difficult especially if you can’t find them in one store only. So I recommend you guys to check out iHerb. They have over 30,000 products, vitamins, and even tea I needed for my routine which are easily accessible even if you’re not from the US. They offer the lowest possible shipping fee! For more details, you can check https://www.iherb.com/shipping and they also have customer service for 24 hours a day / 7 days a week in 10 different languages so you can contact them for more questions.
What do you think? Will you Marie Kondo-ing your skincare routine too?