Beauty enthusiasts Dominique Cojuangco, Melissa Gatchalian, and Janeen Chan share their skincare routines, must-haves, and rules.
In a time when self-care has become among the top priorities these days, committing to a routine is equally essential. Skincare is a crucial part of self-care as it is reflective of your own health as well. From using the products most suitable for your skin to going through the proper process, much thought and attention should be placed into skincare. To give ideas, we talked with beauty enthusiasts Dominique Cojuangco, Melissa Gatchalian, and Janeena Chan about their essentials, realizations, and tips on taking care of our skin better.
The essentials
There are some products that our skin greatly needs—and it all relies on our skin type. There are products that we shouldn’t forgo when it comes to our routine regardless of our skin type. It is a matter of what you want to target or to achieve. We asked our beauty enthusiasts what products are on their priority list.
Cojuangco: Moisturiser, face oil, and SPF 50
Gatchalian: Coola Mineral Sun Silk Creme, The Ordinary Niacinamide, and Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
Chan: Kiehl’s Calendula Wash, Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, and DeliKate Soothing Cleanser
Invaluable discoveries
We learn a lot about our skin from years of trial and error. We experiment with routines, figure out the right ingredients for us, and track factors like sleep, diet, stress, and hormones. For Chan, she has been using facial wipes or makeup removers to save time in taking off makeup. But apart from her routine, she knows having a healthy lifestyle helps.
“I didn’t know until last year that blue light from our screens ages our skin, too,” shares Gatchalian. So, sunscreens turn out to be crucial even when we are staying indoors for a long time. However, before choosing a sunscreen or any other skincare product, Cojuangco asserts one should not rely on the preeminence of a brand. “Just because you hear about a specific brand or product everywhere, [it] does not mean it’s going to be the best for your skin type,” she says.
Selecting products is all about understanding your skin first. Keeping track of its reactions will help you identify which essentials or ingredients you need to apply. “Creating a good base for your skincare to soak in is important; cleansing is key,” Cojuangco says.
Going natural
What you eat considerably affects your body and it also shows off on your skin. There are other factors, of course, and that is why Chan and Gatchalian underscore the importance of choosing to live healthily. “Eating right is very important for me,” Gatchalian says. “I eat a plant-based diet and it has done wonders for my skin!” Similarly, Chan advises against indulging in overly processed food and anything excessively sweet and salty. “I’ve replaced sugar with stevia sweeteners and have been avoiding dairy as much as possible,” she explains. Fruits and vegetables are also among her staples, giving her enough vitamins and minerals.
Beyond diet, sleep and exercise play crucial factors in retaining the good health of the skin. It’s about “keeping active and making sure I get to detox and sweat out the toxins in my body,” Chan shares. According to a dermatologist, exercise improves blood circulation and removal of lymphatic fluid that decreases puffiness. Whether you’re doing High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or yoga, you can definitely help your skin improve.
The three may have different skin types, and their skincare habits may give you ideas on how to develop your own. It is all about understanding what your skin needs, and being more thoughtful about what you do with and put inside your body.
