Beauty tips for beautiful skin could just mean keeping it simple.

I got this book at my matriculation batch reunion in mid-November 2013 and cannot thank the person in charge of prizes and goodies enough. She probably got this during a fire sale at Popular Bookstore as the price tag reads just RM5 but the contents of this book is very relevant and priceless. Simple tips but relevant. The best thing was winning this in a quiz and she specifically picked this book to be given to me and I must say I love friends who know me this well that I'm able to come home with such a gem.

I would like to share with you the entire content of this book but that would mean violating the copyright clause. Hence, just these small snippets... and especially the one below because the advise hit the spot and I can't believe that I was doing it right ;)

If you can't read it, tip number 25 says - BUMPY SKIN. Overloading products can lead to congested pores and tiny rough bumps all over your skin. To keep skin hydrated and smooth, reduce the number of lotions and creams you are using, and instead use a resurfacing treatment once a week, along with a good-quality SPF daily moisturiser.

I must tell you that I've had small rough bumps all over my skin ever since I started working. Perhaps I wasn't using the right products but recently though, just before my Europe trip in November 2013, I was piling up a lot of skincare products in my daily beauty regimen. I mean, I had a few serums during the day and night time, I was scrubbing my face alternate days and worse, I used a mask on my face every single day (alternating between a clay mask, hydrating mask and whitening mask)! I even had glycolic serum after toning despite having scrubbed my face clean and I think that made my skin a little exhausted.

In my Europe trip though, apart from the beautiful cool weather, I had left my masks back home and only took one exfoliating-firming mask, a sort of 2-in-1 product. And I used it only once a week. I also didn't have all my serums and only survived on a simple ritual of cleansing, no toner, no serums, moisturiser and SPF 50. I still did my makeup every day and double cleansed before bed. And I was shocked at the end of 10 days... my bumps were getting lesser and the surface of my skin felt so much supple and healthier! 

I actually thought it was the weather but I don't think it was just that. I did buy many beauty products during my trip but I never used them until much later after I returned home. So, it wasn't any new stuff I used.

Apart from the scrub + mask which I placed in a small travel jar and a cleansing water to double cleanse in the evening, these were the only stuff I put on my face every day, night and day (minus the SPF at night).

For the entire month of November 2013, these were the only products I'd use and although the eye cream wasn't hydrating enough (which affected the look of my under eye area after 2 weeks), the rest of the products helped maintain smooth looking skin, without the need for constant exfoliation or mask the way I did before. I was tremendously happy. Extremely happy, in fact.

Once my skin improved, I used a different cleanser (since this one is a travel size and it was finishing), added toner into the regimen and replaced the moisturiser with a natural product. I must say that in the last 2 months of 2013, I felt somewhat free from having to be so strict in my beauty ritual and the skin still looked alright. I'm not saying the skin was in excellent condition but it was definitely better than before the trip, despite the less complicated ritual.

So, in case all else failed and you think your skin is getting worse or in need of constant exfoliation, you may want to just remove some steps little by little and perhaps "reset" the skin.

What do you think?