Last week, I talked about a skincare routine for kids to fight dry skin in Beijing’s arid climate. But as an adult, I myself have suffered all sorts of skin maladies since arriving here almost three years ago. Without turning you off your breakfast, just a few of the skin issues I’ve faced included, from top to bottom, a flaky scalp, acne and scarring, cracked lips, and mild hives.

After going to dermatologists at hospitals and taking medication, as well as trying various facial and body treatments at spas and medical institutes, I’m here to share the skincare routine that is, at least for now, working to keep most of my previous skin problems at bay.

Right off the bat, let me recommend this awesome free app I found to log your skincare routine as well as analyze your skin health and compare daily selfies so you can track how your skin changes over time. It even lets you record the products you use and reminds you when they are about to expire.

Face Wash (Winter) and Makeup Remover: Sober Beauty Blue Moon Cleansing Balm 

This one is great for the colder, drier season when you don’t want to strip your skin of its natural oils. This solid cleansing balm keeps skin plump and moist as it removes dirt and makeup!

Shop Sober Beauty at 10 percent off storewide through this exclusive QR code and follow their WeChat account:

Face Wash (Summer): Vedic Life Pure Clean Foam

The only locally made face wash I’ve found here with prebiotics, naturally formulated by Irina from Vedic Life, who is rebranding her skincare line as Tesori d’Amore Perfume and Cosmetics.

Add Irina on WeChat by scanning the QR code below:

Slow Living Juicy Peach Toner

Audrey Tournier founded Slow Living in China to create skincare that takes the best from nature and science in order to help people reconnect to the rejuvenating wisdom of nature. The Juicy Peach Toner smells good enough to eat and keeps my face hydrated with a few spritzes after a wash!

You can shop online at www.slowliving.life or scan the QR code below. Use discount code CLEANBEAUTY10% for 10 percent off storewide, valid until May 22 at 9pm.

Slow Living Rise & Shine Moisturizer 

A light day moisturizer that isn’t sticky. Perfect for summer!

Scan the QR code to add Audrey – Slow Living on WeChat.

RG Cosmetics Facial Serum Trio

We’re always hearing about serums that should contain the magic ingredient of retinol, hyaluronic acid, or Vitamin C, but why choose between them when you can have them all in this serum trio set from RG Cosmetics? Even my husband likes these because they are super light and have no scent, except for the Vitamin C one.

RG Cosmetics is giving a 10 percent discount on non-promotional items when you quote jingkids with your purchase through WeChat by scanning the QR code below.

RG Cosmetics Pink Clay Mask 

I’ve heard so much about the skincare miracle that is pink clay in recent years, and truly it does clear my skin up! One user even commented that her skin-analyzing device reported increased levels in her skin elasticity and moisture levels, while oil levels went down.

Vedic Life Foaming Body Scrub

Another shoutout to Irina from Vedic Life as I absolutely love this foaming body scrub from Tesori d’Amore, which is the first of its kind I’ve found that foams! So often a scrub sticks to you in the shower and you can still find bits of it afterwards in unmentionable places, but this foaming body scrub just glides off your skin, leaving you smelling like freshly-made caramel!

Just for jingkids readers, Irina is extending a special price for body scrubs – RMB100 instead of RMB150, valid until the end of June! Contact her on WeChat to order yours today!

In my next related article, I’ll reveal the skincare treatment that every well-kept Beijing woman treats herself to regularly, so stay tuned!

KEEP READING: A Skincare Routine For Kids To Fight Dry Beijing Skin

Images: Unsplash, courtesy of the vendors

Beauty routines can be fun, soothing, and an all-around joy in life – but they also have an ugly side. With cheap sources of cosmetics like RMB 10 eyeliner at Mini-So, a chain store famous for selling only RMB 10 – 20 products, many girls and women are tempted to use sketchy products with no legitimate label for the sake of looking pretty while on a budget.

While parents need to warn their teens against buying cosmetics at low prices from questionable stores, it’s important to recognize that even makeup and skincare products from international, popular brands can contain plenty of harmful chemicals. According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental research organization in the US, “Nearly 90 percent of the 10,500 ingredients the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has determined are used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA or any other publicly accountable institution .”

Furthermore, being well known, widely used, or high-end does not mean a brand does not use carcinogens in its products. The price you pay for luxury cosmetics may very well include the abundance of toxic chemicals your body absorbs. In the not-very-well self-regulated cosmetic industry, how can we stay healthy and safe? Sites and apps like Skin Deep and Think Dirty provide consumers with the means to shop smarter. With the scan of a label, or a manual search, these apps provide a rating and/or review of a product, listing the toxic ingredients and what their effects may be. Additionally, here is a simple list of ingredients to watch out for in your cosmetics.

For more information on toxins in makeup products like eyeliner and bronzer, check out this post.

Photo by Darren Tse

A few months ago, I stumbled across a blog called Crunchy Betty while searching for natural blackhead-clearing solutions (don’t judge me). The author, Leslie Martin, shares recipes for scrubs, cleansers, and masks made with ingredients found in the pantry.

As someone who has always struggled with sensitive skin, I was instantly hooked. Crunchy Betty also spoke to my growing awareness of the chemical cocktails found in conventional beauty products.

For instance, I was shocked to discover that my "natural" Kiehl’s Blue Herbal gel moisturizer was rated 10 out of 10 for ingredient toxicity – 10 being the worst – on the Think Dirty app. The ingredients are rated according to "carcinogenicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergenicity, and immunotoxicity" and product evaluations are performed by experts in medicine, biochemistry, environmental toxicology, and more.

Potentially harmful ingredients in my moisturizer included butylparaben, a preservative listed as a likely endocrine disruptor by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep database. Another endocrine disruptor, methylparaben, has been found to build up in breast tissue and is thought to accelerate the formation of breast tumors. 

I currently use Crunchy Betty recipes two to three times a week as part of my regular skincare routine. There were a few extra ingredients I had to buy on Taobao, like jojoba oil, almond meal, and witch hazel. Eventually, I plan to phase out most conventional beauty products and rely mainly on DIY products.

My morning routine is based on this Crunchy Betty post and uses the following ingredients:

• 1 part almond meal (bought on Taobao)
• 1 part ground rolled oats (I buy them at April Gourmet and put them through a fine grind in my blender)
• A bit of water (or Thayers witch hazel if I’m being fancy)

I mix all the ingredients in a ceramic bowl to make a medium-thick paste, gently apply the scrub on my face in small circular motions, rinse the whole thing off, and pat dry. I then tone and moisturize as normal.

A word on "scrubs" – the term is misleading since you don’t actually scrub your face. Rubbing too hard can irritate or damage your skin, so be gentle.

To remove makeup at night, I use the honey face wash method. It involves:

1. Pouring a bit of honey on a terry washcloth.
2. Sprinkling a bit of baking soda on top of that.
3. Very gently massaging the mixture onto your face. The baking soda creates a gently exfoliating effect, so go easy.
4. Rinsing and patting dry.

Crunchy Betty also recommends toning with diluted apple cider vinegar, but I use a conventional toner since I still have some left. I remove eye makeup with Lancôme liquid remover, but you can use a straight-up cold-pressed oil like extra virgin olive oil. The honey is so nice that I don’t feel the need to moisturize, but a few drops of jojoba oil would be enough.

The Verdict
I won’t lie – at first, it felt really weird to put food on my face. "You can put half on your face and eat half for breakfast," said a friend (I have witty friends). That’s it, I thought, I’ve become that granola, tree-hugging friend.

It took some finagling to find some of the ingredients. Who would actually buy almonds and grind them for a face scrub? I ended up substituting almond meal from Taobao designed for cosmetic use.

It also took a bit of experimenting to get the proportion of water, oatmeal, and almond meal just right. I kept making the paste too thick or too watery, which made for some messy mornings.

But man oh man did my skin feel soft after that first cleanse. I’m still in the disbelief stage where I run my fingers over my face after each scrub. Maybe I’m just imagining things, but my moisturizer seems to absorb better and my makeup seems to go on smoother.

There have been other beneficial side effects, like saving money on expensive cleansers and increasing my knowledge of practical applications for, well, food. For example, honey is basically a wonder product; its anti-bacterial properties make it suitable for treating minor wounds, and it alleviates everything from congestion to dandruff.

There are drawbacks, of course. Making your own skincare products requires a lot more effort. Your friends will think you’re crazy. Some products are simply impractical or impossible to make on your own, like sunscreen or deodorant.

DIY beauty also isn’t exactly convenient for travel. I can just imagine the reaction of airport security at the contents of my carry-on bag. "Oh these? They’re travel-sized bottles of honey, apple cider vinegar, oatmeal scrub, witch hazel, extra virgin olive oil, and jojoba oil. They’re for my face. Yes, my face."

That said, DIY skincare isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. Like the Meat-Free Monday movement, consider homemade scrubs and masks an opportunity to broaden your mind and make stuff with your kids. Whip up a batch of facial masks and enjoy a girls-only afternoon at home. Homemade skincare is also a viable alternative for kids and teens with particularly sensitive skin.

To find out more about chemicals in conventional beauty products, download the Think Dirty app or visit the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.

Photos: Zenspa1 (Flickr), Crunchy Betty