By guru I mean— I’ve successfully mastered the craft of skin care. I started this journey a few years ago by strictly following the well known Korean ‘10 step skin care routine’. I had a whole arsenal of products to layer on every night. At one point I started using medi-cubes’ electric shocker to penetrate my skin. Maladaptive idea in retrospect. The result?

I started breaking out with pimples and pimple scarring, when I never had pimples before. So I abandoned all products and took a break.

A year or so later— I learned to listen to my skin. I stopped blindly following the 10 step routine. Yes, I still have a skin-ventory. But I don’t count steps. I analyze the shape my skin has been in, and then I tailor the products and steps to what my skin needs.

Sure, there’s still steps involved (it’s not like I broke the wheel and ventured too far off). There’s a wash, toner, toner pad, and moisturizer with eye pads that I’ve been following. I do mostly the same pattern, but I give my skin the exact products it needs.

For example: redness calls for Mixsoon toner pads combined with cicalfate cream.

Dryness: thick mask pack and/or Dr. Melaxin calcium stick.

Here’s a list of things I did:

• Sticking to the principle of “I don’t need to double wash” as long as I ensure a clean face.
• Protecting my skin barrier by not washing my skin every day and substituting cleaning my skin with my carrot toner
• Switching up toner types depending on my skins condition: Mixsoon calming vs Vitamin C toner pads for waking up
• Switching up eye pads depending on skin condition: hydrogel green tea pads, vitamin c pads, Dr. Melaxin calcium stick
• Thoughtfully using sheet masks depending on what I think I’ll need, or what I think my skin is ready for
• Abandoning products that my skin doesn’t like (unfortunately it’s the Anua 77 toner, and other popular toner, along with one gel cream)
• Extending my skin care down to my neck: its own moisturizing cream and mask
• Doing it every day. I managed to somehow do this when I wake up and at night too. It took a whole year before my practice became easier to follow. I rarely miss days but when I do the next morning I’m back on my skin care horse.
• Using spf sun screen when I go out (always)

How’s it been? People are complimenting me on my skin. It is very smooth and I definitely look so much younger. I rarely (if ever) have break outs. My skin feels happy. It’s really good for me.

And that’s how I became a skin guru: the main takeaway point is that I listened to my skin. I listened to my body. Then I tailored to my needs.

Don’t blindly follow a 10 step routine when most likely you’ll need less steps to start glowing. Listen to your body. Have a skinventory of products your skin actually likes and cut out the ones that make it inflammed. Consistency is also a must.

On a health note:

I cured my hypertension

I’m curing my gum issues and caring for my teeth

I went to the eye doctor and now I see with an updated prescription

I’m using doctor approved supplements

My medications are tailored to my sleep

I have follow up appointments with my health care team

I have a baseline, I’ve changed one part of my nutrition consistently, and I’ve begun to be active

My sleep, for the most part has been very stable

I needed time off from work to do many of these things. But in retrospect it needed to be done. My hygienes much improved and elevated. I have a host of products tailored to my skin and hair. I’m a soft and clean girlie.

For someone with cyclical depression— these are monumental wins.

I won in 2025. I’m beginning to consistently thrive 🙂