Do you use skin care products from the same line or brand or do you mix and match your skin care? This was a thought I had a few months ago which I was reminded of by reader Reeka a while ago in an email. I also received a similar query from Mei Ping in a comment earlier.
My answer to both Reeka and Mei Ping was: I mix and match so long as my skin stays fine.
The reason I do is because not every product in one brand or skincare line suits me all the time. I personally do not believe that one has to use all the products from the same line for it to be effective.
I save on cleansers
In my case, I do not believe in spending a lot on cleanser. A long time ago, I read an article in a magazine where it essentially said:-
Spend on the products you will leave on and save on the products you will wash off.
I found it made sense so I have kept to this. I save where possible, on cleansers (wash off) but splurge on moisturizers and serums (leave on). If I were to buy it all from the same line, I might find myself spending more on the cleanser than I would otherwise for a similar product from the drugstore or pharmacy that works as well.
Different skincare products serve different skin needs
Secondly, I also believe that different products serve different needs. I like toners that are moisturizing, not astringent. I find that such toners or lotions as they are usually called in Japanese skincare lines, help make my skin feel more moisturized. So, I use Japanese skincare for toners – Kanebo Banchir Clear Conditioner or Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion. I recently tried a sample of Dermalogica Multi-Active toner that you spray on the skin which was introduced by a friend and I rather liked that too as I did the Kiehl’s Acai Toning mist. Uhoh… 😛 Incidentally, as I’ve run out of the Hada Labo lotion I’ve been using my the Kiehl’s Toning Mist and I think I’ll have to revise my earlier opinion. This is pretty good stuff! I think its helping keep my skin balanced in tone and texture.
However, after much experimentation, I found that Japanese moisturizers don’t do it for me so I turn to European brands for creams. I use a variety ranging from Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream to the Lancome Primordiale Nuit cream because I know they just work better for me.
While I may like certain products in certain brands or lines, I do not believe that every product in a brand or line will work as well as the other. So, I like to take the best of every line – after all, I’m all for the best my skin can handle! 😉 That said, a caveat is in order.
Acne treatment or Whitening Skincare works best if you use the same brand
I do have one caveat – treatment skincare. For treatment skincare e.g. for acne treatment or for whitening products, I’ve learnt from experience that it is most beneficial to stick to one line or one brand to get optimum results. The reason may be to do with the ingredients that layer on for best results.
I’ve tried mixing and matching treatment skincare but it never really works out as well as when you use the same brand throughout. However, I now do mix and match different products e.g. Kiehl’s Ultimate White Scrub, Lancome Bio-Cellulose Mask and Clinique Derma White Brightening Essence because I’m not undergoing treatment but using products I like for the different results I achieve with them.
Your turn: Do you believe in using all the products from one line or do you mix and match your skincare like I do?
Paris B
Morning Paris!! 😀
I mix and match my skincare too, so far so good! I’m currently using an anti ageing eye cream, pore refiner for the enlarged pores around my nose area and of course, my whitening serum and moisturizers! 😀
I also can’t justify spending alot on cleansers! True, expensive ones may feel luxurious but they work the same as drugstore ones on my skin anyways! 😛 My skin never benefited from the usual toners, so i skipped that and used Avene in its place instead! 😀
Morning Jenn! Glad to hear from a like minded person! I guess so long as our skin doesn’t go nuts, we’re all good 😀
Hello there from a closet male reader! 8DDDDD /ROFL.
I totally agree with you how we should use treatment products from the same line! :3 Am currently using Hada Labo’s whitening line and I must say, it’s making my skin more translucent and my scars are slowly fading!
For my cleanser, I just spend it on cheaper products such as ones from The Face Shop because I can’t justify spending $40-$50 on something I’ll wash off my face! -_-;
Hi Bryan! 😀 Its awesome to know that Hada Labo’s whitening line is working for you! Treatment skincare should definitely be layered for best results. I haven’t tried that one but have you tried the cleanser from Hada Labo too? Its pretty good 🙂
Nope! :3 I’d like something more clarifying/brightening in terms of washing!
Hi, am follower of ur blog here (silent follower actually). Totally agree that it’s better to save money for products that are to be leave on one’s face.
Might be out of topic here, but was wondering if u would be able to help to advise if the important part of a facial regime is the toner & serum that are used? Or is it serum & moisturizer…. (confused)
Hi Beverly, did you mean save money or spend money for products that are left on? 😉
As for the important part of skincare regime, I’d say every part is important depending on your needs. Toner is optional in many cases unless like in my case you need extra moisture. Also, serum too is optional depending on your needs. Moisturizer is the only true important item. I find sometimes that if I use a very hydrating serum, I can cut back to a less rich moisturizer and that helps my skin better. Its about finding the balance.
Oops, sorry about that. Meant to save money on products that are to be washed off. ;p
Teehee… got ya! 😉
waaah… so many silent readers sprouting out. Good to hear from you all!
I have trouble sticking to the same brand of moisturizer for more than 6 months. I’m definitely not one who have all my products from the same line/brand! Although I do agree with you on the treatment products but mostly limited to whitening and acne treatments. Anti-aging and hydration products still work well on their own.
Ya! Its like I sprinkled “instant grow” on silent readers 🙂 Like you, part of the reason I mix and match is because of fickleness. What a curse eh? 😀
i’m such a sucker for packaging, i love things that match. my fav is Chanel or Dior, their stuff looks so classy and matchy! but unfortunately, i’ve NEVER been able to use a whole range of stuff from the same line before. =(
and i DO believe that there is no reason why a cheap facial cleanser shouldnt work as well as an expensive one, so like you Paris, i never buy branded ones. my Bio-Essence Thanakha white has been a fourth time repurchase for me, and nothnig else works quite like it for me. RM19.90 and it lasts me 4 months!
So thats what me use, Bio-Essence Thanaka white facewash, Lancome Primeordiale celldefense serum, Clinique moisture surge gel, Dior white UV base and Dior white uv block, and the Madara DCT as a facial spray, tho i am seriously tempted to try the Clinique moisture surge spray!
no point asking u what u use Paris, you just have Waaaaaaaaaaaay more face stuff than i do…=(
Haha! Ok here’s my current skincare regime (which is liable to change at any time and is in fact already slowly changing 😛 )
Hada Labo AHA/BHA or SHA facial wash, Kiehl’s Acai Toning Mist, Guerlain Super Aqua Triple Shield and sunscreen (day) and Diorsnow D-NA Reverse serum, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Estee Lauder Cyberwhite EX extra moisture cream (night)
Whew! 😛
oops! forgot for scrubs i’m using Elisha coy’s black sugar milk cocoa scrub, and for night i’m using the Aqua whitening pudding cream, also by elisha coy. for masks i’m using the body shop’s Honey and Oatmeal mask, Freeman’s Avocado and Oatmeal mask, and The Face Shop’s cereal rice mask.
so did u notice most of my stuff have foody things! LOL!
LOL Yes there is definitely a food theme going – never heard of Elisha Coy but sounds interesting
I mix and match too.
Used to use same range products from same brands, but found that I need something better for certain items so I mix up other brands.
I love Hada Labo Lotion as toner too, great result, my skin is smoother and due to enough hydration, my pores look smaller now!
That’s great to know you’ve found something that works. I love it when I do 🙂
I mix and match too ^^ and I use different products during day and night ! XD
And I do agree to save on the cleansers too ! I rather to use more money to splurge on the serums / moisturizers ^^
I was thinking to try Hada Labo lotion for a very long time , but mine skin is quite oily so I don’t dare to try it first. What do you think huh ? should or should not ? lol…
Well oily skin can also be dehydrated – so perhaps if you can score yourself a sample to see if it works for you, that’ll be great. I don’t have very oily skin so I can’t help unfortunately. I’ve laid off the lotion for quite a while now while I finish up my other products 🙂 And yes, I use different products in the day and night too!
Just until two weeks ago, I ONLY used Nars products (make up, cleansers, moisturizers, etc), until I read about Paraben and other Carcinogenic ingredients.
I was so sad to see that my favorite blush Nars “torrid” was rated at 9 out of 10 of their hazardous level 🙁 Now, I’m in search of natural makeup….!! It’s so hard!!
Try checking out this website I’ve been going to the past 2 weeks. I think it’s very informative.
Thanks for sharing. I’m not quite fussed about going all natural just yet but its always a personal choice everyone makes 🙂
haha…I think I’m going to be THE only odd ball here.
I always makesure everything I use is from the same line. Not that I believe it should work better. Definitely not. But I just like looking at my skincare in a set. There is this sense of satisfaction.
I guess, next time, I should just buy myself treatment range, so that I can justify paying for the entire set of skincare of the same brand,
Lol..
haha… that’s as good a reason as any m’dear! 😉 but hey, so long as it works for you why not eh? 😉
Hi Paris,
I disagree with the spending-less-on-cleansers! I think cleansing is the MOST important part of skincare … wasn’t it Shu Uemura who described the ritual of beauty as one that is initiated and ended by the act of cleansing (or have I internalised marketing as doctrine)? I don’t want to use harsh detergents and surfactants to cleanse — we get soooo used to such cheap and strong cleansers that we don’t even massage the lather and we expect everything to be washed off in 3 seconds and then we complain that the formula is drying.
I like natural soaps that have good ingredients on them and aren’t killer surfactants — you can leave the foam on and let your skin eat up the goodness. A bit like wash-off packs that cleanse well. 🙂
Hiya Jasmine – you’re absolutely right you know. Cleansing is very important. But what I found is that many cleansers from many higher end brands end up working and feeling just like those from the lower end brands! Even the ingredients look I do double cleanse on days I wear makeup so I do ensure my skin is kept clean 🙂 Whichever brand of cleansers anyone uses, I always advocate lathering up your facial wash in your palms before applying on your face because its just too harsh sometimes to keep tugging at our face. Glad to know you’ve found something that works for you 😀
I was a convert after you featured Yuan Soap 🙂 but rinnah (comment below) is totally right as well — we should listen to our skin and not assume our skin is an unchanging variable! I use different cleansers in the morning depending on my regime last night too. I love this thread! It’s so interesting to hear the 101 different perspectives.
I love this too! Its great to read see all the different reactions 😀
I used to use stuff from just one brand only (not necessarily same line though) but over time, I find that my skin loves me best when I mix and match based on how my skin has been feeling that week (or day). So I don’t stick to any regular routine of using a particular product only in the daytime (except for sunscreen!) or at night. But this makes it hard for me to finish off products too, because I have many different products all sitting on my bathroom shelf! 😛
Join the club! 😛 I don’t believe everything in one brand is good or will work for me as well as the star product. I guess I’m just so sceptical that way 😀
To some skincare line, it is much better if its from the same brand but in my case, its ok to mix and match as long as it works for you 😀
Yep! Importantly it works for our skin then its all good 🙂
I am a mix-and-match gal! I too don’t splurge on cleansers, so long it agrees with my skin, it’s all good! (I love Skinz’s cleanser :D) I stay on to one brand though when it comes to moisturiser, serums etc.
Looks like most of us are doing the mix and match thing 😀
Mix and match! and i believe you have to change skincare products after a while as they your skin may get too used to it and will be less effective in the long run……
i spend more on serum and moisturiser. hving combination skin, Biotherm aquasource works well for me. am trying trilogy rosehip oil twice or once weekly at night. clarins whitening serum is working well for me in the morning b4 moisturiser. 🙂
Hmm… I did think about that once – whether our skin gets too used to our skincare and you could be right. Sometimes, some products stop working as well and I wonder if its because its hit a plateau but after I go off it and come back, it just works better. Glad to know the skincare you’re using now works for you – its so important to find skincare that works 🙂
i am speaking frm personal experince, i was using some home made skin care for almost 8yrs, it works well for me, intially. But as i step into 30s, the effect is less. i did not use any moisturiser from that product line as my face was too oily then, the beautician told me tht my oil secretion is good enough as moisturiser. 🙂
Hey, whatever works right? We should really listen to our skin and not “force feed” it 🙂
I was actually using all my skincare from the same brand and range – Estee Lauder Perfectionist Wrinkle Lifting Serum, Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Creme – Day and Night and sun block. I was not happy with the results as they don’t come cheap and I expect more results from them. After all those, I still get very dehydrated skin. After your reply to my comment the other day, I have since started mixing and matching.
I’m now using Estee Lauder Perfectionist Wrinkle Lifting Serum, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturiser and Dior Snow sun block. So far, I’m getting better results. 😀
Yay! Glad to know things are working better for you now. Sometimes, it just needs a bit of shaking up to get it working right 😉
Sorry, disagree, for me the most important part of skincare is cleansers. My cleansers is more expensive than moisturiser. If using a harsh cleansers, our face need more effort to re charge by itself. My cleansers cost more than RM 100 ++ while my moisturisers cost least than RM 40.00.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂 But cheaper cleansers do not always mean harsher. Although I guess you could say that about the majority though 🙂
I love mix and match stuff! but for serum and moisturizer i usually go for the same brand, while cleanser, toner and sunblock from all sorts of brands that work for me
You know, I don’t think I’m using anything from the same brand in either of my day or night regime! Just struck me hehe
I tend to have one “main” skincare brand which I stick to (In my case it’s Dermalogica), but I don’t necessarily use everything from that brand! I’ve been using Dermalogica straight (Everything from cleanser, toner, moisturiser, serum, mask, etc) for a few years back and didn’t really notice any major difference, until I switched some stuff (Moisturiser, serum and mask) and noticed that I actually had better skin faster 😛
My day and night routine varies too haha! It goes:
Day: Dermalogica cleanser – Eve Taylor face oil (Only on breakout-prone periods) – Dermalogica toner – REN moisturiser – Clarins sunblock – T. LeClerc pressed powder
Night: Dermalogica Precleanse – Dermalogica cleanser – Dermalogica toner – Cellnique serum – Egyptian Magic
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like mixing and matching is a good idea after all 😀
For me, I tend to prefer my cleaser and toner/lotion are from the same line same brand. But cleaser must be soap free, if it is not, then I ‘ll only choose others. Eye cream, essence and moisturizer will go for mix and match, but they should be work as the same functions (different brand, similar function: whitening/brightening, oil control, hydration…), while I’ll use any suncrenn on it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I am using mix and match skincare products too.My cleanser is Biotherm,Eye gel is Beauty Talk,Cellnique blive for pore ,Aquajuju serum ,Aquajuju moisturise cream.But I always facing a problem,when after apply the serum,I apply the moisturise,the product look like cannot absorb,it appear the “peel off “.Before that I using Biotherm products also got this problem.Anyone know how to cure this problem?
Looks like most of us are mixing and matching 🙂 From what you described, it sounds like the serum isn’t quite absorbing into your skin. It might be due to silicones in the product (I wouldn’t know) so the best bet is to switch products and see if you face the same problem. I find I have this problem with serums that have high silicone textures. If I use a more watery serum then it absorbs into my skin and does not “sit on top” of my skin which gives the “peel off” effect when you apply moisturizer.