I became familiar with the world of skincare sometime in middle school.  

It was around the period when Proactiv and Neutrogena dominated commercial spaces with their images

of clear-skinned, incessantly-smiling, filtered pixelpeople. 

I bought my first 3-step Proactiv kit with hopes of achieving the level of clarity I saw on the screen, and it seemed like I did

at first.

But the kit also dried out my skin, to the point that my face stung after applying the products.

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After a few more stings, I listened to what my skin was telling me and sought out alternatives.

I spent an ungodly amount of time watching Youtube DIY channels, reading a mix of mom-blogs and sciencedirect, and trying out different brands to test out what options existed.

After many trials & errors, I placed beauty brands on a low shelf and started playing with oils and teas in my grandparents' kitchen.  

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Eventually, I turned my experiments into a 3-step routine– skinblooming– that hydrated and moisturized my skin, brought ease to my routine, and ultimately felt like love to me. 

Now, I'm sharing my finds in hopes that it can help inspire others to cultivate their own holistic self-care rituals.