“A Bigger Splash” (1957) by David Hockney (Photo: Tate)

I met with some of my buddies from high school last Saturday, in what turned out to be an impromptu pool party. Jumping into a swimming pool just before the crack of dawn seems to be the most sensible decision one could make on the cusp of a weekend’s end, that is until you find yourself helplessly shivering in the cold light of day.

No matter how fun and seemingly rational the prospect of indoor dawn swimming may be, I realize that hanging on to dear life on the brink of hypothermia and being marinated in chlorine are simply not conducive to being human. In such cases I’d dream up apocalyptic scenarios of life without warm water, and consequently panic about what irremediable harm I’m doing to my skin and hair.

Here’s where my being Fashion and Beauty Assistant here at Candy ultimately permeates my life even outside work!

It was Steph who once said that with fashion dilemmas come beauty ones, too. Indeed no truer words have been said on the matter! At the risk of sounding sagelike, fashion and beauty are virtually inseperable. Fashion concerns itself with a constantly evolving idea of beauty; beauty also concerns itself with cultural nuances and trends, very much like fashion does.

Going back to my chronic dislike of inevitably having to bathe in chlorine, I was happy to come home to a warm shower and my Kiehl’s All-Sport Swimmer’s Cleansing Rinse. It’s a trusty product to have, especially if you enjoy swimming regularly—which, having said all these, I do.

Love in the time of chlorine (Photo: Kiehl’s)

What it does is remove chlorine residue from the skin and hair, and also neutralize chlorine odor an its drying effects.

And while we’re at it let me share with you the skin care routine I’ve been developing since the weather has shifted from balmy to drizzly to downright unpredictably erratic. Here are some of my favorite products this month.

From left:

Malin and Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser (Available at Adora in Greenbelt 5)
I like that it’s gentle and non-stripping. I’ve been learning to stray from super-harsh cleansers that end up overstimulating the oil glands, thus making the face oilier.

Snoé Night Perfecting Toner (www.snoebeauty.com)
Marla and I went to Snoé’s product launch some months ago and now I’m a big fan of their very affordable line of skin and hair care products. Their Night Perfecting Toner has antioxidant and pore-refining properties, which is perfect as an overnight treatment. I also happen to really like the subtle lychee scent. I also use Snoé’s SPF 45 Sunscreen and their Emu Oil and Acai Berry Cleansing Conditioner.

Shiseido Men Active Energizing Concentrate (Available at Rustan’s)
I would usually use this in the morning after shaving, before heading out. Its formulation helps stimulate collagen-producing cells, making skin instantly firm, also reducing dullness and visible pores.

Kiehl’s Age Correcting Moisture Gel (Kiehl’s has stores in Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, SM Mall of Asia)
I notice a lot of anti-aging products tend to be really greasy. I was glad to find out that this one from Kiehl’s (from their Facial Fuel Transformer line, which also carries my favorite lip balm to date!) is relatively lightweight. One of the special ingredients here is protein-charged Blue Algae, which treats fine lines and uneven skin texture.

I’d like to know your skin care routine! Share it with me at the comments section below, or tweet me about some of your favorite products @jedgcandy.

Jed