Exfoliation only has to be done once in a while, depending on the strength. Strong stuff, once a fortnight or so; professional ones you get done during a facial once a month or every couple of months. Gentle exfoliating products can be used almost every day -- really depends on what it is and your skin type.

Facial foam gets used everyday. If you exfoliated that day, use it after exfoliating to wash all the dead skin you just rubbed off away.

Toner tightens your pores so your skin is firmer. Idea is it makes it more difficult for pores to get blocked and cause pimples.

As for products, it's really up to you ... personally I'd stay away from stuff that smells as it usually means there's some extra stuff in it that's unnecessary. Gels I've found tend to dry out your skin so if your skin is on the dry side maybe go for something more creamy. Shop around, do some research ^^

Strong stuff, then yeah, only once a week or once a fortnight. Though given that it's summer meaning that you sweat a lot, you might want to try and find a milder one that you can use more often, like if you've been out the whole day and you come home feeling really icky. Personally I just stick with a milder one I can use either everyday or every few days.

Toner tightens your pores so your skin is firmer. Idea is it makes it more difficult for pores to get blocked and cause pimples.

You'd think that with smaller pores, it would be easier for them to get blocked up...

The use of toner, yes, does tighten your pores, but chemically, it does more than that.

You see, whatever cleaning product you use before your toner will have a high pH level, i.e. it will be acidic. That's how it gets rid of all the dirt! And ideally, your skin should be pH 5.5-6, which is about, ib a scale between 0-14 (14 being acidic). So after you wash your face, with foam or exfoliator, the pH level will go up. The toner brings the pH level much closer to the ideal. As such, toners help to restore your skin's balance.

Try to avoid toners with alcohol. This can be too drying and strip your skin of natural oils. Remember, it's good to drink, but not good to put on your face!

Daily exfoliation does not always help, especially if you are already prone to combination or oily skin. It actually exacerbates those oil-production cells and you could wind up shinier than you want to be. Depending on your skin type, you exfoliate between 1-3 times a week.

As for cheap products, I could go on and on about that... there are some good products out there that don't cost an arm and a leg, but it's hard to say. What works for one person may not work for you.

Don't believe it when consultants tell you that you NEED to have all the products from the same range. What works for YOU may be any combination of items from the cheap end of the scale to the expensive.

Will be happy to talk more about this.

And when do you want your manga?!?!

Ah, you see, I've been doing my research. :) No, really! *LOL*

One thing I have learnt is that all those expensive counter brands... some of them are really really bad for you, so it certainly doesn't mean that if it costs money, it must be good!

I read on the back of some product that you're supposed to wash, exfoliate, and moisturize, in that order, but that seemed like an awful lot of work to do at 5:30am when your foot's caught in your pants and your toothpaste is dripping off the brush onto the floor and the sounds of the shower have woken up your nephew, who has a knack for screaming loudly. I just wash with some Neutrogena face stuff and then use a little lotion. It hasn't stopped every unsightly pimple -- what can? :| -- but my cheeks are now, like, baby-butt soft. The boys like to feel them. >:D

Dude. Last year, my cheeks started chapping in the cold, so I went to get some moisturiser. Only, I figured it was all pretty much the same, so I picked up something that had a cool-looking bottle--and apparently it was toner. I had no idea what toner was, except that my friend was laughing at me for buying it, and it didn't really moisturise too well. :D *steals all your advice*

I can't afford to share more.

Will call you Saturday definitely this time >_<

Exfoliant: strong ones can be disasterous. I know you are SUPPOSE to (read: have to) remove dead skin cells but hey man people in the old days didn't use some health oil combo scrubby hard pellet like objects to scower their faces I don't think we need it this day & age. It removes essential oils from face as well as "dead skin cells" (which generally remove themselves once "decreed" dead). IMHO totally a fad creation in order to get females to scrub their faces (or bodies) to point of losing essential oils & then must use millions of products throughout life to mimicked a vigour/youthfulness/epitome of female beauty presented by supermodels (often of said company) with plastic surgery & loads of foundation & digital "make-overs".

As for toner: its a wake up call most of the time (read good: very refreshing).

Moisturizer: necessary/essential.

Any other oily-er creams etc. are optional upon extreme dry skin :p

NB Some ppl use all these products & their faces look like the surface of the moon (without the powdery stuff some would like to call foundation). Some use it and look good. Don't follow the "routine" before you figure out what you really "want" out of it or what you face really "needs".