8 Skincare Tips That Aren’t Products (For The Most Part)
Continuing on our theme for January, let’s add another building block to our skincare. We already know it’s important to set realistic goals and expectations regarding your skincare.
The next step is to make sure you’re being safe about it. The following tips are great if you’re new to skincare, but can serve as a great reminder for even a seasoned skincare aficionado.
So, if you're looking to get started on your skincare and are ready to commit to your routine before you jump in, I recommend you start slow. Make sure you've got the basics down. It's important to lay a strong foundation before you jump and buy all the products you've been tempted to (and if you already did, then let's make sure you're using them right!).
Instead, here's my advice before starting any product or skin journey
Set your goals
Ask yourself, what are you looking to achieve? What concerns do you have about your skin? Having a clear goal when it comes to skincare is very important to ensure your commitment is sustainable and realistic.
Avoid the temptation of buying something because of nice packaging or cool branding. I'm not discounting the relevance of this (it can play a big role in your skincare, no judgment!), but I'm sure you'll find a similar look and feel on a product that actually addresses your skin concerns.
Influencer marketing
We've all been there, buying that product we know we don't need only because someone we follow swears by it. Listen, there's nothing wrong with influencers. They're very good marketing and salespeople. And the product may be good! However, when it comes to skincare products, your skin is going to be different and unique.
I'm always emphasizing the importance of 1) getting to know your skin and listening to its needs and 2) learning about ingredients and educating yourself to ensure that what you're using is appropriate for your skin.
So take a look at your shopping cart and ask yourself if you've got a good reason for each product there.
And if you already made the purchase and are now unsure, it's not the end of the world. If you've been using it and you like it, keep at it. If you don't like it, you can use it in your body or gift it to a friend!
Patch test
You might have heard this before: test your product on a small area of your face, like the side of your cheeks before you apply it everywhere. This is especially important for products with more sophisticated or active ingredients, but you can still do it for all of them.
I'll be honest, this is the one advice I myself find hardest to follow. It's hard to fight the urge for instant gratification and I know it's exciting to start using something as soon as you get it, but you'll avoid any unwanted irritation.
Think about it, if you use something that disturbs your skin barrier, you're setting yourself back. You'd have to step back and focus on calming the skin and clearing any irritation, which can take several days (or weeks).
Introduce products slowly
As you're building a routine, I always advise introducing each product one at a time. There are a couple of reasons for this:
In case of irritation or allergic reaction, you won't know what it is! If you start using five different products at the same time and you break out or are allergic, it's very hard to know what caused this. And similarly to patch testing, you're setting yourself back! You would have to calm the irritation and start testing each product again!
On the flip side, if you're loving how your skin is feeling and looking, how do you know what's working?
If you're introducing different actives or stronger ingredients, your skin might get irritated just from shock! If you've never used something (or anything) and suddenly introduce several products at the same time, your skin can freak out!
Again, this is another difficult advice to follow, but it's very important and can make a big difference
Patience, patience
Skin health doesn't happen overnight. Neither does significant changes. It's important to give your products some time before you judge if you like it or not and if it's working for your skin or not.
However, if something causes an allergic reaction or irritation, discontinue use immediately!
Consistency is key
This is more in the long term advice category, but it's worth reminding you! Make sure you're being consistent with your skincare and using your products regularly (as indicated). And related to the previous point, results don't happen immediately. So make sure you're staying committed to your products (for a good amount of time) and using your skincare regularly.
Protect your skin from the sun
Sun protection is the #1 best thing you can do for your skin. None of the above tips or any skincare advice mean anything if you're not using SPF
And I’ll repeat this over and over until I’m blue in the face, I don’t care!
Keep track of what you use
Keep track of the products that work as well as the ones that don't work. The only way to know if an ingredient doesn't suit your skin is by trying it out. However, if one product causes you to break out or irritates your skin, before concluding that it was X, Y, Z ingredient and swearing it off completely ("vitamin C breaks me out," "shea butter clogs my skin," etc) you may find out that it was something else completely from the ingredient's list.
P.S.
Take things slow: avoid shocking your skin (irritation)
One product at a time is always best, and test it out in a small area of your face first!
Stick to your routine and give it time to work
Set clear goals from the beginning to avoid falling for influencer marketing (or just marketing in general)
Don’t forget SPF!