New to skincare? These are the 3 must haves in your routine
There are so many skincare products out in the world that it's overwhelming. Shelfie pictures on social media overflow the feed ( images of medicine cabinets overflowing with products). I can't deny that they are beautiful and so fun to look at. But so unnecessary:
You don't need that many products for healthy skin
So bad for the environment!
You shouldn't feel a need to accumulate that many products because, in reality, a good skincare routine is pretty basic and doesn't require dozens of products. And if you're just getting started with your routine, even better. Let's make it simple for you.
Basic three step routine
How to find the right products?
You might need to do a little trial-error until you find what you like and works for you. What works for you might not be what works for your friends. At the end of the day, it depends on what your skin needs and how it responds to different ingredients. Even products that are meant for your skin type/concerns might not always work. Skin is very unique and it's not a one size fits all.
Cleanser
A good product will remove sunscreen, make-up, dirt, oil, dead skin cells, etc., WITHOUT damaging your skin. Cleansers can sometimes be very drying or irritating. A lot of people will want to have that squeaky clean feeling afterward, but that's actually not what you're looking for.
Types of cleansers: foaming/gel, milk/lotion, oil/balms
A note on micellar water: some people consider it to be a cleanser that doesn't need to be removed because it's less harsh. However, I would only recommend using this as a first step to remove makeup and then continue with your regular cleanser to remove any residual micellar water (but if your regular cleanser does a good job at removing your makeup, you don't necessarily need this additional step)
Frequency: don't over clean. Definitely cleanse at night but I don't recommend more than that (unless you work out in the mornings or are extremely oily). If you do cleanse in the morning, opt for a milky cleanser or extremely mild cleanser
What to look for in your cleanser:
Dry skin: I recommend an oil-based or a cream/milk-based cleanser that won't strip away the natural oil of your skin and won't deplete your skin of moisture. Avoid foaming ones!
Oily skin: you don't want to deplete your skin from ALL oil, but you might be able to handle gel cleansers better.
If you're sensitive, I recommend a similar product to dry skin types. Also, try to identify what ingredients cause sensitivity and avoid those specifically
Combination skin: listen to what your skin needs most. For example, if you find that it's well moisturized, a gentle cleanser will be fine and tolerable.
Moisturizer
Keeping a healthy skin barrier is the goal with any type of skincare routine. Moisturizers aid the natural process of our skin to keep it healthy by reducing water content loss.
What to look for in your moisturizer:
Dry skin: look for heavier moisturizers with ingredients such as either oil, glycerin, lanolin, hyaluronic acid, beeswax, or shea butter.
Dehydrated: because this is a condition to the skin, it's trickier. You may be oily but still dehydrated (for example). As you learn more about your skin, you'll be able to differentiate between dry and dehydrated. For dehydrated skin, look for ingredients that are more humectant heavy (glycerin, hyaluronic acid)
Oily skin: YOU STILL NEED TO MOISTURIZE. Might only need to moisturize at night, but don't skip it. You will want a lighter moisturizer that is more water-based. And it might simply be that you use a serum to moisturize (but I'm not going to talk about serums in this post).
Sensitive: it's important to identify what you're sensitive to. But in general, good ingredients to look for are those that help strengthen the skin barrier to reduce irritation, such as ceramides and niacinamide
Combination: my recommendation is to treat is as oily skin, and add additional moisturizer (might be a heavier one) in the areas dry patches of the skin
SPF
I don't get tired of reminding people to wear sunscreen. Honestly, you can do everything right with your skincare, spend all the money on amazing products, get treatments regularly, but if you're not using SPF every day, you're wasting your money.
My advice? Find a good one that you like and actually use.
General guidelines:
Make sure it says broad spectrum
Factor of 30 or higher
SPF in your makeup is not enough
Use at least a nickel size amount for the face, neck, and chest area
Use every day, regardless of the weather or time of the year (unless you're actually staying inside ALL day and are not near a window)
Additional tips:
The types of products might need to be changed depending on the season. Your skin might not need as much moisturizer in the summer as in the winter (or a different one, maybe more water based in the summer and heavier in the winter)
The most important thing is for you to stick with your routine and that you enjoy it. If you do have a 10 step routine and you love it and your skin is responding well, then go for it. But if you're new to caring for your skin or don't vibe with having so many products, then keep it simple
Other additional factors will also affect the state of your skin (environment, climate, genetics, hormones, age, etc.). Listen to what it needs and focus on that
Oil isn't the worst thing in the world. Don't strip your skin by using harsh cleansers and removing all signs of oil from your face. This will backfire!