We should all dedicate time to our skin. It’s one of the first things that people will notice of us. Aside from helping us look good, our skin also performs several essential tasks for our bodies.
So how should we take care of our skin?
One way to keep our skin healthy is to establish a proper skincare routine. We should religiously follow this routine no matter how busy we are. Sure, it might require some effort, but it can certainly make a huge difference.
If you need more ideas in establishing that perfect skincare routine, here are some tips from the top skincare pros.
Morning Routine
It is best to start small when it comes to your skincare routine. However, before putting on your makeup, make sure you do the basics – cleansing, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen.
1. Cleanse
To cleanse your face, begin with a clean slate. That way, the other skincare products that you put on your face can work properly.
In fact, beauty experts recommend cleaning your face with lukewarm water before you apply a facial cleanser. You should do this in the morning when you wake up even if you have cleansed your face the night before.
With there being various skin types, it’s also a good idea to use a facial cleanser that’s suitable for yours. For instance, if you have a dry and sensitive skin type, then the cream gentle cleanser will work best for you. Cream cleansers are usually made with nourishing ingredients that are good for your skin. Cleansing milk is also a great choice for those with dry and sensitive skin. These cleansers are gentle and light and won’t irritate your skin.
For those with oily skin that’s prone to acne, gel cleansers are best to use. These types of gentle cleanser can clean your skin deeply including the deep-seated dirt that could clog your pores and cause breakouts. It’s also a good idea to use a gentle cleanser that’s made with natural ingredients like pumpkin.
This Pumpkin & Spice facial scrub exfoliator is made with pumpkin seed oil that helps to naturally exfoliate dead skin cells.
2. Tone
After cleansing, it’s time to apply the toner. Facial toners will prep your skin by opening your pores so the rest of your skincare products can be fully absorbed. When buying a toner, get to know the ingredients used in making it.
There are those that are made with alcohol that can potentially dry your skin. It is best to choose an alcohol-free toner that contains active ingredients like green tea, rosewater, and chamomile. All these ingredients are soothing to your skin. And if you have acne-prone skin, you better stick to salicylic-based toners.
You should apply the toner immediately after cleansing, while your skin is still damp in order for the moisture to be locked in. Toners can help to balance the pH level of your skin and can protect it against the harsh environmental aggressors.
3. Serum
Not many people are using a serum, but it should actually be an important part of your skin-care routine.
Serums are those lightweight skincare products that are usually watery and get absorbed quickly in the skin. These products come with anti-aging benefits. Since they have powerful effects, it is best to apply them directly and allow the ingredients to penetrate deeply into your skin.
But before you buy a serum, check the ingredients. Choose a serum that has Vitamin C that can fight off free radicals. It should also be dermatologically tested and aesthetician-approved.
Beauty experts suggest using a serum that contains resveratrol and green tea. Both ingredients are antioxidants that can help to keep your skin healthy.
4. Moisturize
Cleansers can strip the lipids off of your skin, which is why moisturizing every day should be an important part of your skincare regime.
It will replenish the moisture lost after washing. For those with acne-prone skin, it is best to use a non-comedogenic moisturizer. These are moisturizers that won’t clog your pores and trigger breakouts.
Moisturizers with hyaluronic acid are great because the acid works as a humectant. What this means is that the hyaluronic acid will pull water from the environment and serves as a big drink of water for your face, softening fine lines, making skin look firmer, and smoothing out dry patches.
It’s also a good idea to invest in moisturizers that contain nutrients that are good for your skin, such as the Pumpkin & Spice Moisturizer. This moisturizer is loaded with Vitamin C, E, A, and zinc. The active ingredients can help to keep your skin firm, brighten your appearance, while also minimizing fine lines - the most common sign of aging.
If you’ve got dry skin, experts recommend choosing a cream moisturizer that has a richer and thicker consistency. It has more hydrating benefits that are perfect for dry skin.
5. Protect
Applying sunscreen is a very important aspect of your skincare regime. This is to keep your skin protected from the sun. It is a good idea to use something with SPF.
This product can protect your skin from the UV rays that could burn your skin and cause wrinkles to develop. What’s more, the harmful UV rays could put you at risk of developing skin cancer.
For use every day, it is best to choose something that has an SPF of 15 or 30. Apply it generously all over your face. It’s also important to get a sunscreen that’s broad-spectrum. This means that it’s capable of protecting your skin against the UVB and UVA rays, which are both damaging.
Nighttime Routine
Since you’ll normally have more time at night to spend on your skincare, then it is best to add a few more steps to it.
1. Get Rid of Everything You Have on Your Face
Before anything else, you should make sure to remove everything you have applied on your face during the day.
Sometimes, after a long day at work, we tend to ignore cleansing our skin and will totally forget about our skincare. But all those oil, dirt, makeup, and other residues that have settled into your face will clog your pores and cause acne to develop. Not cleaning your skin well enough can also be damaging to your skin.
But when it comes to removing the makeup and dirt off your skin, you cannot just rely on traditional cleansers. While they are effective, they might not be able to remove the foundation that you put on your face.
You should look for make-up removers, as these are products that are specifically designed to remove foundation and makeup from your skin. Also, avoid the use of wipes since these can be harsh on your skin.
2. Cleanse One More Time
If you’ve got enough time at night, it is best to double cleanse your face before going to bed. This is especially important if you’ve used cleansing oil or micellar water in removing your makeup.
You must take the products off your skin as well. The second part of cleansing will take everything off your face, leaving only your bare complexion to allow for the rest of the skincare products to work on your skin.
3. Treat Acne
If you’ve got some acne on your skin, then use a spot treatment to target them after cleansing your face. When it comes to treating acne, look for products that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
It’s also a good idea to apply anti-aging treatments, such as a prescription retinoid or over the counter retinol. You can do this after cleansing to fully ensure its efficacy. Retinol works by encouraging the skin to produce new collagen, which helps to reduce the appearance of acne and fine lines and wrinkles.
But be careful not to apply it very close to your mouth or eyes as it could cause irritation. But retinol tends to dry your skin so use it only a few times each week.
The FDA has also revealed that topical acne treatments, as well as other anti-aging treatments, could increase sun sensitivity. Therefore, they must only be used at night and make sure you apply sunscreen with SPF in the morning.
4. Apply Serum
Although applying the serum at night is not entirely necessary, using the antioxidant serum from the morning would be beneficial for your skin. It can help to undo the oxidative DNA damage that happens during the day.
For those with oily and acne-prone skin, you can simply remove the moisturizer from your skincare regime and rely on serum instead.
5. Apply Eye Cream
Do you hate looking at those dark circles under your eyes? The best solution to that is to use an eye cream. This cream will provide protection and nourishment to the delicate area around your eyes. The type of eye cream to buy will depend on your skin type. If you’ve got oily skin, look for a light gel.
Caffeine is one of those ingredients that are present on eye creams. Its antioxidant properties can help to ward off the signs of aging and your dark circles. As much as possible, avoid buying an eye cream with a fragrant smell since they have the potential to trigger skin irritation.
6. Moisturize
Moisturizing is important for skincare since the other products that you put on your face can dry up your skin, from the cleansers to acne treatments.
Nighttime is a great time to use moisturizers that contain active ingredients like Vitamin C, because when you sleep your skin is going the process of rejuvenation, producing new collagen to make your skin more plumper and wrinkle-free. Therefore, the use of Vitamin C will further stimulate collagen production so when you wake up you will notice bright and glowing skin.
It should be okay to use your daytime moisturizer for your nighttime routine. In winter, the cold weather can dry your skin out, so it is best to use a richer moisturizing cream during this time.
Weekly Routine
Remember that the top-most layer of your skin is exposed to various external factors that can be damaging to your skin.
Therefore, it is a good idea to exfoliate your skin every once in a while in order to remove the dead skin cells and boost your glow.
Exfoliating products like this Pumpkin & Spice Facial Scrub Exfoliator can nourish and renew your skin’s tone and boost your natural glow. Applying face masks on your face a few times each week is also recommended.
Monthly Routine
Aside from your daily skincare routine at home, you should also consider going for professional facial treatments.
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Facials
Facials are a great investment since they are able to treat some of the problem areas of your skin that your skincare products may not be able to address.
When getting facials, make sure you visit a licensed aesthetician for it. If you have the money and time, do it after every 4 to 8 weeks. Depending on the treatment, facials usually consist of several steps, from cleansing to exfoliating, masking, and hydrating.
If you don’t have the luxury of time to do it monthly, every other month should be fine. And if you’re attending an upcoming event where you want to look your best, you should get a facial treatment at least five days before the event. Getting professional facial treatment is a great way to give your skin a deep level of cleaning.
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Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are also a great way to exfoliate your skin and give it a beautiful glow. The chemical peel treatment that you’ll get from a dermatologist’s clinic is actually a lot more powerful than the exfoliating that you do in your home.
For this treatment, it’s a good idea to get it after every few months or so. It can help to get rid of hyperpigmentation and fine lines off your face.
How to Improve Your Skincare Routine
A proper skincare routine is not only about choosing the right products. You should also know the proper way to apply them.
Here are some tips.
1. Treat Your Neck
People usually focus on their face when it comes to applying skincare products. But you should actually extend it to your neck area. It’s also the same for your hands.
Your face might be looking young but if your neck and hands are showing signs of aging, then your efforts will be useless.
2. Go Slowly with New Products
If you’ve found the right products that can work best for your skin, then stick with them. You can introduce new products if you want, but do it one at a time. Otherwise, you might only end up causing more damage to your skin.
3. Be Patient
You cannot get instant results no matter how good or effective your skincare products are. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not seeing results after only a few days.
It will take time before you can start seeing results. Depending on the products, it will normally take an average of 60 days for them to work.