An example of cleanser to wash the face before applying skincare products.
Photo by Shiny Diamond from Pexels
The topic of skincare is trending rapidly in the beauty industry, especially after the effects Covid-19 had with mask wearing and skin concerns. Last week’s blog post went into how to create a flawless skin base for makeup with products like primer, concealer, and foundation. This week, the focus will be on skincare products in itself and how to effectively create a routine that works for you and your skin type. Skincare is an important step for skin health, as well as making sure makeup can be applied as smoothly as possible.
The first step to any skin care routine should start off with cleansing. It is important to remove the dead skin and bacteria build-up on the skin surface before any products are applied so they can absorb deeper into the skin barrier to work more effectively. There are different types of cleansers such as cream or gel. Either of these options will work, but one may be better suited for your skin type. Since I work in the industry, when I am creating skin routines for clients I typically recommend a cream based cleanser for dry/combination skin since this will be more gentle on this skin type, which can also be more sensitive as well. For oily/combination skin types, a gel cleanser that foams is more appropriate since this does a deeper clean and eliminates some of the excess oil.
After the face is cleansed, the next step should be a targeted treatment to focus on a skin concern that is relevant for your skin type. For example, this could be an acne treatment, wrinkle correction, dark spot remedies, etc. Most treatments come in the form of a serum, which is a highly concentrated product that has ingredients in the formula to help with the chosen skin concern. These ingredients could include salicylic acid, retinol, niacinamide, AHA’s, etc. A serum is important in treating a skin concern since the ingredients are more potent; therefore, it helps treat skin concerns more quickly and effectively.
Once the serum has been applied, it is time to move onto a moisturizer. The main focus of a moisturizer is to keep the skin barrier in tact so it can keep the skin healthy. Moisturizers can also attack skin concerns like serums, so it may be beneficial to find a pair that work well together to help with what you need. Once all of these products are applied, you are ready for the day or night since this is a basic skin routine that will be sufficient for AM or PM use. A quick disclaimer, if this is your daytime routine, sunscreen is needed to help maintain the skin health. This is not a step to miss in your morning routine since most premature ageing occurs from sun exposure. With that being said, it is not typically recommended to use harsh active ingredients such as retinol during the day time since they can make the skin sensitive. Instead, products containing harsh active ingredients should be saved for a night time routine. This is a great routine for beginners or someone that doesn’t want many steps, yet still wants an effective routine that helps with their skin concerns.
Amazing blog for skin care
This is a super-helpful post! I have only recently started using an actual skincare routine, but I often forget to do it regularly. This was a great reminder to add in an SPF moisturizer in the morning. I never remember to do that. In fact, I don’t own an SPF moisturizer. I’ll be adding that to this week’s shopping list! Also, I didn’t know that ingredients like retinol should be saved for a PM routine. Helpful and interesting information!
Skincare is a basic necessity for sure. I think people still underestimate sometimes how much a skincare routine can matter especially when it comes to your makeup. A good skincare routine is a good base. Just like primer acts as a base for foundation, so does your skin. After all, trying to apply foundation to dry skin is pretty difficult/annoying. Moisturizer is huge for that reason! This blog makes a lot of sense when talking about makeup. I find it very informative .