Skincare Routine for Flawless Skin

Skincare, these days, has become a nightmare due to social media influencers following thousands of steps, alongside two to three different skincare routines. Ever since the necessity of good skincare has come to the surface, every brand has engaged in some sort of competition to launch different products every other day, each time claiming that the new product is a hundred times better than the previous one. You buy one product that someone swears by, and the next day you find out something else is better. Not to forget that the ingredients used in products have become way too complex to process. As much as it is important to have good skincare products, it is also important to keep your skincare short and simple.

Three Important Steps to Follow a Good Skincare Routine

Regardless of your skin type, these three steps are what you want to start with:

·        Cleanse

·        Treat

·        Moisturize

If you’re a skincare pro, you must have some knowledge about the treatment of the skin. But if you’re a beginner, you must be wondering what it means. We all know cleansing and moisturizing are two of the most important steps to keep our skin clean and hydrated, but not most of us know what it means by treating the skin. Well, it is no rocket science. Treating the skin features all the complex steps of a skincare routine that make your head hurt. It includes serums containing Vitamin C, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, and other ingredients that suit your skin type.

Skincare Steps to Follow in the Morning

Cleanser

·        Oily skin: It is best to use a foaming or gel cleanser to remove dirt and oil from your skin. When buying a cleanser for oily skin, make sure niacinamide and salicylic acid are present in the ingredients list, as they’re responsible for balancing oil production.

·        Acne-prone skin: If your skin is prone to acne, you want a cleanser that contains salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur.

·        Dry skin: If you have dry skin, it means there’s little to no oil production in your skin. In this condition, it is best to buy a lotion, cream or balm formula to keep your skin hydrated.

·        Sensitive skin: Micellar water is great for people with sensitive skin types to remove impurities without drying out the skin.

Toner

·        If your skin produces acne, you want a toner that contains hydroxy acids, including salicylic and lactic acids.

·        If your skin is dry or sensitive, look for a mild and hydrating toner without SD alcohol; one that contains soothing ingredients, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid.

·        If your skin is dry in some areas and oily in other areas, you have combination skin. For such a skin type, gentle exfoliants, hydration boosters, and antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and green tea are important.

·        If your skin is oily, you want astringents to tighten pores.

Toning is not as mandatory as other steps, but still, if you incorporate it into your routine, it’ll balance the pH level of your skin, and also help remove excessive dirt. Modern-day toners are also known for brightening skin complexion.

Serum

Serums play an important part in curing dark spots, making wrinkles less visible, and improving complexion. But before buying a serum, be sure to check the label, as some are suitable to use in the daytime and some are suitable to use in the nighttime.

An antioxidant serum is good for all skin types. Look for a serum that contains Vitamin C to prevent aging and skin damage from free radicals.

If your skin is looking wrinkly, dull, and old, you want to try out anti-aging serums containing:

·        Hyaluronic acid

·        Niacinamide

·        Retinoid

·        Peptides

Eye Cream

Most people skip this part as unnecessary but they don’t realize that our under-eye area is the most delicate part of our skin, and therefore, more vulnerable to aging, fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, and creasing above the eye area.

·        To address dark circles, you need an eye cream featuring niacinamide or vitamin C.

·        To address puffiness, you need an eye cream that has caffeine.

·        To address wrinkles and fine lines, you need an eye cream that contains peptides and retinol.

·        To address dark under-eye area, you need an eye cream with vitamin K.

Moisturizer

Moisturizer is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine. If you don’t moisturize your face, all your cleansing and serum applications will go to waste. So, you want to make sure that you never skip this step.

·        Dry skin: To help maintain hydration, it is important that you look for emollients, humectants, ceramides, and occlusives in your moisturizer.

·        Oily or acne-prone skin: Non-comedogenic and oil-free moisturizers are best for oily/acne-prone skin types.

·        Sensitive skin: Look for alcohol-free and fragrance-free moisturizers.

Sunscreen

If you have completed the above steps, why not as well a sunscreen? After all, it is the most important skincare step for every age group. If you don’t apply sunscreen, not only will your skin face cosmetic damage, but will also grow susceptible to skin cancer.

Sunscreen has two types:

·        Chemical sunscreens absorb the UV light.

·        Physical sunscreens reflect off the UV light.

People with sensitive skin should go for mineral and pure zinc-oxide sunscreens. People with oily skin should go for non-comedogenic and oil-free gel-based sunscreens. People with dry skin should go for hydrating formulas without alcohol presence.

Skincare Steps to Follow at Night

Most people have this misconception that they don’t need to take care of their skin at night. Well, to break it to you, it’s wrong. When we’re sleeping, our skin cells rejuvenate, recharge, and regrow. It is important to provide some valuable service to your skin. But, the good news is that your nighttime skincare routine is simpler than your morning routine. To make it easier, see below to read the broken-down points:

1.      Cleanse: It is important to wash your makeup off before sleeping. If you don’t have makeup on, it is still important to cleanse your face to remove dirt and oil.

2.      Toner: Again, a not-so-necessary step. If you’re toning your face, apply the same toner you use in your morning skincare routine.

3.      Serum: Use the same serum you use in your morning skincare routine.

4.      Eye cream: Use the same eye cream you use in your morning skincare routine.