Does your skin feel dull, dry, blemished or oily? It is high time to look into building a skincare routine.
We have regular exposure to dirt, pollution, bad eating habits and low water consumption.
Therefore, it is not surprising that your skin feels bad and is deteriorating. If you do not take care of your skin, it will age soon.
So how do you set up your routine? Don’t worry!
This article is a step-by-step guide to build your skincare routine in order to give glowy, fresh and youthful skin.
Why Do You Need Skincare?
The skin is as much an important organ as the rest of the body. Hence, if we take care of our diet, exercise, our hair then we must take good care of our skin as well.
Taking care of the skin is not as difficult as we may find it to be. Our skin needs regular nourishment to maintain a strong skin barrier and make our skin soft and supple.
If you will compromise your skin then your skin will age earlier and you will find a need to undergo cosmetic procedures to replenish your skin.
You will have to get Botox for wrinkles and Fillers for fine lines from a beauty therapist.
However, if you start on your skincare journey early or even now, you may see a reduction in your signs of aging and you may stop applying makeup and let your skin breathe.
You should especially have a routine if you have a skin concern such as sensitive skin, acne and hyperpigmentation. A proper routine can fade your acne scars and give your skin an even tone.
Though, you can also have a skincare routine even if you do not have any skin concerns to make your skin look better. There are always a number of concerns not visible to the naked eye like clogged pores and blackheads.
Using skincare will give you a reason to cleanse off all the dirt on your face (especially if you use makeup)and thoroughly unclog your pores.
Why Are There Steps in a Skincare Routine?
Do you know any of the steps? Take a guess!
A makeup remover, a moisturizer, a sunblock and…
Well, there are many more steps in skincare beyond the 3 popular ones.
You must have heard about the 10 step Korean Skincare. While that is a very popular routine, you do not necessarily need to have 10 steps in your routine.
Though, you do need to follow the correct order.
And why is that so?
This way you layer one product over another and your skin gets all the benefits of the products.
We want proper absorption of skincare products in our skin hence, it is very important that we maintain the order so that no product application is useless.
The first step into skincare is to identify the type of your skin. Skin types can be broadly divided into 3. These include:
- Dry skin
- Oily skin
- Combination skin
You can identify your skin type by doing a test. Pick a blotting paper and gently pat it across your face.
Hold the sheet high in front of a light to notice the amount of oil.
If there is no oil you have dry skin. If it is full of oil then obviously you have oily skin. Though if you only find oil across your forehead and nose then you have a combination and normal skin.
The routine for all different types of skin may be the same but the skin care products will be different.
You can divide your skincare into two parts, daycare and night care.
Your daytime regimen may contain the same or different steps as those of your nighttime skincare.
Basic Skincare Routine Steps
Your routine either it is day or night, may consist of about 5 to 10 steps.
You can choose skincare routine products based on your skin type.
Here is how you will go Step by Step.
Step 1. Cleanser
The first step of any skincare either it be day or night is cleansing. You should wash your face to wipe all the makeup, dirt and dust off your face.
You should begin with a gentle and light cleanser to wash your face. However, cleansing itself has two parts.
- Oil cleansing
- Water cleansing
Oil cleansing is usually the first step and an oil cleanser acts as a makeup remover. However, it is not only used to wash off your makeup but also cleanse your pores.
Though you can skip oil cleansing if you do not have makeup on however and can directly proceed to a water cleanser which is also like a facewash.
You should look for a liquid cleanser for oily skin, a cream or lotion gentle cleanser for dry skin and a balm for mature skin.
Step 2. Toner
Toners are very thin in consistency and are used to prepare your skin to absorb the other products thoroughly.
Though that’s not it. It also delivers nutrients to your skin and evens out your skin tone making your complexion better.
You should look for salicylic acid if you have acne-prone skin and a hydrating toner if you have dry skin.
However, toner is an optional step. You can skip this step and go directly to serum and ampoule.
Step 3. Serum/Ampoule
Serums and ampoules have active ingredients that address your skin concern. They can wipe away your acne scars, reduce your wrinkles and fight your hyperpigmentation.
However, even if you do not have any skin concerns, you still need an antioxidant serum such as Vitamin C Serum to protect yourself from free radicals.
Other popular forms of serums are Hyaluronic Acid to provides hydration and moisture to your skin and retinol which has anti-aging properties.
Step 4: Eye Cream
Another optional but recommended step is the eye cream. An eye cream will maintain your under-eye skin thickness.
Eye cream isn’t applied more than a tiny drop. Since that area is very delicate, use your ring finger to gently apply the eye cream.
Not all eye creams remove dark circles but they aim to thicken the skin in the eye area so that it does not lose its elasticity later on.
Step 5. Moisturizer
The main purpose of a moisturizer is to lock away all the moisture so that there is no water loss from the epidermis.
However, it is also used to soften, hydrate and strengthen the barrier of the skin.
A moisturizer is necessary for all skin types, even if you have oily skin. We all need a protective coating against the harsh weather, chemicals and sun.
This is the skincare product that dermatologists recommend you to use all year for all skin types.
People with oily skin should use a water and gel moisturizer for light application and dry skin people can use those thick creams and lotions.
Step 6. Sunscreen
All of your skincare is useless if you do not apply sunscreen.
Not only does sunscreen protect you from harmful ultraviolet rays, but it can also prevent wrinkles and facial lines.
They will also protect you from sun damage, sunburns and the formation of clogged pores. However, their crucial benefit is protection from skin cancer.
Sunscreens can either be physical or chemical. It needs to be the last step of your skincare routine for the day.
If you put a moisturizer after sunscreen then it will render your moisturizer ineffective. Hence, it is one of the most important steps in your routine.
You also need to wear sunscreen indoors because you can still have some exposure to UV rays and the sun.
Difference Between Daytime and Nighttime Routine
The above mentioned routine is more fit as a daytime routine. With a few additional steps you can turn it into a nighttime routine.
These include:
Double Cleansing
People prefer to only use a water-based cleanser in the morning as a face wash.
However, after an entire day, you may have a lot of dirt and dust particles on your face which are likely to set as sebaceous filaments.
Hence, it is necessary to try and double cleanse during the night.
You should remove your dirt particles with an oil cleanser and completely wash off any remaining makeup or dirt with water or a foam cleanser.
Essences and Boosters
You may like an additional boost to your skin at night time as the skin replenishes at night.
These essences give you just that and they nourish your skin overnight.
Night Creams and Masks
You may want to wear a sheet mask before the moisturizer or apply a night cream and a night mask.
A night cream is generally thicker than a moisturizer. Though, they absorb slowly in the skin and prevent loss of water from the skin over the long night.
Exfoliators, Peels and Treatments
Anti-aging serums and treatments specifically for a condition work better at night.
Our skin repairs and regenerates at night time. Hence these exfoliators, peels and treatments work better at night.
Exfoliators and peels cleanse your skin thoroughly by removing your dead skin cells.
However, use everything in moderation. Do not use treatments alongside exfoliators.
You can also add face oils, sheet masks, ampoules but after you are well aware of your skin’s needs.
Overview
If you are just starting, you do not need to lather yourself with products.
Experiment with a cleanser, serum and moisturizer and sunscreen first, then steadily increase your products.
It is possible to break out as soon as you start using skincare however, it takes time to make your skin used to the products.
Skincare is not magic, you will see results in a while but they will be worthwhile.
So hold on tightly to your skincare routine and get glowing, supple skin.
