Where do I even begin?
In the realm of skin care, there is no end. Literally. It’s a bottomless pit of cleansers and moisturizers and exfoliants, sunscreens, serums, you name it. The list of skin care must haves, the how to’s, and to do’s, can make it a little scary when it’s your first time diving into a healthy skin care routine.
However, when you’re first starting off, you just need to understand the basics. While using all those products I just mentioned is good for the skin, overuse of some products will do more harm than good.
It’s okay to start off with a simple routine.
As an Esthetician I still believe that sometimes simple is better, especially if you fall into the normal skin type category – which brings me to my next question, do you know what your skin type is? And no, not the one you assumed you have because you want to use the same cleanser as your best friend or that girl you saw on tik tok. YOUR skin type.
If you don’t know, you have a few options. The simplest way of determining your skin type is observing your skin. Are you usually shiny throughout the day? If so, you most likely have oily skin.
Are you dry or flaky? Then you would have dry skin. If you’re a mix of both, then you would have a combination skin type.
There are also various skin type quizzes online that ask you detailed questions about your skin and the results can give you an idea of what it is. You can also book yourself a facial and the Esthetician will go over it in detail with you, which I think is better because you can have more accurate results since the specialist can see things you may not notice.
Checking out a local beauty school is also a great way to find out more about your skin. They usually provide free consultations with a licensed instructor that will go over any skin concerns you have and determine what your type is. The facials are always cheaper too!
It’s always nice to support baby Esthie’s, so getting a facial from them is not only great for your skin (they still use professional grade products in beauty school, your facial will just be shadowed by an instructor) but it’s also great for the students since they get to receive the hands on practice they need to learn different skin types & conditions.
Now that we have learned what your skin type is you may be thinking, well what do I use? As you know, there are millions of skin care lines out there which makes it hard to find out what works for you.
Okay, back to the basics. It’s okay to start off with a simple routine. One thing I want to add and emphasize, and you will see me write this probably a million times, is having healthy skin is all about consistency. You can’t expect to get great results from having one specialized treatment done or simply washing your face every other day. You need to be diligent and patient and I promise you will get the results you’re looking for.
Also, when finding products that make your skin happy, you don’t always need to seek out the most expensive brands. Don’t get me wrong, I have some pricey items in my routine, but not every single product you use needs to break the bank. If you can afford all the luxury brands and they work best for your skin, then by all means do you, but it’s okay to start with brands that aren’t going to make you think about your finances after you buy them.
First and foremost, step one into starting your healthy skin regimen is you need to be washing off your makeup every night. This was probably one of the hardest things for me to get into just because I’m not one to wear a full face of makeup. I figured sleeping in a little mascara wouldn’t do me any harm. Wrong.
Not only does sleeping with your makeup clog your pores, it causes future breakouts and wrinkles. Big no no. I personally think that removing your makeup before bed is the ultimate step one in starting a successful skin care regimen.
After starting the habit of not sleeping in your makeup, you have already started your skin care journey. Yay!
This is huge. By doing this, I was able to really hone down on what my skin needed so you will be able to do the same for yours.
Since you’ll be seeing your skin up close and personal, you start to see and feel what your skin needs. Are you oily? Do you notice any dry or dark spots? Those will be the first indicators on what you will be looking for in terms of what products to start using. Or if you simply started your journey by seeing a professional, they would have told you where to start.
It’s okay to start off with a simple routine. I will say this over and over again for anyone starting off because even though you have products that are great, sometimes going overboard with them can shock your skin. In some cases it can purge, which is a temporary reaction to these new ingredients you are introducing to your skin. This won’t last forever, so don’t worry.
Since we are starting off simple and then building on our skin care routine, these are the steps you should follow. If you want to go all in, then I’ll add more steps and products to help you as well.
Step One: Washing off your makeup, every night.
If you’re already doing this, then that means you have a facial cleanser, so you’re already on the right track.
If you’re only using makeup wipes, ditch those bad boys. Yes, they are convenient but overall they aren’t the best for your skin. I personally love a good double cleanse when I’m removing my makeup to make sure I get everything off. My double cleanse looks like an oil based product first that breaks down my make up followed by a gel cleanser to remove all of the impurities off my skin.
Step Two: This step will depend on the day or product you are using.
Have you exfoliated? If not, then exfoliating will be your next step if you have one.
If you don’t or you don’t need to that day, your toner will be step two. Toners aren’t a mandatory thing like your cleansers will be, but they do help get your skin on the fast track of building healthier skin. They will either hydrate or target specific concerns, or both.
Step Three: Replenish your skin, baby.
Now that we have cleansed, exfoliated, and toned our skin, it’s time to moisturize. (We’re keeping it simple for this routine, but if you’re going all in, then a serum would be applied before your moisturizer.)
I like to use thinner moisturizers for the day and thicker creams at night. However, you can find a good moisturizer to use for both am & pm routines.
Step Four: Always. Use. Sunscreen.
This will be your best friend. The only time I don’t use sunscreen is when I’m doing my bedtime routine. Sunscreen is ideal for skin health.
So, recap, to keep your routine simple it will look like this:
Cleanse
Exfoliate
Moisturize
Sunscreen
If we want to start adding more products to enhance our regimen, I would add serums, toners, or eye creams to the mix. This would look like:
Cleanse
Exfoliate
Tone
Serum
Eye cream
Moisturize
Sunscreen
See how that can seem like a lot? That’s why I’m all for starting off with the basics. There is no need to overwhelm yourself when you’re trying to start a good routine. Start off simple and go from there.
“Good skin requires commitment, not a miracle”
