Medically reviewed by Dr. Unsa Mohsin.
A brief, 4 step guide to building a simple, yet effective skincare routine for bright and healthy skin. Amid the chaos of boasting and trending skincare products, it is only natural to be intimated by them and often feel the urge to incorporate them into your skincare routine. However, are you following the basics; what your skin truly needs? Let’s find out.
With beauty aisles practically brimming with proclaimed “must-haves,” it’s more difficult than ever to decipher a skincare routine. Often, crowded shelves and too-good-to-be-true boasts make shopping for skin-care more complicated than useful. Everywhere you turn, new skincare tips and techniques abound. They vary from the intricate 10-step nighttime routine to the strange vampire facials. However, not all viral trends are beneficial, and they almost certainly are not beneficial for your skin.
We are all aware that skincare is critical for overall health and reversing the effects of aging, but with so many new products and wild beauty trends cropping up everywhere, finding a simple skincare routine, much alone sticking to it, seems near impossible.
What steps should a regular skin-care routine include?
Even if you’re devoted to keeping your skincare regimen simple, there are a few principles to follow, and we’ll help you unravel the skincare jigsaw to determine exactly what you need to do, at the very least, to care for your skin.
Gentle Cleansing Everyday
Your skin takes a hammering from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. Harmful UV rays throughout the day are damaging for the skin and cause early aging as a result of its exposure along with pollution, and everyday activities. Before going to bed, wash your face with a gentle cleanser to remove the day’s gunk as it leads to clogged pores, breakouts, and dehydration. Let your skin breathe and rebuild itself as it prepares for another day as you sleep.
Moisturize Frequently
Throughout the day, your skin loses moisture, which is necessary for healthy, youthful skin. Moisturizer should be applied twice daily; once in the morning and once in the evening or before going to bed. This practice ensures that you’re cleansing your skin, assisting in the progression of your skin cell’s life cycle, moisturizing it, and, most importantly, protecting it.
According to conventional thinking, if you have oily skin, you should never use moisturizer. The logic behind this is that the increased moisture will make your face appear greasy and will result in acne. While this line of thought appears to make sense on the surface, can depriving your face of moisture actually assist to tone down your oily skin? Do not be afraid to slather your face with a non-comedogenic moisturizer. The truth is that skipping a moisturizer will result in the surface of your skin becoming drier, which will drive your body to create more oil. It’s essential to apply a moisturizer if you suffer from acne. Acne treatments that help maintain a clear complexion may cause your face to become excessively thirsty. Consider a lightweight moisturizer with glycerin, aloe, or squalene.
Use Sunscreen
UV damage occurs all year, not just during the summer. You’ve heard it time and time again, but it’s still true. SPF is critical for your skincare routine. Not a moisturizer or a foundation with SPF—you must apply an actual sunscreen product. Because the sun accounts for 90% of skin aging, an SPF of 30 to 50 is the greatest anti-aging product money can buy. It must be used daily, regardless of the season or if you will be indoors, as UV rays, which promote skin aging, can permeate windows.
Exfoliate
After some time, residual dirt and gunk accumulate on the surface of your skin. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells that can cause irritation, dullness, and acne on the skin. While you should not exfoliate daily, you should incorporate it into your skincare routine at least once a week. Once you’re comfortable with your basic skincare routine, it is recommended to exfoliate a few times a week with a chemical exfoliant. This accelerates the removal of superficial dead skin cells, allowing the active ingredients in your skincare products to penetrate more effectively, resulting in healthier, smoother-looking skin.
Get comfortable
Skincare is supposed to be pleasurable, so avoid getting overwhelmed by the beauty industry’s loudness. The fundamentals of healthy skincare stay constant. It is vital to include the first three stages of cleansing, moisturizing, and using sunscreen to build and maintain healthy skin. Your skin is beautiful, and caring for it does not have to be complicated or prohibitively expensive. Once you’ve established a regimen and products that work for you, resist the urge to add something new. Always start with the basics because they do the most work. Bear in mind that your skin is one-of-a-kind and unique. Whatever specialists recommend, it is vital to determine what works best for you and to always be gentle with your skin.
By: Sanya Zahid
References:
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