This Basic Skincare Routine Won’t Overwhelm You
As someone who has done little more than wash his face with Target brand facial cleanser and use $4 Suave lotion on my face for the better part of four decades, when it comes to skincare, I am no guru. Through a combination of ignorance, willful ignorance, and a bit of luck, I didn’t have to figure out proper skin care or spend time learning how to do it. The entire industry seemed like a colossal racket of overwhelming ingredients, conflicting recommendations, false promises, and wildly expensive products whose very existence depended on—and reinforced—female insecurities.
Also? It bothered the hell out of me.
A trip to the skincare department (much like the makeup counter) still puts me in a tailspin. Do I need a finishing and firming effect or weightless hydration? It restores my lipids, but is it really that important? What are amino peptides?! Which usually resulted in me walking away empty-handed with no noticeable improvement in actual skin care.
And while I still don’t need to understand skincare, I’ve reached the point where I want to. Over time, my “I won’t fall into the trap, patriarchal rascals!” the resistance dropped to a softer one: “Well, it would be nice not to see so many of my pores.” My description of the beauty industry may still be true, but what’s wrong with wanting your skin to look brighter, healthier, wrinkle-free, blemish-free, and completely devoid of water? Nothing.
I learned that there is a right order to apply skin care products if you want them to be as effective as possible and not cause irritation. (A general rule of thumb is to apply them in sequential order, from thinnest to thickest.) We’ll cover the most basic procedures here, including the order in which you apply them. We’ll walk you through the must-haves (cleansing, moisturizing, sunscreen) and the optional (everything else).
Step 1: Cleanser (required)
Any skin care starts with cleansing the skin twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening. (I’ve been known to skip my morning cleansing because how messy can my face be while sleeping?) But after a day of fighting oils, germs, dirt and pollutants, I really have to insist that you wash your face. every evening. And dermatologists too. Manhattan certified dermatologist Sejal Shah told Allure , “At the end of the day, it’s important to cleanse your skin to remove not only the skincare and makeup you put on in the morning, but also excess sebum, sweat, and dead skin cells. pollutants and other debris that collects on the skin throughout the day.”
The cleanser you need depends on your skin type. Without going into too much detail, beginners can start with something gentle, hydrating, and fragrance-free. Oily skin often handles foaming fluids well, while dry skin is better hydrated with a cream-based cleanser rich in emollients.
Step 2: Toner (Optional)
Every time I had a pimple in my teens, I rubbed it several times with an astringent-soaked tissue until it dried, crusted, flaked, and finally came off. Nice system! While you’d have to pay me to believe that Sea Breeze wasn’t just a funky-colored rubbing alcohol, today’s toners are gentler and contain better ingredients. Modern tonics function as lightweight, nutrient-rich skin fillers and primers for your skin to absorb other ingredients if you’re into it.
Look for alpha and beta hydroxy acids to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores (use AHA for dry skin and BHA for oily skin). Hyaluronic acid enhances hydration, rose water and green tea extracts reduce redness, and vitamins E and C provide a protective layer against free radicals (unstable atoms that break down collagen, causing unwanted pigmentation and premature aging).
One rule of thumb when using toner is to wait five minutes or until it dries before applying the next step to give the nutrient-rich acids time to fully absorb.
Step 3: Serum (optional)
While technically not a required step, you may not want to sleep on the serum. As Yale professor and dermatologist Dr. Mona Gohara told Cosmopolitan , “Sera are basically just doses of extremely concentrated nutrients, moisturizers, and antioxidants that really improve your skin’s health the moment you apply them.” (She then called them “heavyweights in your skincare.”)
Vitamin C serums are real magic in a tiny jar. They brighten skin, boost collagen production, prevent fine lines, inhibit melanin production, which helps to lighten dark spots and acne scars (over time), and protect skin from environmental damage (again, free radicals). Serums with hyaluronic acid moisturize by retaining moisture. Retinol serums stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, making them the best treatment for the visible signs of aging. (Vitamin C serums are best applied in the morning to take advantage of their protective properties; retinol serums degrade in the sun, making them best for nighttime use.)
Step 4: Moisturizer (required)
You can forget about the other steps, but hydration is key. Not only for the overall health of your skin, but also because it makes your skin feel less tight. A moisturizer hydrates, softens, and seals other products on your skin, making them more effective. Plus, it replaces some of the essential oils that we wash off with every face wash.
Are there day and night moisturizers? I’m sorry to say there is. And while you don’t need two different moisturizers, they serve different purposes. Day moisturizers (applied in the morning) are lightweight and designed to protect the skin from environmental aggressors (free radicals and UV rays). Night moisturizers, which are usually heavier and thicker, are designed to repair and regenerate the skin and will contain ingredients such as retinol (anti-aging based on vitamin A), vitamin E and resveratrol (antioxidants), ceramides (protective proteins), glycerin. and lactic acid (exfoliant).
Step 5: Sunscreen (required)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a dermatologist who wouldn’t recommend sunscreen as a necessary – perhaps the most important – step in any skin care regimen. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and apply it daily, even if you don’t see the sun.
Of course, there are many other steps that can be added to a skincare routine (exfoliation, facials, microcurrents, oh my!), but for today’s tutorial, we will stop here, hopefully you will have a little more knowledge than before. .