When I started to get serious about my skin care in my 30s, I quickly became overwhelmed with the amount of information and products available. How many steps should my skin care routine be? Do I need to spend hundreds of dollars? Do I need a toner?!
After lots of research, I can assure you that a good skin care routine does not need to cost a fortune or be overly time consuming. Read on to learn the essentials of a basic skin care routine that you can (and should!) start without breaking the bank. This is perfect for someone just starting to get serious about their skin care or someone looking to get back to the basics.
Step 1, wash your face. Do it in the morning and before bed to wash away all the dirt, oil and previously used products. When in doubt, starting with a gentle or hydrating face wash will be sufficient for most skin types. Bonus if it includes hydrating ingredients such as ceramides or Hyaluronic acid. If you are acne prone or oily skin type look for something with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Step 2, Exfoliate to help remove dead skin cells and leave your skin looking brighter. You may already have this covered if you are using an exfoliating face wash. If not, start with using an additional product 1-2 days per week before bed. There are physical exfoliants (think sugar and salt scrubs) and chemical exfoliants available. You may even try both!
Step 3, Serums. Use vitamin C for antioxidant properties which will help even skin tones and lessen signs of aging over time. It is best used in the morning for added protection during the day. Vitamin C serum is for everyone!
You will likely want to add in some anti-aging products here as well. Retinol is evidenced based to reduce fine lines, wrinkles and even acne (but is not safe to use in pregnancy). It is a form of vitamin A which plays a role in cell turn over. It can cause redness and irritation, so start with a low dose 0.25 strength every 2 or 3 nights and gradually increase as tolerated for maximum effect. A pea sized amount will do. For super sensitive skin or over drying from retinol try to “sandwich” it: apply night cream followed by retinol cream, and topped again with night cream.
Bakuchiol is a plant based retinol alternative that is similarly effective, pregnancy safe and has less side effects. Hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are good additions as well for moisturizing and anti-aging properties.
Step 4, moisturize and protect. No matter your skin type, no skin care regimen is complete without SPF. The suns rays are incredibly damaging to our skin and repeated exposure over time is the number one cause of wrinkles, skin discoloration and skin cancer. If you learn anything here, please let it be that consistent daily sun protection is essential! Apply a face lotion with SPF 30 (or higher!) every morning, even in the winter, before you leave the house. If you are spending the day outside, you should also use a body sunscreen and be sure to reapply every 2 hours. Even better, wear sun protecting clothing like hats and sleeves with good shoulder cover and avoid prolonged sun exposure during the peak hours of 10-2 daily. No matter how good your skin routine is otherwise, you cannot undo the harmful effects of the sun!
As far as what sunscreen to use, there are mineral and chemical sunscreens available. Mineral sunscreens work by sitting on the skin and physically blocking the sun. Since they cannot be absorbed by your skin, you may feel like you can never really rub them in and they may leave a whitish discoloration on your skin. Mineral sunscreens are recommended if you are pregnant and for children. Chemical sunscreen has chemicals that are absorbed into the skin and are very effective for sun protection as well. Some concerns have been raised about the health risks of absorbing these chemicals over time but no studies have clearly shown significant health risks. On the other hand, the evidence is clear regarding the link between harmful UV rays and skin cancer. Bottom line, protect your skin from the sun using whatever tools you feel most comfortable with.
Finally, use a moisturizing night cream before bed and consider a separate eye cream for the gentle under eye area.
Here’s what it looks like all put together along with the products we are currently using and loving!
Daytime routine-
Wash
Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid serum
SPF 30 moisturizer
Nighttime routine-
Wash
Exfoliate 2x weekly
Hyaluronic acid and plant based retinol
Eye cream
Comentarios