Overwhelmed by Skincare? Here’s How to Build a Routine That Actually Works.
As written by your local esthetician guide:
You’re on your 5th youtube video, on your second page of notes, and this is likely your 3rd attempt to make a sensible approach to creating a routine that works for you…yet still nothing's working. Where’s the glowy, supple skin you were promised?? All you're experiencing is sensitive and mildly irritated skin.
Honestly, with the overload of information out there on how to achieve glowing skin, it may be pretty difficult to attain due to what I feel is mostly poor instruction. So in today’s lesson, I’ll teach you how to build a simple yet effective skincare routine that will actually work, along with some really important information that will allow your skin to flourish.
First, it’s really, REALLY important to know your skin type before you start piling on the products. Some companies will do this for you by labeling their products based on what skin type works best with it, but in the name of consumerism, lots of them don’t because they don’t want to limit the consumer to buy into their product. This one major rule will help you make better product choices, but also allow you to align yourself with products that work for your own skin type. I created a simple quiz linked here to help you determine what your skin type is, and its free!
Once you have that locked in, consider this as a skeleton of sorts to building your routine:
Cleanser
Moisturizer
SPF
These are the absolute basic necessities you need to perform any sort of skincare routine. At this step, be aware of any of these products that may have actives in them, as those may alter your results based on how often you use them. (What are actives?) With this small list, it’s ideal that you do each of these steps daily. This is the foundation to having a solid routine.
From here, you can add steps in based on your personal skincare goals or what your skin type may need.
You want to work on hyperpigmentation? Add in something like niacinamide on a daily or every other day basis. You need more moisture because your skin is on the drier side and it's in the midst of winter (if you live in a place with seasons!), you’ll need to add a serum like hyaluronic acid.
You’d add this extra step here:
Cleanser
Actives/Serums ←—----
Moisturizer
SPF
Okay, let’s review what we’ve locked in so far:
Firstly, knowing your skin type is KEY. This helps you pick the products YOUR skin needs.
Second, your skeleton routine. These are steps you should be doing everyday. (fun fact, you cannot get rid of your hyperpigmentation without using sunscreen. It just won’t work!)
& finally, third.
This is the essential step no one likes to speak about out of fear of calling people dirty. Sanitation is one of the pillars of skincare; it's undeniable. This is why any good esthetician is going to be thorough with their cleaning in order to prevent cross contamination. This practice of sanitation exists any time your skin is making contact with things that are not your skin.
Think about how many times that happens throughout your day: when you press your cellphone or workphone on your cheek, when you go to sleep at night, when you’re applying makeup, when you’re doing your skincare routine….when you dry your face with your towel.
To aid in healthy skin, I’ll drop a few rules of thumb to integrate into your routine. Try them and see if you see a difference in your skin. You have to be the one to be accountable for yourself in this space.
Change your fabrics once a week. This includes your bedsheets & towels.
Wash your hands before you touch your face as often as possible, ideally every time.
Clean your phones and sunglasses at least once a week using rubbing alcohol.
We all know we’re supposed to clean our makeup brushes, and often! MUAs clean their brushes regularly because of this same reason- to prevent cross contamination between their clients.
I can write a whole other article speaking about sanitation but I’ll spare you the details…for now.
Try these steps the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with what the world is trying to sell you to have flawless skin, and remember, our goal here is to have healthy skin, not perfect skin. More on this soon.
Xoxo,
Nas’tassia Says