The key to maintaining a glowing complexion that'll make heads turn? It's developing a custom skincare routine that addresses your unique needs — and sticking with it. Here’s how you can create the perfect skincare routine.
Recognize your skin type
Understanding your true skin type is the key to healthy, glowing skin, but how do you know what your skin type is? One easy way to determine it is by doing the blotting paper test. So here's how it works: the night before, wash your face and don't apply any product. Once you wake up, take a blotting paper and blot areas of your face like the T-Zone, forehead, undereye, cheeks and jaw area.
If you have oily skin, the blotting papers you've placed on all mentioned areas have an excessive amount of oil. If you have combination skin, some areas have excessive oil while others feel tight and don't have oil on them at all. For normal skin, the blotting paper has, more or less, average amounts of oil. Finally, for dry and sensitive skin, the blotting paper has little to no oil on it.
Some people have more specific skin issues like acne breakouts, sunburns and wrinkles, and such issues are sometimes classified into a different skin type. If you are still unsure about your skin type, it's best to consult a dermatologist or a skin expert.
Build a separate routine for morning and nighttime
You'd think a certain routine can work well for any time of day, but that's not always the case. Your skin has very different needs during your waking hours than it does while in a regenerative state at night. In the morning, just as your stomach growls "feed me!", so does your skin. Your skin needs to replenish nutrients so that it can work and survive throughout the long day ahead. Meanwhile, at night, your skin rejuvenates itself, and to fully achieve a restorative state, it needs the aid of certain skincare products that are designed for targeted issues like aging or breakouts. In other words, your PM skincare routine should focus on deep cleansing and nourishment.
Determine the products that you need
Commonly, there are four skincare products you need to use. Consider these your non-negotiables for your regimen: The cleanser, the toner, the exfoliator, the moisturizerand the protection.
Why is a cleanser important? In the morning, a cleanser removes any residual products, cleans out impurities, and readies your skin for the day. While at night, the cleanser washes away makeup, grime and all the other yucky things your skin accumulates while being exposed outdoors (Take note: Always apply a makeup remover if you've worn makeup during the day!).
A toner is also essential to balance out your skin's pH levels and tighten your pores. How about an exfoliator? What does it do for your skin? An exfoliant works deeper than a cleanser to shed the older cells. It unclogs your pores and makes way for other products to penetrate more deeply into your skin. Exfoliators commonly come in the form of scrubs, masks or peels, which you can apply once to thrice a week, depending on your skin type. The oilier your skin is, the more frequent you should exfoliate.
A moisturizer is needed whether your skin is dry or oily. Dry skin needs moisture to prevent cracking which opens to bacteria and infections; while oily skin needs moisture because when it goes dry, it only ends up producing more oil. Lastly, never forget the sun protection. Whether the sun is out or not, always apply an adequate amount of sunscreen to keep your skin from harmful UV exposure.
Depending on the skin issues you want to address, you can also include products like serums, eye creams, oils or acne treatments into your routine.
Organize the order of application
If you're applying your products in the wrong order, you can prevent your skin from receiving the full benefits. In the morning, skin experts suggest this order: Cleanser, toner, Serum (optional), moisturizer, then sunscreen. You can look for moisturizers that double as a sunscreen so you can hit two steps at once. Now, for your night routine: Makeup remover, cleanser, exfoliator or toner, treatment products (if you have specific issues you need to address), and finally, moisturizer and eye cream (if needed).
Commit yourself
A perfect complexion won’t appear overnight. If you want to see get clearer skin, you’ll have to work for it every day. It doesn't take much time and effort from you--you only need consistency and the result is super worth it.
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