The beauty of soft, luminous skin is touted as something elusive and expensive by the media. You see advertisements of night creams, essential oils, or miracle lotions that claim to be a necessity for your regular skin care routine.
But what if all that is not actually necessary?
The importance of these products varies from person to person, depending on one’s skin type and skin conditions. However, the essentials of skin care are surprisingly simpler than one might imagine.
In this blog post, we will share with you the basic yet effective skin care routines you can adopt for when you get up and before you get to bed.
Morning ☀️ Routine
Cleanse
Cleansing your face is probably the most fundamental step when doing your skin care routine. It’s the most basic because it gets rid of the dirt and oil on your face, and you know what happens when dirt and oil overstay their welcome, right? Your skin turns into a bumpy, unclean surface.
To properly cleanse your face, do the following:
Step 1: Wet your face using lukewarm water. Water that is too cold or too hot can cause skin irritation, and you don’t want that for your skin at all.
Step 2: Gently rub your face with mild soap. Check the ingredients on your cleanser and make sure there is no alcohol on the list.
Step 3: Rinse your face thoroughly. During this step, the dirt, germs, and oil on your face will be washed away, leaving your skin feeling light and clean.
Moisturize
Dryness is a symptom of a lack in moisture. When your skin is dry, a number of reasons could be the cause of it: harsh soaps, cold weather, and even frequent bathing! So how do you eliminate the dryness from your skin? By moisturizing it.
Before anything, the first thing you must do is determine your skin type. There are moisturizers that are more suitable for a skin type. For example, if your skin leans toward the oilier side, you might want to opt for lightweight moisturizers. On the other hand, if your skin is drier than normal, go for moisturizers with hydrating ingredients similar to shea butter, a kind of fat that’s been extracted from the nuts of a shea tree.
Once you slather the moisturizer on your skin, you can either leave the product on your face or wash it off. It is recommended that you leave the product on, but make sure you use only a small amount.
Apply moisturizer right after showering when your skin is damp, not wet. This will help lock in the moisture, keeping your skin hydrated for the day.
Protect
When we say protect, we mean only one thing: sunscreen.
We stressed the importance of covering your skin in sunscreen in a previous blog post, mainly because the product is the underdog of skin care. In fact, applying sunscreen is probably the most important step you should do before you leave your house.
Our constant exposure to the sun—because of its ultraviolet (UV) rays—is putting us at risk of dangers and diseases, including cancer. Aesthetically, the sun’s UV rays cause visible signs of aging. With sunblock, however, a protective barrier either absorbs or reflects UV photons, according to an article published on CNN’s official website.
So be sure to apply sunscreen on your face and all parts of your body, ideally twenty (20) minutes before you head out and start your day.
Evening 🌙 Routine
Exfoliate
Exfoliation is an essential part of your nightly routine: dead skin cells build up during the day and so do dirt, oil, and makeup, according to an article published on Byrdie. Be that as it may, exfoliation is not something you should do on a regular basis.
In an article by Healthline, the frequency of including exfoliation depends on your skin type. If, for example, you have dry or sensitive skin, you can exfoliate once or twice a week using a chemical exfoliant, as opposed to a physical exfoliant.
A physical or mechanical exfoliant makes use of rough substances to get rid of dead skin cells, among other unwanted matter. A chemical exfoliant, on the other hand, makes use of acid to achieve this purpose.
So make sure you know your skin type first. Or better yet, consult your dermatologist to know the right exfoliant and routine for you!
Cleanse
People might put cleansing first before exfoliating, but for Dr. Harold Lancer, founder of The Lancer Method, it’s the other way around. He noted that exfoliating will help get rid of the debris and dirt accumulated from the day, according to an article on POPSUGAR. This will prime your face for “the nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals” your skin will absorb through the cleansing step.
But because you have already exfoliated, it is better to use a much milder soap for this step. Using a harsh soap might strip your skin of natural oils, which might already be excessive and damaging.
Moisturize
Same as the step in the Morning Routine, moisturize your skin while it is damp.
If you’re afraid of moisturizing again in the evening because you have oily skin, Dr. Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, director of cosmetic dermatology at South Shore Medical Center, told SELF that overwashing your skin might be counterproductive as this causes more oil to be produced.
But if you’re unsure, it’s always a great idea to consult your doctor first!
For more beauty-related content, check out our other blog posts! We would also love to hear what kind of content you want to read next from us at Hye Beauty.