Skincare is something that all women should know how to do, it is an important part of taking care of ourselves everyday. Our skin tells a lot about our health and it’s difficult to hide when we don’t take care of it properly. I didn’t know a lot about taking care of my skin as a young girl, but I was always very intrigued by the whole process. As I got older, I did research to learn how to take care of my skin and I noticed that the information was be a bit daunting and could get pretty complicated. If you are not a professional and you’re just a woman looking for basic information that could be overwhelming. With this post I have taken out all the big words that are hard to pronounce and compiled some of the things I’ve learned to create a simple and easy to understand guide for how to properly care for your skin everyday. It’s nothing fancy, just basic information so you can start your skincare journey, improve what you’re already doing or change anything you may not be doing correctly.
Skin Type
This is the most important part of your regimen because you won’t know how to take care of your skin if you don’t know what kind of skin you have. Knowing your skin type also will guide you as to what products you need to buy. All skincare products are not the same and typically you will need to buy stuff that is specific to your particular skin type. So the million dollar question would be, what are the different skin types? I’m glad you asked!
Five Basic Skin Types:
1. Normal- well balanced skin (not too dry and not too oily), clear and not sensitive
2. Dry- rough, flaky, skin feels tight even after using moisturizer
3. Oily- enlarged pores, greasy, shiny, and suffer with blackheads, pimples or blemishes
4. Combination- dry in spots and oily in others, suffer with blackheads, skin can change as weather conditions change
5. Sensitive- just like dry skin but add on stinging, burning or itching after using makeup or certain products
Finding your correct skin type is essential to picking the right skincare routine and products. I believe I am combination skin. I have horribly dry skin in the winter months and then it seems to be pretty normal in the spring and summer.
* Take one of these online quizzes to determine your skin type here and here.
Basic Skincare Process
1. Cleansing- this step removes dirt, oil, and makeup from skins surface
2. Toner- this step helps to remove the traces of dirt and makeup that the cleansers won’t always get
3. Moisturizer- this step rehydrates skin, prevents dryness, flaking and protects from sun damage if the moisturizer contains an SPF
These steps are part of any basic skincare routine and you shouldn’t go without doing any of them. Even if you think you don’t need them. When you have clearly identified your skin type you can tailor your products and any additional steps to fit the needs of your skin. Every person is different so no two routines will be the same. Check out this article here to help you get more specific about how to build your own personalized routine.
*Tips For All Skin Types*
1. Use Sunscreen
2. Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated
3. Cleanse your skin thoroughly everyday
4. Don’t wear makeup to bed
5. Moisturize (even if you have oily skin)
Another great thing to know is, you don’t have to go out and buy all of these expensive skincare products to have healthy beautiful skin. I am all about finding a good deal and saving money and there are some really good drugstore brands that work just as good as some of the higher end products. Also a cool tip to save money on good skincare products, go to stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. You can often find department store brands for such great deals.
Products I use:
Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser
St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
I hope this helps you guys get started on the path to developing a great skincare routine that will give you the results you are looking for. By no means am I claiming to be an expert on this topic. My goal in this post is to simplify the process so you can know where to start or improve your current routine. If your circumstances are more serious you should absolutely consult a dermatologist.
I would love to hear your personal skincare stories. Share them with me in the comments! 😉
References used for this post:
Web MD
Women’s Health Online
Eucerin.com
Nivea.com
Sheknows.com
