Perfecting your skincare routine is no easy task. It requires a lot of trial and error as well as patience to find the perfect routine. Here are a few tips for getting on track to having the best possible skincare routine.
Start Simple
If you want to start perfecting your skincare routine, you should make sure that you aren’t going from zero to 100 overnight. This can overwhelm your skin and cause more harm than good. Instead, start simple with a consistent two-step skin care routine of a cleanser and a moisturizer. With these steps you can cover the basics without applying too many products.
Always Check the Ingredients
Ingredients in skincare can sometimes get difficult to understand. However, many times the more difficult to understand ingredients in skincare can end up being additives or other unnecessary things that aren’t always good for your skin. Make sure that you always check what’s in a skincare product before you buy or use it. This is especially important if you’re part of the 50 million people in the U.S. with acne-prone skin since certain ingredients may trigger your skin to break out.
Don’t Over-Exfoliate
Physical exfoliation has always been popular, but it isn’t always the best choice for your skin. You should look for chemical exfoliants over physical exfoliants since chemical exfoliants can remove dead skin cells without the possible damage to your skin than physical exfoliants can cause. Start with using a chemical exfoliant once a week and make sure your skin really needs exfoliation twice a week before you start increasing the frequency. Generally, it’s not recommended to exfoliate more than twice a week.
Find the Right Serum For You
There are many different serums available on the market with different ingredients in them. Think about what you need from your skincare — whether that is to trap in more moisture, reduce redness, help with discoloration — and look for a serum that will help with that. Something like hyaluronic acid will help your skin’s moisture levels, while a serum with vitamin c will help create a smoother complexion.
Get a Skincare Fridge
If you have a lot of products that need to refrigerated, like certain face masks, you may be interested in getting a skincare fridge. Certain other skincare products, like facial rollers and moisturizers, can also be kept in a skincare fridge to optimize their potential. Refrigerated containers can have temperature ranges going from -85 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, so you’re sure to have some wiggle room for your masks and moisturizers.
There are mini-fridges available online that are sized perfectly to fit on a bathroom counter. Usually, fridges that are made to only hold a few cans can be converted into a perfect skincare fridge. These fridges are great because you won’t have to worry about cross-contamination from your normal full-size fridge.
Always Use SPF
If you think that you only need sunscreen in the summer, you’re mistaken. Our skin can fall victim to sun damage at any time of the year, which is why it’s so important to include it in your morning skincare routine. Make sure that you’re using something with at the very least an SPF of 15 in your daily skincare to prevent sun damage to your skin. Sun damage can cause discoloration, burns, and a few years down the line it will cause wrinkles. There are some great moisturizers out there that have SPF in them, so you won’t even have to add another step to start perfecting your skincare routine.
Check Your Order
The order of your skincare routine matters. There’s a certain order of products that will optimize your skin’s absorption of the products and make sure that you’re reaping all of the benefits. Here is the order:
- Cleanser. You should always start with your cleanser. Use a makeup remover before using cleanser at night when you’re removing makeup.
- Toner. If you choose to use a toner, you should use it directly after cleansing your skin.
- Serum. Any serums that you use should be used following your cleanser or toner to make sure that they can sink into your skin.
- Moisturizer. Moisturizer should be towards the end of your skincare routine because oftentimes it is the final barrier between your skin and the outside world.
- Oil. If you’re using facial oil, it will create a barrier between your skin and anything you place on top of it. That means you should always use it last since it will prevent any other products from getting to your skin.
Consistency is Key
It’s important to be consistent if you want to start perfecting your skincare routine. If you only carry out your perfect eight-step skincare routine once every few days due to how long it takes you, it probably isn’t the right routine for you. If you can’t keep up with a complex skincare routine, it’s better to keep it simple instead of being inconsistent with how often you do your routine.
Talk to a Dermatologist
If you really want to perfect your skincare routine, you should visit a dermatologist and be prepared to talk about your skincare problems. A dermatologist will be able to tell you what ingredients you need and can even give you a prescription for different skincare products if you need stronger products than you can get over the counter. Some skincare procedures, like Botox, the number one non-surgical procedure in 2018, can only be performed by a dermatologist and can help a lot with your skincare goals.
You should always consult a dermatologist before starting a new skincare routine because they will be able to predict issues that you may not even know are possibilities before they happen. They will also be able to help you with doing your skincare steps in the correct order and with the right amount of frequency. The real key to the perfect skincare routine is consulting a dermatologist about what your skin problems and goals are.
Skincare routines vary drastically from person to person, which is why it can be difficult to find the perfect one for you. However, with some trial and error and some patience, you can find the perfect combination to get the skin of your dreams.