How to create the perfect skin care routine

I recently signed up to be a source for Help a Reporter Out. It is an online service set up for journalists to obtain advice and quotes for stories they are covering from people who have expertise or experience in particular issues. I receive daily emails with source requests relevant to my industry.
A few days ago one came in that was right up my alley. They wanted to know: "How can a beauty beginner create their perfect skin care routine?"  More specifically what are must have products in a routine; how to determine what ingredients to use; and most importantly HOW to use skin care products!  Helping people understand how to better care for their skin is not only my business motto, but my passion.   Here was my response.

How many products do you need is a Skin Care Regime?  

I tell my clients that there are only 3 products that are absolutely needed:

1) A Good Cleanser: Meaning it is for your skin type and condition. You must wash for face for 30-60 seconds so that it has time to do it’s stuff!  (Cleansers that foam up for oilier prone skins and milky/creamy cleansers for dryer skin types.)

2) A Treatment Moisturizer for Night: Your body repairs itself at night while you sleep so you might as well use that time wisely by using a moisturizer that helps with the healing process. A moisturizer with active ingredients like peptides, Vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid helps to restore and repair the skin. Ingredients like Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid helps oily and acneic skins. Retinols and glycolics are exfoliants and help in the regeneration and renewal of the skin.   

3) A Sunblock and Moisturizer in 1: I like a tinted one so that I can skip foundation too!

What are “Add-on” products and should you use them?

Add-on products include: serums, eye creams, toners, spot treatments, masks, scrubs.  

Add-on products are all fabulous and give you an added boost or super dose of active ingredients to treat issues that you may have, but are not absolutely needed in a skincare regime.  They are like taking a multivitamin for your skin.

Using too many products with active ingredients, such as retinols or acids (in serums, exfoliants, washes, and moisturizers all together), can burn the skin and results in making the skin become sensitive.  Products are extremely active these days. Gone are the days of “this product doesn’t really do much.”

What order should you apply products?

1) Cleanser
2) Serum (add-on)
3) Eye Cream (add-on)
4) Moisturizer (or moisturizer and sunblock in 1)
5) Sunblock

What about scrubs and treatment masks?

Scrubs and treatment masks can be used once or twice a week.  Treatment masks treat a specific issue; like acne or dry skin.  They are meant to feed the skin and help it heal.  Scrubs are exfoliation which gets rid of dead skin build up.  Remember not to scrub too hard.  You will do more damage than good by breaking capillaries and creating small tears in the skin which can encourage bacteria growth.  Also you cannot scrub acne away!   If you are using retinols or any acids you should steer clear of scrubs as they may over sensitize your skin.  A clean washcloth is enough for added exfoliation when using chemexfoliation regularly.    

How to determine your skin type?

In the simplest of terms it is about oil production.  Two questions can help determine your skin type:

 

1) How soon after you wash your face do you experience oiliness?
2) Where does that oiliness appear on the face?

1-2 hours after and oil is all over the face:  Oily.
1-3 hours only in the “t-zone”: Oily/combination.
4-8hours: Normal/ combination.

8+ hours: Normal/Dry.

Not at all: Dry skin.

What are skin conditions?

There are 3 skin conditions to consider.  You can have one or more or all of these conditions no matter what your skin type is.
1) Dehydrated: Means lack of moisture on the skin (minus water, not oil; you can have oily/dehydrated skin).  Your skin will feel tight. You may also experience a possible burning or itchy sensation.  You could also produce some flakiness and the skin will feel rough and lines will look deeper.

2) Sensitive: When you use regular skin products, your face will get red, itchy, or a rash could form.  Breakouts are not a symptom of sensitive skin.

3) Acne-prone: The presence of ever active blemishes; inflamed or infected sebaceous glands. 

If you would like more help with your skin feel free to Schedule an appointment.