Serums, cleansers, moisturizers… a perplexing world of hundreds of products to choose from. Have you struggled with how to layer them effectively to achieve the best possible results? Haven’t we all been there!
Let us organize the chaos – in our Skincare Guidelines series, we will take a closer look at all the various types of skincare products and their purpose in your regular skincare regimen.
Goals
What should your perfect skincare routine give you, what are the goals and benefits? Well-chosen and correctly used skincare will reward you with strong, healthy skin that functions at its full potential. What else? It shows!
By ridding your skin of anything that doesn’t belong, providing nourishment, and protecting it from harm, you enable your body to fine-tune all the natural processes needed for your skin’s proper function and to target & troubleshoot your skin concerns.
Basic Order
So, what is the basic order of things? What are the 3 basic actions in an effective daily skincare routine?
- We start with a good cleanse to remove any dirt and impurities that have accumulated on your skin throughout the day or night.
- Second, we tone to balance your skin’s pH and to prep it for all the goodness that comes in the last step.
- Third, we nourish, moisturize & protect. Here, your simple rule of thumb takes you to a pleasurable place - the textures: start with the lightest, finish off with the richest.
Dive into Details
Let’s look into specifics - what product goes on first and what goes on top of it? If you want to give it your maximum, these are your daily-skincare steps in their perfect order:
- Make-up remover (PM)
- Cleanser
- Toner
- Essence
- Serum
- Eye Cream
- Moisturizer/night cream
- SPF (AM only!)
To spoil yourself a little more and give a real extra boost to your cleansing or nourishing efforts, there’s a variety of lush additions to your skincare routine waiting for you to indulge in once to twice a week. Use an exfoliator or a detox mask after your cleansing steps, then continue on to toning and the rest of your routine. Sheet masks or other types of hydrating/nourishing masks are to be applied just after serum and before your eye cream.
What Else to Keep in Mind?
Remember that when it comes to results, time makes all the difference and consistency is key! No skincare miracles happen overnight - give your skin at least 6 weeks of consistent care to start noticing a difference and making conclusions, and a few months to see the full effect.
One Last Thing
…we don’t want to forget. The other kind of benefit you give yourself with regular skincare goes past the physical results; it is the oh-so-important time off, your daily little me-time, the regular self-care that is so vital for our mental health. A gentle start to your morning, the quiet finish that you get to reconnect with yourself after a busy day.
And last but not least, what a pleasure the feels and smells are! Enjoy!
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