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The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Skin Care

If there is one certainty among the many, many uncertainties in our world right now, is the time to care for ourselves. Now self care and self love should no longer be considered an indulgence, or even a luxury. For so many reasons, it's a necessity, now more than ever. It is a great way to start this journey with skin care.

The skin care industry has boomed in the last few years and the choices available can be sometimes overwhelming. Though everyone has different skin and therefore different skin issues, concerns and goals, there are certain skin-routine rules that generally apply across the board. 

Here are some simple tips you can start with to improve your skin health. 

Start with a simple Skin Care routine, stick to it and be patient! Expand as you see fit.

Step 1: Cleanse your skin to health!

The general rule is to wash our face twice per day, once in the morning, once in the evening. Cleansing in the morning will help to remove any evidence of sweat or oil left from your pillow and hair during sleep. But the most essential is cleansing at night, it not only removes the dead cells, debris, grease and extra oil, but also removes the dust, other particulate pollutants and extra oil. 

If your skin is dry, you can skip the cleanser use in the morning but the night cleansing should never be compromised or skipped.

When choosing a facial cleanser, we recommend that beginners should opt for a gentle, hydrating one. Any skin type will tolerate a hydrating cleanser. Its best to look for one that is fragrance-free, has minimal ingredients (to avoid irritation), and has ceramides, aloe vera, glycerin etc  which restore and maintain the skin barrier.

For oily skin, you can look for an exfoliating face wash containing an AHA or BHA.

Step 2: Moisturize to soothe and shine!

It's best to begin with a water based moisturizer that is fragrance free and light. Moisturization is an important step, especially when you are not starting with solution based products (like serums for anti-aging and skin lightening). 

If you wish to go beyond the basics, there are some specialized moisturizers containing actives for specific skin concerns, e.g.

• Hyaluronic acid for plump skin and anti-aging

• Vitamin C and E as anti-oxidants 

• Ceramides work as a cementing substance for dry, flaky and eczematous skin.

Moisturizers work best  when applied on a moist skin, so be sure to keep it handy and apply it just after your face cleanser.

If you have oily or acne prone skin don't think you can (or should) bypass daily moisturizer use. Over-washing without the appropriate use of a moisturizer will actually trigger an over-production of oil on your skin. No matter how oily or acne-prone your skin may feel, it will become dry without rehydration, and dried-out skin is irritated skin. However, those with oily skin should seek out non comedogenic moisturizers.  The term noncomedogenic on a product label means that the ingredients will not block pores and cause further breakouts.

The add ons when you are ready:

Once you have a basic routine set, you can begin to add in extra steps here and there, as needed. 

It is a good place to start with exfoliation, adding it in as an additional step once or twice per week using alpha hydroxy acid (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acid (BHAs), which work in different ways to slough off excess buildup on the skin's surface.

Physical and chemical exfoliation are the options available, AHAs and BHAs are chemical exfoliants, and they're excellent for inducing cell turnover, increasing collagen formation, and improving dullness. Physical exfoliation, on the other hand, is just what it sounds, manually sloughing away dead skin cells, excess oil, and buildup via a face scrub. Sensitive skin types may want to steer clear of physical exfoliants, as they can irritate the skin and can cause irritation.

Additional add-on steps you can add on and off your routine as needed include serums and masks. Facial serums are high-potency, lightweight topicals that are formulated with a higher concentration of active ingredients such as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to target more specific skin concerns. They should be layered underneath your moisturizer, a general rule of thumb is to apply products with a thinner consistency underneath thicker ones, such as moisturizers and oil.

You can also add in a face mask here and there. These should be periodically, and applied onto clean, dry skin. Seek out a face mask that's formulated to target whatever specific skin concerns you're facing that day; common examples include hydrating, clarifying, calming, and brightening masks.

Less is more

Paring down your regimen and sticking to key, important active ingredients will serve you much better than doing too much. Stick to products that do not have too many ingredients and are fragrance-free, and try new products one by one so you can see how your skin reacts. It is a good practice to do a patch test of the new product (apply it on the skin behind the ears) before you apply it on your face. 

Have patience

If a new skin-care routine doesn't seem like it's "working" right away, know that when it comes to skin care, patience is a must (and if any product promises immediate results, be weary). Give your skin a chance to get used to a product or active agent for at least two to three months before switching. The exception here, of course, would be if a skin-care product provokes any sort of irritation or allergic reaction in which case, discontinue use right away.

Consistency is key

Stay consistent! As with many things in life, consistency going through the same skin-care routine steps every day, morning and night is key to producing and maintaining real results. 

Trust in the process (and your own skin), and follow through with whatever plan you set out for yourself.