How to build your skincare routine
It's easy to become overwhelmed with the number of skincare products on the market. So, we decided to go back to basics and help you build your routine with just the basics.
Find out your skin type
The first step to caring for your skin is understanding your specific needs, so what's your skin type and how does it change under certain conditions? While everyone has unique needs, there are three common skin types - Oily, Combination, and Dry. Take our quiz to find out your skin type or check out our blog How do I know my skin type for other methods to find out.
Keep it simple
Whether you're starting out or find it hard to stay consistent, keep to a simple, three step skincare routine for your particular skin type - cleanse, moisturise and apply your SPF each morning. Keeping your skincare routine simple at the start will help prevent you and your skin from feeling overwhelmed.
Step one: cleanse
During the first cleanse, makeup, dirt, sunscreen, and excess oil is removed. The second cleanse serves as insurance for the first, ensuring that everything has been removed from the face and concentrates on your skin type and any issues.
- brush your teeth
- wash your hands
- dampen your face with lukewarm water
- massage the gel, cream or oil cleanser into your skin
- rinse off with lukewarm water
- second cleanse by massaging in targeted cleanser for 60 seconds
- rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat skin dry with a clean towel
- continue with the rest of your skincare routine
Step two: moisturise
Moisturising daily offers a level of protection for your skin, reducing the chance of developing extreme dryness and even oiliness. It's important to moisturise even if you have oily skin, applying a light-weight moisturiser will replace the oil lost by external factors so you don't overcompensate and produce more.
Step three: apply sunscreen EVERY morning
Despite the known risks, most people still only apply sunscreen during the obvious situations but it's important to apply every day despite the weather or if you plan to stay indoors all day.
Have patience
Sadly, your skin won't change overnight so don't feel disheartened if you don't see or feel a change straightaway. Different products and ingredients have different lengths of time before you typically see results, for example Vitamin C is 3 to 4 weeks while Niacinamide is 8 weeks. Unfortunately, you just need to be patient and persistent - skincare is all about consistency.
Introduce skin enhancers
Once you have the basics down pat and you're consistent, start adding products into your routine as needed. Just remember, to introduce them one at a time, patch test, and give them time to work before you give up.
