Now I'm no dermatologist or skin specialist but apparently when you love makeup and beauty products, you constantly get asked questions about skin care. That's because without beautiful, glowing skin, all those makeup products just don't look as good. People are always asking what skin care products are necessary and which ones are all hype. There are so many options out there when it comes to skin care and it can get a little confusing. Sometimes I'll spend hours at the store reading different labels and comparing ingredients and I end up storming out empty-handed because I get so frustrated. But there are some basic skin care items that everyone shoud invest it. I'm not going to go into the different options that go along with each particular item at this time. That's a whole other beast that I'll discuss in future posts. These are the basic maintenance items I believe everyone should invest in:
1.) Cleanser-So many different formulas...gel, foaming, cream, etc. You just need to find one that breaks down all that oil, dirt, and makeup effectively without drying out your face. Generally, in my experience, cream cleanser does a great job of deep cleaning without stripping your face of moisture. A lot of the foaming cleansers contain sodium laureth sulfate, which tends to be a lot more drying. Experiment, read reviews on Makeup Alley from people who have your same skin type, and get samples to find one that works right for you. Don't spend a ton of money on cleansers because all those ingredients your spending your hard-earned buck on just washes right down the drain.
2.) Toner-They should remove any excess cleanser left on your face and get any dirt and oil left behind. Make sure to get one that's alcohol free otherwise it will strip your precious skin of moisture. Remember: if you have oily skin, you often want to use harsh cleansers and toners to get rid of that oil. But in reality, when you do that, you are only telling your skin, "Ahhhhh! I have no oil left, quick, make some more!!!" By stripping it, you are actually making your skin dehydrated, which is a lack of water (as opposed to oily skin, which is a lack of oil) and believe me, dehydrated skin isn't pretty.
3.) Daytime Moisturizer with SPF in it-This moisturizer actually sits on the surface of your skin and acts as a protective barrier to prevent water loss. It will allow your makeup to go on smoother and also last longer. SPF is so important to prevent future lines and wrinkles. I know this has been ingrained into our brains by every beauty source out there, but you'd be surprised how many people still don't use it. And remember: the SPF amount is an indication of how long you can stay in the sun without burning, not the degree of protection it offers. Do this simple equation to figure out how long your SPF will protect you:
Ex: 10 min (Amount of time you can go in the sun without burning)
x 15 (SPF indicator)=
150 min=2.5 hours (Length of time you can be in the sun without having to re- apply)
4.) Night cream-Will put that moisture back in your skin that you lost throughout the day. This can sometimes be too heavy for some people and cause them to break out. If you are oily, try an oil-free formula. Make sure it penetrates and soaks into the skin. You don't want to wake up feeling like you have this thick film on your face. Once again, experiment with different ones and find what works best for you.
5.) Exfoliators-Use 2-3 times a week. Will get rid of all those dead skin cells and reveal smoother, more radiant skin. Exfoliating will allow all your expensive serums and creams to penetrate deeper and therefore be more effective. You can use physical exfoliation, like microdermabrasion, or chemical exfoliation, like peels with alphahydroxy acids. I prefer the physical exfoliation and as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm obsessed with Kiehl's Epidermal Re-Texturizing Micro-Dermabrasion. A lot of people swear by chemical peels, but I had a bad experience with one so I'm staying away from them for a while. The peel actually burned my skin and then broke me out like crazy. Not pretty.
6.) Eye Cream-Will prevent future lines and wrinkles around the eyes, as well as help to smooth out existing ones. Eye cream is often skipped and it's really important because the skin around the eyes is super thin and is the first place to show signs of aging. And its much easier to prevent those lines when you're in your 20s than have to reverse them later on. There are a bunch on the market that focus on different issues, such as puffiness, dark circles, lines and wrinkles, etc. Choose one that targets the particular issue you're most concerned with.
7.) Eye Makeup Remover-This will allow you to get all that pesky eyeliner and mascara off without tugging at the eye area too much. Like I previously mentioned, the skin around your eyes is super thin and the more you pull on it, the more elasticity you lose and the quicker you age. And nobody wants that.
Now of course there are a million different potions and serums and creams out there designed to tackle a variety of issues. All those different serums and creams would be considered treatments to treat specific problems. I will delve deeper into those in future posts. They can be very effective but these are the very basics that everyone, in my opinion, should be using. Here's to healthy, beautiful skin!! Cheers!!
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