Now i'm no expert to skin care but I do know my fair share of skin care tips and tricks. This blog post is for you out there who are either just beginning in skin care or you just have no clue what to do.
I'll start by running down the list of different skin types and what they are like:
Normal - not oily, not dry.. your skin doesn't really do much or have too many problems.
Dry - flaky, tight skin. Dehydrated and you're face may feel tender and you have to regularly moisturize.
Oily- oily t-zone, your makeup always needs setting with a powder and your makeup can often slide around your face. Your face feels 'greasy' and you may experience acne.
Combination - this is usually a mix between the 3 stated before; for example, you can have dry patches but have an oily t-zone.
Okay so once you have established what skin type you have, you can now decide what skin care routine is best for you. People always say that the 3 main things you should be doing is cleanse, tone and moisturize. So for beginners out there, this is usually where you should start.
CLEANSING.
- This step is SO very important. You should always cleanse(wash) your face morning and night and especially to remove makeup. After a long day of wearing makeup, your skin just wants to breathe and be clean... So removing your makup is VITAL.
- I would advise using something that isn't face wipes or micellar water to remove your makup. Micellar water is probably better than face wipes, but isn't going to remove all you're makeup, it's just going to break down your makeup and not fully remove it. Especially if you are someone who wears a full face of makeup often. I would suggest using a facial cleansing oil, balm or hot cloth cleanser to remove your makeup. These products break down the makeup completely and remove all makeup, and you can use them again just to cleanse your fresh faced skin to make sure all oil, dirt and makeup is removed.
MOISTURIZING
- I highly recommend searching for a moisturizer that suits your skin. DRY skin people, go for a heavier moisturizer so you can get the hydration you need. OILY skin people, go for a light moisturizer and NEVER not moisturize because you think it will make your oily skin worse, in fact not moisturizing it will make it produce more oil. NORMAL/COMBO skin people, your best bet is to go for something light too, just to moisturize it and keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
TONING
- Now I don't recommend toning for dry or normal skin. This is because toner is usually used to balance out the PH in your skin. If you have dry skin, you won't want a toner drying out your skin even more. If you have normal skin, you don't want to unbalance the already balanced PH level in your skin. Oily skin usually doesn't have a balanced PH in their skin, hence why their skin is usually oily because the oil levels in their skin are overproducing oil.
- However, if you do decide to tone your face, do it before you moisturize and make sure the toner doesn't have alcohol in it. Alcohol drys out your skin so isn't a good property of toners, they are usually in most toners but it is fairly easy to find one without.
Tips, Tricks and Things you should know
Exfoliate 2-3 times a week.
- Don't over do it though. Often oily skinned people think by scrubbing away at your skin it will help clear it or reduce oil. No, it won't, it will just make your face more irritated causing it to probably produce more oil or result in a lot of redness. People with dry skin often think that exfoliating will worsen the already dry skin. No it won't, use a gentle exfoliants and do it 1-2 times a week. This is just so that the dead layer of skin on your face can be washed away so you're face can regenerate. Exfoliation is good for everyone, we all produce new layers of skin so exfoliating can remove the old, dead layers to give you a clean, brighter face.
- However, do not use an apricot scrub. These are usually the harshest exfoliants so aren't recommended. AND if you do use an apricot scrub, use it once a week so that you're skin isn't being put through to much scrubbing.
ALWAYS moisturize.
- This is SO important. Moisturizing is key to healthy looking skin and especially good for the harsh winters some of us experience.
Check ingredients of skin care.
- Now this one, i'll admit is easier said than done. Usually the ingredients have hints in their scientific names as to what they are. Stay away from alcohol containing products. Vitamin E, C and Aloe Vera are good ingredients as they are gentle and brightening. Try and stay away from products which have harsh chemicals.
ALWAYS do your research.
- This is super important. Before trying any skin care product or something you haven't heard of before that you're interested in trying, ALWAYS research reviews. These are KEY to finding out if a product is going to benefit you or is going to be right for you. I know everyone is different but try your best to do some good research. A website I like using is - http://www.makeupalley.com/ - this is because you can create an account to fill in your skin type and other information and you can see what others, with the same skin type as you have loved or hated.
Don't use too much or try too much.
- Again, easier said than done when you have a skin problem you want to cure. Too many products will send you're skin crazy, it will unsettle your skin and your skin won't know where to start on what product. Too many products are never good, you can never be sure what is and isn't working. Stick to simple, minimal products that won't send your skin into a frenzy.
And lastly, it has to be mentioned.... ACNE
Now lets get this straight, acne is NOT caused because you wear too much make up, don't cleanse your face properly or because you are 'dirty'. Acne is usually hormone related, genetic or puberty related. Acne is totally normal and yeah, it's not nice but most people, once recovered have pretty good skin.
Acne runs in my family and my mum had it pretty bad at my age (unfortunately why I have it) but now her skin is in such good condition and is so clear. It's just something we have to live with but the bad thing is it can really knock your confidence. (will do a blog post on this at another time)
My advice for you out there who are experiencing acne is to try and find a spot/acne treatment in your local drugstore/pharmacy and try it out, give it over a month to work and if you aren't seeing results, go to your doctor/dermatologist.
My options were, I could either be prescribed Benzoyl Peroxide or medication. In the UK you can't buy benzoyl peroxide in drugstores or pharmacies as the percentage of the cream is usually to high to buy, whereas in the US you can buy it.
The doctor could prescribe you this and benzoyl peroxide is usually the best, quickest and most effective for clearing acne. It's acne clearing properties are A LOT stronger than your standard over the counter salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is usually found in most acne clearing products and usually works best for most people but for those of you out there with strong, stubborn acne, benzoyl peroxide is the one for you.
If, however you decide to take medication, then it usually takes longer to kick in and work and for you to see results. But has been proven to have better skin for longer once your skin is clear. I will be doing an acne post, as I am a sufferer of it but this post is long enough as it is.
My last piece of advice to you, once you've seen a doctor/dermatologist OR even if you haven't, is to keep things SIMPLE. Simple and straight forward is the way to go, whether you have acne or not. Keep products to a minimal and don't use any harsh products. Your skin is extremely sensitive and needs to be taken care of. Take your time, perfecting your skin care routine. Your skin will thank you for it later.
Now, we have finally reached the end I think. Any questions, feel free to ask.. I might not have the answer but i'll try!
I hope this has helped some of you beginners out there and don't feel daunted by the skin care world, just stick to the basics and you're skin should thank you for it (not literally :P )
I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know what more you'd like to see!
Love From
BeautyyByLauraa
xx
