Have you ever heard that your habits create your destiny? Most people wrongly assume the fate of their skin will be determined by their genetics. If their mom aged well, they assume they'll have the same luck. The truth is, only 25% of your skin's destiny is determined by genetics. The rest is determined by lifestyle, nutrition, and the quality and consistency of your skincare regimen.
So what makes up a good skincare routine? There are a few tried and true best practices that should be followed daily or weekly to create a bright future for your face!
1) Cleanse: Wash your face
This one is pretty straightforward. In order for skin to absorb products correctly, it needs to be clean. It’s especially important to remove makeup and any remnants of the day before you go to bed. Every day you don't do this ages your skin ELEVEN days. Pick a cleanser that works with your skin type. For oily skin, I love a jelly cleanser. For normal to dry, try a mousse cleanser.
It's also important to make sure you exfoliate one to two times PER WEEK to help slough off the dead skin that accumulates. But don't over-exfoliate - being too aggressive or frequent with exfoliation can irritate and create microtears in your skin.
2) Tone: Prepping your skin
After cleansing, apply toner to rebalance and prepare your skin for the remaining products. Old school toners used to strip skin of moisture with harsh alcohols, but today’s versions condition and nourish.
Different toners have different purposes, so choose one for your skin’s needs. A next level toner will contain pre- and probiotics to help support and balance your skin's microbiome, the collection of bacteria (both good and bad) found on it's surface. Here's my favorite for oily skin as well as for normal to dry skin!
3) Treat: Focus on Your Skincare Concerns
Now that you’ve cleansed and prepped your skin, it’s time to address any skin concerns with treatments and serums. Products in this step are typically concentrated formulas meant to treat acne, wrinkles, fine lines, discoloration, etc. One of my favorites that universally treats all skin types and is appropriate for aging skin as well as youthful skin is hyaluronic acid. Organic oil blends can also address dryness, rosacea, and help your skin maintain a dewy glow. My recommendation is pick your top concern and focus on a treatment product for that, so you don't get bogged down in eight different serums.
4) Moisturize: Lock it in
For the final step, it’s time to lock in all those earlier products with a moisturizer. Not only does a moisturizer provide, well, moisture, it also seals in your toners and treatments to make those products even more effective. If you are moisturizing at the start of your day, make sure your moisturizer (or your foundation) contains SPF. Failure to protect your skin from the sun, even in the winter or on days you think you'll stay inside, is one of the fastest accelerators of visible aging. If you have oily skin, you'll need a light formulation. If you have normal to dry skin, you can try something a bit more hydrating. If it's nighttime, ditch the SPF and opt for a moisturizer with regenerative properties to help restore the skin.
That’s it! Just four simple steps. Despite the complicated routines floating around, you don’t need 12-plus products in your skin care arsenal for it to work. Simply choose your products wisely, follow the above order to maximize effectiveness, and make sure you're knocking out your routine every morning as well as every night before you go to bed.
Your habits truly create your destiny, so let your skin habits create an amazing future for your face! If you have questions about what products you should be using for your unique skin, don't hesitate to contact me! I'm a Certified Master Skin Coach, and I love finding the perfect pairings to create gorgeous glowing skin.