I am a huge fan of skincare. I spend a lot of time researching and understanding what I use. Because I’m so passionate about makeup, I kind of have to be equally as passionate, if not more, about my skincare routine. This is because a proper skincare routine can help prevent unruly breakouts, product buildup, pH imbalance, clogged pores, irritation, and tons of other frustrating skin situations that can come from experimenting with makeup like I do!
After years of loving makeup, I found that creating a skincare routine for myself that was both effective and efficient makes all the difference. In fact, makeup wears better and looks better when your skin is in healthy condition. When it comes to skincare, keeping it simple is key. We want to create routines for ourselves that we actually can keep up with. The following are some tips that can really help elevate your skincare routine:
Look at the ingredients
Sometimes, fancy packaging and clever marketing can really cloud our judgement. However, it’s really important to read the ingredients of any product you use on your skin. The last thing you want is a rash or irritation caused by ingredients that are quite harmful. The sad truth is that a lot of products in the beauty industry are filled with harmful ingredients, often under the ingredient category of “Fragrance”. Tons of brands get away with bad ingredients by including this catch all, so make sure to do your research.
Know your skin type
Along the same lines of reading ingredients, it’s essential to know what kind of skin type you are dealing with because each skin type will require slightly different ingredients and methods of care.
There are 5 main types of skin: normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive. Using products that are not meant for your skin type can end up creating those problems you were looking to avoid.
I personally have combination skin, because my T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin area) tends to get oily, while the remaining areas of my face are dry to normal, depending on the time of year. Since I know my skin is combination, I need to look for ingredients that can cater to the oiliness of my T-zone, without further drying out the rest of my face. I tend to search for keywords such as “balancing” or “clarifying”. These are some words to look out for if you have combination skin too!
Chemical exfoliation
Hear me out on this one! If this is your first encounter with exfoliation, welcome! Stay a while! Please! You’ll love it 🙂
I know the word “chemical” in chemical exfoliation can sound a bit daunting. But actually, and contrary to popular belief, chemical exfoliation is often much more gentle on the skin than physical exfoliation is.
The main difference is that chemical exfoliators have ingredients that have the ability to clean out all the gunk under the skin through a chemical reaction, while those classified as physical exfoliators have specific beads or abrasives that clean out the gunk themselves.
While those physical exfoliators can really leave a clean feel right after use, they actually have the ability to strip the skin of its natural moisture. Additionally, they can cause micro-tears in the skin, which are extremely harmful in the long run.
Going back to chemical exfoliators – these may sound scary but if you do your research they work wonders for smoothing texture, clearing acne scars, and getting rid of those small, annoying bumps we all get. In fact, those with sensitive skin are recommended to use mild chemical exfoliators, instead of those harsh physical exfoliators that are popular on the market. Only thing is to make sure you lather on some sunscreen, as the ingredients can cause extra sun sensitivity.
Use a muslin cloth
Another great way to exfoliate your face would be through the use of a muslin cloth. When gently used in combination with your favorite cleanser, in circular motions, the fabric lends itself to dislodging dirt and impurities in the skin. It’s simple and effective 🙂
Moisturizing
After cleansing and exfoliating, moisturizing is key to locking in all of that hydration. A common misconception is that people with oily skin don’t need to moisturize, because it’ll make their skin more oily. This is far from true!
In fact, it’s important to moisturize because this skin type tends to produce oil in order to compensate for the lack of moisture. So if you have oily skin, still moisturize, but maybe choose something lightweight and non-comedogenic (not pore-clogging) such as a gel-based moisturizer.
Facial steaming
A good facial steam once a week can help open up pores and allow for easier removal of dirt, oil, and other gunk sitting in the skin. The high temperature of the steam is what causes the pores to open up, so post-steam is the best time to cleanse and exfoliate to really remove all the impurities. I love to plan out and time my weekly steams for right after I have my hardest workout of the week. This way, I can maximize the steam’s benefits, since this is when my skin is most “dirty”. If you use a DIY version of a steam with a simple pot of water and a towel over your head, make sure the water is not too hot as this will end up over-drying the skin, causing your skin more damage.
Double-cleansing & oil cleansing
Whether or not you wear makeup throughout the day, cleaning your face at the end of the day should be non-negotiable. If you do wear makeup, following this step is even more important because you have two “layers” to cleanse.
As you go about your day, these two layers naturally accumulate various quantities of sweat, dirt, oil, etc. When makeup sits in your pores for too long, and especially if you sleep with it overnight, it can cause imbalances, breakouts, and reactions. Since there are two layers to dig through at the end of the day, one of the best tips I learned in the past few years is double-cleansing, which includes a two-step process of makeup removal and cleansing. There are specific makeup-removing oils on the market that gently dislodge all of the grime and makeup, and can even remove heavier products such as sunscreen.
Since the oil breaks up all the makeup, it makes it easier for me to cleanse my real skin with my normal cleanser afterwards. If I skip the oil step, and only cleanse once, I would only be removing my makeup. I wouldn’t be cleansing my actual skin. Make sense? Now you may say “What about makeup wipes?”. The harsh truth is that makeup wipes are really getting a bad rep these days. I stopped using makeup wipes a long time ago, as they would strip all the moisture out and tug on my skin, leaving a very dry and irritated surface behind.
With the oil-cleansing, however, I can safely remove my makeup without leaving behind a greasy finish, assuming the second cleanse is done. But when doing the double-cleanse method, make sure not to use just any cooking oil you have laying around, because the molecular formulas of these tend to clog pores easily. You can get affordable versions at many drugstores from brands like Neutrogena or Burt’s Bees.
Sunscreen
This goes without saying, but sunscreen is a must. Whether you are outside for 30 minutes or sitting right next to your window with the curtains open, wear sunscreen! It protects your skin from the harmful UV rays that can cause long-lasting damage. It’s just not worth the risk.
Luckily, we are living in a time when the beauty industry has really upped its standards (still a long way to go though!). Gone are the days where people of color have to deal with that annoying white cast after applying sunscreen. Gone are the days where we can use “it’s too greasy” and “it feels too icky” as excuses for not wearing sunscreen. There are TONS of new sunscreens on the market that feel like you are wearing nothing, and I mean NOTHING. They don’t leave any white cast and they wear comfortably even hours after. My personal favorite is Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen. It’s weightless, colorless, wears beautifully under makeup, and doesn’t feel sticky at all!
AHA+BHA= clean pores 🤩
Yes, you got it! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!