Understanding your skin type is the foundation of an effective skin care routine. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
- Oily Skin: If you have oily skin, focus on oil control and pore refinement. Look for lightweight, oil-free products.
- Dry Skin: Hydration is key for dry skin. opt for richer moisturizers and products with hydrating ingredients.
- Combination Skin: Combination skin requires a balanced approach. Address both oily and dry areas.
- Sensitive Skin: Sensitive skin needs gentle, fragrance-free products to avoid irritation.
1. Morning Skin Care Routine
A morning care routine is very essential in that it prepares your skin for the day by removing accumulated dirt and oils from your skin and unclogging the pores, hence preventing breakouts. It is also very beneficial in that it adds moisture on your skin and helps in preventing the ultraviolet sun rays from penetrating through your skin. The excess UV rays are very harmful and can cause skin cancer, so the skin needs to be protected. Here are steps your can follow for your daily morning routine.
a. Cleansing
- Use a gentle cleanser to remove overnight impurities. Avoid harsh cleansers that strip your skin of natural oils like the alcohol-based cleansers. Cleanser comes in two forms; water based, and oil based.
- Some cleansers work best on dry skin while others on wet skin so is always important to read the product instructions before applying them. Consider a more hydrating cleanser if your skin is dry e.g. cleansers with ceramides, glycerine, and hyaluronic acid. If you require that reduce excess oils and reduce acne breakouts is just consider cleansers with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and tea tree oil. These will work for you very well.
- When cleansing, splash your face with warm water and gently massage the cleanser on your face with your fingertips and rinse thoroughly with water before drying with a clean towel by patting.
Is important to do a small test on your skin to test its reaction, if you note a cyclic acne talk with a dermatologist before switching to an oil-based cleanser.
Oil based cleansers have a higher cleansing ability, they can unclog pores and remove waterproof make-up. However, in in a span of 1 to 2 weeks you may experience breakouts as old oils is being cleansed.
Water based cleansers contains surfactants which allow water to rinse dirt and sweat away. Massage in a wet skin and rinse with water before drying with a clean towel. Look for a cleanser with neutral PH(7).Mild water based cleansers may help prevent breakouts with acne prone or oily skin, however harsher surfactants may dry your skin destroying skin barrier.
b. Toning
- Apply a toner to balance your skin’s pH levels. Look for soothing ingredients like chamomile or rose water. Toning completes the cleansing process by hydrating the skins, removing left over oils and dirt, conditioning your skin and adding beneficial vitamins and minerals to your complexion, today’s toners support effectiveness of the cleanser by adding replenishing ingredients that’s boosts your skin’s health. If your skin is dry use toners that are hydrating containing hyaluronic acid or rose water but if you have an oily skin use toners with oil absorbing ingredients such as salicylic or witch hazel
How to apply
Tap directly on the skin after cleansing and swipe on the face in an outward motion. Note, avoid using toners high in alcohol as they can irritate your skin.
c. Serum antioxidant
- Serums are potent formulations. Serum help in brightening, protecting and hydrating the skin. Consider vitamin C serums for brightening or hyaluronic acid serums for hydration. Vitamin C is used to increase firmness and texture. Antioxidants based serums like vitamin E and niacinamide are used to protect the skin from environmental and UV rays damage hence are recommended for daytime.
- Vitamin C generally works well for all types of skin and help in brightening the skin and fade hyperpigmentation. Acne are so annoying and lower your self esteem, if you need a morning routine antioxidant serum that reduce acne and oils, I recommend niacinamide which is a form of vitamin B3.Niacinamide helps in shrinking the pores, so often wrinkles and brighten skin but kindly avoid mixing vitamin C and niacinamide since this makes serums less effective.
How to apply
Drip a few drops on your face and neck, then spread on the entire face with your fingers and massage about 5 minutes. Is very important to test it by applying it on the skin of your hand to check whether it irritates.
D. Eye cream
The skin under your eyes is prone to signs of aging since is thinner and sensitive. A good eye cream can brighten, smoothen, and make the eye skin firm though. For daytime eye cream choose hydrating peptides and vitamin C to help in protecting delicate under of the eye skin from sun damage. Ey! if you want to look vibrant after the long night apply a caffein based eye cream which helps in improving dark circles and swollen under eyes.
How to apply
Tap a small amount of the cream on the skin using your finger, ensure you don’t use too much of the cream since it may clog the pores.
E. Lighter face oil
Easily absorbable oils are light in weight and should come before moisturizer, they are useful in skin dryness signs and dehydration. Face oil helps in addition of moisture in your skin. Face oil with fatty acids like argan or coconut oil are the best for people with dry skin. Chamomile and rosehip oil help in soothing sensitive skin. Always consider lighter oils like grapeseed oil. These face oil helps in regulation of your oil production without clogging the pores
How to apply
Squeeze a few drops on your finger tips and rub the fingers together to warm it .Let the face oil get absorbed completely before applying the sunscreen since some face oil tend to dissolve the sunscreen.
d. Moisturizer
- Moisturizers helps in increasing the water content in your skin and seal in moisture keeping your skin protected and hydrated all day. Choose a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer. Ingredients like glycerine and ceramides work well. A moisturizer soothes and softens the skin, if your skin is dry consider cream and if your skin is normal consider thicker creams in combination with fluids, gels work best for oily skin types.
- For dry skin hydration use moisturizers with ceramides, glycerine, or shea butter but if your skin is oily and acne prone use lightweight gel moisturizers that wont clog pores e.g. moisturizers with hyaluronic acid will work so well if your skin is oily and acne prone.
How to apply
Use upward strokes to massage to the cheeks, then to the rest of the face and neck. Ensure your hands are clean to avoid adding bacteria to your moisturizer.
e. Sunscreen
- Sunscreen is your shield against UV damage. opt for broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, by blocking the UV light it can lower risks of skin cancer as well as aging. It is the last step of morning routine.
How to apply
Spread it over your face, neck, chest and ears and apply every two hours when exposed to the sun and massage gently but in the morning before you leave the house ensure you take 15-30minutes before you leave the house.
2. Evening Skin Care Routine
Evening skin routine helps in removing dirt accumulated on the skin during the day and adds the moisture. It is also essential in treating dry skin, acne and hyperpigmentation. Here is an evening daily routine that will make you feel fresh on your skin and allowing your skin cell to be repaired overnight.
a. Makeup remover
The purpose of makeup remover is just to remove the makeup residue from your face and neck. Apply the makeup remover on wet or dry skin, massage it until the skin is clean then rinse with water. Is advisable to follow the instructions given on the product.
a. Double Cleansing
- Start with an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and sunscreen. Follow up with a water-based cleanser to cleanse your skin thoroughly. Water based cleanser react with dirt and makeup allowing everything to be rinsed and washed away. Avoid scrubbing your face too hard when cleansing since it can cause irritation, also choose a neutral PH (7) cleanser that will be gentle on your face.
- Remove the makeup with an oil free makeup or micellar water. Dry skins also benefit from double cleansing with an oil base cleanser.
b. Exfoliation or clay mask (1-2 Times a Week)
- Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells clearing the pores. Chemical exfoliants (AHAs or BHA,s) or gentle scrubs work well. Clay masks unclog the pores but can also absorb the excess oil. Apply all-over your face or in areas with the problem and leave it for the recommended time as per the product instructions then rinse with warm water and dry your face. Avoid overuse of the exfoliators since it may affect your sun sensitivity.
c. Treatment (Optional)
- Apply treatments like retinol (for anti-aging) or peptides (for collagen support). Facial treatment can encourage cell turnover. Start it once per week with the target of using it every night. Do a patch test every 24hours before you start using.
Spot treatment
- Continue using spot treatment to reduce pimples and fade dark spots by including benzyl peroxides or salicylic acid treatments. For hyperpigmentation you can use hydroquinone acid. By alternating the nights one night use serum treatment the other spot treatment and the other retinol to avoid irritation. Retinol stimulate cell turnover and stimulate collagen production to help improve overall skin texture and prevent pore from getting clogged, if you are new to retinol apply a very small amount to avoid irritation
- For serum acne treatment try serum with hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamin E or ceramides if you have dry skin. Both dry skin and oily skin can use glycolic and lactic to hydrate and exfoliate. The AHA serums can help in treating black heads and pimples.
d. Night Cream or Moisturizer
- Use a richer moisturizer at night to nourish your skin while you sleep. Night cream help in nighttime skin repair and have a thicker texture than the day moisturizer. I very essential to moisturise your skin at night to help return moisture lost during the day. Night cream moisturize with hyaluronic, and glycerine adds moisture efficiently. If your skin is oily or combination in patches, ensure you use creams that are not greasy to avoid breakouts. Some night creams may have retinol and AHA to help stimulate turnover of the cell, even out skin tone as you sleep.
e. Eye Cream
- Apply an eye cream to target fine lines and dark circles around the delicate eye area. Look for high concentration of peptides and antioxidants. Night creams can help you improve appearance issues like tiredness.
3. Factors to Consider
a. Ingredients
- Look for these beneficial ingredients:
- Antioxidants: Protect against free radicals (e.g., vitamin C).
- Hyaluronic Acid: Boost hydration.
- Niacinamide: Helps with oil control and brightening.
- Retinol: A powerful anti-aging ingredient.
- Peptides: Support collagen production.
b. Consistency
- Consistency is crucial. Stick to your routine daily for visible results. Trying out new trends and brands as well as the usual trial an error and concluding on a skin care routine that works for you best is normal and changes are to be expected. In order to have skincare journey and concluding on the skin care products that works well with your skin, keep your dermatologist close and remain consistent.
c. Lifestyle Factors
- Diet: Consume a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Hydration: Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated.
- Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
Remember, beautiful skin is a journey, and patience pays off.
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