My skincare regimen!

When I was 13 years old I absolutely loved St. Ives Apricot scrub. I thought it was the best thing and I was “oh, so sophisticated” adding a scrub into my skincare routine.  Sure, it broke me out more and irritated my skin.  Sure, I never fully rinsed it off and had a grit residue on my face for at least 2 hours after using it.  Yet, for some reason, it still made me feel fantastic!  Fast forward to 15 years later and I still get the same thrill when adding a new product to my now “seemingly sophisticated” skincare regimen…I mean, I have a whole different routine for morning and night now.  If that does not exude sophistication, I just don’t know what does!
Enough about my skincare regimen, do you have one?  Do you do the unthinkable and use hand soap?  Have you heard about how important antioxidants are for your skin?  What about daily sun protection?  There are several factors that go into building a skincare regimen.  For the largest organ of the body, the skin, everyone should have a skincare regimen, even the most masculine of males!  A proper skincare regimen not only cleanses and protects your skin, keeping it healthy, but also helps you fight the aging process!  Yes, I said it…aging!

First and foremost, what type of skin do you have?  Are you oily or dry?   Or do you have some oil in certain places and some dryness in others?   Are you acne prone?  Is your skin super sensitive?  Do you get real red easily?  A good basic way to determine your particular skin type is to pay attention to your face in the time after you wash. Thank you Dr. Dr. Mehmet Oz from the Dr. Oz show for the super easy way to determine your skin type:

1. Generally, oily skin looks shiny very shortly (a few hours) after washing it.
2. Dry skin features pores that are difficult to see in the hours after washing.
3. Sensitive skin is often tight or itchy and prone to allergic reactions.
4. Combination skin might be made up of two or more of these types.
5. Acne-prone skin typically responds with breakouts to changes in the environment.
6. “Normal” skin typically has a good balance between moisture, durability, and oil.

Now that we have a better idea about your skin type, let’s build that regimen!  Here are a couple of stepwise suggestions for building your regimen.  Please note, I am not a doctor or aesthetician, and my suggestions do not constitute medical advice.  That being said, I have built hundreds of regimens for friends, family members, and clients of mine.  I have also tried at least 1 million skincare products, and yes, I do believe that is an underestimation!

Cleanser:

1. Oily skin typically needs a cleanser that specifically removes oil.  Gel cleansers are alcohol-based, and having a drying effect, thus typically better for this skin type.
2. Dry skin typically needs a gentle or moisturizing cleanser that does not strip too much oil from the skin.  Cream-based cleansers are typically better for this skin type.
3. Sensitive skin needs a very delicate cleanser that will not irritate the skin.  Non-soap cleansers are typically best for this skin type.

Toner:

1. The main function is to reset the skin’s pH before applying other products.
2. Not always necessary, depending on the type of cleanser and other products to be used.
3. Some specific toners can serve to control acne or exfoliate dead skin cells.

Moisturizer:

1. Oily skin types may not need this at all.  If needed, use a light, non-greasy formula moisturizer.
2. Dry and sensitive skin types may need thicker products depending on the degree of dryness of the skin.
3. Although I’m sure they smell lovely, products that are made with a fragrance are not recommended for sensitive skin types.

Sun Protection:

1. Yes, there is a reason I bolded this section!
2. Important to use sunscreen EVERY single day!  Yes, even if its raining!  Yes, even if you don’t go outside at all.
3. No, the SPF in your foundation is not enough.  You need to use a dedicated sunscreen.
4. There are many types of sunscreens out there that do not all smell like the beach, and are not thick to the point of leaving a white residue all over your face!

If you have interest in learning about adding additional skincare products like antioxidants (anti-aging), eye creams (goodbye dark circles), peptides, (hello new skin cells!) etc., check out my blog next week!