One of the most important routines in my life is my skincare routine. It’s maybe not as essential as brushing my twice a day, but it’s a very important part of keeping my skin happy. But why does a skincare routine matter so much?
Aging. Pollution. Stress. Food. Fabrics. They all factor in to our skin’s behaviour. If you don’t do your best to keep these external and internal irritants in check, you’ll recognize the difference. Now there are some people that are just more prone to acne because of certain conditions, and the point of this post isn’t to say they’re not keeping a skincare routine and therefore, don’t see results. This is directed more at making better decisions. Like starting a routine that you’ll carry with you.
Watching My Mom’s Skincare Routine
My fondness of skincare started at a young age. I watched my mom, my grandma and my nana all take care of their skin at least twice a day. They would apply face creams morning and night (Oil of Olay if you’re wondering), used serums, face washes and of course, sunscreen.
To this day, my mom still asks me, “Have you put on sunscreen today?”, before I leave the house. As a kid, I rolled my eyes at her as she slathered sunscreen on my face and arms. But as an adult, looking at how incredible my mom’s skin is, I totally get it.
She’s in her late middle age and she still gets asked if she’s a third, older sister. I’m not sure if my sister and I look that old, or she really looks that young…Turns out, she just looks young. And as you may have guessed, it comes back to her skincare routine.
Creating A Skincare Routine
My mom’s skincare routine and mine look wildly different (you can read more about mine with an older skincare routine here). While we both focus on our routines twice a day, there are a few steps that are the same, and a few that are different. I’ll be going more in-depth on my updated skincare routine for a future post, but for now, here are my top tips that you should use when making a skincare routine:
1. Always Take Off Makeup Before Bed (this isn’t optional)
I learned this one when I modelled. Always, always, always, no matter how tired you are, take off your makeup before bed. Get your self to the sink and remove your makeup with a makeup cleanser. If you’re really that lazy, there are even facial wipes that will do this for you. But seriously, TAKE IT OFF!
The science behind this: The pores in your skin excrete oils all day. Oils mixed in with ingredients from makeup, plus the bacteria chilling in your bedsheets, makes for a really gross environment. Unless you want to aggravate your skin and wake up with pimples brewing, do yourself a favour, and just take off your makeup.
2. Find Products That Work For Your Skin Type
Everyone has a skin type, and can work to get great looking and feeling skin. Here are some skin type examples:
- If you tend to have flaky, dry skin, even after washing it, you’ll need products designed to hydrate
- If you find your face looking or feeling oily after washing it, you’ll need products that eliminate some of the excess oils
- If your skin is a combination, then lucky you, you may need to pick up products for both. Your oily zones will be around your nose, forehead and chine, while your drier zones will be around your jaw.
- If you have sensitive skin, be extra careful with what you pick in terms of ingredients.
If you go to somewhere like The Body Shop, they have ranges that solve all these problems, and the products are all made ethically! If you’re not entirely sure what you need, just go into a store and talk to an employee or browse the website.
3. Get Into The Skincare Routine (set a reminder if you have to!)
Once you find products that work for your skin type, the real key to the routine, is starting it and sticking to it. You may not notice any immediate results, but you’ll feel and notice the difference within a few days of going with it.
You can also make adjustments the more you do your routine. Maybe you’ll discover that you should only use a certain product a few times a week for the results you want. Maybe you’ll add in a few more products to complement your routine.
If you find yourself forgetting to do your routine, set a reminder on your phone to do it. Humans are creatures of habit. The more you do it, the less you’ll need reminders and the more you’ll enjoy the results of a skincare routine.
4. Protect Your Skin From The Sun (this one isn’t optional either)
Everyones form of protection from the sun will be different depending on how much sun exposure you get in a day. At the very least, you should be putting on SPF 30 on your face and neck every day. If you’re someone who works outdoors or walks outside for the commute, you’ll want to amp up the SPF protection.
The science: Your face and neck are typically more sensitive than other parts of the body, and their exposure to the sun also factors in. Also, the way skin ages, is the visual result of sun damage. A lot of wrinkles, blotches and age spots are due to the years of UV damage.
There are so many sunscreens out there that are specifically designed for the face, so take a look at different brands and find one that works for your skin type and your desired SPF.
5. Enhance With Additional Products
If you’re on the path to developing a skincare routine, don’t shy away from trying out complementary products or practices to enhance the results. I like to add in a face mask or an under eye mask to my skincare routine once a week just to give it an extra boost.
Just be sure that whatever you decide to use also works with your skin type!
Start Your Own Skincare Routine
Are you feeling inspired to start a skincare routine with these tips and recommendations? Keep an eye out for another skincare post soon and let me know down in the comments what your preferred skincare products OR what you’re doing for a skincare routine!
