Skincare - Where do I begin?

Soo many products! Soo many ingriedents! Where do I start? How do I start? Do not fear we gat you boo....

So sit back, relax and lets get right into this skincare education series!

1. FIGURE OUT YOUR SKINTYPE

The key to figuring what products are best suited to you is knowing your skin type. This ensures you are not only using the right product and ingriedients but also allows you to maximise on the benefits your skin really needs. However, one thing to note is that your skin type can also be affected by the seasons for instance you might need lighter products in the warmer months and even more hydrating products in the colder months. The second thing to note is that your skin type can change as you age for example your skin in your teens might have been oily but as you've aged your skin may no longer be as oily.

You can get a general idea of what your skin type is by taking this quiz from esthetician-backed skincare brand Rene Rouleau.

2. A BASIC SKINCARE ROUTINE

A lot of us think that our skincare routine has to be over complicated with different layers. However, when starting out and trying to figure out what is going to work a basic skincare routine is all you need: cleanse, tone, treat, moisturise and sunscreen. Your skincare products can change slightly from day to night for instance I incorporate retinol into my night time routine. So while its likely you’ll use the same cleanser, your treatment products and moisturiser may change. I hear you thinking why is/should my night routine differ from my day?

This is for a number of reasons. One is because some skincare products/ingredients shouldn’t be used during the day ie/Retinol. Another reason is because the skin goes through a renewal process at night and it is advice you use “heavier” products at night to help aid the renewal process for optimum results and benefits.

Here’s a chart you can pin or print out to help you figure out the order to use your products.

3. SERUMS AND OTHER TREATMENT PRODUCTS

What are Serums? Do I even NEED a treatment product? Well the answer to that is Maybe.Treatment products are always going to dependant on what your current skincare needs are and those needs can and most likely will change.

Serums are a type of treatment product. It’s an overall category of products that have a similar consistency. There are serums for hydration, serums for brightening, serums for dark spots, serums for acne, serums for fine lines & wrinkles and much more. Serums are typically very fluid although some may be watery and some may even feel sticky. Because of their consistency, serums are able to penetrate the skin in a way other product forms cannot. For example, look at the consistency of a serum and how it sinks into the skin. Now compare that to a moisturiser.

Typically serums are used daily (but make sure you read the product’s instructions to be sure), but there are other treatment products you might not use as often such as masks, peels, and acne treatments. You want to refer to the directions on these for how often you should use them.

4. SUNSCREEN

Listen, who ever told you that you don't need to wear sunscreen everyday all year round is lying to you! Yes you need to wear sunscreen during the day all day everyday!!

The sun’s harmful rays are the biggest culprit behind the breakdown of collagen, (thats the protein in the skin that helps keep it snatched). Not only that but if you’re dealing with dark spots, or melasma, the UVA rays (the aging sun rays) can actually make it worse! There are also some skincare products which actually make the skin more sensitive to the sun. Even more importantly, you need protection against skin cancers. 

While people with darker skin tones may not get skin cancers as often or quickly as our white counterparts, it progresses at an alarming rate. Why? Because we’re not as inclined to check our skin for signs of skin cancer and neither our many of our care providers.

Sis make sure SUNSCREEN is in your routine its NON-NEGOTIABLE!!

5. CHOOSING SKINCARE PRODUCTS/BRANDS

Figuring out which products you need in your routine might be a lot easier for you now having read this post, and perhaps knowing that it can take time to really find what works best for your skin may take the pressure off of having to find the right products NOW.

However in choosing skincare products or brands to use the first thing of course would be your budget. We all have different ways in which we prefer to spend our coins.

It is importnat that you find products that you can easily buy to keep up with consistency. It is also important that you understand the phrase “skincare is an investment” which can mean way more about an investment in time and patience than it has to do with the cost of your products. Just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean it’s better or great for your skin. (Oh, and while we are here, just because something is NATURAL also doesn’t mean it’s better for your skin either).

Choosing skincare products and brands you may also want to find products that fit in with your ethics and values. If you feel strongly about a particular subject ie. animal testing, veganism etc I’m sure you’ll want the brands you use to also align with your values. So make sure you check that out also.

Be sure to look at the products that stand out to you—read the labels. Yes, there’s a lot of marketing and fluff on a lot of these labels, but majority of skincare brands will clue you into who the product is for on the label. So for instance, if you have dry skin you may want to look for words like “hydrating” “moisturising” or shoot, simply look for “for dry skin” on the label…lol.

And here's the part that a lot of people don’t want to hear:

YOU WON’T KNOW IF A PRODUCT IS RIGHT FOR YOU UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY TRY IT. SO TRY IT AND THAT INCLUDES OUR PRODUCTS TOO!!