I’m not gonna lie, when I first thought of building a skincare routine for myself I felt clueless, hopeless, defeated and just plain stressed. Where would I start? How would I know what’s right? Would I be able to afford it? Was my skin even capable of being saved? Plus let’s face it, the word routine doesn’t exactly sound sexy or inspire excitement now does it? It just all sounded like more work than I needed. And I realized a lot of people feel the same way when I posted some skincare polls on my Instagram stories yesterday so I thought it would be cool to shed some light on why skincare is important and give a few tips on how to create a personal regimen. I mean think about it; your skin is actually quite remarkable. It is one of the largest organs in your body, and it’s external, facing all the crap out here just to protect you and the rest of your organs. It goes through a lot and deserves some TLC. So how can you actually develop a ritual that will enable your skin to be healthy, beautiful and strong?
Know Your Skin
The best place to start in creating a skin regimen is to know your skin i.e. skin type and skin conditions. The basic skin types are dry, oily, sensitive, combination and normal, while skin conditions vary based on so many different factors like diet, hormones, weather, environment, stress etc. Only when you have determined your skin type/condition can you really know what your skin needs addressed to get it healthy and what products will work best in doing so. This is important because what works for one person my not work for another and using the wrong kinds of products may just end up making your skin worse. Trust me, I learned the hard way when I used products for oily skin on my dry skin which made me so much more dry. It took me a while to correct that, so initial knowledge saves on time, money and heartache. There are several ways to figure out what your skin type is. I spoke bout the Oriflame way here but you can also try the methods shared by the team over at Tatcha here. It’s always best to see dermatologist though.
Basic Beginnings
Start simple and then build on your routine as per your needs. Forget the 16, 10, 8 or however many steps routines we keep seeing all over . . . you can work your way up to those if you want to. But building your own skincare routine should be basic and personal. All you really need to start working on getting your skin healthy and better is to make sure it’s clean, hydrated and protected = cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. Then figure out what your major skin concerns are and incorporate those steps e.g. toning, masking, spot treatment, exfoliating etc when you need to. If you can find multipurpose products like an exfoliating toner or a moisturizer that has sunscreen in it, even better. Easier on your time and wallet. Yes, my skincare routine that I shared on my YouTube here is comprehensive, but it’s not like that every day and now I find that I’m at point where simple skincare systems work too and the enhanced steps can come in when I need them.
Give It Time
Be patient and be consistent. That’s why it’s called a routine! You have to keep on at it over time and the results will follow. Yes, a few things here and there might show you near-immediate improvements but real transformation takes dedication . . . like with anything else that’s worth it in life. So don’t give up, learn to enjoy it, adjust according to what your skin needs (so pay attention to it) and you will thank yourself in the next few months, couple of years, decade and in your old age. I’ve seen my skin come from being hot mess to my own personal passion project and I’m loving the way it keeps showing me how much better it’s getting. And now I can’t wit to see how much more it’s going to improve.
This skincare journey will be hard, confusing, and frustrating at some points but it pays off. It helps you become more responsible and structured, encourages you to embrace more positive lifestyle changes (like drinking more water and eating better), and it boost your confidence because when you look good, you feel good! i hope you now don’t feel that having skincare routine is too daunting and that this helps you get into it with little more faith. Enjoy your weekend.
P.S. I’m not dermatologist or any kind of skincare professional. I’m just sharing tips that worked for me. Please seek expert help and do your own research before using any serious products or steps.
xo
