Skincare 101

This post is all about skincare, but I’d like to put the disclaimer that I am in no world a dermatologist. These are all things that I follow, and have read up on.

The basics; a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. This is the most most most basic routine for your skin. My routine is very similar, but I have a makeup remover and a couple of exfoliants thrown in as well. Below I’ve broken it down for you in the most simplistic way possible.

Cleansers:

• Cleansers are what remove all of the gunk from your skin.
• Different skin types will benefit from different types of cleansers.
•  Oily skin does well with gel and foaming cleansers.
•   Dry skin does well with cream cleansers.
•  Combination skin and normal can use either depending on whether it leans towards oily or dry.
•  Some people prefer to use oils to cleanse their skin, and use the oil of their choice to cleanse. This method hasn’t worked best for me, but many people love it.
•  To cleanse once or twice a day?
• Many people feel like they need to cleanse twice a day because of how oily their skin is. This is when I yell to drop the cleanser, and listen. Your skin might be so oily because you’re over stripping the oils from your skin. When you strip all the oil out of your skin, your skin reacts by overproducing oils. I only cleanse once a day, right before bed. Although, some will benefit from cleansing twice a day.
• What about cleansers that have actives (Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid) in them?
• I don’t care for cleansers that have these ingredients in them because the cleanser is not on your skin long enough for these ingredients to work. The cleanser most also be at the right pH level for the active to work, which it’s often not.

Moisturizers:

•  Moisturizers restore moisture back into the skin. Everyone needs a moisturizer, even those with oily skin.
• One should moisturize in the morning and in the nighttime. You can use the same moisturizer for both the morning and nighttime, but often people like a heavier moisturizer for the night and a lighter one for the morning.
•   Different skin types will benefit from different types of moisturizers:
• Oily skin does well with a gel moisturizer.
•  Dry skin does well with thicker creamier moisturizers.
•  Normal skin does well with lotionesque moisturizers.
•  Combination skin can use a combination of any of the above listed moisturizers.

Sunscreen:

•       Most people think that this step is optional, but it is not.
•        Sunscreen protects the skin from the sun’s rays, and needs to be worn no matter the weather.
•     You need to apply around a quarter of a teaspoon of sunblock per application. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but measure that out and you will be amazed. This means that even if your makeup has sunscreen in it, you are in no way getting the adequate protection that you need.
•         Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, especially if one decides to stay out in the sun.
•     What’s the difference between SPF 15, 30, 50?
•     SPF 15 filters out around 93 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 filters out 97 percent, and SPF 50 keeps out 98 percent.
•        If you are wondering why people need protection from the sun, here is an article that should show you the effect that the sun has.
•          But what if I hate how sunscreens feel on my skin?
•     Sunscreens are known to be very greasy and have a white cast on the skin. I haven’t found an American sunscreen (I have other problems with them as well) that I love, but that’s where Asian sunscreens come into play. Asian sunscreens are known for being much nicer on the skin, even though they contain drying ingredients like alcohol. A cult favorite is the Biore UV Aqua Riche Water Essence Sunscreen SPF 50 ++++.

   

The Extra Products:

•       Acne Fighters:
•      Salicylic Acid: This causes the outer layer of skin to peel. The removal of the skin can help to unclog pores.  Known as BHA (beta hydroxyl acid).
•      Benzoyl Peroxide: this kills bacteria, and kills bacteria that might cause acne.
•     Glycolic Acid: this causes the outer layer or skin to peel. This is similar to Salicylic acid, except that it’s an AHA (alpha hyrdoxy acid).
•     The salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be used daily, but the glycolic acid needs to be built up in frequency of usage. I recommend starting using it once a week, and building it up to a maximum of three times a week.

What should I avoid in my skincare?

•  I try to avoid any fragrances, drying alcohols, irritating extracts (lemon, grapefruit, menthol, and etc.)
• I try to avoid products in jars, to avoid contamination. Pump and squeeze bottles also help to preserve the ingredients in the products.

What order should I use these products?

•       AM:
•         Cleanser (optional)
•         Active (optional)
•        Moisturizer
•        Sunscreen
•       PM:
•         Cleanser
•        Active (optional)
•       Serum (optional)
•        Moisturizer

That’s all for skincare today, but if there’s a deeper interest in the future, I’m happy to follow up.