We all know that we should take care of our skin, but where do we start? There are a lot of skin care products out there, promising to do all sorts of things, with fancy ingredients and price tags to match. Which ones do we choose? How many products do we need?
For some of us, our skin care routine can be dictated by what’s on the bottle. “Use this [insert product name here] after our [insert product name here] and before our [insert product name here]”
Convenient, right?
Maybe. . .
Your skin is unique. It is impacted by not only your genetics but also the air you breath, the food you eat, the water in your home, how often you exercise, and many other factors- which leads to this question:
Where do you start with a skin care routine?
With so many options out there, it is best to start simple. For your face all you really need to do is choose a gentle cleanser, toner, a moisturizer, and an eye cream.
Optional additions can be a sunscreen if needed (after you moisturize), or an acne treatment if you are prone to breakouts (after you moisturize). If you are switching from a conventional line to an all natural line, we always recommend you start with the basics for a few weeks until your skin can balance, then add in one new product and try it out – a lot of all natural formulations are naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-acne and may resolve the skin issue you have been trying to treat. Of course, if you are exposed to the sun, always add a sunscreen after you moisturize!
To start your new skin care routine, in the morning, if you have cleansed your face the night before, you may just need to rinse your face with some water instead of cleansing. Over cleansing can have a negative impact on skin, stripping it of its own natural moisture and causing your face to overproduce oil. If you feel your skin may be picking up oils and bacteria from your pillowcase at night, you may consider a gentle cleanser in the morning as well, but we wouldn’t recommend adding any additional cleansing besides morning and night unless you have worked out or been exposed to any dirt during the day.
To cleanse your face, use lukewarm or cool water, never cold or hot, and pick an all natural, gentle face cleanser. We like to lather our hands and make little circles, moving up the cheeks, across the forehead, and down to our chin. Thoroughly rinse your face, pat the skin dry with a fresh clean towel, then add a moisturizer.
Every time you wash your face, you need to moisturize after. Shall we say it again?
Always moisturize after washing your face!
Regardless if you are cleansing with just water, with a gentle soap, or an oil cleanser, you must moisturize after.
Why should you moisturize after? Here are a few reasons:
- 1.Reduction of wrinkles
- 2.Reduces the appearance of already existing wrinkles
- 3.Adds an extra layer of protection to the skin
- 4.Reduces acne
- 5.Enhances skin glow (and alleviates dullness)
- 6.Makeup goes on better and smoother.
We recommend a deeply nourishing product for night time, and that you cleanse your face as soon as you get home – not right before your face hits your pillow. Why leave on pollutants, dirt, and makeup that can clog skin pores when you don’t have to?! This also gives your face time to soak in your moisturizer.
After moisturizing your face, the last step is to apply eye cream. Since you are already moisturizing your face, it begs us to question . . .
Can you use your face cream to moisturize your eyes?
The politically correct answer is yes, BUT, eye creams are formulated with special ingredients just for the eyes.
Your eyes have the thinnest skin of your entire body, and are super active – you blink on average 28,800 times a day! Eye specific moisturizers are created for the sensitive, thin skin in the eye area, and often contain ingredients that can relieve puffiness and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. The oils in face creams may be too greasy for the eyes, and clog the sensitive pores of your eyes causing bumps called milia that may need to be removed.
Eye creams are usually more expensive than face creams because of the potently nourishing ingredients used, but you only need a little on the eyes so it is a good investment. To apply, take a little cream on your ring fingers (the softest of your fingers), and gently pat eye lotion under and above your eyes. Continue doing light, gentle touches, until the cream has been applied. Viola!
Try this routine for a few weeks, then evaluate your skin. You may want to add a toner if your water at home is hard and is drying out your skin, or a serum if you have problem areas such as dry patches or acne. These are best applied before your moisturizer, to give them close contact to the skin to do their work effectively.
Let us know if you have any questions! And let us know what your favorite all natural moisturizers and cleansers are!