The Ultimate Guide to the Best Skin Care Routine

There are so many posts about what skin care routine you should be following but it's had to find one that tells you WHY! Why should put them on in a specific order? It's easy to follow a skin care routine you found on social media but it's frustrating when you are still breaking out or still having the same issues. I wanted to share with you all the reasons behind a each step in your skin care routine from my internet digging and how to make it unique to you.

Personally, I cannot stray away from my skin care routine and "mix things up" or I will wake up with a red, bumpy rash the next day. having sensitive skin isn't very fun... especially when it took me many years to find the products my skin loves. I started out like most people; proactiv, clinique, all the big name brands for acne and thought thats all I needed but that's not what my skin needed. Then I thought all I needed was to drown my face in lotion. Next I only used serums (yikes) and the list goes on. You don't need to over do it, I'm going to share with you what products to include or exclude in your skin care routine based on your skin type.

I wanted to my this post to specify some key components in any skin care routine and go through the importance of each step.

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What are the steps to an effective skin care routine?

The goal for any skin care routine is to have healthy, flawless skin. The three main components to prioritize in any skin care routine is using a good cleanser, toner and moisturizer.

The Big Three

These products are the foundation to any skin care routine and have the most impact on the results you want to see for your skin.

Cleanser: Your cleanser is design to wash away makeup or debris build up on your skin from the day. This step in your skin care routine is essential to prevent clogged pores and acne. The right cleanser for your skin type should leave your skin feeling clean, not irritated or scrubbed off. This step is first to give your skin a clean slate for the products to follow.

How to decide which cleanser is right for you?

• Oily/Acne Prone Skin: use a liquid foaming cleanser and get that dirt out of your pores! You want to decrease oil production by shrinking your pores. Use a cleanser that includes salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide to go deep into your skin to prevent acne.

• Dry/Sensitive Skin: Oil based cleansers like Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser are great for dry skin. Our skin is made of essential oils so if your skin is dry, that means you need more oil! Cleanser should contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and natural oils. Avoid oily skin cleansers that decrease oil production.

• Mature Skin: Focus on rich ingredients. Emphasize using a cleanser containing retinol, Vitamin C, and antioxidants to increase collagen production to improve skin elasticity. Thicker textured cleansers may be more beneficial for older skin.

• Normal Skin: Micellar water is best for anyone with insensitive or combo skin because it removes debris without impacting our skin's oil levels.

Toner: Setting the stage. Toners are responsible for getting your skin's pH level balanced after cleansing so that your skin is more absorbent of active ingredients to come. Toner also removes anything your cleanser might have left behind while hydrating your skin if it might be a little irritated after cleansing. Apply a few drops of toner to a cotton pad and gently wipe it around your face before apply any additional products.

Moisturizer: This is usually the last step in any skin care routine and is the most important. Moisturizers improve your skins hydration and lock in all the nutrients from previous products. In addition, it protects against dirt getting into your pores throughout the day. Using a moisturizer specific to your skin type is very important.

• Oily Skin: Gel Moisturizer

• Normal Skin: Lotion

• Dry/Sensitive Skin: Soft Cream

Treatments

Serums: These oils contain concentrated active ingredients specific for the treatment you're looking for. It is important to use the right serums to treat the specific problems unique to your skin.

Morning Serums:

• Vitamin C: rich in antioxidants, essential for brightening dull skin and decrease dark spots.

• Rose oil: best for dry skin to prevent flakiness

• Hyaluronic acid: lock in moisture

• Niacinamide: fight against acne

Night Time Serums:

• Lactic acid: soften dry/bumpy skin and even skin tone

• Peptides: stimulates your skin to increase collagen production

• Glycolic acid: all skin types for wrinkles and fine lines.

• Retinol: fight against skin pigmentation

Eye Cream: Use in the morning and at night. The skin under your eyes is very sensitive and thin resulting in fine lines or dark bags even at a young age. Some key ingredients for eye creams are Vitamin E and Caffeine solutions.

Exfoliator: Do this once a week to remove dead skin cells and promote new skin growth. Use an exfoliator with BHA and AHAs to diminish acne scars, wrinkles and sun damage.

Sunscreen: In the mornings use a moisturizing sunscreen over your morning moisturizer to protect against UV rays. Sunscreens containing zinc oxide are less irritating on skin.

Spot Treatment: At night, use a leave on spot treatment for acne spots to clean out the pores and diminish small bumps. Active ingredients should be salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Don't Forget

No fragrance!! make sure you are using safe and natural products. Do not use products with parabens, chemical ingredients or added scents. Your night time moisturizer is essential for focusing on dark spots or skin imperfections and should be a little thicker to add extra hydration through the night. Use a retinol serum with your night time skin care routine to increase cell turnover and repair skin damage. Lastly, focus on your skin type and products your skin actually needs, don't go out and buy 15 serums if you only need 1-2 to achieve your skin care goals. Remember that your our skin care routine is unique to you and it can take a month or two to see results so don't give up on your skin care routine just yet!