Flawless skin starts from the inside! A morning and night-time skin care routine is important but a healthy lifestyle is just as important. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, getting enough sleep and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables are just as necessary as cleansing, moisturizing and wearing sunscreen.
If you don’t already have a skin care routine, getting started can be overwhelming. But fear not, our skin care guide will give you a really simple routine to follow to get you on your way to flawless skin.
Skin Care Routine
Your skin care routine doesn’t have to be an hour-long process. It’s not about how many steps there are in your routine, but more about following it consistently. These five simple steps take just a few minutes. Do this each morning and evening, and your skin will thank you!
1 Cleanse
First up, you have to cleanse. At night, your cleanser should remove all traces of make-up, dirt and oil on your face. You will probably need to cleanse twice to make sure you get rid of all of your make-up and they day’s build-up of oil. In the morning, you won’t have as much of a build-up of dirt and oil so you can usually get away with a one-step cleanse.
I definitely recommended that you cleanse your face twice a day morning and night. A lot of people tend to skip the night-time cleanse, but this one is even more essential.
In terms of choosing a cleanser, you should choose one that is specific to your skin type. You can choose a face wash, soap bar or a creamy cleanser depending on your skin type. For those with dry skin, soaps can be harsh and you might be better off using a creamy cleanser.
It is possible to over cleanse your skin and you want to avoid this. You don’t need to cleanse your face more than twice a day and doing so can strip your skin of its natural oils. If your cleanser leaves your face feeling very tight and dry after cleansing, that is an indication you could be cleansing too much.
2 Exfoliate
Exfoliation gets rid of dead skin cells that sit on the surface of your skin. There are two types of exfoliation: mechanical and chemical. Mechanical exfoliation is where skin cells are physically rubbed off with something abrasive. This could be done using various scrubs such as sugar and salt scrubs or with different types of skin brushes, for example the Clarisonic.
Chemical exfoliation uses acids or enzymes to remove dead skin. Some face washes and scrubs contain low concentrations of these acids and can be used more regularly than harsher acids that are used for facial peels, for example.
Exfoliation does not need to take place daily, and exfoliating too often can cause skin irritation, dryness and rashes. Some exfoliating scrubs are mild enough to be used daily but generally, exfoliating no more than skin 1-2 times a week is recommended.
3 Tone
Using a toner is optional. Some beauty experts recommend them and others do not. Toners are used to remove any last traces of make up or oil but good cleansers should do this anyway. Some toners contain alcohol and these can sting and dry out the skin so if you do choose to use a toner, be kind to your skin and choose one that doesn’t contain alcohol.
4 Moisturize
Moisturizers do two things: they keep your face from drying out and they keep your face from producing too much oil. A good moisturizer gives your skin the right balance of hydration and that is why it is so important to choose a moisturizer for your skin type.
5 Sun screen
If you’re going outside in the day, wear sunscreen. It’s as simple as that. UV rays from the sun cause damage over time and often, the damage cannot be seen until it is too late to do anything about it. Sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 is recommended by dermatologists. SPF 30 is even better.
Click here to see For Flawless Skin’s Top 10 Sunscreens
Consistency is key. No matter how good your routine is or how good your skin care products are, you won’t get flawless skin by following a skin care routine just once or twice a week. Aim to follow your routine daily and ensure you’re also drinking a lot of water and eating well.