What is your skincare routine?
I could talk all day long about skin care, it's a huge passion of mine but for the sake of this blog, I'll try and keep it as simple and easy to follow as possible. I don't want to put you all to sleep! 😴
For me, skincare is so important, over the years I have gained a lot of knowledge in this area and invested in some excellent skincare products. I trained with Dermalogica in college and I absolutely love their products so I've got a good collection of Dermalogica things. In my college training, I found facials were my favourite treatment. I love how different each facial would be depending on the clients skin, so no facial was ever just the same. Even if the same client came to me one week and returned a few weeks later, their skin could be slightly different. This could be due to a chance in hormones, a change in the weather or a change in lifestyle.
My skin is always changing, I find in the winter it gets so dry and I have to use a super hydrating sleep mask before I go to bed ( The Body Shop, Drops of Youth, Bouncy Sleep Mask ), just to keep it nourished overnight. However in the summer my skin is usually quite low maintenance and I never seem to have issues with it. I just stick to my normal skincare routine and rarely have any issues. The only times I've ever really have issues is when I am due on!😩 I get quite oily and have a few small breakouts, usually on my chest of all places. Saying this, I've been quite blessed with good skin, I've never had an excessive amount of breakouts and never really had anything to complain about. ( Didn't mean to blow my own trumpet there ).
The Basic Routine
No matter how busy you are you should always stick to a good skincare routine morning and night. I always try and explain to my clients how important it is to have a solid routine. I'm sorry but face wipes, soap and water just aren't going to make the cut, they will not give you the results you are looking for I'm afraid. For some people it is also a lack of knowledge which is preventing them to have a good routine. If you are one of those people, well my fellow friend, that is what I am here for! 😉
Before I get started I just want to talk about FACE WIPES!!😖 Face wipes are just a complete no go, I'm sure any beauty therapist will tell you the same thing. These are some reasons not to use them:
They destroy a delicate and important layer on the surface of your skin called the acid mantle. The acid mantle is important as it protects your skin from bacteria, dirt, viruses and any other gross things that want to get in. If you destroy this layer, you are allowing all these nasties into your skin. Do you really want that?
Makeup wipes are also considered to have exfoliating properties, it is known that 99.9% of wipes have these properties. This will be an issue if you also exfoliating after using a wipe. Over exfoliation will again destroy the acid mantle and cause too much friction on the skin which will lead to irritation.
It is very popular to use makeup wipes to remove eye makeup, THIS IS A COMPLETE NO GO! The eye area is already a very sensitive part on your face, using something as harsh as a wipe with vigorous movements can do some damage.
Wipes are known to increase the appearance of broken capillaries which are usually found on more mature skin. Repeated trauma to the skin such as vigorous rubbing/scrubbing, pimple popping and excessive sun exposure are common causes of broken capillaries. So be gentle with your skin and look after it, you don't to age too quickly.
Lastly makeup wipes don't actually have cleaning benefits, they are just formulated to breakdown makeup. This is why you will alway see makeup residue left behind.
Double Cleanse ( always double cleanse )
Even if you haven't got makeup on, always double cleanse. I can't stress this enough! Ever since I did my training, something my tutor said has always stuck, she said "Have you ever used a face wipe to take your makeup off and then used another one to finish the job off, there is always makeup on that second wipe isn't there? This is why we don't use wipes and we always double cleanse." Cleansing you skin is a much gentle and beneficial way to clean your skin. There are so many amazing cleaners out there but for better result you need to make sure you're using the correct type of cleaners to correspond with your skin type. For example an oily skin type will benefit from a clay cleanser. This is because a clay cleanser cleans more deeply and sticks to the skin which allows to draw out any dirt/ bacteria and extra oils out of the skin. ( I will expand more on this on another post).
Exfoliate ( Twice a Week )
An exfoliate is a product everyone needs in their skincare cupboard. Whether it's a normal grainy one or a chemical exfoliator, use it twice a week to remove any dead skin cells and reveal your fresh beautiful skin underneath. Using circular motions when scrubbing your skin will boost circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Mask ( Twice a Week )
As I'm only touching on the basics, I won't go into too much detail with this one. But what I will say is, in my eyes a mask is the most important part of your routine, even though you only use it twice a week. I feel as though I've had a proper self care session after using one of these bad boys! There are so many types of masks out there, whether it's a sheet mask, sleep mask, a clay mask, a bubble mask or a peel off mask. They all do the job, however, again it depends what skin type you are as they all have different benefits. So make sure you do your research and get you skin analysed before purchasing one.
Eye Cream
You're going to want to look after the eye are. The skin around them are very thin and are usually the first place which shows ageing. Naturally the eye area lacks in collagen, a sebaceous gland and elastin fibres, making this super fragile are so take care of your eyes guys, and be gentle when applying products. As the skin lacks a sebaceous gland, the area can become quite dry, so using an eye cream will hydrate and tighten the skin, giving a more youthful appearance. Remember pat the product into the skin, don't rub!
Serum
If you're serious about your skin care you need to get your hands on a good serum! They work quicker and deeper into skin, better than most moisturisers. They contain active ingredients such as anti-oxidants, botanicals, peptides, retinol, AHAs and BHAs which all have different beneficial properties. It is usually wise to patch test some serums as they can be quite strong and cause irritation and allergic reactions.
Tone
Now, I love a good toner, they are so refreshing and really wake your skin up! It is a great product for tightening your pores and removing any unwanted oils from the skin. Just a few drops onto a cotton pad and dabbing onto your face will do you a world of good. This also helps to protect the skin by tightening your pores and not allowing any nasties getting back in after you've cleansed it! Do you also suffer with ingrowing hair? Well if you do then use a toner that contains glycolic acid or alpha hydroxy acid, this will prevent ingrowing hair. You can thank me later 😉. (Also make sure you choose a toner that matches your skin type).
Day Moisturiser
It doesn't matter what skin type you are, you still need moisturiser. I've had people say they don't use it as they have oily skin, I'm sorry sweetie but you do! All you need to do is choose one that is suitable for your skin type. There are so great things about a moisturiser, it helps skin feeling and looking youthful, nourishes the skin making it feel soft, it protects your skin of irritation and locks in all the products you previously put on in your routine. So overall, its a great product!☺️
SPF
And last but not least it's time to SPF! Using SPF on top of your moisturiser helps protect the skin from any UV rays which the sun gives off which will also help reduce risk of skin cancer. Even if it's not sunny outside it will still be majorly beneficial to your skin. The best things about SPF is that it smells so nice! I use The Body Shop Vitamin E Day Loction SPF 30 and it smells gorgeous! I mean I'm only saying this because it's got a mild hint of suncream smell and I love that 😂.
Night Time
The only difference for your night time routine is that you use a night moisturiser instead of a day moisturiser and you can use a night mask like I do. You also don't need to use SPF. Sometimes it quite nice to go to bed with a lip mask, especially if it winter. I don't know about you but I always suffer with dry cracked lips in the winter!
So in reality it's really not that hard to maintain your skin. You also don't need to spend a fortune, there so many great products you can get on a budget, you just need to do you research. I hope this helps any one who feels overwhelmed by skin care, just try and follow my tips and you will have glowing skin in no time!
Lots of love
Meg x