Creating a Daily Skin Care Routine

Written by Aleksandra Agranovich

How to Build a Skin Care Routine

Building you own skin care routine may seem challenging, but with all the resources and products that we have available on the market today, it can be done in no time. Taking care of your skin is extremely important, both for your body and your soul. Determining what type of products to use generally depends on your own, individual skin type. The goal of any skin care routine is to make sure that your skin feels right, bright, and healthy. Choosing a skin care routine involves three to five steps that may range from a daily facial cleanser, a moisturizer, a toner, some sunscreen and possibly a serum. So how do you start?

Step 1: Cleanser

Choosing the right cleanser is quite possibly the most important and basic step in any skin care routine. Every day, our skin comes in contact with environmental pollutants, dirt, germs, and Earth’s elements. Washing your face twice a day can help to avoid clogged pores, rid the skin of harsh chemicals, and prevent acne, blackheads, and eczema. Skin cleansers can exist as foaming liquids, creams and lotions, oils, melting balms, and micellar water. The right cleansing formula will clean your skin without stripping it of its essential oils.

Step 2: Moisturizer

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. We hear it all the time… But what does this mean exactly and why is it so important?

Moisturizing your skin can rehydrate, soften, and rejuvenate the naturally found ceramides within the skin. As we age, it becomes difficult for our skin to retain moisture in the natural sense. Therefore, the sooner we start using moisturizers, the healthier our skin will feel and look. Moisturizers depend solely on your skin type. Whether you have dry, oily, normal, inflamed or sensitive skin, there is a moisturizer out there that will fit your needs.

Creams that are applied in the morning tend to protect the skin from environmental factors throughout the day. Nighttime creams, on the other hand, are meant to replenish and repair dry skin as a result of cellular turnover and environmental damage.

Step 3: Sunscreen

We’ve all heard of how terrible UV rays can be… and we hate to admit it, but it’s the truth. Skin cancer, due to ultraviolet radiation, is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world. But here’s a fun fact! It is completely and totally preventable. How, you might ask? Sunscreen.

Although it sounds super annoying, dermatologist recommend that we wear sunscreen all year round (yes… even in the winter months). Sunscreen is a crucial skin-care product, despite the fact that it too, is made from chemicals. Using a daily moisturizer with a built-in broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30 is highly recommended. Appling your sunscreen at least thirty minutes prior to sun exposure will prevent skin cancer.

Step 4: Toners and Serums

Toners and serums? Well these guys are optional… It truly depends on how into the whole “daily-skin-care-routine” you are. In the past, toners mainly consisted of alcohol-based products that would dry up the skin and remove dirt particles (which wasn’t very healthy). Today, toners are composed of alpha and beta hydroxy acids, hyaluronic acid, collagen, rose water and green tea extracts, and a variety of vitamins. To tell you the truth though, most of these particles are too large to pass through our skin barrier anyways. Unless you want to take that extra step to look and feel good about your skin, toners are not necessarily that important.

Serums, on the other hand, are composed of concentrated ingredients and work more like elixirs that focus to mitigate dark spots and wrinkles. Serums can be applied daily or nightly, but truth be told, they are very expensive, and you probably won’t see results immediately. Think of it as a preventive “aging” measure.

Example of a Daily Skin Care Routine

Step 1: Cleanser

· CeraVe Foaming/Hydrating Facial Cleaner

Step 2: Moisturizer

· CeraVe daily Moisterizing lotion

Step 3: Sunscreen

· CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30+

Step 4 (optional): Toner or Serum

· CeraVe Hydrating Toner (removes oil, dirt, makeup, impurities, etc.)

· CeraVe Retinol Serum (reduced fine lines and wrinkles)

**Note: These are just a few examples. There are thousands of products available for different types of skin. It just takes trial and error to find the right ones…

Resources

Molvar, Kari. “How to Build a Skin Care Routine.” The New York Times, The New York Times,

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/tmagazine/skincare-routine