Establishing a Basic Skincare Routine

The Basics of Skincare

The earlier you are able to establish a skincare routine the better. If you’re heading into your thirties and you have not established a skincare routine, now is definitely the time to start. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, so step away from the soap and water and let’s get proactive about caring for your skin.

Your skin is your body’s largest organ..

Let’s discuss a few things that will help in establishing a face skincare routine;
1.Knowing your skin type is at the top of the list. Do you have dry, normal, combination, sensitive or oily skin? As a general rule of thumb, how is your skin looking or feeling by mid day/ late afternoon? Is your face slick from oil production or is it feeling dry and tight? (oily vs dry) Can you try out new skincare products and your skin adjusts to them nicely or is your skin sensitive to new products? (sensitive) Are there sections on your face that feel and look ok and other parts that appear oily or dry? (combination) Once you know your skin type, we can move on to products that address your specific skin care needs and the order in which to use skincare products. Need a little help with determining your skin type, have a look below.

2. The order of applying skincare products can be daunting but it does not have to be. When applying skincare products, simply pay attention to the consistency of the product. Determine which product is lightest in consistency, work your way through to the thickest or heaviest product.

Knowing the order in which to apply skincare products allows for maximum absorption into the skin. The diagram to the left outlines the order in which to apply skincare products and the layers of your skin. You want your product to penetrate the skin’s epidermal layer as deep as possible to help nourish and reinforce it.

Don’t be overwhelmed with the amount of products pictured. There are numerous products on the market that can address more than one issue, thus making organizing a simple skincare routine easy and manageable. If all else fails, just remember your skincare routine needs these 4 components to keep your skin happy; cleanse, treat, moisturize and protect your skin, in that order.
3. SPF!!! Yes, sun protection is needed to protect your skin from the UVA and UVB rays emitted by the sun everyday. Sun protection should be used year round. The UVA rays of the sun can cause premature aging of the skin like wrinkles, while the UVB rays can cause the skin to burn. Discussing SPF is truly an entire blog piece on it’s own and I will get to it in my next blog post, but it certainly needs to be mentioned in establishing a skin care routine.

Skincare Products

I was sure to stock up on some of my favourite skincare products during the 2020 Sephora Spring Sale.

Face Wash

My ultimate face wash, my holy grail of face washes is the Consonant Natural foaming face wash!! This face wash is great for everyone’s skin type; whether dry, oily, combo, sensitive or normal. It is an amazing 3 in 1 formula that cleanses, tones and removes makeup. It’s Canadian, 100% natural and formulated with tea oil and grape seed oil. Though it is a foaming face wash, it is not drying and does not strip the skin. It provides your skin with the perfect level of clean and retails for $26 at Sephora and at Consonant Skincare’s flagship stores as well as online. I’ve been using it for the last 4 years with no complaints. One bottle goes such a long way.

As a general rule of thumb; find a face wash that gently cleanses your skin without leaving it feeling overly dry and stripped of all it’s moisture after you wash your face. Some foaming face washes contain chemicals that can be drying. This is attributed to the chemical that produces the foaming of the liquid. This is not used in the Consonant face wash.

Individuals with dry skin can also look into using an oil based cleanser like the SkinFix Barrier + Foaming Oil Cleanser. I’ve tried this one as well, but I always return to my first love.

My oily skin folks, you are blessed!!! Oily skin is beautiful, the overproduction of oil just needs to be managed. Oily skin ages very slowly and is the least prone to wrinkles. Please keep in mind the overproduction of oils is your skin’s way of crying out for moisture and hydration. Avoid using products that are overly drying or harsh on your skin. Of course I recommend the Consonant Natural Foaming Face Wash to effectively cleanse oily skin.

Face Masks

When your skin is stressed ie, breaking out, overly sensitive, irritated, red, large pores basically when your skin is not happy, you help it out with a face mask. Face masks are age old remedies that are tried and true to treat skin problems. My go to mask is another Consonant Skincare product, it’s the DHE Mask. The DHE mask is a clay mask made from Manicouagan Clay sourced in Quebec, Canada. The 74 ml DHE Mask retails for $45 at Sephora, it also comes in a travel sized trio kit with two other Consonant products for $30. This is a great deal and fabulous way to try 2 additional Consonant products.

The DHE mask contains alpha hydroxy acids made from fruit enzymes that gently work to resurface, calm and exfoliate your skin leaving it smooth and super soft. As mentioned above the DHE Mask is a clay mask, there are a few different categories of masks that may be more suited to your skin. Click the link below for a brief overview of other classifications of masks.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fashionista.com/.amp/2017/03/find-best-face-masks-hydrating-anti-aging-acne

Another mask worth mentioning is the Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask. Phew.. that was a mouthful! I recently added it to my skincare arsenal and I am in love! This winter we just went through was particularly unkind to my skin and this mask provided intense hydration from that key ingredient honey and calmed my skin. The 50g jar retails for $50 at Sephora.

**A quick note on masking. It is a deep treatment for your face, if there are any pimples just under the surface of the skin it will bring them up. This is good, the mask is clearing any congestion under the surface of the skin. If these breakouts are in areas where you normally breakout then the mask is doing its job, if it’s not, your skin may be reacting negatively to the ingredients in the mask. I would advise to do a patch test first.**

Serum

For those of you new to the skincare game, this is where it can get a bit murky. Let me clear things up. Serums are highly concentrated liquid formulas that target particular skin concerns.

Serums are highly concentrated liquid formulas that target particular skin concerns.

In my case, I’m looking for a serum that will help with hydration and moisture. That is not to say that someone with oily skin should not be using the same serum. All skin types need hydration and moisture. Choosing a serum is a bit more fine tuned.

My go to serum at the moment is The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic acid 2% + B5 serum. This is a serum that everyone can use with ease to help hydrate the skin. At Sephora, The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid serum retails for $12.20 for the 60 ml bottle.

Hyaluronic acid holds more than one thousand times its weight in water essentially hugging water and hydration to your skin. More moisture and hydration on the skin equals less fine lines and wrinkles. I am fairly new to the serum game but I’m learning that these serums are a must in your daily skincare routine. For more information on serums click here.

Moisturizer

Find a moisturizer that addresses your skincare concerns. For dry skin, I’m currently using the Laneige Waterbank Moisture Cream Intensive. It is a super thick, rich moisturizing cream that is meeting my skincare needs this long dry never ending winter. I certainly would not recommend this for someone with oily or even combination skin. There are other moisturizers in this Laneige line that are more suitable like the same Laneige Waterbank Moisture cream, just not the “intensive” formula.

It is absolutely important to have a great moisturizer to seal in all that moisture and goodness you just packed into your skin. A good moisturizer is key to protecting your skin against the elements; vaseline is absolutely not it.

Skincare Tips

As you establish your skincare routine, you’ll find little nuances that may go against the grain but they work for you. Go with what works for your skin and makes your skin happy

Avoid following the trends unless you’ve researched them and you see a benefit to adding the trend to your skincare routine. For example, a trend that I am not on board with are sheet masks. I have tried sheet masks occasionally and I find that they don’t offer the intense relief that my skin needs.
I wash my face once at the end of the day. It is normally advised to wash your face twice a day. With my sensitive, dry skin, washing twice a day is counter productive. I use Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water in the morning on a cotton round to cleanse my skin and prep it for my morning skincare routine. This has worked wonders in reducing my skin’s dehydration.
Layer serums and moisturizers. This helps with packing more hydration and moisture into the skin. For example, I apply two layers of hyaluronic acid and two layers of moisturizer to the areas of my face most prone to drying out.
Change your pillow cases frequently and avoid touching your face.

I’m leaving you with this loaded link from the Dermstore, that summarizes all things concerning establishing a skincare routine and so much more. Check it out. Click here!

I hope this blog piece helps you with establishing a daily skincare routine that works for you. Please feel free to comment, share, like and SUBSCRIBE to SeraJade Beauty & Lifestyle.

P.S. This is the first in my skincare series. Subscribe to the blog to get all the juice!

Peace & Love!