What seems to be the thing that most people would say they don’t have enough of? Time, right? The average person would say they have a trillion things to do and a small window to do it in. Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit, but you know what I mean. We are wanting and trying to simplify things in our lives, so why not simplify skin care too?
Keep in mind that the regimen that you create will be based around your individual skin goals, so don’t worry or try to compare your regimen with anyone else’s. Now there are different steps that should be taken throughout the week, such as exfoliation and masking. The frequency of exfoliation is determined by skin types and the skin’s sensitivity, if any. Here’s what I recommend:
Dry skin – exfoliate once a week, preferably on masking day.
Normal skin – exfoliate once or twice a week, one of the times on masking day.
Combination skin – exfoliate twice a week, one of the times on masking day.
Oily skin – exfoliate two to three times a week, one of the times on masking day.
If your skin feels dryer than usual, reduce your exfoliation frequency.
You may be wondering what’s so important about exfoliating anyway? Well, this is a part of the natural cell cycle. It slows down as we age and so we need to help it to shed the dead skin cells. By doing this, we are ridding our skin from the drab outermost layer that is no longer doing anything, except for dulling our appearance and helping to clog our pores, so it has to go!
Next up, masking, how often should this be done? I recommend weekly. Bam, that’s it, only 4 times a month. I think everyone can squeeze in time for this right? This goes for everyone, all skin types, mask weekly. The only thing that is different is the type of mask you choose because this will be determined by your skin type and your skin goals.
Ok, so we have your exfoliation and your masking covered. Real quick I want to make sure that we are super clear about what to use to exfoliate. Never ever use any harsh scrubs or tools. Gentle scrubs and your hands are all that is needed and always use gentle circular movements. Try my gentle Hibiscus Foaming Scrub and discover that you can get results while being gentle with your skin 😉 While I’m at it, check out my amazing masks as well 😍
Alright, now let’s get to the daily steps that everyone needs to have in their skin care regimen.
Cleansers based on your skin type; I recommend:
Dry, sensitive and mature skin – use a creamy cleanser.
Normal skin – can use either a creamy or a gel cleanser. I fall under this category with my skin, so I usually switch my cleanser when the weather turns. Gel cleanser in the warmer months and creamy cleanser in the colder months.
Combination skin – gel cleanser.
Oily and acneic skin – gel or foaming cleanser. If you have sensitive skin, do not use a foaming cleanser, stick to the gel cleansers.
Everyone should be cleansing their skin twice in the evening, this is not up for negotiation. If you are taking the time to cleanse your skin, then do it right and cleanse twice. The first cleanse removes remaining makeup, dirt, debris, etc. The second cleanse is what actually cleanses the skin. In the morning you only need to cleanse once in order to apply your morning products to clean skin.
Ok, next up is toner. This too is based on skin types, but there are plenty of toners that are great for all skin types, check out my Radiance Renewal Mist. I’d rather this step wasn’t skipped because this is the step that completes the cleansing process AAANNNDDD helps to bring the skin back to its normal pH level.
Why does the skin’s pH level matter? It matters because if it is not at its normal pH level that’s all it will be focusing on for the next 20ish minutes.
Why is that a problem? That’s a problem because you’re wanting your skin to absorb the awesome products you’ve applied, but it can’t function properly when it's outside it’s normal pH level. So, to sum it up, the products you’ve applied aren’t going to be affective.
Next up, serums! Yes, there are lots to choose from….lol But I’m going to simplify this for you too 😉 I’m just going to mention a hydrating serum because all skin needs moisture. But please be sure that the hydrating serum of your choice has some antioxidants in it to help to protect the skin from harmful UV rays during the day. Discover Aqualuxe Renew Serum. Now if you are willing to have a daytime and a nighttime serum then that would be even better for your skin, but this is determined on your skin goals.
Moisturizers are next and are what? Yes, determined by the skin type. I’ll say it again, all skin needs moisture. There are plenty of moisturizers that can be used both morning and night. If you want to different ones, then that is definitely an option.
Lastly, but most importantly, and non-negotiable is sunscreen! All skin needs protecting. I recommend a spf 30 or higher. You have the option of tinted and non-tinted, but it definitely needs to be applied. Here’s the key factor, it should be applied after the serum, but BEFORE the moisturizer. You want to make sure that the sunscreen is absorbed well into the skin and so it will be the first creamy product applied before the moisturizer.
Alright, let’s put what we’ve learned together to create our simplified skin care regimen.
MORNING:
Cleanse
Tone
Serum
Sunscreen
Moisturizer
NIGHT:
Cleanse
Tone
Serum
Moisturizer
Choose the day, I recommend evening time to exfoliate and to mask. Make it easy on yourself and stick to the same day each week. For me Wednesday evening is exfoliation day and Saturday is exfoliation and masking day. Why should you do these steps in the evening? Well again, this will be different for a lot of you once I say this because everyone’s schedule is different. When you exfoliate you are removing the outermost layer of skin revealing new skin. Give this skin time to adapt before exposing it to the harmful UV rays. And as far as masking, do this when you know you will not have to apply makeup until the following day. Give your skin a chance to just be after you’ve exfoliated and added beneficial ingredients to it.
I have one more tip for you to get the most out of your serums, moisturizers, and sunscreens. After you’ve cleansed and toned your skin allow a minute or so for the toner to dry, then apply your chosen serum. Wait a minute or two for the skin to absorb the serum, then apply your sunscreen (if this is in the morning otherwise you will skip this step). Wait a minute or two for the skin to absorb, then apply your moisturizer. By giving the skin time to absorb the products you are allowing those ingredients to work the way they are formulated to. When you rush and apply one product after the other you are diluting both of them with each other, so they will not perform the way they should.
Ok, I lied, I have another tip for you 😄 Don’t wait until you’re ready to go to bed to do your skin care regimen. This needs to be completed at least 30 minutes prior to you laying your head on your pillow. This way you can make sure your skin has absorbed all of your products and nothing gets wasted on your pillowcase. I personally like to do my skin care regimen early evening, this way it’s already done before I start to wind down. We all know what happens if you wait, you will get lazy and try to give yourself an excuse. Nope, no excuses allowed. If we want to age more gracefully and have or keep our youthful appearance, then we have to be committed to our twice daily regimen.
I hope that you found this helpful and are better equipped to create your own skin care regimen. If you are still questioning things or you just want a licensed professional, such as myself, to create it for you and guide you on your journey please contact me via email: info@lindsaysbliss.com
Skin care is a journey, and I am here to help guide you ❤️
Best,
Lindsay