Before anything else, let's first know what skin care is. In my own terms, from the name itself, "skin care", it is when you take deep and genuine care of your skin. By doing this, you provide yourself this so called "skin care routine" where you apply products onto your skin which lives up to your skins' needs. Some might say it's just a waste of time and money, but when you fully understand it's purpose and benefit, you would definitely appreciate it as much as I do.
Making a skin care routine depends on the condition of your face. It applies differently to people who have oily skin, dry skin, or a combination of oily and dry. Knowing your skin type is important in making your own skin care routine. I have an oily skin so the things I’m going to say may work more on those who have the same skin type as me. But, worry not, I am here to entertain all audiences regardless of which skin condition they belong to.
Before I proceed to the most-awaited part, just a quick disclaimer, I am not a health professional and these are all just based from my observations and experiences with the products. The things that worked on me, might not work for you.
First, let us know the key products in making a skin care routine! These products are characterized by their functions or how they work on our skin. We have cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer and sunscreen.
CLEANSER
Cleanser, from the name itself, cleanses our skin and removes dirt, excess oil, make up and dead skin cells present in our face. Cleanser is the first and the most basic step in a skin care routine. If you ever plan to start a skin care routine, this is definitely a must-have! For oily skin, it is recommended to use gel-based or foam-based cleansers while liquid-based for dry skin. I use a mild gentle cleanser, though it’s not foam-based nor gel-based, it works perfectly fine for me. Again, everything depends on your skin type and the things that work for me might not work for you.
EXFOLIATOR
The Merriam Webster definition of exfoliate is: “to remove the surface of in scales or laminae”. But to the skin care world, the simplest way to put it is that, exfoliators are used to remove the dead skin cells found in your face. We shed millions of skin cells every day and it most likely builds up on your skin which results to formation blackheads and acne. That is why it should be removed through the use of exfoliators. Exfoliators contain exfoliants that loosens dead skin cells and leave the healthy skin layer behind.
MOISTURIZER
“Why do we need to moisturize when I already have an oily face?” “Living in a very humid place, I just don’t understand why I should apply moisturizer.” Well, moisturizers ain’t just about adding extra moisture to your face. It nourishes and hydrates your face which gives you that fresh look. And yes, even if you have oily skin, you still need to apply moisturizer onto your skin care routine because, believe it or not, people who have oily skin still tend to get dehydrated. In choosing your moisturizer, base it on your skin type.
SUNSCREEN
This is by choice, but from the vlogs I have seen, they heavily suggest applying sunscreen even after applying your moisturizer (but using a moisturizer containing SPF is okay) and even if you are just staying indoors. This is to protect your skin from the UV rays and to avoid damaging your skin cells. Especially that the cells found in our face are much more prone to damage when in contact to too much heat. Even just by staying indoors, you cannot guarantee that your face is not being damaged with heat rays from the sun. But! It is optional though. I personally don’t use sunscreen even if my moisturizer doesn’t contain any SPF. I don’t see any changes so that’s great on my point. "Sunscreen is everything" that's what they say.
IMPORTANCE OF SKIN CARE ROUTINE
Skin care isn't just about hopping on the trend. Its main purpose is to protect and nourish your skin. It is part of having a healthy lifestyle. It also makes you develop good life habits. It helped me, so I know it will help you. Always remember, "Happy skin, happy you."
