Basic Skincare Regime

Basic Skincare Regime

As any other beauty specialist will tell you, a steady skincare regime is key to maintaining clear, healthy skin no matter what skin type you are. Your skin requires a certain amount of things on a daily basis to be able to stay at an optimum level. Certain things such as exercise, water intake and diet can benefit your skin, but a good skincare regime is key!

Depending on your skin type, be it dry or oily etc., there will be certain ingredients and products that will be more suited to your skin type than another, so it is very important when you first decide to start a skincare regime that the first thing you do is to find out what skin type you have. Over the coming weeks I will be doing individual blogposts regarding each different skin type, each of their characteristics and which products/ingredients work best for each type. These blogposts will focus more on a “basic” skincare routine as I realise not everyone might want all the “add-ons” and let’s be honest, it's not always cheap! So I just wanted to give you an idea of how you can have a decent skincare regime that is easy to follow and hopefully isn’t too expensive as you won’t be buying anything you don’t need! Also for anyone who is interested, once I have finished the individual skin type blogs for the “basic” routine I will do a blog post all about the products you can add to your routine over time such as serums, eye creams, vitamins etc. But for now here’s all you need to do to start your basic skincare routine!

Determining Your Skin Type

Determining your skin type may sound like a very simple thing to do, but it isn’t always that easy. Some people might have combination skin, where some areas of their face might be dry/normal and other areas might be oily, while others could simply just have normal or oily skin. It can also be very easy to mistake some conditions for others. Dehydration may be mistaken for dryness, open pores don't always mean you currently have oily skin, etc. For this reason, it is always best to get an opinion from someone who is qualified. Most skincare clinics and salons will offer free skin consultation services also. You will not be obligated to buy anything or book future treatments if you go for one, the therapist will simply examine your skin, explain to you about your skin type and what treatments/products they offer that would suit you. Again there is no obligation, I know not everyone will have or want to spend the money that salon treatments/products cost that is why over the coming weeks, I will go through all the different skin types and what works for them. For the sake of being sure of your skin type though a free skin consultation would definitely be worth it and there are also plenty of salons out there now with really good affordable effective skincare and treatments so don’t be turned off. Being a beauty therapist myself I do prefer the cosmeceutical products commonly found in salons/clinics rather than cosmetic skincare you can pick up in most chemists and supermarkets but they are better than nothing. If you’re not quite sure of the difference between cosmetics and cosmeceuticals you can read a little about it in my previous blogpost “Skincare - The Acids”.

But now, for anyone who is just starting out or is on a tight budget, this is what you should be using in your skin care regime at the very least: 

Cleanser 

You should be using a cleanser/face wash first thing every morning and straight after removing your makeup in the evening. A cleanser helps to remove any dirt, excess oil and debris from the surface of the skin to make sure your skin is completely clean before continuing your regime. They come in all forms such as gels, balms, milks, and creams so once you know your skin type you can decide which will suit you best. For example gel cleansers are usually better for oilier skin types and a cleansing cream would usually be more suited to a drier skin type. 

Moisturiser

This will be your main 'treatment cream' so this should be formulated to target the specific needs of your skin type. For example, if you have oily skin your moisturiser should help to balance your skin and reduce excess oil production and if you have dry skin it should help to nourish the skin and prevent flakiness. You will also find ones suited to people with combination skin types which will work with several skin types at once. You should be applying your moisturiser after you cleanse morning and night.

SPF

You only have to apply SPF in the morning after you have moisturised as you won't need it at night time. This is so important to protect your skin and prevent early ageing of the skin. Make sure that your SPF protects against UVA and UVB rays as not all of them do and the strength you need depends on how much sun you expose your skin to daily and how your skin reacts to the sun. For me here in Ireland, SPF 30 would be a substantial amount of protection daily but for someone with pale skin like me in a hotter climate, SPF 50 might be more suited. Whether it is SPF 30 or SPF 50 though, the key to being protected is reapplication! While in winter months reapplication would definitely be beneficial it isn’t exactly necessary but definitely in warm weather you should be reapplying your SPF every 2-3 hours. And yes, even in the cold winter months we still need to use SPF as we are still exposed to UV rays. When buying don't be afraid to ask questions and if you're on a tight budget you could always get a moisturiser with an SPF in it so you don't have to apply/purchase two separate products! Even though the SPF wouldn’t be necessary at night it wouldn’t do you any harm and you would still get all the benefits of the moisturiser.

Exfoliator/Scrub

At least once a week, twice if you have oily skin, you should exfoliate your face to remove dead skin cells built up on your skin’s surface. Exfoliation helps to increase blood circulation, remove dry/flaky patches, and draw out congestion among other things. On the day you decide to exfoliate, remove all your makeup, once completely removed, cleanse your skin to remove any dirt/oils on the surface. Then simply apply your exfoliator, scrub the face for about 3-5 minutes to remove the dead skin cells and wash it off with lukewarm water and sponges. After this you can do a quick cleanse again if you feel you need to or if there is any residue left on the skin and then it is time for your moisturiser. Exfoliators are most commonly granules/kernels of different abrasive materials encased in a cream or gel however nowadays a lot more people are opting for a non-abrasive form of exfoliation, AHA’s and BHA’s. All of these acids, whether AHA or BHA, are all derived from natural products. You can read more about them in my previous blog “Skincare - The Acids” also to learn more. An AHA and BHA exfoliator work much the same as each other. They both help to breakdown and slough away dead skin from the skin’s surface without being abrasive. However while an AHA only works on the skins surface, a BHA will work on the surface and within the pores. Therefore that makes the BHA a better option for someone suffering from congestion and/or blackheads while an AHA would be sufficient for someone with dry/normal skin who may not suffer from blocked pores. Also the fact that they are non-abrasive you do not have to scrub them while they are on the skin, you simply apply it, wait the recommended time and remove it as usual with your sponges and lukewarm water. Also please bear in mind when using any type of acid in any product within your routine it can make your skin more susceptible to sun damage so make sure you don’t skip your SFP! AHA's and BHA's are not only found in exfoliators/exfoliating masks either, they can be in any type of skincare, however when they are found in cleansers and moisturisers etc it is usually in smaller amounts. The smaller amounts will still have a mild exfoliating effect though so make sure not to overload on products containing them! Over the coming weeks though I will explain which type of exfoliation and how often would be best for all the different skin types.

Mask 

This is the last step I’m going to talk about today. I have debated with myself a little bit about whether or not a Mask should be considered part of a “Basic” routine or considered an add-on and to be honest its 50/50. While I do feel it is an important part of a skincare routine I am always aware of the fact that the more products you add to a routine the more expensive it gets so from that point of view if a restricting budget caused you to choose between an exfoliator or a mask, I would say choose an exfoliator. Another way around this might be to buy an AHA/BHA mask that could work as a 2in1 exfoliator and mask depending on your skin type. So with that said, why is a mask important? A skincare mask is pretty much your at home weekly treatment so what type you use is totally based on your skin type. If you have oily skin your weekly mask will most likely be something to regulate oil production and unblock/minimise pores while someone with sensitive skin would use some form of a calming mask to soothe the skin. Over the years Multi-masking has also become very popular. This is applying more than one mask to your face in different areas, best suited for people with normal/combination skin as you can treat different problems at the same time. For example if you have normal skin with a slightly oily t-zone you could apply an oil regulating mask to your t-zone and a radiance mask to the rest of your face. As I said previously if you decide to add a mask to your skincare routine ideally you should be using it weekly. I like to do my exfoliation and mask on the same day so once I have exfoliated and cleansed the residue off I apply my mask, leave it on for the recommended time, cleanse it off thoroughly and apply my moisturiser. 

I hope this helps! If you have any questions, just comment down below and I'll be happy to answer them. As I said earlier I will do blogposts in the coming weeks about each individual skin type and give you an idea of what types of products, ingredients and treatments are best suited to each skin type and just some general information on them all. For now, though, I hope you liked this!

 All my love, 

SJL X