Everyone’s skin is different, and no one wants to spend ages buying a slew of different products that don’t do the job right. And with how much information there is to sift through, starting your own skin-care routine can feel intimidating. That’s why this article will be a beginner’s guide to building a skin-care routine to help you get started.
Ask Yourself the Right Questions
Before you get started, you need to know what your skin-care goals are to take the right steps to get there. Are you looking for a more even skin tone? Are you working on reducing the appearance of dark circles? Do you have whiteheads, blackheads, or hormonal cysts? When you’ve figured out the problem you want to tackle, you can narrow down the products you need.
You’ll also want to determine whether you have dry, oily, combination, or sensitive skin. This will help you further define what products you do and don’t want to use, and many products have what skin type they work best for on the label. Remember that no matter what skin type you have, you always want to moisturize.
Keep It Minimalistic
If you and your skin are new to using skin-care products, you’re going to want to keep your routine simple. To start off, all you need is a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen; by keeping it simple, you’ll avoid wasting money and potentially overwhelming your skin.
For oily skin, you’ll want to use a product that helps remove excess sebum, so looks for cleansers with salicylic acid. If you have dry skin, cleansers with hyaluronic acid and ceramides help clean your skin while naturally hydrating it. And whether you have sensitive skin or not, always test a new product on the back of your hand before applying.
Every skin-care routine should contain a moisturizer to lock in hydration and protect your skin. For beginners, stick to a lightweight moisturizer while you’re still figuring out what works for your skin. Applying a heavy moisturizer can cause some skin types to break out more.
Lastly, your SPF will help protect your skin from harsh UV rays, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and keeping your complexion even.
Add New Products Slowly
Once you’ve started your basic routine and you’ve given your skin a few weeks to adjust, you can start fine-tuning your routine and adding new products. However, you never want to add more than one new product a month, or you risk overwhelming your skin and causing adverse reactions.
If you want to even out skin texture or color, you can start adding exfoliators to your skin-care routine. Or if you have trouble with whiteheads, blackheads, etc., you can look for a spot treatment with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. Just remember to take it slow, test your products, and read the labels to determine whether it’s a good fit for your skin type.
With this beginner’s guide to building a skin-care routine, you’re ready to start meeting your skin-care goals. And to start off on the right foot, every skin-care routine needs a facial cleanser to cut through dirt and increase the efficacy of other products.
