After recently chatting with several customers, I realized that facial skincare is still an elusive subject. We all want healthy skin, and a great complexion starts with drinking plenty of water, a good diet, and proper cleansing, toning and hydrating. A good cleansing, toning and hydrating routine are often forgotten or dismissed as unnecessary to achieving our goal: to have beautiful, healthy skin and a flawless complexion. Follow these five easy steps to begin your healthy skincare regimen.
Step One – Cleanse
Cleanse your skin every night before sleeping and get at least 7 hours of sleep. “Beauty sleep is essential for repairing the skin,” says Dr. Debra Jaliman, a New York City dermatologist, and author of Skin Rules. Nighttime is the “repair cycle” for your skin and is the time that your skin care routine can have the most beneficial effect. Drink a glass of water before bed to help eliminate toxins and salt that can contribute to a less than perfect complexion.
Step Two- Tone
After cleansing, use a toner. Don’t skip this step! The purpose of a toner is to set your pH back to a desirable range for skin (4.5-5.5) and to put hydration onto your skin. The water you use to rinse your cleanser off your face is not likely to be of that acidic level that skin requires. When I used to work in a facial room, I quickly found another good reason to use toner. . . removal of cleanser. I found that many people cleanse their face and then don’t rinse well enough, leaving cleanser to stay on the skin and clog the pores. Using toner on a cotton ball or pad helps to completely remove any un-rinsed cleanser from your face.
Step Three – Nourish
Follow immediately, while your skin is still damp from the toner, with a serum. You can use 1 to 2 serums. Probably more if you really want, but I think that would be serum overkill. Plus if you feel like you even need more than one serum (definitely if you feel you need more than 2), you probably don’t have the right serum for your skin. Serums should be a thin consistency and are created to deliver more active ingredients into the skin most efficiently. Think of it as a food for your face. You can pick a serum to be used for all your concerns, or you can pick two to partner up for all of your concerns if you cannot find the perfect one. For instance, if dry or dull skin is your concern, choose a serum containing an antioxidant such as Vitamin C as that will help brighten your skin
Step Four- Relax
This is always easier said than done, but relax. Part of prepping for sleep is your skincare routine and skin doesn’t like to be stressed out. Between your application of serum and moisturizer, let your serum settle and “dry” before applying the moisturizer. Maybe drink a large glass of water during this time or cuddle with your child. Just give your skin a minute to enjoy the serum before moving onto the 2nd serum or onto your moisturizer.
Step Five- Moisturize
A moisturizer’s primary function is to “lock” in what you’ve already put on your skin, having hydration & nourishment become a part of your skin’s function. For Nighttime use, I like Essential Vitamin Rich Crème. If you can find a good moisturizer that contains a sunscreen (for daytime use of course) then go for it. I have yet to find that a sunscreen can work well in a moisturizer; advertising will tell me otherwise, but it’s just what I’ve found. I love using my amazing moisturizers and then following with a sunscreen. Mostly I prefer my sunscreen in my foundation. I don’t need my foundation to do anything other than cover. I don’t use it for nourishment, so I would prefer my SPF to be in my foundation.
And one last thing….
I am a fan of oils as I age. After applying your moisturizer, before applying your sunscreen, add a small dose of oil. Put oils on dry areas after your moisturizer as generally oils can penetrate moisturizers, but not vice versa. I love the Essential Tune Up Blend or Essential Exotic Face & Body Oil Blend for this function. I find they don’t look greasy like a straight oil such as Olive Oil can look.
