6 steps on how to start a skin care routine for beginners

 

There’s a lot of fuss about adapting a skincare routine nowadays, and not many are sure where to begin. Taking care of your skin is just as important as minding your health, and it can often be daunting knowing where to begin. If you follow some of the big make-up artists catering for black women in the beauty industry, such as Shirley B. Eniang or Jackie Aina, you’d know they have a fixed skin care regimen that they follow to a T. They often use a lot of products you’re either not familiar with or are not within your comfortable price range.

Skin care doesn’t have to be complicated, just thoughtful.

 

1.Watch what goes on your face – bedsheet, fingers and so on.

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The first step to healthy skin is watching what touches it. The skin is the largest organ in the body so anything that touches can produce a bad reaction.

Do you touch your touch face often or scratch it? Stop it. It’s a bad habit. Watch the pillow you sleep on. Make sure you change the sheets often to clean it out. On a similar note, if you don’t cover your hair while you sleep most of the oils latch onto the sheet and get on your face – that’s pretty nasty if you think about it.  Drink water and avoid unnecessary sugar(especially soda) and alcohol – taking your care of your body should pretty obvious and mandatory if healthy skin is your goal.

2.Moisturize! Moisturize!

I cannot emphasize this enough. Is your skin oily and shiny particularly in the T-zone? You probably have oily skin. Is your skin flaky and feels tight to the touch? Your skin is likely dry. Do you get blemishes and find that products irritate your skin? I bet that you have sensitive skin. And if your skin is free from the issues s listed above and without blemishes you probably have normal skin. A good moisturizer is one of the key ingredients to flawless skin, but you don’t just choose any random one.

Normal/oily skin - choose a water-based moisturiser. Look for ingredients that end in ‘icone’ such as silicone, which suggests that the product is water-based. You want to use something that hydrates your skin without leaving a greasy feeling. Sensitive skin - look for products with the word ‘hypoallergenic’ ‘perfume free’ or completely natural items such as coconut oil. Avoid products with ‘retinol’, ‘alcohol’ and ‘acids’ as these are too harsh for this skin type. Dry skin - use products with collagen, Shea butter, glycerine, or hyaluronic acid.

3.Invest in a no-nonsense cleanser

Most cleansers only call your face home for a matter of minutes—that's simply not enough time to brighten, hydrate, tone, clear, and exfoliate all at once. This is actually a good thing because it means that simple is always better.

Oily skin - a gentle face wash that doesn't contain alcohol, which can dry your skin and cause it to produce more oil. Dry skin – try a creamy cleanser that removes dirt but does not strip the skin of its natural oil. Normal skin - a face wash specially formulated for that skin type. It will hydrate the drier parts of your face but not dry your skin out. Sensitive skin -  a gentle cleanser with fewer ingredients and no fragrance is recommended. For normal skin try a gentle cleanser to maintain your skin's moisture and natural barrier.

A good Toner can work miracles

Toner can provide an extra boost of clean particularly on oily or combination skin where the T-zone tends to get a little extra shiny. Dab a little on the oiliest area to tighten pores and remove any leftover residue. Use a product that's gentle and does not contain, or contains a small amount of alcohol as it could make your oil glands produce more oil in response.

Exfoliator to make your skin breathe

You do not need to exfoliate that often as you need to follow the above steps. Exfoliating your skin removes layers of dead skin, so imagine what happens to your skin should you exfoliate every day. That’s practically killing your skin. Once a weak maximum is the recommended amount. Exfoliators can be found anywhere, but your focus should be on products infused with aloe vera and essential oils; fortunately most face scrubs are.

You can also easily make your own face scrub at home using simple kitchen ingredients, like coffee and sour cream.

Targeted Serum (if you’re seriously determined about your skin)

This one is dealer's choice. Take a moment and think about what your skin really needs. There are no wrong answers—think of this step as taking a supplement for an extra efficacy boost to your skincare.

For hydration, try for a hyaluronic acid For acne reduction and prevention, try vitamin C or retinol 

There’s lots more, but it’s all dependent on what you want for your skin as well as what it needs