How to Put Together a Skincare Routine

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The Products You Need (and Why)

  1.  Cleanser(face wash)  –A gentle, water-soluble cleanser removes debris, oil, and makeup.Rinsing with water is not enough to clean your face. When your face is clean, it allows the other products you use to work even better, morning and evening.
  2. Exfoliant(use it twice a week)  –Exfoliants gently remove built-up dead skin cells, revealing new skin. AHAs exfoliate the surface of skin; BHA exfoliates the surface of skin and inside the pores. Sun damage causes the surface of the skin to become abnormally thick. Acne and oily skin complicate this further. Exfoliating eliminates this build up, which otherwise would cause clogged pores, uneven skin tone, dullness, and deeper wrinkles.
  3. Toner  –These smooth, soften, and calm skin, while removing the last traces of makeup. They also add vital skin-repairing ingredients after cleansing.Toners with skin-repairing ingredients hydrate and replenish the skin’s surface immediately after cleansing. They also help reduce redness and dry patches.
  4.  Serum  –Applied morning and evening, serums filled with antioxidants and other anti-aging ingredients protect your skin from environmental damage, including sun damage* and pollution.
    *When used with a sunscreen rated SPF 25 or greater.
  5. Moisturizer  –They contain the types of ingredients research has shown help your skin look healthier and visibly younger.If used daily, moisturizers (cream, lotion, gel, or liquid texture) improve skin’s healthy functioning and keep it feeling smooth and soft. You can (and should) use them around the eye area; however, if you prefer using an eye cream, you can apply it over or instead of your moisturizer around your eyes.

Your Essential Routine

This simple, step-by-step routine covers the basic types of products everyone should use and the order in which to use them every day. These steps apply regardless of your skin type.

Essential Routine: MORNING

  1. Cleanser
  2. Exfoliant
  3. Moisturizer w/ sunscreen

Essential Routine: EVENING

  1. Cleanser
  2. Exfoliant
  3. Moisturizer

Your Advanced Routine

The Advanced Routine is one most people concerned with signs of aging or breakouts will need. It includes targeted treatments that build on the foundation of the Essential Routine to treat your personal skincare concerns, such as acne, red marks, wrinkles, sun damage, brown spots, or rosacea.

For example, if your sole concern is dry skin, you’ll do fine by following the Essential Routine. But if you have dry skin and wrinkles or oily skin and wrinkles and breakouts you will want to follow the Advanced Routine for best results.

So, I’ll give out my product recommendations based on the skin type (o-oily/combo, d-dry) . This list will have products that are easily available in India.

Advanced Routine: MORNING

  1. Cleanser (d-nivea total face cleanup(90Rs) , o-neutrogena oil free cleanser(315Rs))
  2. Toner ( Chilled Rose water (50Rs))
  3. Exfoliant (Neutrogena deep clean blackhead scrub(300Rs))
  4. Treatment (serum) (d-lotus herbals youthRx serum (700Rs) , o-lakme youth infinity serum(900Rs))
  5. Moisturizer w/ sunscreen (d-nivea soft creme (90Rs) , o-Lacto Calamine Skin Balance Oil Control Nourishing Lotion(50Rs) top it of with a sunscreen by Lotus Herbals)

Advanced Routine: EVENING

  1. Cleanser (same as morning)
  2. Toner(same as morning)
  3. Exfoliant (same as morning)
  4. Treatment (serum)(same as morning)
  5. Moisturizer(same as morning)

Weekend pampering for your skin

Face masks are all for improving your skin, but if you use the wrong kind you may end up doing more harm than good.
Oily/combination skin: Those with oily or combination skin will benefit most from using a clay mask, since clay is great for removing excess oil. Try a DIY clay mask .

Ingredients:
• 1½ tsp clay (Multani mitti or white clay)
• 1½ tbsp aloevera gel
• 1 tbsp rosewater
Preparation:
Add the clay in the aloe vera gel and rosewater. this clay mask is best for oily skin, for dry skin add two drops of olive oil in the face mask.

Dry/sensitive skin: Unlike those with oily/combination skin, people who have dry or sensitive skin will not need a mask to reduce oil, but one that adds moisture instead.

Banana, Yogurt And Honey Dry Skin Face Mask:  Put 2 fully ripe bananas, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 cup of yogurt in a blender. Blend these natural ingredients together till they form  a consistent paste. Smear the paste onto your face, leaving it there for about 20 minutes or till it dries out. Rinse your face with warm water.

Dull skin: If you have dull skin, chances are you’re looking to liven things up a bit. To do so, i recommend using either an exfoliating mask, like

Honey Scrub 

  • 2 tbsp honey (raw and local is best)
  • 1 – 2 tbsp sugar

How you do it:

Combine all ingredients .  Add a generous layer to clean face, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse clean with warm water. While the exfoliating mask will scrub away all your dead skin cells and leave you with a fresh layer and honey works to brighten your skin tone.

Problematic skin: If you suffer from problematic skin, opt for a purifying mask as it will work to draw out your imperfections.Sandalwood paste made by adding rosewater is possibly the best home remedy for acne scars. Just mix 1 tbsp of sandalwood powder with a few drops of rosewater. Mix it thoroughly until it turns into a thick paste, and then apply it to the area affected by acne, or on your entire face and neck. Let it stay for around thirty minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

Normal skin: If you have normal skin, consider yourself lucky, because your options are endless. You can pretty much use any kind of mask you want, so go crazy and try them all to see which one works best for you!

4 thoughts on “How to Put Together a Skincare Routine”

  2. Where was this article when I was 15! Haha thank you! Is the serum supposed to be the antiwrinkle agent?

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