SKINCARE BASICS - a thread

starting this because skincare has become super popular, which has brought on a huge over saturation of products and information in the industry, making it hard to know what you do and don’t need for your skin. every brand says you NEED their new product without actually

educating the consumer on what it’s for and who it will work for.

with that being said, there are a few basic steps that EVERYONE needs for general skin health and maintenance, regardless of individual skin concerns/conditions

with the first step being: MAKEUP/SPF REMOVAL

this one gonna be a little touchy because of the popularity of makeup wipes but i’ll let y’all in on a secret....

they are NOT THE MOVE. they use very harsh cleansing ingredients that can dry out and irritate the skin over time AND-

they don’t remove all of your makeup. they move it around, which is why you can use a makeup wipe and then wipe your face and still have leftover makeup. using a good oil/balm cleanse, or even micellar water, will actually break down your makeup and effectively remove it +

prep your skin for your second cleanse. here are some of my fav (affordable) options for effective and skin friendly makeup removal. aside from the micellar water, these would be applied with dry hands to dry skin, massaged in to break down makeup then add water to emulsify

then rinsed off to finish removing makeup. then your skin is ready for a water based cleanser

a water based facial cleanser is essential for maintaining the function of your skin barrier, healthy production of natural oils and restoring the skin’s natural pH level. it also ensures that any leftover oil/makeup from your first cleanse is fully removed

your cleanser doesn’t have to be anything fancy as long as it gets the job done. simple but effective ingredients with a balanced pH is what you should look for in this step

here are some of my favs! the LRP toleriane hydrating is perfect for dry/sensitive skin. the LRP foaming is great for normal, non problematic oily skin types. and the cerave SA is great for blackhead/congestion/acne prone skin, whether your skin is dry or oily

next essential step - MOISTURIZER

everyone needs moisturizer. even oily skin NEEDS MOISTURIZER. your oiliness is more than likely caused by a lack of hydration in the skin, causing it to produce oil in excess to overcompensate for what it’s lacking

not saying that’s the case for everyone with oily skin, but it’s much more common than a true oily skin type in my experience. and as far as dry/sensitive skin goes, moisturizing it will help keep it balanced and not feeling tight/irritated/flaky

some of my recommendations! the cerave is great for normal/dry skin with any irritation or redness. the ordinary one is great for normal skin to just keep it hydrated without overdoing it. LRP one is great for extremely dry/flaky skin and the cosrx is good for oily skin types

and last, but DEFINITELY not least....

SUN PROTECTION. SPF.

this is THE MOST important step no matter who you are. even if you do no other skincare at all, this step is truly NON-NEGOTIABLE

it doesn’t matter if you are outside for literally 10 mins, just driving to work, not going outside all day. it doesn’t matter.

90% of premature aging is solely due to sun damage. windows do not prevent UV rays from passing through. and the effects UVA (aging rays)

can take YEARS to show up on your skin. the effects of UVA exposure build up over time, which as you age causes sun damage to show up in the form of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.

this is why you can go tanning while you’re younger and not see any adverse effects until much later like severely premature signs of aging, severe hyperpigmentation (dark spots), as well as skin cancer

there are also great healthy alternatives to tanning beds on the market like self tanners, gradual tanners and spray tanning!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/5445161/sun-damage-truck-driver-face/amp/

here’s one article that shows some of the long term effects sun damage can have on your skin - even just while you’re driving

so with that, here are some good affordable SPF options! i normally good for a physical/mineral spf (like the cerave&bare republic), they tend to have more of a “sunscreen” type feel but these don’t tend to look noticeable on the skin

more oily/acne prone skin types tend to prefer chemical spf products, like the neutrogena water gel. some people (like meee) have issues with chemical spf filters causing breakouts, so just watch how your skin reacts to be sure you aren’t sensitive to these ingredients

and this brings us back to the first step - oil/balm cleansing! even if you aren’t wearing makeup but wearing spf (which everyone should be!) then you need an oil cleanse to break down those spf filters at the end of the day!

these basic steps will get you started with a good routine, help maintain your skin’s healthy function, and help to determine what your main skin concerns are. your concerns could be resolved with just a basic routine, but if they aren’t -

that’s where you can begin to add some active ingredients/serums into your routine! (which will be my next thread along with exfoliation)

thanks for anyone actually interested in this and of course let me know if you have other questions i can help you with!

skincare isn’t a one size fits all, and the products recommended here may not work for EVERY person. these are just some very good basics that i highly recommend, but i’d be happy to help with other product recommendations!