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First, skincare is for everyone. People assume that skincare and skincare products are only meant for people with problematic skin and if you have good skin, there’s no need to take care of it. Not true. The skin is pretty resilient but it does need help along the way.
This just means if you have ‘great’ skin, which comes down to good genes most of the time, you still need to take care of it. If you’re skinny, do you still need to work out and eat healthy? Absolutely, for your general health, you should. Same goes for skin.
The genetically great skin can also be damaged by our lifestyles and general bad habit. Smoking for example, will dry out and age your skin very much. If you have time, do the googles, search for ‘smoker’s mask’ and read up. Bad diet, poor sun care, using the wrong products…
…harsh treatments like scrubbing your poor face daily (I’m honestly side-eyeing anyone that’s still using St. Ives and other apricot scrubs on your face in this the year 2020). All these factors pile up & they will eventually damage ur genetically great skin. I can testify here.
Take care of your good skin now and help it stay in that great state. The most commonest complaint I here from people seeking help with their skin is ‘I used to have such great skin then one day everything just went haywire.’
This is not me trying fear mongering, it is a fact.
This is not me trying fear mongering, it is a fact.
And, as I’ve said previously, a skincare routine is not always bulky. You do not need 300 products in order to say you have a routine. Not everyone needs 20 serums and essences and masks and fave mists etc etc in their routine.
It could simply mean you wash your face with a proper cleanser, moisturizer and apply sunscreen only. Which you already do anyway with your soap and coconut oil/arimis. The difference is, you’ll now actually use products suitable for your skin type. 
Okay. Now onto the tips I talked about:
1. I will never, never recommend the use of soap to cleanse your face. Most soaps are alkaline and contain sulphates. They will strip your skin of its natural oils and damage your barrier.
1. I will never, never recommend the use of soap to cleanse your face. Most soaps are alkaline and contain sulphates. They will strip your skin of its natural oils and damage your barrier.
The only exception to this rule is face cleansers formulated in bar form. K-beauty brands especially make great face cleansing bars within a good pH range that won’t damage your skin. See below a few cleansing bars I know of.
2. Avoid washing your face in the shower, especially if you use scalding hot water. High temperatures like that will, again, strip your skin of it natural oils and dry it out. This is why you leave the shower with your face feeling tight and itchy. Soap plus hot water. Bad bad.
I typically prefer, and would recommend, that you use tepid or cold water to wash your face. If you MUST (
) wash your face in the shower, turn down the water temperature first and always wash your face last.
) wash your face in the shower, turn down the water temperature first and always wash your face last.
3. When I talk about SPF I mean sunscreen. (SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor) Sunscreen is non-negotiable in these parts here. Sun damage is mostly invisible and cumulative. Except sunburns, which are immediate, it can take some time for sun damage to show up on your skin.
UV damage can, and will, take a toll on your skin. It’ll result in your skin aging faster causing it to develop wrinkles and fine lines. It’ll also raise your risk of getting skin cancer. 
Yes! BLACK PEOPLE ALSO GET SKIN CANCER! And unfortunately because we are not trained on proper suncare or how to assess our skin for possible cancers, most black people who’re diagnosed with skin cancer find it at a very late stage and it’s almost always fatal in such cases.
Adequate sun protection requires at least SPF30. Anything above that is okay but not strictly necessary. I personally stick to SPF50.
Always look for a broad spectrum sunscreen, meaning it’ll protect from both UVA & UVB rays. Apply sunscreen every morning & reapply thru the day.
Always look for a broad spectrum sunscreen, meaning it’ll protect from both UVA & UVB rays. Apply sunscreen every morning & reapply thru the day.
SPF comes in so many forms: gels, creams, sprays... pick the one suitable for you and your skin type. For reapplication, just wash your hands and reapply. If you have makeup on, you can use a cushion SPF or a spray/mist to reapply.
For reapplication:
Apply every 2-3 hours if you’re outdoors.
If you’re outdoors and in water (beach, swimming etc), reapply every 1-2 hours
Reapply every 4-5 hours if you’re indoors.
Apply every 2-3 hours if you’re outdoors. If you’re outdoors and in water (beach, swimming etc), reapply every 1-2 hours Reapply every 4-5 hours if you’re indoors.
Yes, it’s important to reapply SPF even when indoors, especially if you plan on opening your windows & curtains or if you’ll sit by an open window or you out to the balcony.
Moisturize your skin! Of course it’s important to use a moisturizer suitable for your skin type. Moisturizers/hydrators help to hold water and the good oils to your skin keeping it supple, glowy and basically healthy. Healthy skin is less prone to breakouts and it heals faster!
Aight. I’ll stop there. I hate long threads coz the message ends up being lost of a thread is too long.
But yeah, these are the basics of skincare. Not serums. Not acids. Not essences. Not masks. Do all those trappings help? Absolutely, IF your skin needs it. Not everyone needs every skincare product. And you shouldn’t copy-paste skincare routines anyway.
Have a great day! And don’t forget to apply your sunscreen! 
