You may be thinking you are doing your skincare right until you realize you got it all wrong. Yes I have been there, times where I did my skincare routine wrong, applied a right product at the wrong time and vice versa.
My skin has been on a journey for a long time now and I am happy to say I have found what works for me and my skin. Back then, I thought I was doing things right until I hit the jackpot when I found some products my skin loves and since then, I have not looked back.
Skincare DOS.
The first rule of skincare is applying sunscreen daily. This is one step I wasn’t consistent with until two years ago. I never even wore sunscreen until 5 years ago!! So imagine that sun damage my skin had. When I started wearing sunscreen, I would only apply it whenever I was going out and slept in it most days.
Cleanse your face twice daily. I have faulted and still do in this area. Somedays I catch myself not cleansing my face before bed “because I didn’t wear makeup” that day. The truth is, there are some environmental stressors that come in contact with our skin daily, and we need to wash them off at night. Preferably double cleanse at night especially for my makeup lovers using an oil based cleanser first, followed by a gel or cream based cleanser.
Remember to exfoliate twice a week to remove dead skin cells. This helps to allow newer and better skin turn over, and product penetration. Always wash your hands before doing your skincare, in other to avoid dirt or bacteria transfer.
I encourage people to do some at home skincare treatments. Having a consistent at home care is key to seeing a difference in your skin. You cannot get a one time facial treatment from a licensed Aesthetician and expect to see instant results, but consistently doing your treatments at home will make a huge difference. It is important to cleanse, treat and protect your skin daily while using masks and steamers in between.
Never expect to see immediate results because a typical skincare turn over is anywhere from 2-6 weeks. Give yourself time and be consistent to see the best results.
skincare don’ts.
The first and obvious one is never go to bed at night with your makeup. This is one thing I never did even when I didn’t have a consistent skincare routine.
Don’t apply SPF once a day. It advisable to apply throughout the day, which can be a hassle sometimes when you think of how fast paced we move and no one remembers to reapply what you already applied a few hour ago. I am trying to keep up with this step, that’s why I have some handy Supergoop on the go SPF to make the process easier. Using an SPF setting spray helps you reapply over your makeup.
Don’t pick your acne. I am guilty of this and when I do, I pray they don’t leave scars. Gladly I do not have terrible acnes like before and I use hyperpigmentation products that help fade the spots.
Don’t use products that are not suitable for your skin. The best way to achieve optimal results is by incorporating products based on your skin type. Don’t use what someone recommends just because, but be sure that it is suitable for your skin. I was guilty of this, until I knew my skin type and what it needed.
Don’t skip your moisturizer or eye cream. Moisturizers and eye cream play a huge role in aging process. Tired eyes, dark circles, eye bags etc can be corrected through the constant use of eye creams, while moisturizers keep your skin hydrated all day long. It doesn’t matter whether you have oily skin, please apply moisturizer daily. While we are at it, never apply your moisturizers around your eyes because your eyes are thin and delicate and moisturizers won’t absorb easily compared to eye creams.
