Long before #selfcare swelled to a movement, you understood the importance of washing your face with a gentle cleanser and spreading on a soothing moisturizer every day. As you got older, you found ways to step up your skincare regimen with applications of serum, essence, and SPF.
Still, it can be hard to know for sure if all that you’re doing is truly effective. Seemingly every day, a new product, ingredient, or technique steals the attention of the blogosphere. And while innovation is great, it’s become an exhausting pace. Not to mention, it ain’t cheap trying to keep up with it.
So, I thought I’d rundown some of the most time-tested skincare advice I can offer before it’s buried by the headliners once and for all. If this stuff isn’t already the foundation of your skincare regimen, start incorporating it. These are things you need to be doing to step up your skincare regimen.
Remove your makeup (all of it)
This probably isn’t news to you, but it’s still worth re-emphasizing because removing your makeup—really being thorough about it—literally changes the complexion of your skin. Now it’s a clean canvas to absorb product.
Properly removing make-up is a great way to step up your skincare regimen. If you’re struggling to find the energy to do it at the end of the day, don’t wait until right before you go to bed. Do it when you walk in the door from work. The less time your face has makeup on it, the better anyway.
Go with the milder cleanser
If the mild-foaming cleanser is effective, then a high-foaming cleaner must be even better, right? Wrong. High-foaming cleansers can strip the skin, leaving it tight, dry, and more prone to breakouts are not an
Be more patient with your pimples
When a pimple strikes, most of us are armed with a home remedy or a zit-sapping product—even though they never seem to do what we hope they will, which is resolve the crisis without pain or scarring. The best plan of attack is actually none at all. Let the bacteria rise to the surface, as it naturally would. Squeeze it only once it becomes a whitehead, and even then, be gentle with it. If the pimple doesn’t pop in one or two tries, back off. It’s not ready. If it does pop, then you can apply the zit-zapping product. That’ll dry out any remaining bacteria in the pore.
Don’t gloss over the obvious
“Drink lots of water” and “Get lots of sleep” were probably the first skincare tips you ever heard, and with good reason; they’re the most effective. Products always help, but the truth is, how you treat yourself has the most bearing on the health of your skin. Skimp on your sleep and try to get by on a steady diet of Red Bull and you’re going to age a few years right before your eyes. But, keep a water bottle by your side and turn in an hour before you want to, and you’ll wake up to a more vibrant you.
Remember: skincare is self-care
When you wanted to be in bed 20 minutes ago, but you’re still trying to get the last stubborn bit of mascara out of the corner of your eye, it’s easy to forget the point of a daily skincare regimen, which is to look and feel healthy. If you’re taking time out of your day to take care of your skin, you’re also engaging in acts that can be relaxing and meditative if you allow them to be. So when you’re frustrated because you can’t seem to make time for yourself, try to remember that you already have, and take better advantage of it.
A Beginner’s Guide to Skincare