You don't need a ten-step skincare routine to achieve healthy, compliment-inducing skin. What you do need are simple, effective products with targeted ingredients designed for your unique skin. The three steps to building your skincare routine are:
- Learn your skin type and skin condition.
- Understand what your skin triggers are.
- Know which ingredients work for you.
Skin type is generally dictated by your genetics, the natural, inherent state of your skin. Often described as how much oil and/or water your skin products or presents. Skin type examples:
- Dry
- Dehydrated
- Combination
- Oily
- Balanced (We don’t say “Normal” because all skin types are normal!)
Skin condition refers to a specific issue or problem that can affect your skin, regardless of your skin type. Conditions can fluctuate due to changes with hormones, environment, supplements or medications, health, lifestyle, etc. Skin condition examples:
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Dehydration
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Reactive
Why is it important to understand your skin type and condition? Because you can be dehydrated and have acne or you can be combination and have rosacea. Skin types and conditions can be mixed; they’re not always an obvious match.
To build a skincare routine you need to understand your skin, learn what triggers any flare ups and stay with products that contain ingredients you know work for you. We suggest starting with 3 products for both morning and night: a cleanser, a targeted treatment and a moisturizer. And for day time, be sure to add an SPF if your moisturizer doesn’t have one. Sometimes scaling back in your routine can be the best thing for your skin today and as you age. Give your 3 products at least one month (a full cellular cycle) to see how your skin responds.
And remember, just because an ingredient or product is trending doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
The Bottom Line, start small and add what your skin needs.