Double Cleanse
Double Cleansing is essential if you want to ensure your skin is clean and ready for the rest of your skincare. In the a.m., we apply our sunscreen, moisturizers, makeup, more sunscreen and lots of sunscreen! Also, we accumulate sweat, dirt, pollution, excess oil and debris from throughout the day. All of this is the superficial stuff that needs to be cleansed away before the skin itself can get a good clean. I
t's become quite popular to start the double cleanse off with an oil or balm cleanser as the oil attracts the oils on your skin to really dissolve everything. I personally find that a good quality cleansing oil is the absolute easiest and least irritating way to dissolve and remove every bit of makeup including mascara and lipstick. Alternatively, you can use your regular face wash as your first cleanse too! If it is good at getting your makeup and sunscreen off, then stick to it!
Then, for your second cleanse, use your everyday face wash. I love a good gel formula, one that is water based, to clean up the skin and get into those pores. The second cleanse step is a great spot to add in a treatment cleanser too such as a salicylic acid or glycolic acid wash! With all the makeup and whatnot gone from your face, this second cleanse really allows the active ingredient to penetrate into the pores and do its job - treat or exfoliate.
Look out for a future blog post on the cleansers I recommend for both steps!
2. SPF Daily
I mean it. Your skincare products, treatments, and efforts are literally a waste if you're not protecting your skin from the sun. The sun's UVA and UVB rays penetrate the skin to cause photo-aging, wrinkles, brown spots, worsen dark spots, and of course, sun burns. We don't want that. We want youthful, clear, glowing, healthy skin!! So, in short, find a sunscreen (or multiple) that make you excited to use them, and, well, USE THEM! Protect that beautiful skin and keep it looking as youthful as you can!
3. Start a Retinoid
This one you should take with a grain of salt coming from me, a non professional. But, my best advice is to seriously consider starting one. You can get gentle retinol's over the counter from brands like Skinceuticals, Versed, Paula's Choice and Neutrogena, or you can talk to our doctor or dermatologist and ask about prescription options! Retinoids include retinol, adapalene, tretinoin, retin-a and if you want a plant based version, bakuchiol. Bakuchiol is a plant that mimics the effects of retinol in a slower, less irritating form.
Just as a caution though, retinoids are the strongest skincare ingredient you can get and should always be started out incredibly slowly and with lots of hydration. Check out my previous blog on tips to get started.
4. Protect Your Barrier
Your skin barrier is so precious. It's what keeps the good stuff in and the not so good stuff out.Your barrier can very easily become compromised if you are exposed to a harsh environment without proper protection, sun damage and from over exfoliating. Repairing your barrier after it's compromised can be a bit of a process, but it can definitely be done!
In short, repairing the barrier should include:
- Cutting back on active ingredients
- Removing exfoliants from your routine until it's better
- Adding hydration and moisture - ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, colloidal oatmeal, fatty acids are ingredients to implement
- Cleansing much more gently - no exfoliation, no drying or stripping the skin
- Lots and lots of SPF
5. Moisturize Well
Funny enough, I needed to include this one, especially for my oily and acne prone friends. Moisturizing is essential. Period. Your skin will never look the way you want it to, will never glow, will never heal if you don't moisturize it. Even oily skin needs moisture so that it can balance out. Oily skin is essentially skin that is overproducing oil due to genetics, hormones and dehydration. So hydrating the skin and sealing it all in with moisture is key!!
Finding the right moisturizer for your skin needs, type and preferences can be tough, but never impossible! I like to save heavy creams for dry skin, lightweight lotions for normal and combo skin and gels for oily skin. Another thing I personally do is use a lightweight moisturizer in the morning since i am applying a second layer of moisturizer with my sunscreen and then a heavy one at night when my skin is repairing and more likely to experience water loss.
Hope you enjoyed these rules and implement them!
Much love,
Erin xo