When we think about elevating our skincare routine, we tend to reach out for new expensive products that will magically cure all of our problems. The reality is that you can elevate your skincare regimen by simply ensuring that the products you already have can do their job. There are many rules and tricks we can incorporate into our skincare regimen, but there are also a lot of mistakes that we could be making that don’t allow our products to work properly – read on to find out my 10 tips that will instantly improve any skincare routine!
Remember to remove makeup
This isn’t anything new, but we tend to not remove our makeup properly. A lot of people assume that removing makeup and cleansing the face are two the same things. Often when they try to remove the makeup and cleanse the face at once, they do neither of these thing and their skin is neither free from makeup nor cleansed. It is very important to ensure we get rid of any makeup by using makeup removing wipes or an oil balm before we start cleansing the face. If you don’t follow these steps, you face will be left with a built-up layer of dirt covered by another layer of freshly applied products.
Don’t over-cleanse
Another very basic rule is to not over-cleanse your face. No matter how good of intentions you have to keep your skin constantly super clean, over-washing can in fact make your pores get really angry and inflamed. Of course, it is important to wash your face and remove all of the oils and dirt from the day or after you wake up. However if you over-wash your face and strip away its natural oils, your skin will become drier and naturally want to produce a lot more oil. That leads to excess oil and sebum production which cause clogged pores and breakouts. The general rule is to wash the face twice a day in AM and PM, but if you are working out you should wash it again or if you have very oily skin you can use micellar water during the day to help maintain your oil levels.
Moisturizing is the key
I used to think that because I have oily skin, I do not need to worry about moisturizing my face and what is worst I used to believe that using moisturizer will just add another greasy layer on to my skin and cause even more breakouts. I could not be more wrong about it. When you have oily skin that means your skin is dehydrated and produces more oils to try to naturally hydrate the skin. The excess oils that our skin produce is not healthy for the skin at all. It makes our pores clogged and cause more breakouts. However, if the skin is properly moisturized with ingredients that provide intensive hydration and minimize the pores, it will definitely be less oily and more happy!
Don’t over-exfoliate skin
Similarly to over-cleansing your face, when you over-exfoliate you irritate your skin more than it should be. Your skin will try to protect itself by enlarging the pores and producing more sebum. That again leads to clogged pores and breakouts. There are two types of exfoliation: physical and chemical. Physical is the one you should be more aware of in terms of how hard you press and how often you use it as it scrapes the skin off your face. Chemical one sounds scary but it is actually is more gentle than we think – in forms of serums, they simply unstick the glue that holds the dead skin.
Don’t skip sunscreen
The sun not only causes your skin to produce more oils because it is drying – and more oil means more clogged pores, which means more pimples and more acne and more breakouts – but it also intensify the colouring and the hyperpigmentation of your skin making it worse and darker. On top of all that, sun exposure kills the collagen in our skin making it look less youthful, elastic and firm. So no matter if it is a sunny or rainy day, make sure to protect you skin and ensuring it stays youthful and bouncy for as long as it is possible by wearing (and reapplying throughout the day) sunscreen.
Make sure to give the products enough time to work
A lot of the time we rush through our skincare routine because we are either in a hurry in the morning or too tired to bother in the evening. We buy all of these expensive skincare products to give us amazing skin but if they are not left on the skin for long enough, they can’t do their job. Especially cleansers need a proper contact time with your skin in order for them to work their magic. I have been making this mistake for so many years thinking there is no cleanser on this planet that could properly cleanse my face. My solution for rinsing out products too quickly is using a facial cleansing brush (I use Clarisonic Mia Prima), which helps me a lot with managing the time I should be washing my face for (it automatically turns off after 60 seconds).
Don’t switch products too quickly
I know, I know we all want to see the results every beauty product promises us on the label after just one use. But the reality is that it takes time for products to work and it takes even more time to see any improvements, so be patient! I would say that the general time frame for testing a product is 1-2 weeks in order to determine if it works for your skin. Unless it breaks you out right away or give you an allergy reaction then you should stop using it right away. If you have developed your own skincare routine and it works for you that is great. But sometimes our skin has different needs depending on the day or gets used to the ingredients applied on it every single time – then it is worth to switch things up and try new products!
Make sure to wash off all of the products thoroughly
If you find breakouts and pimples in the hairline, on you back, on your neck or chest, it may mean that you don’t rise shampoos/conditioner/shower gels throughly in the shower. My tip for that is to when you are in the shower make sure you shampoo and condition, then wash your body all over so that you can really throughly get rid of any excess products on your skin. Leave washing your face for the very last step, so if shampoo or conditioner is stuck around your face you can easily wash it off.
Don’t over stress
Personally, whenever I am stressed I can see it right away on my skin. I get stress acne and overall my skin is tired and dull. I have learnt that no beauty product or prescribed medicine can help with that (although a face mask never hurts). Stress is something we have to work on from within. During the stressful times, I always remind myself that I can overcome it. I like to find peace in little things like drinking tea in the morning, taking deep breaths throughout the day or putting some lavender oil into my diffuser before I go to bed.
Love yourself!
Your life is going to be so much easier if you embrace your skin! No matter what is happening on your face, it is curable. Don’t freak out or scream when you see a pimple on your face in the morning – make sure you take care of it and treat it properly – and go about your day. Remember that your skin takes time to heal and it will eventually even if it seems like your skin problems will never end!
What are your tips and tricks to instantly elevate your beauty routine? Let me know in the comments below! xx
