Medically reviewed by Minimalist Health Specialist - Written by Akruti Khandkar (Journalist) on 31st Oct 2020
You, Me, and Skincare Consistency: Here's The Truth!
Trends come and go, but few things should remain the same. Yes, we are emphasizing on your skincare routine.
Selecting a perfect skincare routine can be a tedious task. We get it! Maintaining your skin is like starting a diet.
If you follow your diet sporadically and hope to shed pounds, it's unlikely to happen. The same applies to your skincare routine. If you're in your 30s, it took your skin 30 years to give signs of tanning, aging, etc., and it won't be resolved overnight. That's why a lot of experts recommend a continuous skincare routine to have long-term benefits.
Did you know?
Under Eye Bags is a signal of lifestyle and diet problems.
With a plethoric skincare product available in the market, it's easy to get puzzled over whether what to choose, and if they are genuinely working for you.
We will help you figure out how to choose your skincare products (toners, moisturizers, creams, serums, exfoliants.) However, the combo of propitious products and a continuous skincare routine is the best way to have that perfect skin.
First of all, know your skin
The initial move to have a solid skincare routine is knowing your skin and settling on the skincare products accordingly.
- Dry Skin - is tight, calloused, and sometimes flaky
- Oily Skin - is shiny, greasy and may have pores
- Normal Skin - is clear and stable
- Combination Skin - is dry in certain spots (cheeks) and oily, smooth in others (nose, forehead, and jawline)
- Sensitive skin – irritates on the use of specific skincare or cosmetics
Reminder-
Your skin is already aging in your 20s, so don't wait to take care of your skin till 40 to use advanced products.
Consistency leads to Visible Results.
A lot of us have bought popular, expensive serum, moisturizers, toners, or beauty tools, hoping to get a promising outcome, only to use it a few times before saying it doesn't work. As humans, we get so delusional with a magic potion and miracle ingredients that we expect instant results. Actual results won't occur overnight; consistency will always stay fundamental to its adequacy. It will take at least 30-45 continuous days to see noticeable results.
According to Dr. Davin Lim,
any product would take at least 4-5 weeks to show noticeable outcomes. Even for retinoids, it would take some time to reduce wrinkles, increase collagen, and many more benefits.
Importance of continuous skincare routine
Do you know that your skin sheds daily?
Meaning the farthest layer of our skin continually changes because the more skin cells could take their place. This implies the dependable and energetic skin you have today can, in a flash, look dull and tired tomorrow as your skin cells prepare to shed and tumble off.
Keeping up a consistent skincare routine will help keep up your skin's brilliance, and you can put your best self forward consistently.
Here are some listed benefits that would propel you adopt a continuous skincare routine:
Better Skin Condition
Perpetuating a healthy skin care routine will keep your skin in better and nourishing condition. It will protect your skin from wrinkles, acne, dullness, etc. So, to receive these rewards, whatever skincare routine you practice, guarantee that you look after it, as even a little irregularity can spoil every one of your efforts.
Skin Resilience
Let me tell you a unique fact that the benefits will reflect on your body when you treat your skin religiously. The skin works diligently every night to regenerate new skin cells, so the absence of sleep and water intake can make your skin look dull and unhealthy. When you keep up a reliable and continuous skincare routine, your skin cells turn over quicker every night, and this will permit your skincare items to work better.
Perceptible Changes in Skin Appearance
We assure you that if the product you are using is perfect for your skin, it will show your skin changes. But, if you aren't consistent in the routine, no product would help you get desirable outcomes. To get that visible change in your skin appearance, you should follow the skincare routine for at least a couple of weeks.
Easy Maintenance of Improvements
When you have a stable skincare routine, whatever upgrades you have had in your skin after some time will turn out to be easy to maintain. The longest you stick to the healthy skincare regime that works best for you, the longest you'll keep up with the change did overtime with little attempt.
What should you incorporate into your skincare routine?
Now that you know why keeping consistent skincare is essential let's see what skincare products lead to a healthy skincare routine. Let's make this a little easy for you- the way is split into Three Main Steps
- Cleansing — Washing your face.
- Toning — Balancing the skin.
- Moisturizing — Hydrating and mellowing the skin.
1. FACIAL CLEANSER
The first thing you need is the correct cleanser to wash off all the dirt, oil, and leftover make-up that has been perched all over throughout the day. According to MONA GOHARA, MD,
look for a gentle skin cleanser as wrong cleansers or soaps can dwindle our natural oils, causing dryness and irritation. If you feel squeaky clean after the wash, people, that's a red flag. This implies you have stripped away from your skin's defensive barrier and have left your skin dry and helpless against the environment.
2. TONER
A toner should be applied just after cleansing to recalibrate the skin and fire up its defensive barrier. They contain ingredients that renew the skin of its lost nutrients and moisture. Pick a toner that is pH-adjusted, as it should help re-establishing the natural pH after cleansing
3. SERUM
You should always add a skin serum to your everyday skincare schedule. Serums are highly concentrated, lightweight formulas that enter profoundly deep into the skin along dealing with your skin issues.
4. MOISTURIZER
The most important tip that we generally hear is to moisturize. Strictly applying moisturizer, will protect your skin from drying out, keeping it sustained, smooth, and hydrated. While picking a moisturizer, search for one that is best for your skin type.
5. SUNSCREEN
Always use sunscreen! It will shield you from the destructive UV rays of the sun, which is the primary source of wrinkles, uneven skin tone, sagginess, and different indications of skin aging. As per AAD, look for a water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher that will protect you against both the UVA and UVB rays of the sun and apply it to exposed body parts.
Add a broad-spectrum high factor sunscreen in your morning routine as it would act as a shield from the UV rays. Says Dr. Sam Bunting, a cosmetic dermatologist.
6. EXFOLIANT
An additional skincare item that you should add to your skincare routine is an exfoliant. It can be used on more than one occasion per week to help eliminate skin buildup and improve its surface and appearance.
There are two sorts: physical and chemical exfoliants. Physical exfoliators are the exemplary face scrubs that contain little particles that buff away the top layer of dead skin cells and should be avoided as they may cause micro tears in your skin. In contrast, chemical exfoliators break the skin's upper layer and adequately eliminate the dull and lifeless skin.
Important fact:
follow the rules, people! As per AAD, Skincare applied in the correct order can give you the desirable results.
So,
1.Cleanser 2. Toner 3. Serum 4. Moisturizer 5. SPF
Hero ingredients
With a plethora of products available in the market, we have narrowed down some hero ingredients that you can look for in a product:
- Alpha and beta hydroxy acids to delicately eliminate dead skin cells that clog up the pores, improve dullness and sun-harmed skin.
- Hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate the skin, treating fine lines, and sealing the dewiness.
- Vitamin E and C to battle everyday exposure from radicals that age your skin.
- Retinol, vitamin B3, peptides to invigorate collagen and elastin, proteins in the body that help forestall lines and skin sagginess.
- Rosewater to quiet irritation and decrease redness with a calming impact.
- Niacinamide to calm redness and disturbance by diminishing aggravation and improve skin inflammation with its antimicrobial effects.
Insider tip:
As per Jennifer Powers, MD, FAAD, a hot shower can make your skin dry, so don't overdo it. If you want a hot/warm shower, make sure you limit the time to not more than 5 min. A key to remember is to always moisturize after every shower.
Minimalist recommendation:
Live well: people can read stress all over your face — actually since elevated levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) can debilitate your skin, invite skin to break out, and even quicken wrinkling. Exercise routinely, get your rest, ponder, or discover approaches to feel good. The outcomes will show.
Insider tip:
According to Davin Lim, dermatologist, Brisbane, Lemons, limes, figs, celery, and many other citrus fruits contain chemicals activated by UV light. This causes a ripper of a reaction, leading to blisters and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Conclusion
Skincare is a continuous journey. The skin you have now is a reward for how you treated your skin ten years before. Sometimes we let our skincare flounder and lose the inspiration that once roused us to dedicate to clear, sound, and glowing skin.
If a specific condition occurs regularly, it is imperative to have plans that help you remain consistent with your skincare regime.
