I’m thankful for genes that have given me pretty good skin all of my life, but I still have to work at maintaining it, especially now that I’m in my late 30s. As a teen, my skincare routine was TERRIBLE (I washed my face with whatever soap I was using on my body and for moisturizer? BODY LOTION. Oof), but I started experimenting with products in my 20s, developing a day and night time routine that changes based around my skin’s needs. I am not a dermatologist or an esthetician, but what I DO know is that regardless of your skin type or what products you use, there are certain steps that your daily routine should have in place to help you get the best possible results.
Cleansing, toning and moisturizing daily should be a given, but I’ve also found that when I include these steps regularly, my skin looks and feels its best.
Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliating helps to remove the build up of dry/dead skin cells (which can lead to excess oil and clogged pores). When you exfoliate regularly (1x-3x a week is good), it helps to combat the signs of aging and help keep your skin smooth. You can exfoliate physically with scrubs or chemically with products containing BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids) or AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acid) but be sure to research and do patch tests first to figure out what products work best for you. One of my favorites is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, and I sometimes use the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal Skin Peel Pads too. Next on my list is the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid because I’ve read nothing but rave reviews about it.
Add in a facial oil
Even if you have oily skin, you can still apply oils to your face. Moisturizers help keep skin hydrated so that it is supple and looks more youthful, but adding in facial oils can help take it to the next level. Facial oils are occlusive, which means they help keep the products you applied from evaporating quickly (thus working more efficiently), and they can also be used for skin treatments as well. Rosehip oil is great for correcting discoloration (hyper-pigmentation), while tea tree oil helps treat acne. There are so many different oils out there that can be added to your skincare routine and I’ve definitely seen a difference in my skin from using them. I like the KYPRIS Beauty Beauty Elixir as an overall facial oil (it’s a bit pricy!!), but lately I’ve been using the Life-Flo Pure Rosehip Seed Oil to help with some small but stubborn acne scarring.
Use sunscreen daily
None of the work that you do to maintain healthy looking skin will matter if you don’t wear sunscreen. Sunscreen helps protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays and has anti-aging benefits as well. You want to use sunscreen daily, regardless of if you’re going to be in the sun or not. Thankfully, formulas have evolved over the years so you don’t have to worry about looking like a ghost when you apply it; just make sure the formula has built-in broad spectrum SPF of at least 30 so that you have proper protection. I love Glossier’s Invisible Shield but I also use Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Water Resistant Sunscreens (they start at SPF 30).
There are so many additional steps that you can add to your skincare routine (sometimes, my night routine has about 8!) but regularly incorporating these 3 steps have made the most significant difference with my skin.