Skin Care Routine

Are you caring for your skin correctly? A lot of us think we know the ins and outs of face care and perhaps some do, however many of us don't. What do I mean by face care? Simply how to apply the fewest products for morning and night that benefit your face, whether you're trying to treat acne, wrinkles, or to maintain that perfect skin (lucky you!). So here's just a quick compilation of a must-do face routine to bring out your best skin.

Morning:

1) If you have extremely oily skin, wash your face with a gentle cleanser (no harsh scrubs!). If you have dry to combination skin, do NOT wash but rather move on to step 2. Why? Because over cleansing sometimes produces more oil than necessary, therefore resulting in clogged pores and excessive oil production.

2) Apply toner (sometimes called toner lotion). This helps balance your skin and remove the remaining dirt that your cleanser did not remove. If you didn't wash your face because you have dry or combination skin, this step is basically a cleanser/toner in one for you since it won't strip your face of oil but will get rid of the dirt you have.

3) Apply acne serum or any need-based products like acne spot treatment, day-time retinol, etc.

4) Apply a combination product that has moisturizing ingredients plus sunscreen with at least SPF 15, but SPF 30 or 35 is better. Look for products that say non-comedogenic, does not clog pores, or oil-free.

5) Makeup. Obviously this step is optional.

Night:

1) Wash your face with a gentle cleanser or use an exfoliating scrub (exfoliants should only be used 2 times max a week, otherwise you are thinning out your skin and will cause irreparable damage!). If you are trying to remove any makeup, make sure to use makeup remover before this step.

2) Apply toner (can be the same one you used in the morning). Again, this helps balance the pH of your skin.

3) Apply spot treatment for acne or any wrinkle creams.

4) Apply night-time specific moisturizer. Night-time specific moisturizers are thicker and will help moisturize your skin better, plus they tend to have vitamins that are essential for your skin.