The Basics
Establishing a basic skincare regime seems to be a hot topic at the moment. Over the past few weeks I have received a lot of messages RE skincare. Where to start? What are the best products? What’s a regime? So I thought I’d put a little blog post together covering the basics.
I do blog mostly about skincare, ingredients, DIY treatments etc but today I’m taking it right back to the basics. It seems as though we have been forced into taking more time for ourselves (literally, what else are we suppose to do) and I don’t think it’s such a bad thing!
There’s a few key things to take into consideration when establishing any kind of skincare regime. I also believe your skincare regime doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. So, if you’re feeling like it’s time that you took some more care for your skin – keep reading. If you’re already all over the skincare thing you might just want to glance over this one.
Let’s get glowing x
What’s my Skin Type?
This is an important one! You really need to know what your skin type is before you go purchasing any product. I’ve got a little Online Skin Quiz that you can take that will give you a rough idea what your skin type is. If you want to read more about the different skin types I’ve got an older blog post you can check out as well – Hey Girl, What’s your Skin Type?
Alternatively, if you’re really stuck, I can help you work out your skin type, just fill in the contact form below. I’m always happy to chat all-things-skin!
Daily Skincare Regime
Let’s start with the basics. You’ve figured out your skin type, now what you really want to do is get yourself onto some sort of ‘basic skincare regime’. We’re talking – cleanser, toner, moisturiser & eye creme. A simple 4-step regime you can start to incorporate at least once (if not twice) daily. When you’re on the hunt for new skincare keep your skin type in mind. Different cleanser will be more or less effective based on your skin type. Dry skins love creme based cleanser whilst oily skins prefer gel/foaming based cleansers. Most regimes will specify what skin type their products are recommended to suit.
Cleanser
Cleanser is up first. Make it easy for yourself and leave your cleanser in the shower. Cleanser will remove dirt, impurities and make-up. Please note though, if you are using a cleanser to remove your make-up rather than a make-up remover or Micellar Water – you really need to cleanse twice. Once to remove make-up and then again to cleanse the skin.
Toner
Toner comes second. Once you’re out of the shower and you have patted your face dry, you apply toner. There are different toners on the market, most commonly you use toner with a cotton pad and just dab it all over the face. There are also ‘spray/mist’ toners that you literally just mist the face and let dry. You don’t remove toner, just leave it on the skin to do it’s magic! Toners job is to balance the pH of the skin. I often find even if someone has a basic regime they are often missing toner (insert forehead-slap emoji). There’s misconception when it comes to toners – that they can be ‘drying’ on the skin, irritate the skin etc…
Your toner should not irritate your skin. They may initially tingle a little for the first couple of weeks while your skin is adapting, but, they should not irritate the skin. If the pH of the skin is out of balance the skin can become out of balance, I’m talking breakouts, blemishes, dry-patches – all the dramas we do not need. Tone your skin my friend!
Moisturiser
Now we come to step number 3, moisturiser. Moisturiser works on the surface layers of the skin to keep it nice and hydrated. Now again, your skin type will determine what kind of moisturiser your skin needs. Dryer skins will opt for heavier more nourishing cremes and oily skins will much prefer something lighter. It is also important to remember that your moisturiser should be applied all over your face – except for the eye area. You can also take your moisturiser down your neck and across your decolletage.
Eye Creme
It’s kind of obvious that eye creme is for your eyes – however it is important to remember that when applying eye creme you just need to ‘pat’ your fingers around the orbital (eye) bone. There is no need to place creme right under the eyes or on top of the eyelids. This can actually cause irritation because your eyes naturally draw in moisture so placing to product too close to the eyes can cause problems! There aren’t as many layers of skin around the eye area so it is ideal to use a specific eye creme rather than your regular moisturiser. Using cremes that are too heavy for this area can create more lines/wrinkles long term.
The 4-Step-Regime
Let’s recap on that little regime there – first we cleanse the skin, then we tone the skin, apply moisturiser to the face (avoiding the eye area) and finally apply eye creme. Establishing a basic skincare regime begins here. When you start with a basic 4-step regime you should expect to see visible results in around 3-4 weeks. When you introduce your skin to new products the skin can breakout a little or become a little irritated in the first few weeks. But only a little, any huge irritations etc should be looked at carefully. You could be using products that your skin is not really agreeing with.
Day Vs Night
Ideally you want to be using your 4-step regime morning and night and adjusting with a day/night creme. A lot of day cremes tend to contain SPF (which is a must if your not wearing a foundation with SPF) and night cremes tend to be heavier and more nourishing to the skin, so there is a difference between the two. Eventually you want to have a morning and evening regime for your skin. There’s also opportunity to add-in serums/oils based on your current skin condition. Just take on what your budget and/or mental capacity can handle to begin with!
Weekly Treatments
Over time you can start to build-up your skincare collection to include what we call treatment products. Products like exfoliants, masques and massage tools. Treatment products like exfoliants and masques tend to target different skin conditions, for example a clay masque is great to detox and clear the skin of impurities and blocked pores. Exfoliants remove layers of dead skin (ewww) and the more ‘conditioned’ your skin is with masques etc…the better your other products will work. I have some older blog posts that go into Skin Conditions & Ingredients and also massage tools and benefits, more specifically How-to Guasha
Don’t overwhelm yourself though. Start somewhere and build up your collection and your knowledge over time.
Quality or quantity?
Look, I’m going to be honest. If you want results you’ve got to be prepared to invest a little. I’m not talking hundreds of dollars but supermarket skincare is just not going to deliver the results you’re looking for (maybe for some, but not the majority). I know there are some amazing products out there but to be honest for nearly 11 years I’ve only used nutrimetics skincare so this is what I know and love. Nutrimetics products are developed in Sydney Australia and our products are manufactured in New Zealand.
The products are cruelty-free, free from mineral oils and petroleum based ingredients and to be frank the list of ingredients we don’t use is very, very long. Compared to a lot of other top brands on the market our products also have a very affordable price point, this is due to the lack of overheads (products not sold in department stores, no advertising etc…) this gives me peace of mind knowing that I’m getting exactly what I pay for. High-quality, cruelty-free, premium, Australian skincare – that works.
Getting ‘in’ on the skin-thing
First thing is first, you need to work out your skin type – see my Online Skin Quiz if you’re stuck. We’ve gone through the basics of establishing a skincare regime – getting yourself a 4-step skincare regime that is suited for your skin type. Ultimately we want to cleanse, tone & moisturise twice daily, but once is ok to start with. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
Opt for Australian, cruelty-free premium products that wont cost you the Earth. Once you’ve established a basic skincare regime for about one month or so you should start to see visible results. Over time you can broaden your skincare regime by adding products like serums, exfoliants and masques. I made reference to a few other blog posts where you can learn more about skincare ingredients, skin conditions, massage tools etc…
It doesn’t need to be complicated to deliver results. Just start somewhere and stick to it. Again, if you would like more help when it comes to selecting a skincare regime I’m more than happy to chat!
Get in on the skin thing,
Danielle x
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