Taking care of yourself starts with skin care. Beautiful skin is not only a matter of genetics, but also of our daily habits. In fact, our skincare routine has a significant impact on our appearance. In order to create a proper beauty routine, several important factors must be taken into account.
A good routine starts with knowing your skin type. One-size-fits-all skincare products rarely work, and that’s because you need products and solutions tailored to your skin type. Do you have normal, dry, oily, combination skin? Is your skin sensitive, mature or dehydrated? Sometimes your skin may have imperfections such as dark circles, pigmentation spots, acne or a dull complexion.
In addition, your daily habits play an important role in what you see in the mirror. The number of beauty products you use depends largely on your skin type and the areas you want to improve. The cosmetic market is full of products with different textures that may suit your skin. From creams and foams to gels, the choice is yours.
Let’s go through the 4 different steps to create an effective skincare routine for your face!
Step 1: Cleansing
Cleansing – or make-up removal – is a key step in your beauty routine. It’s important because it removes all the impurities that have settled on your face throughout the day.
There are two types of make-up removal:
• Simple cleansing: This involves the use of a single cleanser or make-up remover. Choose a cleanser that does not make your skin feel tight after washing.
• Double cleansing: Double cleansing involves thoroughly washing your face with two cleansers. First, remove makeup with an oily substance (oil or balm) to remove all impurities, then use a second texture (gel, milk, foam or micellar water) to complete the cleansing!
Furthermore, the choice of cleanser must be adapted to your skin type. If you have dry skin, choose an oil-based cleanser to nourish the skin deeply. We strongly advise you to avoid gels which can dry out your skin even more. For oily skin, use low-oil make-up removers such as gels or foams. Be even more careful if you have sensitive skin! Always choose a specific make-up remover or cleanser with a mild surfactant base that has been dermatologically tested.
Step 2: Toning
A lotion or essence is a skin care product made up primarily of water and skin-benefiting ingredients. It can be used to perfect make-up removal, remove excess sebum, close pores and add radiance. It prepares the skin to receive the next treatments. The toner should be applied at the end of make-up removal, generally with a cotton pad
Step 3: Moisturising
Moisturising in the morning and evening allows the skin to regenerate, repair itself and face external aggressions. There are 3 key steps to moisturising the face:
• The eye contour area: Since the skin around the eyes is thinner than the rest of the face, it is an area that marks easily. The texture of the product should be more fluid and the product used should be specific to this area.
• The serum: it has a fluid texture that allows it to be absorbed more easily by the different layers of the skin. It doubles the effectiveness of your cream and improves its benefits.
• The cream: the essential part of the routine… your cream must be customised, i.e. adapted to your needs, your skin type and your desires. During the night, the skin is programmed to repair itself; having a richer night cream facilitates this regeneration. This routine should be applied morning and night to ensure healthy skin.
Step 4: Protecting
Finally, don’t forget to protect your skin from the sun and its UV rays. You don’t have to go to the beach to suffer the sun’s harmful effects. That’s why it’s important to include sunscreen in your routine. Sunscreen offers essential protection against long-term skin damage; ageing, pollution, wrinkles, spots and skin cancer. It is recommended to use SPF 30+ every day.
It should also be accompanied by weekly skincare such as:
• Exfoliating twice a week on clean skin. Use grain scrubs on blemished skin and enzymatic scrubs on sensitive skin.• A face mask. Once the scrub has been rinsed off, apply a mask (texture according to your choice). It is now possible to multi-mask; a mask adapted to each area of the face. For example, a mask for sensitive skin on the cheeks, a mask for the eye area, a purifying mask on the T-zone and a moisturising mask on the rest of the face.