YOUR THREE-PRODUCT SKINCARE ROUTINE
YOUR THREE-PRODUCT SKINCARE ROUTINE
If you haven’t yet developed your own go-to nighttime face routine, start with these high-impact products.
If the beauty industry had it their way, they’d insist we have no less than about 20 products to include in our skincare routine and it would probably take 20-30 minutes to use all of these potions and elixirs. Well, if you simply don’t have time to fiddle with a full vanity of products, we break down the minimum products that you need to maintain a fresh-faced look for years to come.
CLEANSER
Cleansing the face after a day or night of wearing makeup should hopefully be one of the basic rules that you would have learned now that you’re a full-fledged grown-up. Micellar water, cleansing wipes, there’s almost an endless supply of products that you can use to get the job done. It really depends on how much makeup you use and what type of skin you have (dry, oily, combination) that will determine the best type of cleanser for you. Just make sure you a thoroughly getting all of the residue off of your face, sometimes a few wipes of cleansing wipes aren’t enough. This is why the ‘double-cleanse’ is so popular these days- often the first cleanse gets off the makeup and the second really ensures that everything is gone.
FACIAL OIL
We assume that you are already in the habit of using a moisturizer, but have you thought about adding a few drops of facial oil to add nutrients, anti-oxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids? Again, you can choose based on your skin type and play around with the many offerings on the market- rosehip, coconut, argan, and marula are all popular types that can be found at virtually any pharmacy. Even those with oily skin can benefit. As stated before facial oil can be added into your favorite moisturizer or even used as a spot treatment were specifically needed. And a little goes a long way, a few drops is usually all you need.
RETINOL
You would have heard by now that retinol is a holy-grail product in terms of adding into your nighttime skin routine to help prevent against the effects of aging. Products that contain retinol or retinoids (the derivatives that come from the same vitamin-A family as retinol) are known to help with collagen production and promote regeneration of skin cells resulting in more cell turnover and a fresher looking complexion. These products come in varying degrees of strength and your best bet is to start off with a very gentle formulation. The good part is that if you are consistent about using even these very gentle retinoid products, they will produce great results over time. It is common practice to limit the use of retinol to the nighttime portion of your routine since it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun if used during the day.
It can be a nuisance to keep up with all of the beauty tips and trends but if you follow this basic skincare routine, you can be sure that the few steps you are taking will give you the most bang for your buck.