What is a Good Skin Care Routine?
A great skincare routine is what separates regular skin from skin that's totally radiant. Any woman can achieve colorful and youthful skin no matter her age or skin type; she just needs a routine that’s perfect for her needs! What’s a good skincare routine for you? Let’s find out.
Types of Skincare Tools
Firstly, any skincare routine depends on you having the tools and products necessary to take care of business. Here are some of the most common skincare tools you'll need for an optimal regimen:
- Cleansers: these products are gels or liquids that penetrate the skin and cleanse your pores. They remove dirt, toxins, and dead skin cells in equal measure, helping your pores to breathe. In doing so, they make your skin look brighter and more flushed with color and allow new skin cells to grow unhampered by dead ones. Many cleansers come as foaming types to lift toxins out of your pores before being rinsed away. Cleansers are great for treating breakouts and just generally keeping your skin clearer and brighter. Many of the best cleansers feature either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide as their primary active ingredient.
- Peels and masks: these products are applied to your skin, where they form a light, removable layer of product that takes toxins, dead skin cells, and debris away with them. These are often used to strip away the surface layer of dead skin cells to make your skin feel and look younger, softer, and brighter. Certain peels can also provide ancillary benefits, like stimulating collagen production, reducing blemishes, reducing fine lines, and more.
- Toner: these products are meant to be used before moisturizer but after a cleanser. Toner is a more intense cleansing product that absorbs and removes oil, traces of makeup, dirt, and more from the deeper layers of your skin. In doing so, it helps to balance your skin’s pH level and can even help you control acne. Toners are often applied using a cotton pad and can do everything from clean out blackheads to shrink pores. Products like niacinamide and BHA based products are great at shrinking pores.
- Serums: these products are meant to provide your skin with nourishing vitamins and other ingredients to help it recover from deep cleanses or other corrective measures. They can also help your skin’s color, texture, and moisture levels. Some people consider retinol a type of serum. Retinol and other retinoid creams are basically concentrated vitamin A that helps your skin get rid of old cells and replace them with new ones. This process is called "cell turnover." Another very popular serum ingredient is hyaluronic acid. A far more hydrating than just about any other active ingredient, hyaluronic acid is many times more hydrating than water - it's one of the most effective moisturizing products out there. Serum is, in many cases, a better moisturizing option for acne prone skin than other, heavier products as it protects your skin barrier and leaves your skin moisturized without clogging pores. If you have red skin or problems with eczema, you may want to consider a moisturizer with ceramides.
- Lotions and moisturizers: these creams and liquids will keep your skin from becoming too dry or infuse it with a level of moisturization to help it recover more quickly after a deep cleanse. In turn, this prevents your skin from accruing too many wrinkles or dry spots and will help your skin look and feel healthier for longer. Some lotions can provide additional protection from daily wear and tear or dryness
- Balms: for your body or eyes, balms are products made without water, instead being mixtures of oil, waxes, and oftentimes certain types of butter. These can provide moisturization benefits, can soothe irritated or sensitive skin, and can make your skin’s texture even smoother and more pleasant than before. Some can also provide additional fragrances for a complete aesthetic. Balms come in the form of a night cream, as well as toners and more.
- Lip care: the last part of any full skincare routine often involves treating your lips, which can become chapped or dry from regular daily exposure. Lip creams, balms, and serums can improve the look and moisture of your lips. Some make them appear plumper, redder, or healthier. Others can also help prevent them from becoming chapped in the first place
- Sunscreen: Regardless of your skin tone or skin needs, sunscreen is going to be an important tool for you to use. Sunscreen not only protects you for the sun's UV rays, it also reduces wrinkles and helps your skin age better. You want to use sunscreen with an SPF 30 or above. Some SPF levels can exceed 50 and, while in some cases those types of sunscreen can be helpful, your dermatologist will likely tell you that it is rarely necessary to go for anything higher than SPF 30.
The Routine Depends On Goals and Skin Type
While all the tools above are excellent, only some will be needed for certain situations and certain skin types. No one routine fits all women; instead, you’ll need to follow a routine that’s perfect for your skin tone, type, and personal beauty goals.
Skin Types
There are four main types of skin that can affect which types of skincare products are best for your needs.
Dry
Dry skin is quite common, particularly during winter months when the weather is also dry. Those with dry skin often don’t have enough moisturization to achieve full color and softness and might see an uptick in wrinkles, cracked skin, or itchiness.
Oily
Oily skin is also common, especially in younger women. It’s often accompanied by sudden spikes in acne or itchiness, as excessive oil clogs your pores and makes it difficult for new skin cells to take the place of dead ones. Exfoliation is quite important for those with oily skin.
Sensitive
Sensitive skin deserves to be treated as a separate category because many women with this type can’t use intense skincare products without becoming too uncomfortable. Sensitive skincare routines often forgo deep cleansing peels and the like in favor of gentler solutions. Keep in mind that if you have sensitive skin, you will want to use an especially gentle cleanser.
Combination
Finally, some women have what’s called “combination” skin. Dermatology tells us this skin type doesn’t lean too far in any one direction and usually benefits from most skincare products without needing to exclude anything.
Now that you have an overview of typical skin care tools and skin types, let’s look at some examples of good skincare routines. Suki’s Skincare Regimens are excellent outlines of these routines and many more.
Blemishing Skin – Combination to Oily
Let’s start with the basic skincare routine for regular blemishes. This is a great skincare regimen if you don't have particularly sensitive skin to worry about.
- Start with an exfoliating, foaming cleanser. This will deeply cleanse the skin and get rid of toxins or impurities that might be causing the blemishes in the first place. You can also use a "leave-on" type exfoliant like glycolic acid which will protect you
- A purifying, foaming cleanser is next. This gets rid of even more toxins but focuses on deep dirt and debris instead of dead skin cells like the last cleanser
- Next is either a resurfacing enzyme peel – which provides collagen boosts to your skin and ancillary benefits – or a transformative purifying mask. Both of these will provide your skin with additional vitamins and color boosts
- A concentrated, clarifying toner should follow. This is the final stage of cleansing. Toner eliminates any last traces of makeup or oil in your skin. But it will leave your skin a little dry
- A purifying face serum should help take care of that, as it provides your skin with the nutrients and moisturization it needs to recover from all that cleansing! Vitamin C serum might be a good option to try here if you want to both hydrate and improve the appearance of your skin.
- But you should go further with a balancing day lotion or balancing facial oil if you’re following the routine at night. Both of these products will moisturize your skin and prevent it from drying out both from your skincare routine and from any environmental factors
- Lastly, treat your eyes and lips. Your eyes could benefit from an eye lift renewal cream during the day and an ultra-protecting eye balm for the night. Your lips should receive Suki Skin Care’s 4-Swipe Formula Lip Care
Redness and Spots – All Types
What if your skin suffers more from chronic redness and random spots that throw off your look? This regimen should be perfect.
- Start with a resurfacing enzyme peel. This performs some light exfoliation without being as harsh as a chemical peel. But it also provides benefits to get rid of redness by infusing your skin with certain helpful vitamins and clearing up dirt and debris
- Next, you should use a purifying foaming cleanser. This foams up and eliminates further dirt and debris while being pretty gentle for your skin as far as cleansers are concerned
- Either a moisture-rich brightening mask – if your skin is a little drier than average – or a transformative purifying mask should follow. These will soak your skin in helpful ingredients that will eliminate those pesky spots and to your skin at the same time
- Now it’s time to tone your skin with a concentrated strengthening toner. As the name suggests, strengthens your skin and should make it resistant to further spots in the future
- Then use either a radical results youth serum for the day, which will help your skin look and feel younger, or an even-tone brightening serum for the night
- Nourishing day cream is a good next choice. This provides even better nutrition and vitamin support for your skin. Nourishing face oil would be a good choice if you plan to do this routine at night
- Lastly, give your eyes and lips some care using the same ingredients as the last skincare regimen
Mature Skin – Combination to Dry
Have mature skin and wanted to look like it did before? There’s a skincare regimen for that, too.
- Start with both an exfoliating foaming cleanser or a resurfacing enzyme peel, depending on your skin sensitivity. Either one will get rid of dead skin cells and surface-level debris pretty capably
- Next, we’d recommend a moisture-rich cleansing lotion. Mature skin tends to be drier than average, so this will cleanse your pores a little more deeply without drying out your skin and exacerbating that effect
- A moisture-rich brightening mask should follow, which, again, infuses your skin with much-needed moisture and helps your skin look more colorful
- A concentrated strengthening toner should be your choice for the last cleansing step
- Then use a radical results youth serum for better coloration and skin health during the day or an even tone brightening serum for the night
- Check out Suki Skin Care’s nourishing day cream for daytime moisturization and protection, but their nourishing facial oil is a good choice for the night, as well
- Finally, consider using the aforementioned eye creams and lip care formulas for a finishing touch
Summary
All in all, a good skincare routine does exist for your skin. All it takes is a little consideration and the right products. Check out Suki Skin Care's catalog for ideas and inspiration!