The most common things I hear from people when talking about skin care are either there are too many steps to follow or too many products that you have to use, or (and this is almost always the case) they just don’t even know where to begin when it comes to developing a regimen for themselves. That’s why I’m here!

Let’s start with the basic steps in a daily skincare routine: Cleanse, exfoliate, tone, apply serums and SPF, moisturize.

Each step plays a vital role in your skin’s health. But, before you can decide what products you are going to use, you need to ask yourself some questions. What is my skin type? What aspects of my skin am I wanting to improve upon? These are important questions to ask because everybody’s skin is different and one product could work really well for one person, but not another. The skin on your face is different from the rest of your skin on your body. The main difference being the pH of the skin on your face is slightly more acidic due to the mixture of oil and sweat normally present. This mixture combines with lipids, minerals, and moisture to form a protective barrier for the skin. This barrier is known as the acid mantle and aids in protecting the skin (and body) from any outside factors that can threaten the health of your skin. (remember this, it’s important!)

When you go to pick a cleanser, make sure you are picking the right one for your skin type. Your skin may not need the same things as someone who might have more acne prone skin or even someone that has a different skin type. Always make sure that when you are cleansing that you are using a cleanser that is gentle enough to not strip your skin of its natural oils, but strong enough so that it can remove all of the dead skin and other debris from your skin. A good rule of thumb: cleansing should happen twice a day (morning and night). Double cleansing, or adding an oil based pre-cleanser to your nightly skincare routine (before your regular cleanser) is a great way to get rid of stubborn makeup that doesn’t always come off with regular cleanser and water.

After you cleanse, the next step would be to exfoliate. Exfoliating is super important because it helps remove the dead skin cells so that new ones can be brought to the surface. Now, when you exfoliate, please for the love of all that is holy, do not use ANYTHING that can cause microtears to the skin.. Off the top of my head… St. Ives facial scrubs or even Kylie Jenner’s walnut scrub. The abrasives used in those types of scrubs are too much for the skin on your face to handle. Exfoliation should be done as part of your nightly routine and should NOT be done every day. When you over-exfoliate, it can cause your skin to over compensate for what it is lacking, thus making your skin really dry and irritated, or even more oily and prone to breakouts.

After you exfoliate it is time for toner. Toner means something different to everyone, and the fact that there are SO many different ones on the market can make it really hard to know which one is going to be the right fit for you. To be able to choose a toner, you need to know what the function of this product is. Toner helps bring the pH of your skin back to “normal”. When you're cleansing and exfoliating, you take away the natural oils and moisture from your skin. You ever wonder why your skin feels tight and dry after you wash your face? That’s because your skin is more on the alkaline side of the spectrum at this point. By using a toner, you are helping restore your skin's pH so that the protective barrier (the acid mantle) can continue to do what it does best, PROTECT!

After you’ve applied your toner, don’t wait until it completely dries to apply your serums, spf, and moisturizer. That extra moisture from the toner helps with product penetration into the skin and it’s an important tip to remember, especially in these last steps, because these steps are all about targeting specific skin concerns! Serums, spf, and moisturizer...most, MOST of the time, you can mix the three together at the same time and apply them all at once. However, some skin care products should not be mixed together, or even worn at the same time for that matter. Reading the ingredients on your product label is a must because some ingredients can interact negatively with your skin or even other products that you have used in your regimen. If you don’t feel comfortable with mixing these products, you can always apply them separately. Apply your products in the order of importance: serums, then spf, then moisturizer. Serums can be added both to your daily and nightly routines. Your skin does more when you are sleeping, so using serums and things of that sort before you go to bed comes with a lot more benefit than using them in the morning. If you do choose to wear a serum in the morning, I would go with something like a vitamin C or hyaluronic acid serum. After your serum, you would then follow up with your SPF and your moisturizer.

I hope that this helps those of you who are unsure of where to begin when it comes to your skin. The best piece of advice that I can give you is to get to know your skin characteristics first and then build your skincare regimen around those after. The world of skin care is a vast one, so if you are still unsure and need a little guidance, reach out! I would LOVE to help create a skincare regimen that is customized to you!

As always, I’m sending you all of the good vibes, energies, and LOVE! Have a wonderful week everyone and keep your eyes peeled for the new and exciting things that are making their way into Nail Supply Inc!