Your skin is your largest organ. It protects you from the elements and the environment and plays a key role in your body’s core functions, including removing toxins and working closely with the nervous and circulatory systems. On top of this, it is among your body’s most important beauty markers.
Thus, when you are developing a skin care routine and choosing skin care products to use on a daily basis, you should make decisions based on not only helping you to look as beautiful as you can, but also what will make your skin healthy and function well.
Can you accomplish that on a budget? Most certainly! Quality skin care doesn’t have to consist of hour long rituals using 20+ products, forcing you to auction off your kidneys in order to fund it.
All you need is a little bit of knowledge of what your skin really does need, and the knowledge of how to get it!
Basic Skin Care is All It Takes
Skimping on your skin care routine might shave a few minutes off of your day and a few dollars a month off of your budget, but it’s not enough just to wash and go. Taking good care of your skin requires some forethought and planning, and what you do now has a very large impact on the future you. Just because you’re not seeing immediate aging effects now doesn’t mean that subtle changes aren’t taking place just under the surface that could cause you more heartache in the long run in the form of dry skin with premature lines, wrinkles, and age spots.
A good skin care routine involves daily cleansing, correcting, hydration, and protection against the elements, says Nicki Zevola Benvenuti of FutureDerm. “Our skin works 24/7 to protect our bodies from harsh weather, UV rays, injuries, pain, and a host of other unpleasant sensations, so setting aside a few minutes each day to tend to our skin seems to be a small price to pay.” Consider this: in a given month, you interact with your skin at least 60 times – once in the evening and once in the morning. This adds up to almost 22,000 instances per year when a simple routine can make a dramatic difference in your skin’s health.
A good diet, sleep, exercise, and drinking plenty of water will help you maintain your skin as well. Avoiding smoking and alcohol will also help. Using products that combine the most effective, rejuvenating, and anti-aging ingredients in modern science with the purest plant-based oils, extracts and other gifts from nature will keep your skin healthy and beautiful. Avoiding dyes, preservatives, and fragrances will help protect you from allergens and irritants that cause the skin to malfunction.
Basic No Frills Skin Care Necessities
The process doesn’t have to be difficult, costly, or hugely time-consuming, but it does need to be effective, safe for your skin, and provide healthy benefits. A good skin care routine consists of at least the following:
Cleanse
Washing your face is the most basic and essential step of any routine, says New York City dermatologist, Dr. Carlos Charles. “Our skin comes in contact with environmental pollutants, dirt, and other factors each day that should be gently removed.”
A good cleanser is safe to use twice a day and cleans without removing the oils that your skin needs to stay healthy. Look for products that don’t contain harsh chemicals that can strip your skin, leaving it dry. Simple is best, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Moisturize
Your skin needs moisture, and as it ages, it loses its ability to maintain that properly. Daily moisturizing is one of the most important skin care routines you can have. You should pick a moisturizer that will be kind to your skin and help you look beautiful.
One amazing do-it-all ingredient is retinol. It comes from vitamin A, which can get into the lower layers of skin, going straight to collagen and elastin. There, it’s been proven to provide a whole host of huge benefits, including improving fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture, tone and color, and improving hydration levels. All of that makes it a powerful anti-aging ingredient.
SPF
Applying sunscreen is one of the most important things you can do to protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. Direct sun exposure causes damage to your skin cells that collects over time, resulting in sun spots and wrinkles.
Prevent those problems now by applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least 30 SPF, 30 minutes before going outside.
What Does Your Skin Need?
Good skin care has the power to treat everything from acne to fine lines and sagging, leaving your skin smoother, softer, and healthier than ever, while still actively treating and preventing signs of damage and aging.
There are plenty of excellent skin care choices out there for all budgets. There’s no need to break the bank to find what you’re looking for. Just read your ingredients and know which products to avoid (parabens, formaldehyde, foaming agents, fragrance, PEG compounds) and which ones to embrace! Learn to be a more savvy shopper when it comes to your skin.