Your friend Stacy has flawless skin. When you ask her how she gets it, she will launch into a 15-minute speech that describes a daily skincare routine time-consuming cleansing, toning, and exfoliating, and moisturizing regimen with products you have never heard of.
You, on the other hand, are quite the opposite in your skincare regimen. Stacy would probably be aghast to hear this, but if you remember to wash your skin at night before going to bed, you use a pump of liquid hand soap from the powder room, and in the morning you lather up your face with whatever bar soap is in the shower.
Sound familiar? Chances are good you are not alone when it comes to your pretty much non-existent skincare routine. Many people simply don’t have the time, money, or inclination to adopt a “Stacy-like” approach to skincare. You are a busy person, and frankly, the idea of having such a massive routine to follow is not your thing.
Why Skincare is Important
While your views are understandable, skincare routine really is important. Clean skin that is well cared for will look and feel healthier, and you may look younger too. Going to bed with makeup on can lead to breakouts, and if you never wear sunscreen, you may end up with skin cancer.
You may also find a reduction in dark circles under your eyes, puffiness, fewer lines and wrinkles, and an increase in self-confidence, all from taking care of your skin.
Fortunately, you can achieve great-looking skin with a short and sweet daily regimen that is a fraction of what your friend does and costs much less.
As for what to do, consider the following tips:
Basic Skincare Products
To get going on your skincare routine, you should have four products on hand: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. To choose the correct items, it is good to have a basic idea of what type of skin you have.
For instance, if your face often feels tight and itchy then a cleanser and moisturizer for dry skin are in order. If you have a shiny forehead and chin, products for oily skin are right for you.
Another skincare product that can make a world of difference in the way your skin looks and feels—and that is blessedly easy to use—is a hydration serum.
For instance, the Active Hydration Serum from Rodan + Fields has been found to instantly boost the skin’s hydration levels by 200 percent, all while locking in moisture. The hydrating serum only needs to be used once a day, but if you want the serum for dry skin, you can up it to both morning and night.
Hydrating face serums are also easy to use. You put some into the palm of your hand and then apply it to your face, avoiding the eyelids.
Using a serum for hydration can complement or replace your moisturizer, and you should find that there are a number of face serum benefits, including calming down redness and helping your skin look firmer.
Serious about Sunscreen
Even if you skip certain parts of your skincare routine now and then, please do not go without sunscreen. It shouldn’t take much more than a minute or two to apply, and if you use a spray version it can be even faster.
Do yourself a favor and protect yourself from skin cancer. Consider a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and reapply it if you swim or get really sweaty when exercising.
Great Skin is Easy to Achieve
Your friend Stacy is more than welcome to continue with her costly and time-consuming skincare routine. As for you, you now know that you need a few basic products including a cleanser, face serum, and sunscreen, and a small amount of time each day to have an effective skincare routine—and great-looking skin.
