Choosing the best products for your skin can be overwhelming, because when it comes to skin care one size fits one.
That’s why we created a system that’s easy to understand and even easier to use, regardless of age, skin type or your level of obsession with skin care products.
We’ve identified five essential categories that any complete skin care routine should include at least one product from.
In order to be a skin care essential, a product must…
Ready to get started?
Let’s take a look at each category, how to choose the best product for your skin, and how to use it.
This one may seem like a given, but you’d be surprised how many people are cleansing wrong, or not doing it at all.
Cleanser is the first essential because using a quality cleanser that’s right for your skin is one of the easiest ways to improve the health and appearance of your skin.
Washing your face is essential because it clears dirt, oil, and environmental pollutants that buildup on your skin throughout the day.
Washing your face also serves as a mild exfoliant, removing dead skin cells to make way for new ones. This keeps the surface of your skin healthy and contributes to a bright, even skin tone!
The wrong cleanser or soap can harm and disrupt your skin, leading to inflammation, redness, breakouts, dryness or overactive oil glands.
Quality cleansers leave your skin clean AND healthy. They don’t dry you out, cause redness, or leave residue that can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
Vitamin C has been a hot ingredient in skin care products for years.
One reason is that vitamin C is a potent antioxidant.
It protects your skin from oxidative stress caused by UV light and blue light from your device screens; it also protects you from environmental pollution that can accelerate aging.
Additionally, vitamin C is the gold standard for topical treatment of photodamage.
It will brighten your complexion by lightening brown spots without affecting your skin’s overall pigmentation.
Vitamin C also boosts collagen production, which improves the appearance of fine lines.
Needless to say, vitamin C is a powerful tool to have in your routine. Make it your best friend for daytime defense.
The #1 cause of aging is sun damage. The single most important thing you can do for your skin is protect it from the sun.
A quality sunscreen will keep your skin young and healthy.
The ultraviolet light in the sun’s rays harm elastin, which leads to loss of elasticity and sagging.
It also causes your skin to produce more dark pigment than they should. This causes freckles, which clump over time and lead to sun spots.
Ultraviolet light also damages the DNA in your skin, which can lead to several types of skin cancer.
And yes, you still need a sunscreen even if your foundation contains spf!
The spf in foundation is diluted by the other ingredients, causing you to have incomplete coverage. Besides, if you’re going to protect your skin from the sun, then you need a product whose purpose is to protect your skin from the sun.
Your eyes are the first place people look when they see you.
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your body, plus it doesn’t contain any oil glands, which makes it one of the first places on your face to show aging.
So if you’re thinking is an eye cream really an essential – our answer is YES!
A quality eye cream works wonders for puffiness, fine lines, sagging and dark circles.
Its primary purpose is to hydrate, which is why it’s usually thicker than other products. A good eye cream will also contain targeted ingredients to address puffiness, dark circles and other signs of aging and inflammation.
After just a few weeks of use, eye cream will help you appear years younger.
Both retinoid and retinol are forms of vitamin A – the #1 ingredient for anti-aging skin care.
Retinols are slightly less powerful forms of vitamin a than retinoids, but both are miracle workers for fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and skin tone and clarity
Vitamin A functions by increasing the rate of cell generation in your skin, prompting old cells on the surface to turn over and make way for new cell growth effectively creating younger skin.
Vitamin A increases the production of collagen to firm and plump the skin. It stimulates new blood vessel growth, which brings nutrients to the skin, helping improve the skin’s color and tone. It also cleans out pores and bacterial growth, which shrinks pore size and clears up pimples and black heads.
You can see why it’s been one of the most popular skin care products for decades.
The one thing to watch out for with Vitamin A products is irritation. It can cause redness, flakiness, dryness and sensitivity.
The best way to avoid this, especially if you have sensitive skin, is to start out slowly with a retinol.
That may seem like a lot, but consistently following a skin care routine will lay a foundation for healthy skin.
After a few weeks of practice it will become habit, and, if you’re like us, a cherished daily ritual.
With these five simple steps, anyone can see a dramatic improvement in their skin in just a few weeks.
Stay beautiful.