Skin care

A Guide to Taking Care of Your Skin

Knowing your true skin type can help subsequent time you’re within the cosmetics aisle.

Building a daily skin care routine

A daily skin care routine has four basic steps you'll do once within the morning and once before you sleep.

1. Cleansing: Clean your face no quite twice each day , or simply once, if you've got dry skin and don’t wear makeup. Avoid washing for that squeaky-clean feeling because meaning your skin’s natural oils are gone. Cleansers known to work well for all skin types include Cetaphil and Banila Clean It Zero Sherbet Cleanser.

2. Serums: A serum with vitamin C or growth factors or peptides would be better within the morning, under sunscreen. At night, retinol or prescription retinoids work best.

3. Moisturizer: Dry skin may enjoy more cream-based moisturizers like MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream.

4. Sunscreen: Apply sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF quarter-hour before heading outdoors, because it takes a short time for sunscreen to activate. Darker skin tones really need more sun protection because hyperpigmentation is harder to correct. Try EltaMD’s sunscreen, which offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection and is suggested by the carcinoma Foundation.

Choose products that suit your skin type and sensitivity, and remember to read the labels. Some products, such as retinol or prescription retinoids, should only be applied at night.

For all skin types

Stay hydrated.

Change pillow cases at least once a week.

Wash or wrap up hair before bed.

Wear sunscreen a day and apply quarter-hour before going out.

Start with a basic and straightforward routine to ascertain how your skin reacts. Once you’re comfortable, you'll then add extra products like exfoliants, masks, and spot treatments to spice up your skin’s health.

And don’t forget to skin test new products, especially if you think you've got sensitive skin. This can help you identify potential allergic reactions.

To patch test a new product:

Apply a small amount of product on your skin in a discreet area, such as the inside of your wrist or your inner arm.

Wait 48 hours to see if there’s a reaction.

Check the area at 96 hours after application to see if you have a delayed reaction.

An allergic reaction may include irritation, redness, small bumps, or itchiness. If you notice these symptoms, wash the area you tested with water and a gentle cleanser. Then return the product and try another that better suits your skin type.

DIY hacks to avoid (even if everyone does it)

People report wonders from using DIY hacks like juice and toothpaste for common skin problems like acne bumps and dark spots. Even award-winning actress Emma Stone claims her skin care secret is bicarbonate of soda . But the truth is these hacks may cause more long-term harm than benefit because they can damage your skin’s barrier.

Avoid these DIY hacks

Lemon juice: It may have citric acidic, but it’s far too acidic and can cause dark spots to appear after sun exposure. It can also dry and irritate your skin.

Baking soda: At a pH level of 8, baking soda will stress your skin, significantly decreaseTrusted Source your skin’s water content, and cause dry skin.

Garlic: In raw form, garlic can cause skin allergies, eczema, skin inflammation, and watery blisters.

Toothpaste: The ingredients in toothpaste may kill germs and absorb oil, but they can also dry out or irritate your skin.

Sugar: As an exfoliant, sugar is too harsh for the skin on your face.

Vitamin E: Topical application of vitamin E can irritate your skin and isn't proven to enhance scar appearance.

Some of these ingredients may be all natural and cost-effective, but they aren’t formulated for your skin. Even if you don’t feel immediate side effects, these ingredients can cause delayed or long-term damage. It’s best to use products formulated for your face. Talk to your doctor or dermatologist before trying DIY applications on your skin.

How to treat skin problems

Just remember the amount one rule of skin care: Don’t pick! Picking at acne, blackheads, scabs, or other skin problems can cause open wounds or darker skin spots known as hyperpigmentation. Open wounds can lead to infections, more acne, or scars.

Here are some scientifically backed ways to treat problem areas.

Acne

Acne treatment depends on how deep or serious your acne is. Overall skin care is the most important step in treating acne, but for mild acne you can use nonprescription products from your local drugstore such as:

salicylic acid (Stridex maximum strength acne pads)

alpha hydroxy acids

adapalene

tea tree oil

Always apply sunscreen after using these products within the morning, since they will cause extra skin sensitivity.

For immediate, inflamed, and individual pimples, you can also try acne patches or stickers. These are clear, thick patches that work as spot treatments to help promote blemish healing and prevent infections.