How Do I Start a Skincare Routine?

To start a skin routine, it is essential to know the type of your skin.

To start a skin routine, it is essential to know the type of your skin. It is also necessary to know what suits your skin the best. Based on these, one can formulate a good skincare routine. Include plenty of fresh fruits, complex carbs (muesli, oats, millets), and nuts in your diet for healthy skin.

The skin is not just what you see or feel external. The human skin has more components to it.

Human skin is made up of three main layers. These layers are designed in a way to protect the body. The different layers include:

• Epidermis: This is the visible, external part of the skin and consists of cells that produce keratin (keratinocytes). The epidermis is composed of five layers. Keratin present in this layer helps protect the skin from damage.
• Dermis: The middle part, the dermis, produces collagen and elastin, which provides the skin strength, elasticity, and structure.
• Hypodermis: It is the thickest and innermost part of the skin. It is mainly composed of fat tissues.

It is advisable to carefully select skin formulations because some can affect the production of collagen and elastin in the dermis layer. Some of the behaviors that may positively impact the production of collagen and elastin include:

• Proper nutrition
• Hydration
• Good oxygenation
• Absence of stress

While starting a skincare routine, you should follow these steps:

In the morning:

• Cleansing
• Exfoliation (this may be done once a week)
• Moisturization
• Sunscreen

In the evening:

• Cleansing
• Toning
• Moisturization

Cleansing:

The skin is in continuous contact with dirt, germs, and pollutants throughout the day. The skin continuously secretes oil that acts as a magnet attracting and holding all the dirt. It can result in clogging of sweat pores leading to acne and infections due to the presence of bacteria.

Thus, it is necessary to cleanse the skin two times a day: morning and evening. Never use bar soaps with harsh detergents because these can strip the skin of its natural oil. You may consult your doctor for a non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, foam-free cleanser.

While cleansing the skin, the cleanser must be gently massaged into the skin for a few minutes. This ensures the dirt is removed thoroughly.

Exfoliation:

Human skin undergoes a natural exfoliation process continually. New skin cells develop in the innermost layer of the epidermis. The newly developed skin cells then migrate to the outermost layer. Finally, these skin cells shed approximately every 30 days. This rejuvenation process heals and repairs the damaged skin. However, as you grow old, this rejuvenation process slows down, leading to a build-up of dead skin cells. Thus, the outermost layer is compromised to accommodate the extra thickened layers. Exfoliating the skin once a week would help to dissolve the dead skin cells. The new skin that is now visible is fresher and brighter. However, daily exfoliation must be avoided. Always use mild exfoliants, such as glycolic acid-based creams.

Moisturization:

The skin surface evaporates water from inside the body in the form of sweat, even if it is not visible. Due to the evaporation, the skin loses water causing skin dryness. The moisturizer does not provide water for absorption. Rather, they prevent surface evaporation by acting as a barrier. There is an unnecessary fad about day and night creams. It is a waste of money as your skin does not change throughout the day. Rather, the decision of whether to use two separate moisturizers is a personal one. Hence, moisturizing the skin twice a day is essential regardless of your skin type. Remember even oily skin needs moisturizing. Face serums containing hyaluronic acid may be a fantastic way to moisturize oily skin.

Sun protection:

We all are aware of the hazards of ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays have the potential to cause skin cancer or skin damage. Applying a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more will protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

Apart from these products, you can also include serum containing antioxidants or retinol in your daily routine. Serum calms redness, improves texture, and promotes firmness.