From cleansing to moisturizing: the basics of day time skincare!

Everyone knows how important is to follow a skincare routine. In fact, most of my patients tell me they use different products to take care of their faces. The problem comes when I ask them if they know why they use each product and what do they work for. 

Here is the part when my patients realize they have so many creams and lotions but no clue about how to use them. There is no point in buying products if you don’t know the proper way to make the most out of them. 

In this opportunity, I want to give you an overview of the different types of products that you can use for a basic routine of skincare. Keep reading to keep the best habits! 

During the day: Begin with cleansers! 

It seems very basic that having your skin clean is the first thing you have to do when you wake up. However, some of my patients have skipped this step because they consider their faces don’t get dirty while they sleep.

This is a common mistake but you need to know that even if you cleaned your face before sleeping, it’s still exposed to bacteria in your sheets, pillow or the air. I also understand that there are plenty of options in the market that may confuse you. 

For example, some cleansers include salicylic acid for acne. If you are not dealing with this problem, I always recommend a basic cleanser to start. It’s an excellent help if you identify your type of skin before buying it. In this manner, you can know how your skin will respond to any type of cleanser. 

According to your type of skin, look at these aspects for an everyday cleansing:

• Oily or acne: the best type of cleansing must be a foaming liquid. It becomes into an airy foam that will help you to keep your pores free of any dirt and excess of sebum. 

• Dry, red or eczema-prone: cleansers in cream or lotions are the best because they include emollients like glycerin that besides cleaning, they also hydrate your skin. 

• Sensitive: oily cleansers are the most appropriate for the delicate skin. You may feel that it’s not being effective because it doesn’t create foam but it actually works very great. 

• Mature Skin: try melting bars as a cleanser; their butter texture “melts” over your face once you apply it. 

• Mixed Skin: a micellar water cleanser is the most recommended for this type of skin. It attracts all the oil and dirt from your pores without causing any dryness. They are very gentle with the skin as there is no need to rub it in or rinse it off. 

Serums; give your face the vitamins it needs! 

It’s very important that you know the purpose of Serums in your skin. We are talking about a product you apply after the cleansing to provide powerful ingredients directly into the skin. Their smaller molecules penetrate easily into our pores that must be clean for this purpose.

As they deliver a high concentration of active ingredients, it’s very common to see different types of Serums for the most common skin concerns. However, even if you don’t have any specific issues with your skin, is very important that you use an antioxidant in the morning to protect your face from the daily aggressions. 

You will find plenty of serums with Hyaluronic Acid, C, D or E vitamins. However, my recommendation is to start with a basic Vitamin C serum that will help you to keep a brighten skin and decrease black spots with regular use.

Protect your skin from the sun with an SPF

This is probably a golden rule in every skincare routine, no matter your type. We are talking about the most crucial skin-care product. It will help you to prevent the development of fine lines and wrinkles. However, the most important is that it helps you to avoid skin cancer. 

I recommend using a daily moisturizer cream with a built-in broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30. Remember that it doesn’t matter if you live in a cloudy city because your skin will be exposed to the sunrays anyway. In addition, know that the protection factor (SPF) only measures the amount of UVB protection it offers. Currently, there aren’t rating systems to measure UVA protection. 

It’s very important to make clear that we often confuse the terms “sunscreen” and “sunblock”.

• Sunscreens: these include chemical components like avobenzone and benzophenone, which absorb the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. They often contain UVA and UVB absorbers chemicals but its common presentation will only protect you from UVB rays. 

 

• Sunblocks: we also know them as “physical sunscreens” because they reflect the sun rays. Their main ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. They act as a shield and reflect the light from UVA and UVB rays. I recommend this type of protection if you are allergic to the chemical ingredients of sunscreens. 

Use sunscreens with a combination of physical and chemical blocking components. In this manner, you will be protected from both UVA and UVB rays without creating annoying visible residues.