Between the Sephora tweens and the ever-growing roster of beauty influencers across social media, it seems like everybody has a 10-step skin-care routine. But, there are tons of reasons why some people have avoided creating a skin-care routine. From financial restrictions to time constraints, confusion and even fear, it’s more than common (and okay) to not have mastered a skin-care routine yet.
Taking care of your skin is imperative to healthy aging, but approaching the skin-care aisle can be intimidating. If you haven’t started on your skin-care journey yet but you want to try, you’re not alone. Ahead, the simple yet effective advice NewBeauty senior editor-at-large Sarah Eggenberger took to WGN Chicago to help viewers kick-start their skin-care journey in a way that is accessible and effective.
Creating a Skin-Care Routine: It Starts With a Cleanse
As Eggenberger explains, getting into skin care is a lot like getting into exercising: if you avoid the gym for years and then jump into HIIT workouts five days a week, your body will not respond well. If you’re looking to get into a solid skin-care routine starting with a simple cleansing routine is key.
Sleeping with makeup on is a big no-no for your skin, so committing to washing your face before bed and in the morning is a great first step in your skin-care routine, and the perfect way to round out your day. Plus, cleansing helps prepare your skin for any other products you’ll use going forward. One to try is DefenAge’s 1-Step Multi Cleanser ($52): an all-in-one cleanser that melts away makeup, dirt, oil, surface debris and air pollution while hydrating the skin and even works on water-resistant eye makeup.
Commit to a Weekly Face Mask/Treatment
While the stresses of daily life tend to take priority, making time for ourselves is equally as important as any of our other tasks. Incorporating a weekly face mask or skin-care treatment into your routine is not only a great way to make time for self-care, but also a fantastic way to start treating your skin right.
Believe it or not, you can tighten and tone your skin with just a few minutes a week with NuFace’s Mini Starter Kit ($220). Delivering powerful microcurrent benefits anytime, anywhere, to sculpt and firm the face and neck, contour the look of cheeks, visibly lift brows, and smooth the look of lines, this award-winning, FDA-cleared MINI+ is ideal for anyone looking to smooth fine lines and wrinkles on the skin’s surface or sculpt face for a more lifted, contoured appearance.
Get Into Sun Protection
Arguably the most important part of any skin-care routine, sun protection is absolutely imperative not only in ensuring healthy skin aging, but also in preventing dangerous skin cancers. When getting started on your skin-care journey, getting into the habit of applying sunscreen daily (and reapplying frequently) is key.
The definition of a tried-and-true product, EltaMD’s UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 ($43) is a great option for adding SPF into your skin-care routine. Dermatologist-recommended, the product is formulated with high-purity niacinamide to help reduce the appearance of blemishes and discoloration on your skin, and the broad spectrum sunscreen contains micronized zinc oxide to protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. Ideal for daily use on various skin types, UV Clear is lightweight and helps even skin tone for a more smooth appearance. Plus, it’s fragrance-free, paraben-free and non-comedogenic.
Another fantastic sun-protection product to incorporate into your routine is Supergoop’s PROTEC(TINT) Daily SPF Tint SPF 50 ($44). Formulated with 83 percent skin-care ingredients, this feel-good, looks-like-skin formula is resistant to creasing and settling, wearing beautifully throughout the day. With over 14 shades to choose from, this effortless, lightweight formula is the definition of skin-tint-meets-sun-protection with its light, buildable coverage and natural finish.
Try Your Hand at Lash Care
Often overlooked, lash care is an important part of your skin-care routine. Taking care of your lashes will mean long, thick and fluttering lashes without the daily commitment to mascara or the hassle of lash extensions. Simply adding a couple of swipes of lash serum at the end of your nighttime skin-care routine will have your lashes lengthening in a matter of weeks.
From the great minds at America’s number-one lash and brow brand, GrandeLASH MD Lash Enhancing Serum ($68) is infused with vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids to promote naturally longer, thicker-looking lashes in just four to six weeks, with full results in three months. It’s a favorite for helping to enhance short or thinning lashes, and is also ideal for restoring the appearance of brittle or damaged lashes, too.
Take Care of Your Scalp
The skin on your scalp needs just as much TLC as the skin on your face and plays a big role in creating healthy, flourishing hair. While you’re getting started on your skin-care journey, consider adding scalp care to your routine to make sure your beauty regimen is well-rounded.
Saints & Sinners Velvet Divine Hair Masque ($40) is an intensely conditioning masque that eliminates damage caused by chemicals, heat appliances and environmental stresses. Ideal for dry, frizzy, chemically treated, curly, thermally damaged, unruly, coarse or moisture-starved hair, this hero product adds brilliant shine, moisture, combability, strength and manageability while eliminating frizz. Easy to use, all you have to do after shampooing is apply and leave on for 3-5 minutes or longer for additional conditioning benefits.
Don’t Neglect Your Body
When we talk about skin care, we mean the skin everywhere, including the often neglected skin on our bodies. After you’ve added a lash serum and hair mask to your skin-care routine, consider adding body-loving products, too, to help make sure your skin is healthy and radiant head to toe.
Nécessaire’s The Body Retinol ($55) and Hand Retinol Treatment ($35) are packed with potent yet tolerable quantities of retinol (.1 percent in the Body Retinol and .25 percent in the Hand Retinol) that help to create healthier, younger-looking skin on the hands and body, and we all know that the hands, legs, chest and arms can be some of the first places to show signs of aging.
