Hey guys!
It's Lay.
So since I'm stopping the icon of the month series on here, I decided that I wanted to start another series that more align with apart of my identity. I love all things beauty from makeup skincare. This was more shown in the earlier blog posts when I started this blog. I feel like it started to get harder to speak about because beauty type posts are more visual and need more images and for a while, I was struggling to incorporate it back into this website. I do love writing about them because I believe beauty is apart of self-care. Many people find it superficial but stuff like makeup and skincare is all about being comfortable in your own skin and feeling confident when you see yourself. Beauty, because it is such a subjective topic, looks different to everyone. I thought I should add that because skincare is more than just getting rid of acne. While we are on that note, acne shouldn't defy a person level of attractiveness. A person has acne for many reasons and a lot of times they are beyond a person control (i.e. hormonal acne) and maybe I'll get into another blog post about all these things that are viewed as "flaws" while they are just are simply apart of being a person.
I struggled with acne mostly because as a kid people would ALWAYS touch my face and I was too passive in elementary school to tell them not to do that, ( I had a baby face so people specifically loved to pinch my cheeks because they found them to be "adorable"). Also, stress and hormones played a huge role in my acne. I started puberty more rapidly than other kids and also my middle school was a very stressful and toxic environment, so my along with how the rest of my body reacted to it, my skin also showed negative results for being there for 7 years (it was a middle school and high school).
I feel like I made skincare a huge part of my lifestyle because it gave comfort to know that I am doing something that is healthy for my body and gives me control of an aspect of my life. Skincare just makes me feel good but it can also be confusing when you're getting into it which is why I wanted to start this series. While it helps the people who are just as interested as I am, it also gives me a place to document my research. So let's get started! In this first part, I am just introducing different products that you may have or need to incorporate it and created a guide for the proper order of things (this of course is flexible depending on which products you choose to put into your routine or take out).
Cleanser
What's the purpose of it:
Facial cleanser is an important part of your skincare routine regardless of your skin type. The purpose of cleanser is to remove dirt, germs, oil, and other pollutants that can harm the skin. The benefit of using a cleanser is that it helps keep your pores clean which prevents skin conditions such as acne. The downfall is you have to be careful of how much you use it because when you wash your skin too frequently it can strip your skin of natural oils, causing it to become dry and irritated.
How many times a day should you use it:
You should wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Even though people argue that only people with acne-prone skin should be washing twice a day, here's why it's better to wash 2 times a day instead. Washing your face in the morning is important because dirt and bacteria can gather on your face while you're sleeping. Specifically, dead skin and allergens can pile up on your pillowcase and transfer to your skin (which is why you should be washing your pillows more often. I spoke about this in my other blog post). Along with that, a person can sweat in their sleep which can build-up to cause acne. The reason to wash your face at night is that if you go out all-day your face encounters many germs, comes in contact with pollution in the air, you sweat during the day and if you wear makeup, your skin needs to breathe. Even though I personally believe in twice a day, NEVER skip washing at the end of the day.
Different types:
Gel Cleansers
Cream Cleansers
Foam Cleansers
Oil Cleansers
Micellar Cleansers
Bar Cleansers
Powder Cleansers
Clay Cleansers
I might do an individual blog post on different types of products and who they benefit as apart of this series but for now I am just listing the different types.
Toner
What's the purpose of it:
I recently learned this the hard way of why toner is so important. Toner removes excess dirt and oil, refreshes your skin without stripping it of its natural moisture, balances your PH levels, and shrinks the appearance of your pores. From my personal experience, it also helps my hyperpigmentation. Also, it can prevent ingrown hair.
How many times a day should you use it:
It depends on your skin type because while a person can use it 2 times a day after washing with cleanser, one of the purposes of it does remove oils. This can cause dry skin to become even drier or can cause irritation. If it starts to do either of those you should change it to once a day or every other day. Cater to your skin type!
Different types:
Water-based
Alcohol-based
Glycerin-based
**Astringent (Apparently, this is something similar to a toner because they are both the 2nd step after using a cleanser which is why you are not supposed to use both. Astringents are typically made for people with oily skin/ acne-prone skin while toners are more friendly every skin type)
Serum
What's the purpose of it:
Serum is a skincare product that is more lightweight than moisturizers and have more concentrated ingredients. Serums are used for a lot of things. It can be used to manage acne-prone skin (this is mainly because serums are traditionally water-based). There are serums that can be used for color correcting. Some have antioxidants. They are really hydrating which is good for anti-aging and wrinkles.
How many times a day should you use it:
This is based on the type of serum. It should be at least once a day but it depends on what it says on the packaging.
Different types:
Anti-Aging
Acne-Fighting
Hydrating
Repairative & Renewing Face
Skin Brightening
Exfoliating
Essence
What's the purpose of it:
Essence is common in Korean. It is similar to serum but lighter and less concentrated in terms of ingredients.
How many times a day should you use it:
Twice a day
Ampoules
What's the purpose of it:
It is really similar to serum but it's more concentrated which is why they come in smaller bottles because a lot goes a long way. It is basically a boost for serum because of the ingredients.
How many times a day should you use it:
There are 2 ways you can use this. You can use it a few times a week/ every other day. However, if you are trying to get rid of a specific problem use it every day for 1-2 weeks. If the problem starts to improve, then switch to the first method which is every other day.
Facial oils
What's the purpose of it:
This is mainly for people with dry skin. It is used as an extra level of protection but also as a way to lock in the moisturizer for hydration. Additionally, it's good for anti-aging.
How many times a day should you use it:
Twice a day (morning and night)
Acne Spot Treatment
What's the purpose of it:
It has ingredients to fight off the acne which unclogs the pore. Acne happens when the pore experiences blockage. The treatment also helps reduces pain, redness, inflammation, etc. There are treatments that are prescribed by dermatologists vs over the counter.
How many times a day should you use it:
As many times it says on the instructions
Moisturizer
What's the purpose of it:
Moisturizer is used to prevent your skin from getting dry. It is a common misconception that people with oily skin don't need this step but in reality, if too much oil is taken from the skin, the skin will produce more excess oil which will cause more breakouts. On the other hand people with dry skin, without moisturizer can make the skin become scaly, patchy and irritated.
How many times a day should you use it:
2 times a day, technically there are day moisturizers and the night ones (called night cream)
Sunscreen
What's the purpose of it:
Sunscreen is used to protect the skin against harsh UV rays from the sun. The UV rays from the sun can not only cause skin cancer but can also cause fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. These can be prevented with the use of sunscreen which is why this is the most important step in your day time routine.
How many times a day should you use it:
Multiple times throughout the day because sunscreen wears off
Facial spray
What's the purpose of it:
There are many purposes of this from giving your skin a boost of hydration to prep/prime your skin for makeup to set your makeup. Each kind serves a purpose that either leaves your skin glowing or making your makeup look as good as possible. The function depends on the category.
How many times a day should you use it:
I personally use my Mario Badescu facial sprays twice a day because I use those specific sprays for skincare. However the sprays I use for my makeup I use whenever my look is starting to look dull.
Different types:
Hydrating Mist
Thermal water
Setting spray
Primer sprays
Eye cream
What's the purpose of it:
The skin around the eyes is fragile so eye cream helps the issues of dryness, lessens the appearance of dark circles, fine lines, wrinkles, and puffiness. Basically it helps with anti-aging.
How many times a day should you use it:
Twice a day
Exfoliator
What's the purpose of it:
Exfoliator removes dead skin cells which can cause help improve your skin overall. The removal of the dead skin prevents acne by removing what typically clogs the pores. It also allows for products to be more effective since it no longer has barriers.
How many times a day should you use it:
Two or three times (every other day), unless you have sensitive skin. If your skin is sensitive, once a week is better
Important tips:
Avoid scrubs with microbeads, they are really bad for your skin (I personally prefer sugar or salt scrubs)
Don't scrub too hard, it can cause microtears in the skin
Don't do it too frequently if your skin is dry because it can strip skin of natural oils
Facial masks
What's the purpose of it:
Different types of face masks target different issues. Sheet masks are the most hydrating. Clays masks are typically used for acne control. The overall thing they all do is pull out impurities and improve the appearance of their pores.
How many times a week should you use it:
1-2 times a week, but if you want to do it an overnight mask it's okay to do it an extra day
Different types:
Clay/ mud masks
Sheet masks
Peel-off masks
Bubble mask
Gel mask
Cream mask
Charcoal mask
Exfoliating masks
Sleep masks
Makeup Remover
What's the purpose of it:
This is self-explanatory but it's just to effectively take off your makeup. Cleansing alone doesn't remove all makeup. This is really important at the end of the day if you wear makeup.
How many times a day should you use it:
Typically at night, if you wore make up that day
Different types:
Wipes
Cleansing oils
Cleansing balms
Micellar waters
Makeup removing cloths
**There are different formulas made for specific areas of your face such as your eyes and to fit certain lifestyles like veganism.
Skin Care routine
For the morning
1.Cleanser
2.Toner
3. Ampoule ( I personally don't use this but if you do put it on before the essence and serum)
4. Essence (K- beauty product, I personally don't use this myself but if you choose to use this, this is the order I read about.)
5. Serum (other acne treatment can come before or after this depending on how thick the product is/ how close it needs to be on the skin to be effective. There are also serums that work as acne treatments but it depends on what your skin needs)
6. Moisturizer
7. Facial oil (Depending on the kind of oil. If it's heavier, put it on after but if it is lighter it can go on before the moisturizer)
8. Eye cream
9.** Facial spray ( I personally love to put this on after eye cream especially because for the most part, I don't wear foundation of facial makeup often. If you do, full face makeup, I would hold off on this until your make up is complete. However, if you go bare face like me, I prefer putting on mist before sunscreen because sunscreen is for protection, it makes sense for me to make sure that is the outer layer. facial spray to me is mostly used to a achieve a dewy-glowing look.)
10. Sunscreen
The length of the list depends on the product you use.
For the night
1.Makeup remover (if you wore makeup)
2.Cleanser
3.Facial Mask (Okay this part I need to specify with a bit more because there are factors that go into this. For instance, if it is an overnight/sleeping mask, this step doesn't apply and you should be putting this on last. Also, Facial masks are not meant to use every night. Lastly, some people believe in putting on toner before and after the facial mask because toner usually goes after cleanser in general. However, I personally believe it's a waste of product to do it before because you'll just wash it off to do the mask. Toner isn't a product meant to be washed off. Additionally, a facial mask can be either in your morning or night room depends on when you have time. I prefer it at night though.)
4.Toner (never skip post-mask toner because of the ph balance)
5. Serum (if it says 2 times a day)
6. Acne treatment (depending on how strong it is, some acne treatment can't go directly on the skin. Also some acne treatment is twice a day )
7. Moisturizer/ Night Cream ( night creams are just heavier moisturizers which is why I didn't give it it's own section. I personally use what I have so I don't have a night cream)
8.Facial oil
9. Eye cream
10. Facial spray ( I personally love using the Mario one twice a day so I usually do)
11. *** This is when you would put on a Sleeping mask, they said it's supposed to be the final step
Exfoliating is 2-3 times a week but once a week form people with sensitive skin. It doesn't matter the time of day but it should be done after cleansing when you do
This took so much research so I hope you found this really useful and continue coming back to my website. I worked really hard on this and I'm excited to turn something I'm passionate about into a series. Don't forget to like, comment, and share with friends and family, check out my youtube channel (and subscribe, honestly vlogs are the best way to get to know the person behind the writing). Have a good day, evening or night (whenever you are reading this)
Until next time,
xoxo Lay 💋
Last week's blog post: Easy steps to get back to your goals
Youtube videos of the week: