Skincare is one of the most important things in your everyday routine. With that being said, everyone should have a good skincare routine that matches their skin type, oily, dry, normal, or combination. Skincare should be taken seriously starting in preteen years. Your skin begins to change and mature and with that comes the dreaded acne. Some people have amazing, flawless skin, but if you're anything like me, it's been a battle for years now.

In middle school I made my first trip to the dermatologist, my acne was terrible, had a few chemical peels, then started my skincare regimen. Although it's changed some through the years, I still used the same base products: clindamycin phosphate gel (an antibacterial gel that stops the growth of bacteria) and tretinoin cream (a form of Retin-A that helps draw out acne that's hidden under the surface of the skin). Note: both of these topical ointments are prescribed by my dermatologist, but to clarify, a lot of dermatologists prescribe these to patients with acne, I know this because my brother also uses the same gel and cream.

1. Cleanser, wash yo face squeaky clean

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To start off any skincare routine you must wash and cleanse your skin. Because I have acne prone and oily skin I use a benzoyl peroxide face wash, the Walgreens brand of Panoxyl to be exact. There are amazing cleansers at the drugstore for all skin types and issues, some are better than others of course but you don't have to go to your dermatologist or Sephora to buy your cleansers, although that is an option if you can afford it. Personally, I don't want to break the bank and I find that the one I'm using (mentioned above) is getting the job done. But the number of cleaners on the market is crazy, pick one that matches your skin type and wash your face, twice daily.

2. Exfoliate and scrub 

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Once or twice a week you need to add a gentle exfoliating cleanser into your routine to keep your skin looking fresh and polished. A favorite for me is the St. Ives Apricot Facial Scrub, it's drugstore and gets the job done.

3. *Future's voice* mask Off

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After your face is clean, this is when you would apply a mask to your face. I use a charcoal mud mask that removes impurities from the skin (any charcoal mud mask will work), a sulfur acne mask when my face begins to breakout severally (Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Mask Acne Treatment Mask), and a pumpkin exfoliator (Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask Enzymatic Dermal Resurfacer). Two of the three masks I use are high end, but they are AMAZING and 110% worth the money. I don't use a face mask every day, just as needed but for sure once a week (not all three once a week). Masks can either help or hurt your skin so before buying a mask research the product to see what skin types it was created for, not all masks are meant for everyone.

4. Gels and toners and whatnot 

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Immediately after washing my face I add the clindamycin phosphate gel prescribed by the dermatologist. Side note: some people use toner, I don't because I've not found one I'm crazy about, but you apply toner to the skin before moisturizing.

5. Soft, smooth, MOISTURIZED skin 

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The next step in my skincare routine is a moisturizer. I use the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. This all depends on your skin type. I have very oily skin, so I need something that's going to moisturize without leaving my face oily. There are SO MANY amazing moisturizers out there that can get the job done, high end all the way to the drugstore. Although I am super oily, adding lotion to my face after washing it and especially before putting makeup on is SO important. No matter the skin type moisturizing is a must, it acts as a base for everything else.

6. Teenagers, fight your acne. Adults, fight your wrinkles

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Here is when I use the tretinoin cream. I only apply a small amount due to drying my face out and also because of the power this cream holds. This cream is not only used to treat acne but is also used to treat wrinkles, so this cream is a staple in anyone's skincare routine, no matter the age.

This is my skincare routine but note, that everyone has a different routine because we all have different skin types. If you don't have a skincare routine you should definitely look into creating and starting one, because it's never too early to start combating wrinkles and it's never too late to start taking care of your skin.