And since your skin is such a big deal, caring for it should be a top priority. Of course, we recognize that skincare gets complicated. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there, and there are loads of products all promising to fulfill different functions. How on earth are you supposed to know what's best?
Everyone's skin is a little different, so we'll leave some answers up to your dermatologist. But here are a few tips and tricks that are sure to help you maintain healthy, vibrant skin, no matter who you are.
A Simple Skin Care Routine is Best
Here's the good news:
One of the best things you can do for your skin is to keep your skincare routine simple.
For one thing, the easier your routine is, the likelier you are to maintain it. We get what it's like to stand in the skincare aisle reading bottle after bottle of glorious promises to revitalize, nourish, and protect your skin. It's inspiring. It makes you feel like you can be a skincare artist, using every tool at your disposal to design the perfect complexion.
But let's be real: you don't have time to be your own esthetician. Plus, the more products you use, the greater your risk of overwhelming your skin and clogging your pores.
Skincare is all about quality over quantity. For your face, take the time to select only two or three high-quality products to fulfill the needs of your specific skin type. An all-natural exfoliator is great to have on hand. You might invest in a good serum. You might want a moisturizer, night cream, or day cream.
But for both face and body, only two items are an absolute must:
- A quality cleanser made with natural and organic products—no chemicals!
- An SPF, either in the form of a moisturizer or as a standalone sunscreen.
Those two products are the only non-negotiable.
Now, let's talk routine.
A Morning Skin Care Routine
A good rule of thumb is to design a morning skincare routine that's all about preparing your skin for the day ahead. While we do want to emphasize the importance of using an all-natural cleanser, we also want to make it clear that over-cleansing can dry out the skin.
For your face, start your day by rinsing with warm water. Be careful the water doesn't get too hot. Higher temperatures strip your skin of the oils that protect and moisturize.
Then, you can apply the protective products you've determined to be best for your needs. This might be a serum to combat free radicals or a light moisturizer. One thing that is absolutely imperative, however, is an SPF. More on that in a moment.
Caring For Your Skin Throughout the Day
Once you finish your morning skincare routine, you take your skin out into the world and expose it to a lot of elements that threaten to undo all your hard work. UV rays. Dirt and bacteria. Sweat.
As we said, we're big believers in keeping skincare simple. We also know that a lot of the damage your face and body endure during the day can be more or less undone in the evening. So we'll just offer two small nuggets of advice for being good to your epidermis during the day.
Be Smart About Sunscreen
Yes, yes, you know it's important to protect your skin from the harsh rays of the sun. Nevertheless, the SPF aspect of your skincare system is most effective when you follow three very important procedures.
First, you need to apply SPF every day. Literally every day. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, "Even on cloudy days, up to 80 percent of the sun's harmful rays can penetrate your skin." And don't let winter trick you into feeling invincible. Snow reflects the sun, so even on New Year's Day, you've got sun damage coming at you from all directions.
Second, choose your SPF according to the day's activities, and reapply as needed. If you plan to spend most of your day at the office, a moisturizer with SPF should be plenty. However, if you expect to spend most of your time outdoors, a dedicated sunblock is the smarter option.
Third, don't neglect your body. If you're not headed out for a day on the beach, it can be easy to forget that you need protection for every part of your skin that's exposed to the sun. But your forearms are just as vulnerable when you're on a city sidewalk in three-quarter sleeves as they are on vacation.
Hands Off Your Face
If you're like most people, you touch your face more than you realize. In stress, in exhaustion, in excitement, and in surprise, most of us are in the habit of putting fingers to face. The result is more bacteria, dirt, and other unpleasant nonsense on our skin. As you probably know, this leads to clogged pores, breakouts, and even a higher risk of illness.
An Evening Skin Care Routine: Cleanse and Revitalize
After walking your epidermis around a wild and dangerous world all day, evening is the time to wipe away the gunk and repair your skin. This is why dermatologists champion an evening shower over the morning option. It's an opportunity to wash away all the impurities so your skin is in the best position to repair itself while you sleep. If you prefer a morning shower to help you wake up, you might consider a gentle rinse in the morning, then putting your quality cleanser to work at night.
For your face, you may want to use a gentle make-up remover or micellar water first, just to make sure you've removed the top-layer of dirt and cosmetics so your facial cleanser can deep clean and moisturize the way a good cleanser should.
Follow cleansing with the repair product of your choice—a serum, toner, exfoliant . . . whatever aligns best with the needs of your age and skin type. Just remember: be selective. Using a whole artillery of skincare products is hard on your skin.
Finally, apply a little moisturizer to both face and body to nourish your skin as you sleep.
Now that you know the best practices for your daily skincare routine, here's one last tip:
All Around Skin Care Morning, Day, and Night
The road to a luminous complexion isn't paved with skin products alone. We don't often think in these terms, but the truth is: What happens to your body happens to your skin. And the better you care for yourself, the easier it will be to get real results from a super simple skincare routine.
For example, you already know how important a good night's sleep is for your body to repair damages and fight infection and blemishes. These benefits extend to your skin as well. Additionally, your body uses those restful hours to rebalance hydration. Not enough sleep results in poor water balance (hello, dryness, wrinkles, and under-eye bags).
Speaking of hydration, your skin loves it when you get your eight glasses of water a day. And your diet is just as important. High-sugar foods are likely to cause acne, wrinkles, and even rashes. However, your skin thrives under the vitamins it gets from nutrient-dense vegetables.
How to Get Started on Your Perfect Skincare Routine
This may sound like a lot to follow, but really, all these tips come from two very basic rules:
- Make healthy choices to protect your skin.
- Choose quality products that you know you will use every day with very little fuss.
Start with a gentle, all-natural cleanser, a moisturizer tailored to your skin type, and a reliable SPF. You can explore other products from there.
If you need a little direction, we highly recommend checking out Le Lores' line of French-made soaps and body washes. We especially love the Organic French Olive & Coconut Oil Body Wash. It's 100% natural, certified organic, and contains the reviving and moisturizing benefits of olive and coconut oil.
