Finding the right skin care products and creating a personalized routine can feel like a daunting task. Let us help you with a basic primer of what you need to know to build your own personalized skin care routine today.
Determine Your Skin Type & Concern
The first step in building your own skin care routine is determining your skin type. Ask anyone with great-looking skin and they probably tell you that they use products specifically formulated for their skin type and concerns. For a thorough consultation and diagnosis, come visit our student estheticians (supervised by our instructors) who will assess your skin and your concerns (signs of aging, breakouts, redness or irritation, etc.)
Must Have Products for Your Routine
Regardless of skin type or concern, there are a few non-negotiable products you’ll need.
Cleanser: You MUST wash your face. Morning and evening. Period. Look for a cleanser that is formulated for your skin type to get the best results.
Oily or blemish prone skin types need to cleanse away impurities and surface debris without stripping – think: Rosehip Seed Cleanser or AHA/BHA Cleanser (Alpha & Beta Hydroxy natural acids which cleanse and exfoliate). For dry, dehydrated or mature skin, try our Moor Lavender Creamy Cleanser or Green Tea Cleanser (great for sensitive skin). These mild cleansers will provide your skin with a hydrating, soothing cleanse. For gentle exfoliation, AHA/BHA Cleanser can be substituted a couple of times a week to remove buildup of dead surface skin cells.
Moisturizer: EVERYONE needs to use a moisturizer. If you have dry or mature skin, you probably include moisturizers in your routine to help replenish hydration levels. Heavier lipid levels are usually necessary for drier skin – like our Super Emollient Crème or Advanced Moisture Crème.
But if you’ve got oily or blemish prone skin, you might think it’s ok skip moisturizing. You would be wrong. When oily skin gets too stripped from over drying cleansers or treatments, it signals to the skin that it is actually dehydrated. The puts the sebaceous glands into overdrive to produce more oil to compensate for a perceived lack of moisture. Use a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer like our Herbal Complex Crème or Marine Hydration Crème which will provide needed hydration without a greasy or heavy feel.
For special treatments – Advanced Vitamin C Crème helps brighten and even out skin tone while providing antioxidant protection from free radical damage. Vitamin A Crème combats the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and diminishes and heals breakouts. Both are natural and organic plant based forms of vitamin c and retinol (vitamin A).
Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen: The other non-negotiable product in your routine is sunscreen. The sun’s rays are at work every day, all year long, rain or shine, contributing to photo aging and permanent skin damage. Look for a physical (think natural, without harmful chemicals) that contains at least an SPF 30. Our Raw Elements Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, which comes in both a lighter foundation-like airless pump and heavier solid protects your skin from harmful UV rays while moisturizing in an easy, natural looking tint. The Face & Body SPF 30 option is non-tinted.
Want to go a step further?
Once you’ve got your basic arsenal complete, think about boosting your routine to address those individual skin care concerns. Your routine can be as basic or complex as you choose – and your personal esthetician can help you build a customized home care regimen!
And remember, your routine needs to change from time to time due to changes in your health, stress levels, diet, climate, weather and seasons. Check in every so often to make sure it includes everything you’ll need to get the results you want.
Here are a few add-on’s we recommend:
Toner: Toners can help to remove excess dirt, oil, and impurities that may be lingering on your skin’s surface even after cleansing. They help balance the skin’s pH—which is especially helpful if you have hard water, and prep the skin for the next layer of treatment (serum and moisturizer).
Serum: Serums are the work horses of skin care. Their smaller molecular weight helps them penetrate deeper into the skin’s layers, delivering their active ingredients. Used after cleansing and toning and before moisturizing, your serum addresses a variety of skin conditions (lines, wrinkles, blemishes, redness, dry or dull and uneven skin tone and texture) We recommend adding antioxidant Vitamin C serum into your routine and layering it under your sunscreen each day. But don’t stop there – we have a serum for every skin concern. Start with our Evening Primrose Oil which is an amazing healer for just about everything from wrinkles to breakouts and inflammation.
Eye Cream: For some people, eye cream is essential, for others it’s an add-on. For under-eye dark circles, or puffiness, an eye cream should definitely be a part of your routine. Our deeply hydrating Collagen Eye Crème (with shea butter) locks in moisture and minimizes appearance of fine lines, while the Advanced Peptide Eye Gel soothes, calms and reduces puffiness.
Exfoliator: We think this is a must have for clear, glowing skin. Surface skin cell build up causes dull-looking skin and can contribute to uneven texture, enlarged looking pores and breakouts. Exfoliating even once a week can make a huge difference. We have options for every preference – Enzyme Peeling Creme (if you prefer a gentle manual scrub), Glycagel 15% (a mild form of glycolic acid gel which can be left on the skin) and active physical exfoliators that utilize enzymes from yummy pineapple and pumpkin.
That’s a start, but there’s a lot more you can do! Pay attention to your skin health – inside and out – and it will reward you with a radiance and glow that everyone will notice!