Getting the basics right and preparing your skin properly for your skincare regime is absolutely paramount. After all, if the groundwork isn’t adequate the construction won’t stand steady, so be sure to prep your skin to ensure that you get the very best performance out of your products.
Step 1 - Get Cleaning
The Problem: Your skin is collecting grime as you go about your day.
Cleaning your skin is equally as important as moisturising. It’s a step often overlooked by many but it should be a twice daily ritual. If you can’t bring yourself to invest 2 minutes at either end of the day to cleanse your skin, be sure to do it before bed to remove the day’s grime.
The skin excretes oil (sebum) onto the surface of the skin all of the time. It’s a natural moisturiser and helps to stop the skin from drying-out. The sebum is a sticky, greasy film which sits on the surface of the face and it's constantly picking up grime as you go about your day. If you don’t remove said grime and excess oil, when you apply your skincare products they simply won’t reach their ‘destination’ and ultimately you won’t witness their true performance.
Cleanse your face with a non-drying face wash which lifts dirt, clears the pores and helps to keep your skin natural moisturising factors intact.
The Solution(s):
- Dry Skin? Try NIOD Low Viscosity Cleaning Ester
- Oily Skin? Try Dr Dennis Gross Pore Perfecting Cleaning Gel
- Low maintenance and/or combination skin? Try Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser
Step 2 - Exfoliate
The Problem: Your skin is shedding cells, but some of them are sticking around.
Each day your skin isn shedding dead cells, but some of them are harder to shift than others. Step-in exfoliating. Giving your skin a helping hand to remove the dead, dull cells to renew the upper surface of the face and help to clear the way for your skincare regime to penetrate into the skin.
Exfoliating comes in two formats; chemical-based and grain-based. The one you choose will come down to personal preference, I personally prefer chemical-based exfoliants. Chemical-based exfoliants are usually formulas which include acid which helps to dissolve the bond between the dead skin and the new, healthy skin. Grain-based exfoliants have tiny beads which buff the skin and loosen the dead cells to slough them away.
The Solution(s):
- Oily skin? Try Jack Black Face Buff
- Dry skin? Try Verso Enzyme Peel
- Low maintenance and/or combination skin? Dr Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Daily Peel
Step 3 - Treat
The Problem: Your skin throws curve-balls every now and then.
Breakouts, dry skin, blocked pores, adult acne.. it happens to the best of us from time-to-time, but don’t ignore it. Use a targeted formula to address the issue and get it cleared-up. Keeping your skin free-from adversities will ensure that you have stability in your regime and that small glitches don’t develop into big problems.
The Solution(s):
- Breakouts? Try Grown Alchemist Blemish Treatment Gel
- Dry skin? Try Doers Hydration Serum
- Adult acne? Try The Ordinary Niacinamide
- Blocked pores? Try Anthony Deep Pore Cleansing Clay
