The Beginners Guide To Clear Healthy Skin

I know, I know washing your face seems like a pretty simple concept, but there are so many different skincare routines out there along with more product recommendations than we could actually ever do anything with, it can all be so very overwhelming and confusing.

You wouldn’t believe how many clients, friends and family members have called me trying to decide what products to get or how to use them. I realized they were struggling with what products to buy and how to use them so I decided to help them all out with an easy-to-follow, step-by-step skincare guide so everyone can enjoy glowing healthy skin.

This might not be as detailed as some of the other guides out there, but a quick 4 step process is really all you need to embark on your own skincare journey and continue it on a regular basis.

I know not everyone is washing their face twice a day as they should, so if that’s you or your new to washing your face, in general, don’t worry about the double cleansing that I’m about to speak about, you can always add that in later as your skincare routine becomes more comfortable.

 So let’s get started!

What To Buy

• Washcloths, preferably baby washcloths as they are gentler for your skin but will still offer slight exfoliation
• Oil-based cleanser
• Skin type specific cleanser
• Serum(s)
• Moisturizer
• SPF 

After you’ve gotten acquainted with your new cleansing routine, I recommend adding in 3 very important products.

            -Exfoliant

            -Hydrating Toner

            -Eye Cream

Since you are just beginning a skincare routine, I know you may not know your skin type. There are tons of informative guides floating around about how to figure it out and I will also be following this up with a blog post on the easiest way to figure out your skin type as well as one on how to incorporate those 3 very important products I spoke of earlier. 

However, for now, I would say evaluate your skin for a day by following the directions below:

Cleanse it in the morning with whatever cleanser you have on hand, add some moisturizer and SPF and go about your day. As the day wears on pay attention to what your skin is doing and how it feels. If you notice it gets really oily around lunchtime into the afternoon you may have an oily skin type, if you notice it feels tight and dry all day even though you applied moisturizer and sunscreen you may have a more dry skin type, if you notice your T-zone (forehead, nose, sides of nose) are more oily than your cheeks you could possibly have a combination skin type. If you battle with redness or Rosacea or your skin just seems to react negatively to most of the products you use you may be dealing with sensitive skin. Every skin type can suffer from acne, blackheads or any other type of blemishes. It’s important to remember that knowing your skin type and using products specific to your skin type will help balance and treat it to reveal healthy, glowing skin. 

                                                           Cleansing                  

This is the first step in any skincare routine and probably one of the most important! ALWAYS, ALWAYS wash your hands first. Our hands are dirty even if we don’t think so, it’s important to have clean hands before you start trying to cleanse your face. Next, HOW you wash your face is just as important as WHAT you use to cleanse your face.

Wash your face with cool water only! Hot or warm water can dry out your skin making it more difficult to balance your skin. 

Pro-Tip find a cleanser in a pump bottle or squeeze bottle never an open container. Open containers are easier to transfer germs and breed bacteria.

Now onto the cleanser! In the above list I have an oil-based cleanser and a skin-type specific cleanser the reason for this is that starting with an oil-based cleanser helps remove, oils and makeup for the day making it easier for your skin-type specific cleanser to go in and do its job of cleansing and preparing your skin for the additional products in your routine. Always remember to cleanse your neck and chest as you will want to also add any other products in your routine to those areas as well. As we age you can tell a woman’s real age, no matter how much work they’ve had done, by their neck and décolletage if they don’t consistently use their facial products in those areas too!

I love and recommend the Glymedplus Mega purifying cleanser as your first cleanse, its an ultra-gentle cleanser that instantly dissolves makeup, oil and debris on the skin and it is safe for eyelash extensions!

Your skin-type specific cleanser (Normal, Oily, Dry, Combination, Sensitive) should then be used to promote healthy skin, especially for your skin type. Acne is NOT a skin type, yes there are cleansers out there specific to acne sufferers but one of the best ways to battle and overcome acne is with a consistent skincare routine that targets your specific skin type. As your skin becomes balanced and hydrated skin problems tend to disappear or are easier to manage.

                                                          Serums

These are probably my second favorite part of a skincare routine, the first would be mask’s but I’ll save that rant for another day! When you think of a serum, I want you to think of specific issues you have with your skin. Serums are the step in your routine where you treat your skin for the specific needs it has.  Serums are amazing products in the fact that you can use more than one at a time to help treat your specific issues. However, for simplicity, I recommend starting with one and working your way up after you see how your skin is reacting. Since serums are our treatment step in our routine, I suggest finding one to target your biggest skin problem first.

• Sun Spots – If you have sun spots I recommend a Vitamin C serum to help aide in fading them
• Dry, Dull Skin, – If you have dry dull skin using a product like Ageless Hydrating Serum will help bring hydration and brightening back into your skin.
• Acne – If you struggle with acne a serum that contains Vitamin A and enzymes such as the popular Beta-Carotene Papain Renewal Serum will help with light exfoliation to minimize acne or impacted pores.
• Fine Lines & Wrinkles – If aging has you down an amazing product like Stem Cell Power Serum is your secret weapon. It contains four powerful amino peptides to help stimulate new cell growth and increase collagen production. 

                                                      Moisturizer

Pro-Tip just like a cleanser look for a moisturizer in a pump bottle or squeeze bottle never an open container. Open containers are easier to transfer germs and breed bacteria.

I can’t even tell you how many moisturizers I’ve tried over the years. My moisturizer is constantly changing and with the weather being so unpredictable here in Texas I always have a few different ones on hand to use as the weather changes. As important as moisturizers are in balancing our skin, making sure we are using the appropriate cleanser that isn’t stripping or drying out our skin will help our moisturizers do their job of perfectly balancing our skin for the best results possible. Regardless of your skin type finding a hydrating moisturizer will help nourish the skin for the best possible appearance.

Hands down my ultimate favorite for many many clients who all have different skin types and what I personally use on a daily basis is Glymedplus Daily Repair Mega Moisture Cream!

                                                            SPF

Last but certainly not least, SPF. The skincare guru in me preaches this ALL the time. SPF all day, every day no matter where, no matter what. Even if you swear, you’re going to spend the entire day inside your office, USE SPF.

Pro Tip: Minimum SPF 30, otherwise its probably not working!

As all of my clients know, there’s really not many sunscreens I recommend and by far my favorite is SuperGoop’s Defense Refresh SPF50 Setting mist. It is one of the most incredible products I’ve ever used, goes on super easy under or on top of your makeup for the day and can be reapplied often without messing up your makeup. It is such a fine mist and has a great scent you don’t even notice it’s sunscreen. I recommend buying the travel size ones and keeping one in your purse, on your vanity and one in your car. They are so good to use in a pinch on your kiddos too if you will be out and about all day and forgot the sunscreen!

Be Patient

Remember everyone’s skin is so different so remember to be patient and kind to yourself. It’s hard not to always want that immediate fix, but most of the time, even the greatest products need time and consistency. Don’t lose faith, you will have healthy glowing skin sooner than you think!