From sun damage to natural aging, your skin is under constant stress that can make it look less radiant. Aside from eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and wearing sunscreen, a good skincare routine is vital for maintaining your skin’s health and ensuring it looks beautiful, regardless of age.
Practicing good skincare doesn’t mean a million products or sap a massive amount of time from your day. It just means being more intentional with what you use and taking advantage of the latest technology that helps support your skin’s health.
Here are three reasons why a skincare routine is important and tips on how to start a simple, easy-to-follow skincare routine.
Why Is a Skincare Routine Important?
Taking good care of your skin is like taking good care of your body. But what benefits can you expect to see from a good skincare routine? Let’s take a look.
1. Preventing Breakouts
If you have oily skin or sensitive skin, you might deal with breakouts from time to time. Taking better care of your skin can help reduce the breakouts you see. Regular facials, daily cleansing, and products that help reduce oil and dirt from settling into your pores can keep your skin healthy and clear.
2. Providing Protection
As your body’s first line of defense, your skin gets hit with external stressors. UVA and UVB rays from the sun, pollution, and even exposure to weather changes and household cleaning chemicals can all cause damage to your skin.
When your skin is exposed to these stressors, it produces free radicals. These molecules cause oxidative stress in the skin that shows up as dark spots, dryness, and rough, uneven skin texture.
Protecting your skin includes using broad-spectrum sunscreen and loading up on antioxidant-rich skincare products to support your skin health during exposure to free radicals.
3. Defending Against Signs of Aging
No one likes the idea of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. While some aging is normal and natural, not caring for your skin can cause it to age faster. Proper skincare can help stimulate collagen production, address fine lines & wrinkles, and keep your skin looking youthful.
Now that you know why caring for your skin is important, it’s critical to identify your skin type to develop a skincare routine that meets your needs.
What Are the Main Skin Types?
Knowing your skin type is vital to pick the right products that address your unique needs. The American Academy of Dermatology recognizes five different skin types:
- Normal Skin
Normal skin is well-balanced and typically has few concerns. It is neither too oily nor too dry, with small or medium-sized pores. Normal skin has a smooth texture, an even tone, and a healthy complexion.
- Dry Skin
Dry skin lacks sufficient moisture and often feels tight, rough, or flaky. It may appear dull and have fine lines and a tendency towards sensitivity. Dry skin is caused by inadequate production of sebum, the skin's natural oil. To address dry skin, moisturizing & using hydrating products that help replenish moisture and restore the skin's barrier function is essential!
- Oily Skin
Oily skin is characterized by excessive sebum production, resulting in a shiny, greasy complexion. Oily skin is common during the teen years, as hormonal changes often contribute to excess oil production. If you have oily skin, you may experience enlarged pores, acne, blackheads, and other blemishes. Proper cleansing, oil control, and non-comedogenic products are essential to manage oily skin and prevent breakouts.
- Combination Skin
Combination skin is a blend of different skin types. It typically has an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), while the cheeks and other areas may be normal or dry. Combination skin requires a combination of skincare approaches, such as balancing oil production in the T-zone while hydrating drier areas.
- Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is easily irritated and prone to reactions from various triggers, such as environmental factors, certain ingredients, or changes in temperature. It may exhibit redness, itchiness, and a tendency towards dryness. Sensitive skin requires gentle, fragrance-free products and careful attention to avoid potential irritants.
It's important to note that these skin types can vary and may change over time due to hormonal fluctuations, climate, and lifestyle choices. Understanding your skin type is essential for selecting appropriate products and developing a personalized routine that addresses your specific needs.
What’s a Good Skincare Routine?
A good rule of thumb with skincare? Keep it simple! Many products do double duty to help you address more than one skin concern, so you can streamline your mornings and evenings and still take great care of your skin.
What is the best way to hit all your bases? Add microcurrent technology to your skincare lineup. Microcurrent stimulates your skin and facial muscles to help lift, contour, and tighten the skin’s appearance, keeping it looking youthful. Here’s an easy skincare routine that takes less than seven minutes.
Cleanse
The first step in any skincare routine is cleansing. Every skin type deserves a gentle cleanser to help remove surface dirt, excess oil that could cause blemishes, and makeup. Avoid cleansers that include harsh ingredients that can strip your skin of moisture, as this can make your skin look and feel dry or dull.
Exfoliate
Dead skin cells hang out on the surface of your skin. They can bind to oil on your skin, clog pores, and create breakouts or uneven texture. Exfoliating helps remove excess oil and dead skin cells to reveal healthier, more radiant skin.
Pro tip: You can easily combine cleansing and exfoliating with NuFACE Prep-N-Glow® Facial Wipes. One side has a smooth texture packed with antioxidant-rich, oil-free cleanser that helps remove dirt and oil, and the other side features micro-dots for a mild exfoliant that will polish and brighten the skin.
Prep For Microcurrent Treatment
Once you have cleansed your skin, add a light mist of Supercharged IonPlex® Facial Mist to the skin. This blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and ions helps hydrate the skin, prep for microcurrent treatment, and rebuild the skin barrier for resilient skin. This multitasking mist is created with a gentle formula and is non-comedogenic, so it’s safe for even the most sensitive skin!
Pro tip: To ensure the proper delivery of the ions and glacial water, shake well before using.
Protect and Tighten
Protect your skin from free radicals and dehydration with Super Antioxidant Booster Serum. This serum contains plant botanicals that tighten the skin’s appearance and load it with antioxidants that offer extra support against UV rays and blue light (emitted from the sun and electronic devices).
Pro tip: Use your fingertips to massage a few drops of Super Antioxidant Booster onto clean, dry skin until it is fully absorbed.
Activate and Lift
Before you use your favorite NuFACE Microcurrent Device, you’ll want to apply a Microcurrent Activator to your skin to ensure proper microcurrent conduction. For oily, combination, or sensitive skin types, Aqua Gel Activator is the perfect solution. It contains plenty of hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated for up to 24 hours post-treatment. For mature, dry, or normal skin, opt for Silk Crème Microcurrent Activator. This rich, nourishing formula locks in moisture for up to 48 hours.
Pro tip: The easiest way to apply your Microcurrent Activator evenly and without distributing oil from your fingers to your skin is with the NuFACE® Clean Sweep Applicator Brush. Using the brush, apply a mask-like layer to your skin on the section you plan to treat and perform glides and holds using your device.
Moisturize and Apply Sunscreen
Once your microcurrent treatment is complete, massage in excess microcurrent activator to hydrate skin, then follow up with eye cream and sunscreen (spf 30 or higher). In less than about seven minutes, you’ve taken care of your skin, addressed signs of aging, and protected it against external stressors.
Skincare Is In
Taking care of your skin is essential and should never feel like a chore. NuFACE makes it easy to care for your skin and targets multiple areas of concern with multitasking products and microcurrent devices that keep your skin looking radiant and youthful.
Sources:
Skin care tips dermatologists use | AAD.org
Acne: Tips for managing | AAD.org
Oxidative stress and skin diseases: possible role of physical activity | PubMed
