5 ESSENTIALS OF A GREAT SKINCARE ROUTINE
1. CLEANSER
A good cleanser is your skincare routine’s foundation. Every great skincare regimen needs one. It enables all other products to penetrate deeply and keeps your skin free of excess sebum, makeup, and environmental residues and stressors that can harm or age the skin. We recommend cleansing the skin twice a day, typically when you wake and before heading to sleep, especially if you have oily or combo skin. If you find that your skin is on the drier side, once may be enough. Feel free to test and adjust. And remember, cleansing pads and wipes are not a substitute for your cleanser. Many of these products simply smear around the grime and makeup on your face leaving a trail of irritation and clogged pores. The extra time that goes into proper a proper skin cleanse will result in clear skin and keep you glowing. In summary, if you want your skin and skincare products performing at their best, get ride of the grime and makeup that can build up on your skin with a high-quality cleanser.
Try: Elevate Gel Cleanser or Blossom All-In-One Baby Cleanser
2. EXFOLIANT
Exfoliants are your best bet when it comes to sloughing away dead skin cells and clearing pores of excess sebum. As we age, our skin’s natural cell renewal process begins to slow. Exfoliation helps speed up the turnover process revealing brighter skin, eliminating dry and dull patches, and enabling better absorption of topical skincare products.
While not recommended for everyday application as overuse can cause irritation, they’re an important part of a complete skincare routine and an excellent complement to your cleanser. We recommend using an exfoliant no more than 2-3 times per week. If you have sensitive skin, spot testing is a good idea when incorporating this step into your routine.
Try: Awake Hydrating Scrub
3. MOISTURIZER
Healthy skin retains water properly and has balance when it comes to oil and lipids. This enables timely skin cell turnover and ensures skin is glowing and youthful. But as we age our skin’s ability to retain water and maintain balance weakens. And since we cannot stop the hands of time, incorporating a moisturizer into our routine ensures that our skin stays healthy, clear, smooth, and wrinkle-free for as long as possible.
Using the right moisturizer for your skin can help prevent loss of moisture, provide your skin with necessary essential fatty acids, and even act as a barrier against environmental stressors. Those with oily skin will likely benefit from a lighter moisturizer while those with mature or dry skin often see results with a lusher moisturizer. We recommend applying your moisturizer daily, and more often if the skin requires additional attention.
Try: Nurture Light Moisturizer or Nurture Medium to Rich Moisturizer
4. EYE CREAM
The skin around your eyes is considerably thinner than other places on the body. Because it is thinner, it is more susceptible to signs of aging and damage. This area also has fewer oil glands than the rest of your skin so a specialized moisturizer is necessary to keep the area hydrated.
Those of us focused on avoiding wrinkles and keeping a youthful appearance would be wise to find a good eye cream and use it often. Eye creams rich in Vitamin A and antioxidants are best for fine lines and wrinkles, while those with detoxifying properties will help reduce puffiness and dark circles.
Try: Divine Eye Cream
5. SUNSCREEN
Perhaps we saved the most important for last. In our opinion, sunscreen is the most essential skincare product. That’s because UV rays are hitting your skin virtually any time you are outside or by a window. And those rays can cause skin damage. Sun damage is cumulative and things get worse over time. This damage occurs in the form of fine lines, wrinkles and accelerated aging as well as more extreme problems like skin cancer.
If you want to slow the signs of aging and reduce your chances of developing skin cancer, ensure you become best friends with sunscreen. Remember that it should be worn daily, whether the sun is out and the weather is warm, or the sky is grey and the temperature is low. The sun’s UV rays are out there and exposed skin is vulnerable.
Try: Native Sol Protection or Native Warrior SunStick
