It may seem very elementary to start with skincare basics, but in my practice I often come across clients who are cleansing their beautiful faces with bar soap or body wash in the shower or simply splashing their face with water. I’m told all of these more often than you would think. It always takes me by surprise, but I am not here to judge, only to guide! (You’ll hear little tidbits over time about all of the beauty basics I was oblivious to growing up! Sometimes, I’m learning right along with you!)
Let's get down to the basics: I believe in a 3-step basic routine for at-home care: 1. Cleanse 2. Tone 3. Moisturize. (Rome was not built in a day, so if you are currently using water or bar soap as your cleanser, we will start with “baby steps”.) But first, let’s dive deeper…. Why are these 3 steps so important and how do we do it?!
Step 1: Cleansing - -
Why should I cleanse my skin?
Cleansing in the morning preps your skin for the day. Do you ever have those mornings where your makeup just won’t go on right? Or have those mornings where you feel like you need to plug yourself into an electrical outlet to give your skin a healthy glow? (Are you cleansing in the morning?)
Cleansing at night takes the day off. (How many of you sleep in your makeup more often than you take it off at night? Raise your hands. It has been said that sleeping in your makeup one night ages your skin 7 days! Do your math, then let’s get you back to your age-- or better yet, looking younger than your age! Your first mission if you choose to accept it: challenge yourself to remove your makeup every night!)
How do I do it?
Take a pea-size of your cleanser and gently smoosh it all over your face then use a luke-warm soft washcloth or cotton pad to remove. Creamy cleansers generally go on while skin is dry, then are rinsed off. Foaming cleansers need to be activated with water to “suds”, smoosh it gently all over your face, then rinse off with a luke-warm soft washcloth or cotton pad.
Step 2: Toning
Why should I use a toner?
Toners tend to get a bad rap in the beauty magazines, but as a skincare therapist I firmly believe this is an important step in anyone’s routine. Toners remove the residue that may be left behind from cleansing (ever notice your makeup disappearing halfway through the day? This could be caused from cleanser residue eating away at your fresh face of makeup.), they re-balance the skin’s pH level, and they prep the skin for your moisturizing step.
How do I do it?
The easiest way to tone is to use a toner that comes in a spray -- one or two spritzes misted over your face, and whammo = done! Toners can be transplanted into toiletry spray bottles if it doesn’t already come in a spray and you’ll have the same effect. You can also dampen a cotton ball or cotton round (ring it out, you don‘t want it soaking), and put a drop or two of your toner on the damp cotton then swipe once all around your face = still, totally easy! Now, while your skin is damp from the toner application it is prime time to put on moisturizer (your bottle of moisturizer will last longer, too!).
Step 3: Moisturizing
Why should I use moisturizer?
Moisturizer locks our own natural moisture into the skin and adds additional moisture if our skin type needs an extra boost. No matter what your skin type, moisturizer is a necessary step in keeping our skin supple and healthy.
How do I apply my moisturizer?
While your skin is damp from your toner, take ½ a pea-size to a pea-size (You may be thinking, “Browzilla, I usually use a quarter-size or more… ½ a pea-size, are you insane?!” but, have no fear… I assure you that if you are using the correct moisturizer for your skin type and putting it on right after your toner, this is plenty!) and quickly with feather-like strokes smooth it all over your face and down your neck and across your collarbone. It’s easy as pie!
There you have it - - the why and how of the 3-step basic skincare routine. I hope you find yourself thinking, “Wow, I can totally do that! I thought it’d be way more involved.” or, you may find yourself thinking, “Oh my gosh, that seems like too much for me to do!” or, you may find yourself thinking, “Cool, I’m already on top of it!” I’m here to tell you that no matter where you fall into the mix, we’ll get you on the right path! If you find yourself asking, “But, what cleanser/toner/moisturizer is right for MY skin?!” We’ll cover the differences between skin types and what each skin type needs in our next installment!
Feeling overwhelmed? Start with Baby Steps:
--If these basics seem too overwhelming at first, I challenge you to pick one or two steps and start mastering them first. There is no harm in starting slow!
-- If you don’t think you’ll have enough time morning and night, start with mastering it once a day. Once you have the once a day routine down for 14 consecutive days, try adding the other time of day to your routine. The 3-step basic routine only takes roughly 2 minutes. It’s super quick, and super easy!
-- And, no matter what - - challenge yourself to the nightly makeup removal! Your skin will thank you for it in the future! (And in those moments where you’re super-duper tired, or have been partying a little too late………… makeup removal wipes work wonders for those moments you need to take it off in a jiffy! There have even been moments I’ve removed my makeup with a baby wipe - - it doesn’t do the best job, but it gets it done in a pinch!)
Please email me if you have ANY questions! I'm always here!
Welcome to the glamorous life of healthy skin!
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