Mastering Your Skin Care Routine
Did you know that June 1 is National Skin Care Education Day?
When it comes to establishing a basic skin care routine, most of us would rather shuttle a spaceship to Mars. But why?
Maybe it’s the mind-boggling skin care questions listed below?
- What are the 5 basics of skin care?
- What’s the correct order of skin care products?
- What exactly is the 7-step skin care routine?
Maybe it’s too time-consuming? ⏳
Most of us don’t have time to educate ourselves on the anti-aging and acne-fighting properties found in today’s skin care products to know what works well.
Or maybe you just don’t know where to start. ♀️
But you know you’ve got to start somewhere, so what do you do? Run to the closest drugstore, pick out the most attractive cleanser and moisturizer duo, and call it a day.
For most people, it’s a combination of all three, and that’s because of the vast amount of info surrounding skin care products and processes. Perfecting your routine becomes 10 times easier, however, once you understand the basics like your skin type, the best products to use and how to apply them.
After all, a proper skin care routine is crucial to keeping a clear complexion, treating skin concerns when they arise and maintaining overall skin strength and elasticity. Just remember:
You don’t need to be an expert in skin care to become an expert at knowing your skin.
In honor of National Skin Care Education Day, read on to learn more handy tips for how to kickstart an easy-to-stick-to routine for healthy, glowing skin.
Know Your Skin
If you think you need a master’s degree in dermatology to master a basic skin care routine – think again! As long as you know your skin, which you can do by studying your skin or taking a quick quiz online, you’re good to go. After that, the process is a matter of pinpointing the best products, learning how to use them and being aware of aesthetic treatments that can help.
The most common skin types are oily, dry, sensitive and combination. Once you know which category you fall under, you’ll be able to identify and incorporate the best product picks for you into your daily regimen.
Since not all skin care products include the same ingredients, let’s identify the different vitamins and proteins each skin type craves below:
Dry Skin (rough, flaky or itchy)
o Moisturizer is life. Lock in existing moisture while enhancing overall hydration.
o Refrain from lotions; use more ointments and creams.
o Treat your skin with hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, shea butter and hyaluronic acid.
o AesthetiCare product recommendation: AC HA+ Firming Boost
Oily Skin (greasy and shiny)
o Oil is tricky because it helps to preserve your skin, yet too much can cause clogged pores. The trick? Balancing your body’s natural moisture with just the right amount of oil.
o Stay away from oil-based products and harsh facial scrubs; use a gentle foaming cleanser instead.
o Treat your skin with oil-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid and tea tree oil.
o AesthetiCare product recommendation: AC Dual-Action Toner
Combination Skin (dry and oily, but in different areas)
o This skin type is the most common and frustrating of them all because how do you treat two different conditions on one single face? By getting creative.
o Treat your skin with products formulated with varied ingredients such as salicylic acid, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to ensure proper hydration and adequate cell turnover.
o AesthetiCare product recommendation: AC Ultra Benefits
Sensitive Skin (prone to stinging and burning)
o Stay away from alcohol-based products, harsh exfoliants or fragrance-formulated products.
o Be kind to your skin and treat it to soothing ingredients like vitamin E, aloe vera and niacinamide.
o AesthetiCare product recommendation: AC Vita Soothe
Protect Your Skin
If you’re not already using an SPF, then invest in one ASAP. All the planets are aligned, and all the experts agree that sunscreen is the single most crucial component of any successful skin care routine.
Regardless of whether you love it or hate it – your skin needs it. And not the thick, gloppy, pointless version from the ’90s, either. The lightweight and diverse SPFs we have today are versatile enough to not only headline your skin care routine but protect your skin with barrier-blocking defenses from:
- Harmful UV rays
- Harsh environmental pollutants
- Developing fine lines and wrinkles
Dermatologists recommend using an SPF of 30 or higher and making this the last step in your skin care routine for optimal defense. Check out a couple great SPF options from AesthetiCare below:
Colorescience Sunforgettable Glow SPF
- Oil-free and hypoallergenic
- Dermatologist-recommended for all skin types; ideal for oily skin types
- Spoils your skin with nourishment and hydration!
- Free of harsh chemicals like parabens and excess oil
- Ideal for soothing acne-prone skin
- Great choice for sensitive skin types
Colorescience – Sunforgettable Brush on Shield SPF 50
- An SPF in powder form? Sign me up! ♀️
- Convenient and easy to use
- Works well with makeup
Check out Give the Gift of Great Skin to learn more about the SPF options listed above and other great skin care products.
The Only Four Skin Care Products You’ll Ever Need
First off, forget about the whole 7-step skin care regimen and the world’s top 10 skin care brands: You only need four, and the product brand doesn’t matter nearly as much as what’s inside the bottle.
So, what are the most important skin care products? And does order really matter? According to Kathy Taranto, there’s nothing wrong with keeping your routine short, sweet and simple with medical-grade products to treat your skin in the following ways:
*P.S. We make shopping a slice by grouping medical-grade products into relevant categories in AesthetiCare’s online store. Simply filter by Featured and shop with confidence!
Cleanse.
Remove makeup, dirt and grime with a gentle facial cleanser formulated for your skin. But be careful not to scrub, as that only causes irritation. Rinse and pat to dry.
Nourish.
“Just like we fertilize plants, we should fertilize our skin.” – Kathy Taranto
Replenish your skin with a nourishing product rich with nutrients and natural oils like shea butter and avocado oil to enhance hydration.
Hydrate.
Soften and hydrate the skin by trapping water to seal in moisture. Meant to be the last step in your routine, an all-around good moisturizer can prevent skin dryness and sudden acne from developing. Just make sure to avoid hot water for the sake of your skin’s natural oils.
Learn more about finding the right moisturizer for you.
Protect.
Would you rather pay $50 on a quality SPF and protect your skin now or pay hundreds of dollars on anti-aging treatments to repair your skin in the future?
Sunscreen not only protects your skin from sunburn, skin cancer and airborne pollutants that can cause bacteria; it also prevents premature aging like developing fine lines, sun spots and wrinkles.
And yes, the order in which you apply these products does matter. This can be tough to remember, so here’s a handy tip: Start thin, finish thick. In other words, apply your liquids and serums with the thinnest consistency first, followed by those products of a thicker consistency, like jellies and creams.
Just as there can be too many cooks in a kitchen, there can be too many products in a skin care regimen. Piling on the products often does nothing more than increase the risk of active ingredients reacting in an adverse manner, resulting in clogged pores, skin irritation and dryness – basically everything you don’t want. So please, save your skin the trouble and simplify your skin care routine.
See a Spot? Treat It!
One of the greatest benefits of maintaining a consistent skin care routine is catching concerns and treating them when they arise. This is called spot treatment, and it works by targeting small spots of concern on your face, primarily blemishes, and treating them with powerful acne-fighting ingredients like:
Salicylic acid to soften skin
o Ideal for acne-prone or oily skin types
Benzoyl peroxide to kill acne-causing bacteria
o Ideal for oily skin types
Azelaic acid to calm inflammation and improve redness
o Great for all skin types
While spot treatments are effective at stopping blemishes and blackheads in their tracks, chemical peels are excellent at treating certain types of acne and conditions that discolor the skin for a radiant, youthful appearance.
A popular product for treating unwanted blemishes is our AC Acne Spot Treatment, a therapeutic serum that uses witch hazel to soothe swelling and salicylic acid for relief fast. Fore more acne-fighting products, shop our anytime online store.
Enhance Your Skin Care Routine With AesthetiCare’s Annual Package!
Have you ever thought about incorporating medical spa treatments into your skin care routine?
When sudden skin concerns arise, med spa treatments can act as an extra boost – providing advanced solutions to issues that modern-day products simply can’t, which is where our Stay Forever Young Annual Package comes in.
Designed as a maintenance program, existing AesthetiCare clients are given the opportunity to enhance their care routine and unlock the true potential of their skin by customizing a yearly treatment plan comprised of the following qualifying treatments:
Repairs visible signs of aging, including sun damage and melasma, and improves overall skin texture.
Revitalizes and refreshes the look of your skin with non-ablative laser energy to correct sun damage and signs of aging.
Reverses the look of aging by stimulating new collagen in the skin.
Improves the overall clarity and texture of your skin by using an erbium laser to remove dead skin cells so that they can be replaced with healthy cells.
Rejuvenates your skin by aerating the tissue to stimulate new collagen, resulting in tighter skin with little downtime.
Age Jet / Plasma Pen Treatment
Utilizes plasma skin regeneration to treats fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars and skin laxity.
Exfoliates, extracts and replenishes the skin by removing dead skin cells while infusing the skin with hydrating solutions.
This ultimate skin rejuvenation treatment exfoliates the skin to improve overall skin tone and texture free of downtime.
AMP (AesthetiCare Melasma Peel)
Reduces the appearance of sun damage and melasma.
Stimulate the production of natural collagen in your skin with radiofrequency (RF) technology for the improvement of acne scars, wrinkles and overall tone.
Learn more about how radiofrequency microneedling works.
By participating in the Stay Forever Young program, you not only benefit your skin tremendously, but you’ll learn valuable care tips to embellish your current skin care routine! *Win Win*
You Can Do It!
We know mastering a skin care routine can be hard, but you don’t have to be an expert to become an expert in your skin. Don’t let the outrageous hacks or plethora of options prevent you from getting started. Because that’s always the first step (and the hardest, too)!
If you happen to have any skin or body care goals you’d like to discuss, we’d love to chat with you! There’s a first step with this, too, and it involves a virtual or in-person consultation. We’re looking forward to learning more about you.
About AesthetiCare MedSpa
AesthetiCare MedSpa has served the Kansas City metro area for more than 21 years. We provide a complimentary, one-hour consultation and skin evaluation to all interested clients to ensure each person receives the services needed to achieve their unique health goals.
