Skincare routines run the gamut in number of steps, tools, products and price points. There is seemingly endless conflicting advice on the best way to care for your skin. So, who to listen to? Everyone’s skin is different — there is no one single method that will work universally. It will take some playing around to truly know what works best for you; in the meantime, I will share what my average skin has greatly benefitted from as of late: a little “cleaning house,” if you will.
Since Korean multi-step routines became mainstream in the past years, my collection of tinctures and serums had increasingly grown and were busting out of my too-small cabinet. I was suddenly facing skincare exhaustion. So I pared it down. Sometimes simple is best; combining too many different types of products can lead to irritation and inflammation.
I’ve narrowed it down to four-ish simple steps, using wallet-friendly products and tools (your hands! Free!). Read on for my streamlined and functional skin plan if your overwrought skin could use a little break:
Cleanse
In the winter especially, I like to use a gentle, creamy hydrating cleanser. Some other types such as foaming cleansers work to get your face super clean – but I find they strip my skin too much and I start to lack natural oils. I personally only cleanse at night – in the morning I like to simply rinse with water to protect those natural oils.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating is super important to remove the dull outer layer of skin cells. Newer on the scene are chemical exfoliants – they use acids such as Glycolic or Lactic to gently melt away the outer layer. This tends to be less irritating and abrasive than traditional physical exfoliators. If you do choose to stick with the old sloughing off method, make sure you use only 1-2 times per week. Prefer a thrifty and sustainable method? A muslin cloth is a great substitute.
Massage
This section could really use its own entire article. Massaging is a new favorite addition to my skincare regimen. Not sure what took me so long to adopt this no brainer, but it makes a huge difference in reducing overall puffiness, making my complexion glow, and best of all, it melts away tension. There are countless Youtubes and TikToks readily available to assist with this one. Here is a great guide to get started. If you do choose to use tools – the Gua Sha is a popular tool that helps to drain fluid build up.
Hydrate
First thing’s first: drink water!! There is a reason so many models claim their secret to great skin is to drink a ton of H2O. I go a step further and drink hot water with lemon in the morning before my coffee as it is said to balance the gut, which leads to better overall health- skin included.
In addition to guzzling water, a great moisturizer is key, especially in these dry months. For ultimate dewiness, I use pure argan oil. Trader Joe’s carries it for around $7 a bottle- can’t beat that.
