No matter what your skin type, a daily skincare routine can help you maintain your skin health and natural glow, and improve specific concerns like acne, scarring, and dark spots.
There are so many beauty tips and products out there, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Now more than ever, you’re determined to take care of your skin, but you don’t even know where to start, or what skincare routine to follow.
With so much to keep track of, we are here to help you stay organised with a skincare routine you can trust, whether you are male or female.
Also, consider carefully the types of products you use based on your skin type. Whether a product is focused for women or men, the skin ingredients within are not anything to do with your gender, its more about skin type. So, men, it’s ok to use products that women use, and quite often there is a lot more choice. Just pick the right products and ingredients for your skin type.
The beauty industry is worth billions, we are forever bombarded by the newest, latest and “clinically” proven products, promising younger looking, plump and hydrated skin. We also buy an awful lot of products in the hope that these products will work and many don’t, so this blog is about understanding the right products and ingredients to use in order to reduce how much stuff we buy. If we know what to look for, we’re less likely to buy products that don’t work which hopefully means a dramatic reduction in waste.
We have summarised some of the key ingredients to look out for in products, to help you. Please also research Paula Begoun’s website for more information. The information below is referenced from Paula Begoun; The Original Beaty Bible book.
Cleansing ingredients: No perfume and non-irritant ingredients and water-soluble.
Exfoliation ingredients (not an exhaustive list): Use Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) such as glycolic acid and lactic acid. If you have a break out the try Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA’s) such as Salicylic acid. There are many more, but this is a start,
Skin communicating ingredients (not an exhaustive list): Niacinamide and vitamin A (retinol) based products.
Sunscreen ingredients (not an exhaustive list): Titanium oxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone (aka Methoxydibenzoylmethane), tinosorb and ecamsule, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate and octisalate
Moisturisers serum & toner Ingredients:
Serums & Toners: Tend to be lighter liquids, not thick creams good for normal to oily skin
Emollients: Creamier and thicker in substance, for normal, dry to very dry skin. e.g. plant oils, mineral oil, cocoa, shea butter, cocoa butter, petroleum, emu oil, mink oil and lanolin oil. Lanolin is very similar to our own skin oil
Antioxidants (not an exhaustive list): Alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, turmeric, curcumin, vitamin C (ascorbyl), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol, tocotrienols), vitamin A, green tea, soybean sterols, superoxide dismutase, Palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl palmitate, pomegranate, beta-glucan, grape seed extract) and skin-identical ingredients.
Skin Identical ingredients (not an exhaustive list): This includes ceramides, glycerin, polysaccharides, amino acids, cholesterol, glycerol, phospholipids, glycosphingolipids, glucosamine, glycerin, glycerides and fatty acids
Skin Anti irritants (not an exhaustive list): To help heal the skin: allantoin, aloe, bisabolol, burdock root, chamomile extract, glycyrrhetinic acid, grape extract, green tea, liquorice root, vitamin c, white willow, willow bark and willowherb.
Skin irritants to generally avoid (not an exhaustive list):Â In any type of skincare product: alcohol, sd alcohol followed by a number, eucalyptus, citrus juices, menthol, methyl lactate, Menthoxypropanediol, mint, peppermint, sodium lauryl sulphate, arnica, bergamot, cinnamon, lavender, Linalool, wintergreen, witch hazel, ylang-ylang and cloves.
A Face Routine for Men and Women
Dear men, please debunk the myth that rough skin makes you ‘manly’. It doesn’t. Rather, clean, smooth skin with well-groomed facial hair is what is more appealing! I know skincare and anything related is probably not in your vocabulary, but don’t worry about being a little behind, be open to trying new things out, it’s never too late to start. If you want that amazing look that will boost your confidence and sweep the ladies off their feet, then I’ve got the perfect regime for you!
And ladies, I know the noise out there on skincare is confusing and exhausting, all you want is just a skincare routine that actually works! You need to follow a routine to get the best out of your skincare products. At this point, forget all your past struggles and use this routine we have compiled for you, to give you that jealous glow like a Korean skin.
#STEP 1 REMOVE MAKEUP
This step is more likely to affect women but nowadays, its equally ok for men to wear makeup too! If you do wear makeup make sure you always remove it before going to bed with makeup remover, this should be gentle on the skin, with minimal scrubbing.
#STEP 2 CLEANSE (MORNING & NIGHT)
So, you should always cleanse first (or after makeup removal), whether its part of your morning or evening routine. Cleansing is a key step in maintaining your skin. Your skin is exposed to bacteria and environmental impurities everyday which a good face cleanser will help you get rid of, preventing clogged pores and breakouts.
You don’t have to wake up earlier to do this as you can wrap it up within two minutes. Use tepid water. Yes, hot or cold water can actually interfere with your skins natural processes. Use clean hands, wash them first and apply the cleanser. User your hands or a soft face cloth. Don’t wipe too hard or scrub too much! Your skin is more delicate than you think.
Use simple cleansers, that have no perfume and no irritant ingredients. A cleansers job is to take away grime, dirt and oil from your face, so ideally it needs to be water-soluble and is there just to clean your face. Use moisturisers and toners (see below), to give your face a healthy glow.
#STEP 3 EXFOLIATE (2- 3 TIMES A WEEK)
Exfoliation removes the dead skin cells, dirt, and sebum. A deep exfoliation penetrates into the skin and unblocks the clogged pores so your skin can breathe and allow for healthy skin renewal.
Exfoliators are of two types: chemical exfoliators, and scrubs. It is better to use chemical exfoliants than scrubs as scrubs can damage your skin.
Here is a quick reminder as to what you are looking out for. If you want a general exfoliation look for alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA’s) such as glycolic acid and lactic acid. If you have breakouts then try beta-hydroxy Acids (BHA’s) such as Salicylic acid. Be careful with these products as they vary in strength and your skin might need to get used to them first.Â
#STEP 4 SERUMS TONERS MOISTURISE & SUNSCREEN (TWICE A DAY)
Moisturisers keep the skin hydrated while replacing the nutrients lost during cleansing and exfoliation.
Moisturise your skin after cleansing and exfoliation to get a better result. If you have oily skin, you should look for suitable moisturisers for oily skin and similarly if you have dry skin. If you have normal to oily skin look for toners or serums that are lighter fluids and with lots of antioxidants and skin-identical ingredients. If you have dry skin use more emollient based moisturiser.
The other key ingredients to look out for in moisturisers, serums or toners are ingredients that are similar to the skin (skin-identical ) and are also antioxidants. Hyurolonic acid deserves a special mention as your skin naturally produces this, so its quite a vital ingredient and something that can really help you glow.
Before you go out ALWAYS look for moisturisers with sunscreen, with both UVA and UVB protection, to help reduce ageing of your skin. Look for sunscreen ingredients (see above). Ideally, a range of these chemicals are used for maximum UVA/UVB protection.
#OPTIONAL STEP – grow HEALTHy SKIN CELLS
Just before you go to sleep after cleansing and exfoliation you can look for products that promote healthy skin cell growth or skin communication ingredients. Two common ingredients to look out for are niacinamide and vitamin A (retinol) based products. Be careful with these products/ingredients as people with sensitive skin may react (you can get different concentrations, so read up around this) and dont use as part of your day routine, as these ingredients can make you more sensitive to UVA and UVB.Â
