The basics of skin care: what everyone should know

• January 5, 2020

Skin care is not just for beauty bloggers anymore. With social media taking over, and pictures being our main method of communication, we are taking more and more care of our skin: let’s face it, our face is our business card! Both professionally and personally, it is increasingly important to look youthful and well-groomed. But with so many options and a huge cosmetic market, between skin type, creams and serums, there is so much to learn!
For example, did you know that if you have dry skin it’s not the same as dehydrated skin?

With so much information to process and so many products to choose from, let’s get back to the basics and start at the beginning. So whether you’re a teenager who’s just starting their skin care journey, or whether you’ve got a special routine for your morning and evening skin care, here’s what everyone should to know.

Skin Type
Let’s begin at the beginning, how do you know what is your skin type?
Usually skin regenerates itself every 28-55 days, and our main concerns are usually acne, dryness, fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation.

If your skin tends to get patchy, you probably have dry skin. If you’re shiny all over, you’re most likely an oily type. If you have a combination of the two, you have combination skin. When your skin is balanced, congratulations, you have a normal skin type.

Beyond these basic types, your skin can also be sensitive, dehydrated (note: this is not the same as dry, which is caused by a lack of oil; dehydrated skin is dull, and caused by a lack of water).

One rule for all: C T M
No matter what skin type you have, the basics for beautiful skin is the C T M routine: cleansing, toning, moisturizing.

Cleansing to ensure pores are not clogged, toning to restore your skin’s natural pH, and moisturizing for a plump and glowing complexion.
Cleanser

As per Dr. Costi’s tips, this is necessary in the morning and at night to remove the collection of dirt, oil, pollution and skin debris that is accumulated.
Whether it’s a foamy wash or a lotion, make sure it is suitable for your skin type: you have many options to choose from.

Toner
Toning will enlighten your skin and brighten it, while cleaning any residue left. A very important factor is also rebalancing the skin’s pH level while hydrating it.

Both oily as well as dry skin will benefit from this extra hydration.
A tip for oilier skins is to use a glycolic acid toner, which balances out the skin.

Moisturizer
A moisturizer is designed to protect our skin’s barrier. It helps to lock everything in and ensure moisture doesn’t escape. Especially for dry and dehydrated skin, you can layer a serum and a cream to achieve the desired hydration.

For oilier skin types, use a water-base gel instead of heavy creams.

Exfoliating
It’s important to exfoliate every few days to get rid of dead skin cells.
There are two types of exfoliants: chemical and physical. Chemical exfoliants dissolve cells and generally contain some form of acid and physical exfoliants manually remove the cells in the form of a grainy substance.

Check our previous blogs and make sure you choose what’s best for your skin.

Serum
There’s a serum for everything: hydrating, brightening, protecting your skin from the oxidants, preventing wrinkles. They offer the highest concentration of active ingredients in a skincare product therefore they’re really worth the extra splurge and the extra step in your beauty routine.

The ones we particularly like will contain vitamin c and a nourishing hyaluronic acid (use one in the morning, the other at night).

Eye cream
The earlier you start using eye cream, the better results you will get in the long run.

Dabbing it gently with your ring finger, make clockwise circles around your temples and eyebrow. This will also help reduce puffiness or dark circles.

Oil
Whatever oil you fancy, this step adds an extra hydration and brightening to any area of skin that looks lackluster.

Sunscreen
Every single day, it is essential to apply a good sunscreen with high protection. With the variety available today, they are also advanced treatment products that enhance the appearance of the skin.

Basically there are two types of sunscreen: physical and chemical.
Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays and are generally preferred because they’re more lightweight and easier to formulate.

Physical sunscreens reflect UV rays and are recommended for more sensitive skin.

How does it all work?
We generally change our skin care routine with the change of external factors: from summer to winter. Another factor will depend on your diet and hormones.
But how do you generally make sure you’re following the best skin care for your skin?

Well it’s very easy, you just come and see Dr. Costi.