You may not be the type of person who spends hours getting ready in the morning. Maybe you’re more of a “get up and go” kind of person, who doesn’t have a lengthy or time-consuming beauty ritual even at the end of the day. Fortunately, a solid skincare routine doesn’t need to be complicated or overly fussy to work. Here are the basics you need to master if you want to kickstart your beauty regimen:
Start by Nourishing Your Skin from Within
If you aren’t used to complicated beauty routines or slathering on multiple skincare products, ease yourself into the skincare game by starting with taking vitamins for your skin. Companies like Well Within Beauty believe that great skin is the result of an overall healthy lifestyle, not just putting on a lot of products. This means caring for your skin from the inside as well as on the outside.
Well Within Beauty offers natural skincare supplements that can nourish and protect your skin from within. Packed with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and plant-based antioxidants, these supplements renew and strengthen your skin so it looks and feels healthier and more supple.
Master Cleansing
Proper cleansing is one of the most important steps in any skincare routine. Keeping your skin clean is probably the most basic thing you can do to keep it clear and prevent breakouts and blemishes. When cleansing your skin, choose a gentle cleanser that is free from sodium lauryl sulfate and that has a pH level of between 5 and 6.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common personal care ingredient that acts like a detergent (it’s also what causes personal care products to lather and foam.) On your skin, it can be quite harsh and stripping. Healthy skin needs natural oils to keep it properly moisturized and protected, so you’ll want to steer clear of overly aggressive cleansers that give you that “squeaky clean” feeling.
The pH level of your skincare products is important, because too-low or too-high levels can be irritating and potentially damaging to your skin. Healthy skin is at a pH level of about 5.5, so be on the lookout for products that are close to this range so they don’t throw your skin off balance.
Focus on Hydration
Healthy, properly hydrated skin is surprisingly good at protecting and renewing itself. When you’ve got perfectly hydrated and balanced skin, you don’t have to do much to keep it clear and glowing—it basically takes care of itself. That said, properly moisturizing your skin may be more important than using targeted treatments like serums and spot treatments.
When choosing a moisturizer, go for one that has a combination of humectant, emollient and occlusive ingredients. Humectants add moisture to your skin by drawing water molecules from the environment towards your epidermis. Emollients soften and condition your skin, and often feel very soothing. Occlusives basically seal everything in by acting like a protective shield over your skin. A balanced combination of all three moisturizing ingredients will ensure that your skin is properly hydrated throughout the day or while you sleep.
Wear Sunscreen Daily
Lastly, no skincare routine is complete without adding sun protection. Sunscreen is the single most effective anti-aging product you could add to your routine. The sun’s harsh rays can cause a lot of damage and early signs of skin aging including dark spots, wrinkles and even skin cancer. Prevent these skin problems by wearing a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and broad-spectrum protection every day.
Just follow these simple steps and practice them consistently, and before you know it, you’ve already nailed a beauty regimen that should help you get healthier, more beautiful skin.