My skin is on a constant roller coaster of bad to worse to a few precious sacred moments of wow not bad back to awful again. I find skincare even more overwhelming than makeup sometimes as there are so many new products out there each claiming to be the next best thing that will solve all your skin woes in the time it takes to swipe a cotton round on your skin. I have continuously been disappointed and confused by my skincare routine and I want to share what I think my mistakes are.
Lesson 1: Your diet and lifestyle is as much a part of your skincare routine as your cleanser.
I have the type of skin where if I look at chocolate I get three brand new breakouts. When you take care of your skin from the inside, eat your vegetables, get some sleep, drink water, exercise you will notice a difference in your skin, your confidence and your energy levels. I find it so hard to remember this and always feel like I can rectify my mistakes with a cup of green tea no matter the four slices of cake I had earlier but this is something I must pay more mind to as it is a lesson I have learned the hard way.
Lesson 2: Less is more.
The more problematic my skin is the more things I want to chuck at it, which is not good. Especially with the products that I favour which tend to contain aggressive ingredients or fragrance, like tea tree oil and AHA toners. Streamlining your skincare routine is important because then you get to see what really works, in my opinion.
Lesson 3: If it works it works.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, if it works for you then it works. I am obsessed with aloe vera gel at the moment, I use it as a night time moisturiser and as a primer and it works wonders. I am in love with how it feels and how my makeup adheres to it, my skin feels so soft in the morning. In a similar vein, there are products I have tried in the past that haven’t been highly recommended by skincare experts but have honestly worked so well for my skin and I think that is okay. If it isn’t going to cause long-term or short-term damage then stick with it. For instance, Sudacrem and toothpaste work on my breakouts a treat but I know toothpaste especially is not recommended. Oops.
Lesson 4: Don’t be lazy.
This lesson applies to diet and lifestyle as well, but in particular I am talking about giving your skincare time to actually work. Things like the 60 second cleanse and giving your moisturiser five minutes to sink in can honestly work wonders. Doing little facial massages, layering your toners or putting your eye cream in the fridge can make small but effective differences if given the chance. If you’re going to spend some bucks on some good skincare at least let it have its moment. I also find this quite relaxing and therapeutic which is an added bonus.
Lesson 5: Your skin means more than just your face.
Again, I think the whole motto of this post is all about not being lazy, but I am guilty of neglecting parts of my skin. Exfoliating and moisturising regularly can make a huge difference, there are masks for the body and the feet as well as hands that work wonders. Applying SPF on any exposed skin is a good habit to get into straight away and these are just some examples of how I don’t give my skin the TLC it deserves.
Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. I should be back this Sunday from Japan and hopefully have a foundation review up for you on Tuesday if I am not utterly exhausted. I would love to read some of your skincare lessons in the comments below if you would like to share. Hope you are having a great week whatever you are doing. See you in the next post. Take care.
What skincare lessons have you learned?
Love ❤
Kiran
I am sure there are many more lessons to be learnt.