Giving your skin routine care can be beneficial in many ways. Even if you think you don’t need a routine, chances are, you probably can benefit from one. It’s not necessary to buy the most expensive, products or start the most rigorous routine to be effective either. You just have to be consistent, and stick with it. In the following paragraphs, I will explain these benefits. And give at least 5 reasons why it’s a good idea to begin a skincare routine, and pamper our skin.
These 5 reasons are as follows: 1) Our protective barrier must be cared for, 2) our pores must be purged, 3) balancing the skin is good, because it’s necessary to give your skin what it needs, and last but not least, 3)pampering yourself is good. You definitely deserve the last one!
1. Our protective barrier must be cared for…
Our skin is the largest organ in/on the human body. It’s the largest protective barrier we have, and it functions to keep other organs and fluids inside of our bodies. This is why it’s so important to keep it healthy and intact. The skin is also an avenue of exchange for our bodies, by which it rids itself of waste. We sweat, excrete oils, and toxins by way of our skin. If it is not properly and routinely cleansed, these oils, etc will continue to sit on our skin. They will build up as time passes and eventually clog our pores. As the pores are the point of exit, as well as the point of absorption for our skin.
2. Our pores must be purged
Purging our pores on a regular basis is very important. It helps us prevent the build up of oils. Which in turn helps us to stop blackheads and pimples from developing. It keeps the skin looking smooth and supple. I’ve seen people with blackheads that literally looked like hairs growing out of their noses and around the mouth. I was shocked to have witnessed this, but it’s something a clay mask could’ve easily fixed.
Makeup application is gorgeous with smooth skin as the canvas. If applied properly, the finish is flawless, with an airbrushed appearance. Beyond vanity, having clean pores allows our skin to readily absorb the products that we place on
3. Balancing the skin is good
It’s important to have a good balance of oil and hydration when it comes to our skin. As mentioned below, hydration also occurs from within, but we can also introduce products into our daily routine that help with keeping skin supple. If you are a daily makeup wearer, it’s extremely important to ensure that you are not accumulating a buildup of pigments (from foundation). The skin care products we use can also contribute to skin balancing. There are products on the market designed to dry the skin if it’s too oily, while there are others that provide added moisture for dry skin.. There are also products that are more acidic than others, and that’s why it’s important to understand the different skin types and what You really need, for Your specific use.
4. It’s necessary to give your skin what it needs…
If you have oily skin, it’s very important to keep the oil under control as much as possible. It’s also important to keep your pores clean, so acne doesn’t develop. With dry skin, it’s important to keep it hydrated and moisturized, and drinking lots of water also helps with this. When we are dehydrated, our organs begin to lose fluids, and this includes the skin. Hydrating and Moisturizing the skin decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as it helps plump up the skin. Just think about a plant, when it’s not watered it begins to wilt, and if the plant continues to lose water it becomes
If you have combo skin (areas of dryness, along with areas of oily skin) it’s important to give your skin what it needs. This can be quite a challenge, since you need both, which is moisture in some areas and oil control in others. It might be challenging but it’s very possible.
5. Pampering yourself is good
As my final reason on why you should begin a skin care routine and stick with it. The more you get used to your routine, you begin to look forward to that time. After all, it’s all about you, and you deserve it! Our protective layer must be pampered and loved. I am a firm believer that if you are good to your skin, it will in return be good to you. What do I mean by the statement above? By properly caring for our skin, we will help the aging process, and age more gracefully. Now to be completely honest, the only way to seriously stop the aging process is to die, and we don’t want that! But we can surely help the aging process by keeping the skin moisturized and, protected.
There are so many products on the market to cater to this, but it’s important to be selective when choosing them. The choices we make concerning our skincare should be well thought out and understood. Especially if it’s beyond basic cleansing and moisturizing. You need to understand exactly what you’re putting on your skin and why.
Reasons why I decided to begin a skincare routine
Throughout my teen years as well as adult years, I have always had what’s considered healthy and clear skin. I never had a skincare routine because I didn’t think I needed one. In many cases, people don’t create a skincare regimen unless it’s necessary. Acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, oily or dry skin, are typically the culprits. Surely there are others not mentioned here. In my case, I’d just wash my face with gentle soap and put lotion on it. When I developed blackheads, I’d exfoliate with a loofah for the face(a practice I no longer agree with) but that would usually leave my skin red and irritated. However, my pores were left cleaner.
Now I’m in my 30’s with a few more concerns. One of them being aging, and working to maintain a youthful glow. I know I can’t stop the clock but I can at least help my skin as the clock ticks away, and hopefully age gracefully.
Bad decisions
While applying my foundation, I noticed there was an awful texture on my face, they were really small bumps on both sides of the bridge of my nose. But not pimples. So I began to look into ways I could change that and came across BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid). One specifically was Salicylic acid. It was already in a few of my face washes but I’d never used a toner, or serum containing it.
So, I began to go on an exfoliation binge, but it didn’t end exactly as I’d hoped. I’d use a physical, exfoliant, then follow up with a chemical exfoliiant, such as Salicylic acid, that had to be the biggest error ever. Within a few days my chin was on fire, and I realized why. I had over exfoliated my chin and caused a chemical burn. It took about two weeks, before I could think about putting foundation there again, because it just looked awful.
Update: This endeavor caused dry patches in that area, which took more than a month to flake off. I thought I had ruined my skin, but luckily I hadn’t.
Above From Left to right: (Left) After five weeks of having the chemical burn. Pic on right is recently after it had completely healed. You can click on the second pic to see closer, how the discoloration has cleared.
Best way to use a chemical exfoliant
Before starting a skincare regimen that uses BHA or AHA, educate yourself and do your research. Then you can begin researching brands to find the one that fits you. I have been using
However, after having that experience, I believe it’s probably good to start with once or twice/week, and then gradually dial up your usage. I would’ve definitely skipped the abrasive scrub altogether. If you feel you need to use both, use the physical scrub, but then wait approx 3-4 days before using the chemical exfoliant. Also, less is more, so only use a few drops of BHA on a cotton pad, don’t saturate the pad. You only need a small amount, saturating the pad will only waste product.
Conclusion
Surely there are many more good reasons why you should begin a skin care routine and stick with it, these are 5 that I personally felt were important. Using an exfoliating scrub along with chemical exfoliant was a bad idea, because the scrub leaves the skin slightly stripped. It also creates micro tears on your skin, which then allows the BHA to seep into the skin. It’s just too much for some of us to handle. Although you should start a skincare routine and stick with it, be aware of the practices you implement.
I’ve used my BHA since the burn. But, I make sure to stay away from the affected area
Do you have a skincare routine? Comment below and share!
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