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Skin accounts for more than 10% of your overall body mass, making it the human body’s largest organ. As such, it takes a lot of abuse. Extreme temperatures, sun damage, chemicals in cleaners, and cuts and scrapes are just a few of the hazards your skin faces daily. Skin plays numerous roles in our body’s health and wellbeing. It protects us from the elements, reserves calories, and helps to control our bodily temperature. Your skincare routine plays a critical role for our skin health.

 

Great skin is not simply a matter of DNA — your daily habits, in fact, have a big impact on what you see in the mirror. But depending on which product reviews you read or doctors you consult, there is a dizzying number of opinions on everything from how to moisturize to how to protect yourself from UV rays. Ultimately, caring for your skin is simply personal. Here’s what you should keep in mind to sort through all the noise.

 

Skin Care Routine Tips Before You Start

 

Think of your skin-care routine as consisting of three main steps:

• Cleansing — Washing your face.
• Toning — Balancing the skin.
• Moisturizing — Hydrating and softening the skin.

 

The goal of any skin-care routine is to tune up your complexion so it’s functioning at its best, and also troubleshoot or target any areas you want to work on. “Beauty routines are an opportunity to notice changes within yourself,” says the San Francisco skin-care specialist Kristina Holey. As your skin needs shifts with age, so will your products. Still, she adds, “it’s not about creating perfection.”   Allow these three steps to become your daily ritual that fortifies your skin and grounds your day.

 

Give it Time

The science behind skin-care products has come a long way but there’s still no such thing as an instant fix — you need time to reap the benefits, says Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a Manhattan dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group. “Results are only seen through consistent use,” she explains. Generally, aim to use a product over at least six weeks, once or twice daily, to notice a difference.

 

Tip: With any skin-care product, apply in order of consistency — from thinnest to thickest. For example, cleanser, toner (if you use it), serum, and then moisturizer.

 

Understand the Interplay Between Skin Concern and Skin Type

 

Your skincare routine is determined by two major factors: skin concern and skin type. Skin concerns typically change regularly, so your skincare needs may change too. Maybe you’re recovering from a sunburn, or you have an unusual acne flare-up. Certain skincare products can address these concerns.

 

Skin type is more fixed. It determines which ingredients are helpful and harmful to your skin. Some ingredients that may be beneficial for your skin concerns may exacerbate another skin problem. By understanding the relationship between your skin concerns and your skin type, you can select skincare products that meet the needs of your skin.

 

Ingredients for Your Skin Concern and Skin Type

 

Here are some skincare routine things to look for depending on your skin concern and skin type:

 

• Normal: If you want to get firmer skin, you can use vitamin C as long as you have resistant skin. It increases the production of elastin and collagen to keep skin cells plump and healthy. For a milder alternative to pure vitamin C, highly active Encapsulated Peptide can help rapidly improve the skin tone of those with normal and sensitive skin.
• Dry: Mandelic, citric, and lactic acids are extremely gentle at certain doses and provide mild exfoliation while stimulating ceramides. A highly active ferment filtrate from French Polynesia is a natural alternative, as it induces lipid production and prevents moisture loss from the skin surface. These are best for dry and sensitive skin.
• Oily: Products like moisturizers and facial scrubs that contain beta hydroxy acid (BHA) help to reduce the amount of oil the skin produces, but it is more suitable for oily and resistant skin. Red Clover Flower extract is a natural alternative for oily and sensitive skin as it reduces sebum rate and reduces the appearance of pore size with a pH-balanced environment.
• Combination: It can be difficult to find a product that doesn’t clog pores or dry out your skin, but hyaluronic acid is great for combination skin. Scientific studies show ingredients that stimulate natural hyaluronic acid are more effective. One such ingredient, purified French Polynesia ferment filtrate, improves skin hydration.

 

Treating With Serums

 

Simply put, serums are powerful skin allies. Filled with concentrated doses of active ingredients, these elixirs can mitigate a number of issues, from dark spots to wrinkles. “Even if you don’t have any specific issues, everyone still needs a general antioxidant serum in the morning to protect from daily aggressors,” Mattioli says. While there are “limitless options” for ingredients, Nazarian singles out her hardworking favorites. To handle specific issues, look for these products:

• Hyaluronic acid to seal in hydration and strengthen the barrier function (the top layer of your skin) to prevent moisture loss.
• Vitamin C to help brighten dull skin and decrease dark spots with continued use.
• Retinol, vitamin B3, peptides to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, proteins in the body that help prevent lines and skin sagging.
• Colloidal sulfur, niacinamide to calm redness and irritation by decreasing inflammation, and improve acne with its antimicrobial effects.

 

Develop the Right Skincare Routine

 

Now that you know which products will benefit your skin, you can develop a daily routine. A good skincare routine consists of four main steps.

 

1. Cleanse

While it’s the most basic step of any regime, washing your face is also the most essential. Throughout the day, your skin is met with dirt and pollutants that need to be removed. Wash your face twice daily (once in the morning and again before bed) to help remove grime and dead skin cells. This will keep pores unclogged, remove dullness, and help you avoid skin problems like acne.

 

2. Tone

Following a face wash, toner helps contribute nutrients to the skin while balancing your complexion. Toner can work with the other products in your skincare regime, or it can be a way to introduce helpful ingredients that may not be found in other areas of your routine.

 

3. Moisturize

Every day, our skin loses moisture through sweat, evaporation, and other natural processes. This leads to the cracking and flaking of skin cells. Moisturizers help to soften the skin by rehydrating those cells. Moisturizing products typically enhance the protective oils that are found naturally in the skin, so they’re useful for all skin types.

 

The most basic function of a moisturizer is to hydrate and soften the skin. Essentially, moisturizers assist in preventing water loss through the outer layers of skin. They can also complement the naturally found protective oils and other building blocks within the skin, such as ceramides. This is one product that doctors recommend using year-round, for all skin types. Skin naturally loses the ability to retain moisture as we age, and daily activities, such as washing, can strip natural hydrators from the surface.

 

4. Protect

Sun damage has a profound impact on our skin. Over time, too much sun exposure causes the development of wrinkles and fine lines, discoloration, visible changes in our pores, and worst of all, skin cancers. Sunscreen is one of the most crucial aspects of your daily skincare routine. To protect your skin, use sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30.

Recent studies show that IR-induced (from infrared rays) aging is more damaging than UV rays, as they can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin. Therefore, choosing ingredients that can protect you from both IR and UV radiation can give your skin full protection from sun damage.

 

Snowperk Creates a Personalized Skincare Routine

 

Snowperk understands the importance of a skincare routine that meets your specific needs. Beyond that, knowing your skin concern and skin type is crucial to choosing the right ingredients that your skin can tolerate.

That’s why we offer a personalized line of skincare products that are tailored just for you. Most of our products contain over 95% naturally derived ingredients. We’ll help you identify your skin iD (skin concern and type) and develop a skincare routine that delivers lasting results you can see in just 14 days.

Build your personal skincare routine today!

 

Your Skin’s Future is Up to You

 

If you are struggling to develop an effective skincare routine and want advice on which products and techniques to use for your skin type, we are always here to help. You can sign up for our newsletter for weekly skincare advice – customized for your distinct skin type.

 

Snowperk iD™ will also provide you with personalized recommendations to optimize your morning and evening skincare routines. After you take our free assessment, we will share helpful content to give you more insight into how your skin works and how to properly care for it. With dedication, the proper diet, and high-quality products, you can help your skin look and feel its best.

 

Get your personalized skin assessment now!