Most people imagine that taking care of the skin is extremely time-consuming, involving complicated steps and pots and pots of creams.
Unlike what most people think, a good skin care routine does not need to take up too much time. In fact, even for beginners, it can be done quickly within a few minutes. However, you'll see immense reward for the few minutes spent each day on taking care of your skin.
The following is a basic skin care routine for everyone:
Step 1: Cleansing (Twice daily) Time required: 1 to 2 minutes
Cleansing your skin prepares it to receive the next steps of toning, skin treatment, moisturizing, etc. Always choose a gentle, non-drying cleanser regardless of your skin type. A good cleanser should not dry out your skin or leave behind any waxy residues. Hence, it is not a good idea to use soap to wash your face. This is especially true if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin. A way to save time is to cleanse your face while you are in the shower (after you are done with shampooing your hair). Cleansing your skin should only take you 1 or 2 minutes.
Step 2: Toning (Twice daily) Time required: 1 minute
Applying a tonic lotion to your skin is a great way to refresh your skin and prepare it for skin treatment. A good toner should not contain alcohol, fragrance or synthetic colours as these ingredients can be irritating to the skin. If you prefer, you can do away with the cotton pad and pat the toner directly onto your face with your hands. Toners can also be used to freshen up your skin during the day when you need some pick-me-up.
Step 3: Exfoliating (2 to 3 times a week, at night only) Time required: 1 minute
Exfoliating your skin regularly keeps it smooth and clear. However, we do not encourage the use of scrubs because the abrasive action of scrubs can be damaging to the skin in the long run. Instead, choose a fruit and flower acid based exfoliator that gently dissolves away dead skin cells and unclog pores. You may notice that we have listed exfoliation as Step 3 after toning. This applies exclusively to Vitasence skin care regime only because Vitasence exfoliating product is designed as a leave-on serum that works through the night to stimulate cell renewal.
Step 4: Treatment (Twice daily) Time required: 1 to 2 minutes
The treatment step is a pretty flexible step which can be adjusted to suit your skin's particular needs. E.g. if you have acne, this is a good time to apply acne treatment products. This step may even involve using more than 1 products if your skin calls for it. The application of each product, however, should not take you more than a minute.
Step 5: Moisturize (Twice daily) Time Required: 1 minute
Applying a good, light moisturizer helps to 'seal in' the goodness of the treatment serum which you have applied in Step 4. However, if your skin is on the oily side, you may find that the treatment products are more than sufficient to keep your skin hydrated. On the other hand, if you have dry, normal skin, an extra dose of moisturizer will keep your skin healthily hydrated all day. To avoid getting breakouts and clogged pores, it is important to choose a moisturizer that is not too heavy.
Step 6: Protection (Once daily, in the morning) Time required: 1 minute
Sun exposure is the main cause of a myriad of skin problems such as pigmentation and wrinkles. Therefore, during the day, it is important to apply a good sunblock that can double as a light moisturizer. From the basic daily regime above, we can see that taking care of your skin need not be at all time-consuming. In fact, in less than 10 minutes twice daily, you are on your way to beautiful, healthy skin for life.
Unlike what most people think, a good skin care routine does not need to take up too much time. In fact, even for beginners, it can be done quickly within a few minutes. However, you'll see immense reward for the few minutes spent each day on taking care of your skin.
The following is a basic skin care routine for everyone:
Step 1: Cleansing (Twice daily) Time required: 1 to 2 minutes
Cleansing your skin prepares it to receive the next steps of toning, skin treatment, moisturizing, etc. Always choose a gentle, non-drying cleanser regardless of your skin type. A good cleanser should not dry out your skin or leave behind any waxy residues. Hence, it is not a good idea to use soap to wash your face. This is especially true if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin. A way to save time is to cleanse your face while you are in the shower (after you are done with shampooing your hair). Cleansing your skin should only take you 1 or 2 minutes.
Step 2: Toning (Twice daily) Time required: 1 minute
Applying a tonic lotion to your skin is a great way to refresh your skin and prepare it for skin treatment. A good toner should not contain alcohol, fragrance or synthetic colours as these ingredients can be irritating to the skin. If you prefer, you can do away with the cotton pad and pat the toner directly onto your face with your hands. Toners can also be used to freshen up your skin during the day when you need some pick-me-up.
Step 3: Exfoliating (2 to 3 times a week, at night only) Time required: 1 minute
Exfoliating your skin regularly keeps it smooth and clear. However, we do not encourage the use of scrubs because the abrasive action of scrubs can be damaging to the skin in the long run. Instead, choose a fruit and flower acid based exfoliator that gently dissolves away dead skin cells and unclog pores. You may notice that we have listed exfoliation as Step 3 after toning. This applies exclusively to Vitasence skin care regime only because Vitasence exfoliating product is designed as a leave-on serum that works through the night to stimulate cell renewal.
Step 4: Treatment (Twice daily) Time required: 1 to 2 minutes
The treatment step is a pretty flexible step which can be adjusted to suit your skin's particular needs. E.g. if you have acne, this is a good time to apply acne treatment products. This step may even involve using more than 1 products if your skin calls for it. The application of each product, however, should not take you more than a minute.
Step 5: Moisturize (Twice daily) Time Required: 1 minute
Applying a good, light moisturizer helps to 'seal in' the goodness of the treatment serum which you have applied in Step 4. However, if your skin is on the oily side, you may find that the treatment products are more than sufficient to keep your skin hydrated. On the other hand, if you have dry, normal skin, an extra dose of moisturizer will keep your skin healthily hydrated all day. To avoid getting breakouts and clogged pores, it is important to choose a moisturizer that is not too heavy.
Step 6: Protection (Once daily, in the morning) Time required: 1 minute
Sun exposure is the main cause of a myriad of skin problems such as pigmentation and wrinkles. Therefore, during the day, it is important to apply a good sunblock that can double as a light moisturizer. From the basic daily regime above, we can see that taking care of your skin need not be at all time-consuming. In fact, in less than 10 minutes twice daily, you are on your way to beautiful, healthy skin for life.
About the Author:
Coreenna Ong, co-founder of Vitasence, is an expert in the use of Chinese and Western herbal actives in skin care. Her articles have been published in various national newspapers and magazines and she has appeared in numerous TV programs to share her expertise. She has also authored 2 books on beauty and well-being. To learn more about starting your own skin care routine, visitBasic Skin Care Routine
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