How To Build A Skincare Routine For All Of Your Skin Concerns

Having the right skincare routine can make a world of difference in how your skin looks and feels. But because not everything works for everyone, building a customized routine suited to your specific needs is important.

Therefore, in this article, we will explain everything you need to know about building a skincare routine that will help nourish your skin and address your skin concerns. With that said, here are a few essential things to keep in mind when building your skincare routine:

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Your Skin Type

Your skin type is the first thing you need to keep in mind when building a skincare routine. This is because skincare products are made using ingredients that react differently on different skin types. Here are the three most common skin types:

Normal Skin

Normal skin is well-balanced, meaning it isn't too oily or too dry. This skin type typically produces enough oil to keep it moisturized and is not prone to breakouts. Normal skin also doesn't usually exhibit concerns like enlarged pores, dullness, or rough and coarse texture.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is a skin type that produces less oil than normal skin and is often more prone to irritation. Common concerns associated with dry skin include tightness, flaky patches, and premature wrinkles.

Oily Skin

Oily skin produces an excessive amount of oil and often suffers from breakouts as a result. Besides breakouts, oily skin is also prone to enlarged pores and a shiny appearance. However, one upside of oily skin is that it tends to age slower than other skin types due to being sufficiently lubricated.

Not everything works for everyone, so building a customized routine suited to your specific needs is important.

Your Skin Condition

Your skin condition, or the current state of your skin, depends on several factors, including your skincare routine, diet, lifestyle, and the climate you live in. Therefore, to create a skincare routine that works and addresses your skin needs, you need to consider all these factors.

For example, many people might think they have dry, acne-prone skin when their skin might actually be dehydrated due to using harsh cosmetic products, certain medications, and not drinking enough water or harmful lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking excess alcohol. Or, someone else's skin might be excessively oily; however, it might be that a humid climate or using heavy, oil-based cosmetic products is causing the extra oiliness.

So, when building your skincare routine, start by listing certain factors in your life that could be impacting the current state of your skin. This can help you narrow down the causes of your skin condition and prevent it from worsening. Once you have a better understanding of your skin and the factors that influence its function and appearance, you can start building a skincare routine that caters to your individual needs.

Your Skin Concerns

Finally, before starting to build your skincare routine, you need to take your major skin concerns into consideration. This is because different ingredients in skincare products help tackle various concerns; therefore, to get the most out of the products you're investing money in, you need to know how to use them correctly and for the correct concerns.

Common skin concerns include acne, dark spots, dullness, wrinkles, and dryness. And pretty much all of these require a different approach when it comes to skincare.

When choosing the right skincare products, you will need to prioritize which concerns to tackle first. For example, if you have active acne, treating dark spots from old pimples is pretty much useless because you need to focus on soothing active inflammation first before addressing discoloration, which results from inflammation. By soothing active inflammation, you can prevent more dark spots from appearing, and once the acne is under control, you will have an easier time correcting the discoloration.

Prioritizing what concerns to tackle first can help you pick the right products to best address these problems.

On the other hand, if your main concern is excessive dryness or wrinkles, you won't benefit from using a product containing acne-fighting ingredients, as these can sometimes be drying.

Therefore, prioritizing what concerns you want to tackle can help you pick the right products and ingredients that will best address these problems.

The Skincare Essentials

Now that you know what to pay attention to when building a skincare routine, here are the basics everyone needs to have in their routine regardless of skin type, concerns, or condition.

Cleanser

Having a good cleanser is essential to having healthy, glowing skin. Cleansers come in various forms and textures, but they do the same thing: remove the buildup of dirt, sebum, makeup, and other impurities from the skin's surface.

If your skin is desert-level dry, sensitive, and reactive, then choosing a fragrance-free, cream-based cleanser like the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Gentle Cleanser, which also contains barrier-repairing ceramides, is a great way to remove daily impurities without drying and stripping your skin.

For oily skin, a gel-based cleanser like the CeraVe Foaming Cleanser is a more efficient option, as it will help dissolve all that excess oil and give your complexion a fresh and clean appearance. On the other hand, if your skin is oily but also prone to breakouts, then choosing a cleanser that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, like the CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser, will help target the overgrowth of bacteria and reduce inflammation.

Exfoliator

Exfoliation is a step that helps remove any dead skin cells that have accumulated on the surface of the skin and improves issues like clogged pores, dullness, texture, and hyperpigmentation.

The type of exfoliator you choose should always depend on your skin condition and main concern. This is because there isn't an exfoliator for oily skin, but there is an exfoliator that contains ingredients to help acne. Similarly, there isn't an exfoliator for dry skin, but there is one that contains hydrating ingredients that would help quench dehydrated skin.

Generally speaking, dry, sensitive, and reactive skin should always opt for gentle products that contain a low concentration of exfoliating components, such as the Biossance Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum, which contains hydrating and skin-smoothing lactic acid as well as squalene, which is a significant component of our natural skin oil and a master moisturizer that protects the skin barrier.

Oily and acne-prone skin would benefit more from pore-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid that would help dissolve sebum, inhibit bacterial overgrowth, and soothe redness and inflammation. One excellent option for this is the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which contains both salicylic acid and a combination of anti-inflammatory components to help tackle active breakouts.

Serum

Serums can be an excellent addition to any skincare routine as they’re loaded with concentrated doses of active ingredients that can address various skin concerns such as dehydration, lack of radiance, wrinkles, discoloration, and more.

If you're looking for a serum to help brighten and even out your complexion, look for a product with vitamin C, such as the Vichy LiftActiv Brightening Serum, which can also help improve post-acne dark spots and smooth out uneven texture.

If your main skin concern is lines, wrinkles, and lack of radiance, a retinol-based serum such as the L'Oréal Night Serum with 0.3% Pure Retinol is the right choice.

Or, if you're dealing with sensitive, reactive, and stressed skin, opt for a serum that contains barrier-repairing ceramides, soothing ingredients, and probiotics, like the Good Light Microbiome Serum, which will help strengthen the skin and improve its overall health.

Serums are loaded with concentrated doses of active ingredients that address specific skin concerns. 

Moisturizer

Moisturizing is essential for all skin types, as it helps trap water and other beneficial components in the skin, keeping it nourished, hydrated, and plump.

However, not all moisturizers are created equal, so it's important to pick the right one, depending on your skin type. For example, someone with dry and dehydrated skin should opt for a richer and more nourishing moisturizer such as the La Roche-Posay Double Repair Moisturizer, which contains hydrating and skin-plumping glycerin, skin-strengthening niacinamide, and barrier-repairing ceramides.

If you have oily or acne-prone skin, a lightweight but still hydrating option like the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is your best choice, as it will help keep your skin moisturized without feeling heavy or causing breakouts.

Finally, if you have sensitive skin, always look for a fragrance-free and hypoallergenic moisturizer, such as the Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty, which contains a combination of natural ingredients and soothing agents that will help reduce inflammation and restore your skin's balance.

Sunscreen

The last step of every skincare routine should always be sunscreen, as this will help protect the skin from sunburns, hyperpigmentation, dehydration, and wrinkles while allowing any other product you apply to do its job. When it comes to sunscreen, always opt for a broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher, and make sure to reapply every two hours if you're outside or in direct sunlight.

For a lightweight sunscreen that won't leave a greasy residue, try the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Antioxidant Face Serum SPF 50, which is enriched with antioxidants and hydrating ingredients that will help protect your skin against environmental aggressors.

If your skin is on the dry side, you definitely need something heavier and more nourishing, such as Dermalogica's Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50, which contains natural ingredients and a blend of oils that will keep your skin hydrated and protected.

And if you're looking for something that meets the needs of ultra-sensitive and reactive skin, then the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50 is your best option. This sunscreen contains mineral filters and natural ingredients that provide gentle but effective sun protection while calming any existing redness and inflammation.

Closing Thoughts

And with that, you have all the tools to construct your perfect skincare routine that nourishes your complexion and tackles all your skin concerns. These tips will not only help you create the perfect skincare routine but also make you more aware of your skin's needs as well as how certain day-to-day activities affect it. So take the time to listen to your skin, experiment with different products and find what works best for you. And remember, consistency is key – so make sure to stick to your routine every day for the best results.

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