Skincare has never been high on my priority list. As a busy teenager with combination skin and a high school budget, I rarely took the time to even wash my face, let alone build a complicated multi-step routine. However, having now experienced college life and faced the new stresses and difficulties of life on my own, my approach to skincare has changed drastically. Now, as I’m entering my 20s, skincare is a non-negotiable part of my daily routine because I’ve seen the benefits it’s had for me both mentally and physically. Not only have I gotten a major confidence boost from the appearance of my skin, but I’ve found my skincare routine to be a relaxing and important part of my daily life during the craziness of college.
The difference that a consistent skincare routine has made in my life post-high school is extremely noticeable, both for me and the people around me. A clear difference is in how I look: my skin is clearer, it’s less visibly oily or dry (it could have been either one depending on the day!), and I look cleaner. I have gotten more compliments on how my skin looks in the past few months than in my entire four years of high school, and the people closest to me have noticed a dramatic difference in my appearance. They say that I’m glowing, referring both to the physical appearance of my skin and the confidence boost it has given me. Your face is one of the first things someone notices about you, so the knowledge that your skin looks good brings a whole new level of confidence that other people will clearly recognize.
Taking the time to prioritize and care for myself has also proven to have significant benefits in my mental state throughout one of the toughest and most stressful seasons of life. My wake-up routine has gone from spending an hour scrolling on social media, leaving me feeling awake but unfulfilled, to spending 20 minutes on my skincare routine, which allows me to slowly wake up my body and mindfully prepare for the full day of work or school ahead. Implementing skincare into my night routine helps transition my mind away from my busy days into a relaxed and comfortable state to prepare for restful sleep, rather than yet again endlessly scrolling on social media and keeping myself awake much longer than necessary. Not only does a skincare routine replace any potential time-sucking morning and night habits, but it also refreshes your mind so that the time you do spend getting your work done is more focused and productive while still allowing you to get some quality rest. An energizing morning routine, a soothing night routine, and restful sleep are some of the most important ingredients for keeping yourself happy and healthy in college.
Finding the right products is often the hardest part of creating a skincare routine. Every person’s skin has unique needs, so it’s difficult to find products that work for your skin (not to mention, many full-size products are too expensive to buy just for a trial run). In my journey, I started adding steps to my routine little by little, giving my skin the chance the fully react to a new product individually before I introduced a new one. Start by finding each of the basics that work for your skin: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Pay attention to what each product does to your skin after a few weeks of consistent use, and when choosing products to try, make sure you do your research on what ingredients are best for your skin type to minimize trial and error. My best tip: look for sample-sized products as often as possible!
The benefits of establishing my personal skincare routine are evident in both my physical and mental state. If you struggle with finding the time to care for yourself, having the motivation to work hard, or lacking confidence, I recommend taking the time to build a skincare that makes you feel happy, healthy, and beautiful!