Skin care is essential. You brush your teeth twice a day, shower once a day, and drink your water, and now you should also have a routine that tends to the biggest organ on your body. On top of that, your face is more sensitive than the skin anywhere else on your body. Now that we wear masks regularly, skin care is even more of a challenge, although that’s not an excuse to not wear a mask. Wearing is caring!
With hundreds of products to choose from for your unique skin, knowing how to tend to your needs can be a little tricky. What better way to educate yourself on skin care than talking to skin care professionals? I interviewed two licensed estheticians about their skin care habits and best advice. Meet Victoria and Jess!
What’s your skin type and how does your skin care address your skin’s needs?
Victoria: I have oily skin and it’s acne-prone. I use lots of lightweight products and keep it simple. I exfoliate too, but I try not to overdo it because that’s the worst thing to do for your skin.
Jess: I have oily skin. I’m highly acne-prone and have highly sensitive skin. I suffer from hormonal acne at times. My skin care routine has helped my skin stay hydrated and makes me feel comfortable with the way it looks. I feel like I get facials every day. My gel-based cleanser makes me feel clean and fresh, my serums give me a radiant look, and I always finish with SPF to provide a barrier between the sun and other free radicals that can harm my skin.
What’s a product you swear by?
Victoria: COSRX Snail Mucin Essence. It’s really good for inflammation, hydrating, and soothing the whole body. The texture is insane!
Jess: I really do enjoy ClarityRX as well as M.A.D Skincare. Both have very clean, natural ingredients with medical-grade strength to provide a true difference in the health of my skin. Any concern I have can be fixed within weeks of consistency with these brands.
If someone wants a really low maintenance skin care routine, what’s the number one thing you’d advise them to do?
Victoria: Cleanse your skin and wear SPF every day. For the majority of people, cleansing two times a day is ideal. If your skin is on the drier side, once a day is fine. Cleansing the skin prevents dehydration, aging, and breakouts, and the SPF is what preserves the skin. Without those two crucial steps, it would be extremely difficult to achieve healthy, glowing skin.
Jess: Everyone can really benefit from a good exfoliator. Our skin cells renew every 30 days and as we age, the renewal can take as long as 90 days. We need to be able to remove the dead skin that lays on the surface in order for our skin to be healthy and hydrated. The most effective way to remove the dead skin is using a scrub, chemical, or enzyme exfoliator 2-3 times a week. Keeping it on your counter or in the shower to give yourself a mental reminder is a good rule of thumb.
Is there a skin care sin you preach against? Have you ever committed this sin?
Victoria: I preach against sleeping with makeup on and not washing your face before bed. The last time I did that was when I was twelve.
Jess: I have committed one of the worst things you can do for your skin and that’s laying in the sun without sun protection. I love the summer and the feeling of warmth on my skin makes me feel happiest. The sun does provide the best vitamin D but too much can have really damaging effects. Wearing SPF 30-50 can prevent a lot of concerns like pigmentation, age spots, and even the worst: skin cancer. If you’re in the sun for a long time, please reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Also, if you’re sunbathing, keeping your face covered with a hat or umbrella is a huge preventative measure for deep wrinkles and pigmentation.
How have masks impacted your skin?
Victoria: I worry so much more about breakouts, especially around my jaw and chin. The biggest trigger of maskne is heat and friction. I’d recommend keeping the skin under the mask as dry as possible. Don’t wear anything too heavy or oily and try to avoid wearing makeup. Wearing a mask traps warmth and humidity leading to the build-up of oils and bacteria so making sure whatever mask you’re wearing is clean is extremely important! If you can’t wear a washable mask, try to spray your mask with 70% alcohol to kill bacteria.
Jess: Wearing a mask definitely hasn’t been the best on my skin. While wearing a mask prevents others from germs that come through my mouth and nose, it also traps oils and sweat from what my pores excrete. Our pores naturally push oils and sweat throughout the day. But if trapped, they can cause blockages that cause blackheads and acne to form. Usually, this happens for most people around the jawline and chin. The positive about masks is that it’s another way to avoid wearing makeup that could mess with my skin’s health.
There you have it, friends. Go grab your cleanser, sunscreen, and exfoliator so you can completely vamp up your skin care routine. Enjoy!
Love,
Camryn