Over the last few years, the world of skincare has exploded. Beauty influencers’ skincare routines are plastered across Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms enticing users to buy products that have loaded promises of “clear skin” “anti-aging” and “erasing pigmentation and fine lines”— just to name a few.
The routines endorsed by these influencers usually include upwards of 10+ products that are likely to have luxury price tags. For most people, especially college students, spending tons of money on skincare products is just not realistic, but the promises of “better skin” can be hard to overlook. Are these extensive and expensive skincare routines really necessary in order to achieve “ideal skin”? And, should we even be trying to change our skin in the first place?
Our society idolizes clear, youthful and wrinkle-free skin. However, this is nearly impossible to achieve for most people and unfortunately, spending lots of money on a ton of products is unlikely to provide all of these results. While taking care of your skin is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, it shouldn’t take lots of money and products.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, for the average person, morning skincare routines should start with a cleanser. An antioxidant cream, serum or oil can be beneficial to protect skin from environmental factors. Finally, sunscreen will help protect skin from UV rays. If you use a foundation or concealer that has SPF in it, then you can skip the sunscreen step.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that in the evening, “you’re focused on cleaning and repairing your skin.” They recommend using a makeup remover, cleanser and night cream with an optional toner if you choose not to use makeup remover.
These products don’t have to be the ones with the biggest price tags and the most promises on the packaging. The Cleveland Clinic recommends finding products with ingredients that are backed by scientific studies and testing products before fully including them in your routine by “using a pea sized dot of product behind your ear, along your jawline, and waiting a day or two to make sure your skin doesn’t react before applying it to your whole face.”
While maintaining a healthy lifestyle by drinking lots of water, exercising and eating healthy will not magically give you “good skin,” it can contribute to having healthy skin. It is important to not overwhelm your skin with tons of products that have different ingredients, chemicals and fragrances. Having an extensive and expensive skincare routine is not necessary to maintain healthy skin, it and may cause more skincare problems in the long run.