Every year, the beauty community releases what feels like hundreds of new products. Through all the changes in your makeup bag, some things never change and more often than not, our standby favorites happen to be our skin care products. A proper skincare routine is so important to ensure healthy and lively looking skin. Noted, everyone has varying skin types from dry to oily to a combination of both and eventually more mature skin. Here’s a list of skincare products that work for every skin type and are the best money can buy!
- Oily Skin
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For cleanser, the Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Facial Cleanser is a great choice since it has a lower dose of salicylic acid to treat acne without irritating the skin. It also clears up blemishes without overdrying, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth.
When choosing a formula for moisturizer, one should look for ingredients that include glycerin and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin, and niacinamide to help even out the skin tone. Burt’s Bees Brightening Even Skin Tone Moisturizing Cream helps even skin tone and diminish dark spots. It brightens and moisturizes the skin “with a botanical blend rich in hydrating oils that include apricot, jojoba, grape seed and olive fruit.” (Byrdie.com)
- Dry Skin
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Living with dry skin isn’t easy. You want a skincare cocktail that provides a plump, smooth, flake-free canvas. Easy, right? If only. Your day needs to be all about moisture and hydration and here are a few products to help. A gentle hydrating wash is best for daily use — you don’t want to disrupt your complexion and make matters worse. The Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Daily Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin is an extraordinarily mild and creamy face cleanser that helps thoroughly remove excess oil, dirt and makeup. It cleanses even the most dry and sensitive skin, including skin with eczema or rosacea.
An alcohol-free toner will safely refresh your face and prepare it for products to follow. Be sure to choose one with moisturizing properties like the Murad Resurgence Hydrating Facial Toner. This is a lightweight mist that “rehydrates and refreshes skin while restoring the skin’s natural pH balance.” (Murad.com) It also neutralizes surface impurities, preparing your skin to better absorb other skincare products.
- Combination Skin
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The skincare routine for combination skin contains ingredients that treat a wide range of skin concerns. The concept of combination skin is that you’re oily in some places and dry in others. You don’t necessarily want to use two different routines, but instead find one that caters to both skin concerns. If your skin starts getting too dry, you can use a cleansing lotion like OSEA Ocean Cleansing Milk. Formulated with nature’s purest skin soothers including “Organic Algae and Water Lily, this creamy cleanser gently removes impurities and visibly diminishes surface redness and irritation. Delicate Rose and Cassie Flowers soften skin. DPHP, an amino acid compound, helps visibly minimize fine lines and wrinkles and promotes a more supple looking appearance. The skin is left feeling soft, soothed and cleansed.” (OSEA.com)
A retinol serum is pretty much a friend to all skin types and combination skin is no exception. The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane is super affordable, yet potent. You’ll wake up with practically brand new skin; “this water-free solution contains a five percent concentration of an advanced retinoid active complex called Granactive Retinoid which has been shown to offer better results against multiple signs of aging than standard retinol without any of the irritation and drawbacks common with retinol.” (theordinary.com)
- Mature Skin
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For mature skin, your main goal is to plump up wrinkles, banish dark spots and lift sagging. For aging skin specifically, it is important to remember your neck when it comes to cleansing, treating, and sunscreen — it’s a secret spot that often shows the first signs of aging. Try the Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm. The “Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm is a powerful anti-aging four-in-one treatment that promotes a more radiant and youthful-looking complexion. Luxurious Rose and Mimosa waxes are infused with nourishing Elderberry, Starflower and Optimega oils and supercharged with hydrating Mediterranean algae, Padina pavonica. It nourishes the skin’s lipid barrier, soothing it with hydration, leaving the skin feeling smooth and looking radiant.” (Elemis.com)
Our eyes seem to age and darken overnight so when looking to brighten and tighten the eye area, look for an eye cream with peptides that are easily absorbed like Skin Laundry’s Wrinkle Release Eye Cream; “this potent eye cream helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, puffiness and under-eye circles. This product is rich with multiple peptides, antioxidants and natural moisturizers to firm, tone and brighten.” (SkinLaundry.com)
- Men
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For plenty of men, the concept of skincare has barely entered their vocabulary, let alone their bathroom cabinets. All too common is the grooming routine comprised solely of shower gel and body spray gift sets, received as last minute Christmas gifts from distant relatives. Everyone should stand to gain from proper skincare, and reaping the benefits is surprisingly simple.
If you have sensitive skin which is easily irritated, using a chemical exfoliant rather than a scrub may be preferable for you. With a chemical exfoliant, massage into the skin in the shower or when washing your face and leave to absorb for 30 seconds before washing off. With a scrub, massage continually for approximately 30 seconds, focusing on problem areas, before washing away. Try the Clinique For Men™ Exfoliating Tonic; a daily exfoliator for normal to dry skins It “de-flakes and smooths skin’s surface to reveal clearer skin, prep for shave. Unclogs pores and minimizes oil build-up” (clinque.ca).
Cleansing is the most important daily maintenance step in your skincare routine. Throughout the day, your skin is exposed to dirt, bacteria, and environmental impurities, as well as producing oil which builds up on the surface. Cleansing removes this, helping to prevent breakouts and clogged pores. The Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser is a multifunctional, clay-based cleanser that washes away dead skin cells, clogged pores, and buildup, leaving skin fresher, smoother, firmer. For deep down cleaning, “this 2-in-1 cleanser can also be used as a purifying mask when left to dry on skin” (getjackblack.com). This is recommended for normal, combination and oily skin.
With everyone’s busy lives, it’s important to make time to take care of our skin (it is the biggest human organ, after all). Varying skin types and finding the right products to match your skin can be difficult and time consuming so hopefully, this list helps to guide you in the right direction! If you have any holy grail products for your specific skin type, feel free to comment below with the #HerCampusYorkU.