As complicated as it has the potential to be, the basics to healthy skin start with a thorough morning and night routine to cleanse, treat and hydrate your face. Here are the essential products you shouldn’t skip!
The basics of using skincare
When it comes to looking after your skin on a daily basis and curbing any unexpected breakouts, a comprehensive skincare routine should be on your to-do list. It may seem like a daunting task to pick the right products (we don’t blame you - it can be confusing!), but it’s as easy as identifying your skin’s key concerns and going from there.
Step 1: Cleanse
No matter what your skin needs are, the first non-negotiable step in your routine should be cleansing. Why? For a number of reasons; in the morning, a cleanse is essential in removing any debris or dead skin cells that your face has shed during your sleep, and keeping your pores clean should be your number one priority. As for night time, using a cleanser can remove makeup and any dirt that your face has collected over the course of the day. By neglecting this step, your pores are susceptible to being clogged where bacteria can thrive and cause zits, which is not ideal.
The breakout clearing foaming wash is a great place to start for any skin type. Salicylic acid is the hero ingredient here, which is ace at clearing out those pesky little dead skin cells and any trapped oils in pores. Plus, it’s also formulated with eight botanicals such as tea tree oil and lavender oil to soothe skin and put irritation on chill quickly. Pop a small pea-sized amount in your palms, then use a splash of water to make the formula froth up. Then, rub it lightly all over your skin in circular motions.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Now that we’ve got those dead skin cells out of the way, it’s time to exfoliate. This step should be done once to twice a week in order to keep pores *really* clean. After all, a build-up of gunk in your pores is one of the leading reasons why zits pop up on the skin’s surface.
This is where a product that features AHAs and BHAs will come in handy. AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid, and this ingredient works really well at breaking apart the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. On the other hand, BHA stands for beta hydroxy acid, and is really good at degunking deep into pores and removing any debris that can turn into blackheads and whiteheads. Not cute. Both of these are classified as chemical exfoliants and are super effective addressing your skin’s texture and keeping it really clean.
Step 3: Tone
Next, it's time to prep your face for treatments and moisturizers. Toners are meant to refresh your skin without stripping it, and prepares your skin to absorb any moisturizing products to follow. The micro-pore mist — Dermalogica NZ is a refreshing, hydrating toner formulated with 5% niacinamide that minimizes the appearance of pores, reduce excess oil, and even diminish the appearance of post-breakout marks. It's gentle enough to be used throughout the day for a pick-me-up whenever you need. Plus, it smells like cucumbers which is a nice bonus!
Step 4: Treat
With so many different skin types and concerns such as blackheads, pimples and oiliness, it’s important to use products that can specifically hone in on these issues and improve the overall health of your skin.
If blackheads are a major concern for you, then the blackhead clearing fizz mask is the way to go. Sulphur and kaolin clay are two super ingredients that know how to quickly and effectively soak up excess oils and take away impurities from your skin, and we guarantee you’ll be addicted to the fizzing sensation once the formula comes into contact with your face. Bonus: this product works in under five minutes. Score!
As for pimples in general, you can’t go wrong with the breakout clearing booster, which features salicylic acid to address problematic spots. The best thing about this spot treatment is that it can be used on both existing and underlying breakouts, and it also contains niacinamide and seaweed-derived extracts to improve skin defence and lock in moisture. And who wouldn’t want that? Use your finger to pop a light layer over your spots and go about your day. The best thing is that the formula dries clear, so you won’t be left with any white patches on your skin.
Step 5: Moisturize
Now that you’ve put in all that work and have cleansed, exfoliated and treated your skin, there’s one more step to go - moisturizing, and it’s a step that all skin types (yep, even combination and oily) can benefit from.
During the day, it’s an absolute must to restore hydration and protect your skin from the harmful rays from the sun, so reach for the clearing defense spf 30. Whilst UVA and UVB rays are invisible to the naked eye, they’re incredibly sneaky and can damage your skin and even cause it to burn, which is why it’s so important to remember to use a product with sunscreen everyday.
And at night, go with something nourishing (minus the sunscreen) such as the skin soothing hydrating lotion. This product is a no-brainer because it feels incredibly lightweight yet is great at soothing skin, especially while you sleep. Key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid can plump your skin and make it look seriously juicy, and botanicals like ginger, orange and grapefruit can soothe skin and reduce redness. If you have oily skin, you can opt for the cooling aqua jelly moisturizer instead. This lightweight jelly-based moisturizer has a water-like texture that leaves skin feeling fresh and lightly hydrated. It'll give you that perfect dewy glow, with none of the shine!
Consistency is Key
One word of advice - consistency is key here; follow these steps every single day and you should be on your way to achieving a healthy-looking complexion.