Hey!
Today I’ll tell you this and that about my skincare routine. You keep asking what my tricks for having flawless skin are. Well, I must admit that this is pretty simple! If you’re curious how my daily skincare routine looks like – read on! 🙂
My skin type: Combination
It took me long to determine whether my skin is dry or oily. I don’t have any characteristic indicators such as acne or dry skin patches that would help me assign my skin to either type. However, somehow it was plain for me that my skin belongs to one of them. If I had known, everything would have be simpler then.
I was wrong. Neither is my skin dry nor oily – it’s combination. And this was what made matching beauty products to my skin so difficult for me. Luckily, I managed to find a way to give my skin what it really needed.
My skincare routine: Cleansing & Moisturizing
I focus on two things. Firstly, deep cleansing to combat shiny face and blackheads in T-zone. Secondly, replenishing my face with water, especially the dehydrated face parts. My skin does need this.
- Stage 1. Cleansing – in most cases, I reach for a micellar lotion or a natural washing gel that contains tiny abrasive particles, but sometimes I replace this set with natural oil to clean my face due to oil cleansing method.
- Stage 2. Moisturizing – here, obviously, a light cream or serum with hyaluronic acid serves the purpose. I pat it into my skin after washing.
Does it work? I think that everyone who has combination skin should focus on these two aspects – a well-cleansed and moisturized skin will not only be less irritated but also it absorbs nourishing substances faster and takes the nutrients deeper.
My favorite ingredient: Vitamin C
Lately I’ve fallen in love with products containing vitamin C. I discovered that this is a substance having an incredible power that I wrongly associated with boosting the immune system only.
The key benefits of using vitamin C:
- it’s a strong anti-oxidant, which means that it inhibits oxidation (delays the adverse effects of free radicals).
- has an anti-ageing effect which means that it prevents premature signs of ageing by stimulating collagen and elastin production (proteins responsible for keeping skin supple).
- gently exfoliates dead epidermal cells (after all this is ascorbic acid) which results in delicate and prettier looking face.
- reduces discolorations, including the ones caused by the sun and acne, and this leaves skin even more beautiful and visibly younger.
Obviously, I don’t use the ascorbic acid (vit. C) in its pure form. I’ve read that it isn’t stable so it’s better to look for beauty products containing big amounts of vitamin C. Such products also contain additional substances that facilitate absorption of ascorbic acid (e.g. good fats) by skin.
Vitamin C: In a serum or cream?
Two most common beauty products containing vitamin C are a face cream and a face serum. Back then I’d reach for a cream but nowadays I’m a big fan of serum.
What makes both cosmetics different and when should you reach for them?
- Face cream with vitamin C – contains small amounts of ascorbic acid and works superficially, even if the cream itself has a light and well-absorbed consistency.
- Face serum with vitamin C – this is a product dedicated to handle special tasks because it contains a concentrated portion of nutrients, penetrates skin deeply and starts working from inside, which solves many skin problems.
In my opinion, it’s a bad thing to compare both products. Their effects and purpose are different so considering face serum as an alternative to face cream doesn’t make much sense. I go for other solution.
Did a face serum take the place of my face cream?
Obviously it didn’t. And to everyone who considers doing this – please don’t. If you want to take 100% out of your serum with vit. C, apply it… prior to the cream! How does it work?
Serum penetrates deeper. It’s absorbed by lower skin parts so it’s able to revitalize the deep skin layers, which translates into achieving spectacular effects. However, when not protected, all the nourishing substances will flee from skin pretty quickly so the effects won’t be long-lasting. What do you have to do then? Simply apply a face cream and the hydro-lipid barrier will be rebuilt so the serum can easily focus on improving your skin’s appearance deep inside.
