Forgotten Steps: Skincare Edition
Portrait of senior woman applying anti-aging cream
Skincare is a full-time job. You’re laughing, I know. You’re laughing partly because you find the concept a little ridiculous, and partly because you’ve also just realized that skincare is literally my full-time job.
Granted, yes, I am being a bit facetious when I tell you that your skincare is work, but honestly, I’m not stretching it all that much. Everyone wants nice skin. Whether you want nice skin for the sake of your physical appearance or for the sake of skin health through your twilight years, I am willing to put money on you wanting nice skin.
People often come to me with skin problems to solve. Acne, wrinkles, dry patches, melasma, you name it, someone’s come in to fix it. Oftentimes, the fix is as easy as uncovering their forgotten step. Even people who take otherwise amazing care of their skin forget things from time to time, and these are three of the most common forgotten steps.
Sunscreen degrades and loses efficacy as you wear it. You need to reapply to maintain the benefits! Putting on sunscreen and not reapplying throughout the day is like safely tucking your baby into the car seat and then forgetting to buckle the seat base into the car. Sure, you think you’re being cautious at first, but once things really start rolling, you’re in trouble.
Exfoliation is such a big part of a healthy skincare routine. Whether you use a gentle scrub or an enzyme wipe, whether you do an exfoliating mask twice weekly or get microdermabrasion from a professional, your skin benefits from regular exfoliation. Your skincare can’t penetrate to do its job if there’s dead skin in the way of its progress. By removing the dead skin, you’re allowing your products access into the other layers of your skin — you know, letting them get where they need to be. The effect is better results from your product, with a bonus of immediately better-looking skin.
Moisturizer is only one piece of the skincare puzzle, my friend. The first leg of the marathon, the first gas-up before a cross-country road trip. Your skin also needs eye cream and some kind of treatment, whether that’s an acne-fighter, an a.m. serum, a p.m. retinol, or any other magical little potions your skin could use. Why? Because everything penetrates differently, and most moisturizers can’t get as far into the skin as other parts of your routine. Give your skin its best chance at a good life, and use your treatments.
Stay tuned for our next post: Forgotten Steps: Makeup Edition!
