The Basic 4 of Skin Care
July 25, 2012 4:59 pm
To keep that awesome face of yours looking as young and fresh as possible, you need to properly cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, and protect your skin with at least 30 SPF sunscreen. This is my “Basic 4 Skincare Regime,” which I outline in this blog post.
To start we need to know your skin type: oily, normal/combination, dry, or sensitive.
Step 1: Cleansing
Simple is key here. You need to find a good cleanser that your skin responds to well, and stick with it. Avoid bar soaps on your face as they will almost always dry out the skin. A good thing to remember is that bar soap should only touch your skin from the neck down.
Be careful not to cleanse too often, you risk over-cleansing skin. You really only need to wash your face at night to remove dirt, impurities, and sunscreen, which can clog pores. Use a nickel-sized bit of cleanser, lather with warm water, rub the skin, then rinse with cool or lukewarm water.
At 360 Skin we carry two cleansers that cover all skin types that are tried, tested, and truly great at what they do.
Image’s MD Reconstructive Cleanser
An amazingly effective daily cleanser exfoliates, gently removes dirt and impurities as well as speeds up cell turnover for better looking skin. The advanced MD aspect of this product includes ingredients that allow better and deeper penetration of skin for maximum benefit. Great for normal, combination and dry skin.
For oily skin I really love Image’s Salicylic Gel Cleanser. It’s highly effective at fighting acne, reducing redness/ inflammation, and eliminating excess oil.
In the morning, a splash of lukewarm water is all you need. Never wash your face with overly hot water as it can cause broken capillaries.
Step 2: Exfoliate!
Exfoliation is the step most people skip in their weekly skincare routine. But trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference. One of the reasons men’s skin looks more youthful than women’s is because most men exfoliate daily when they shave.
Scrubs work by removing the top layer of dead skin cells that tend to dull your complexion. Use a facial scrub twice weekly to exfoliate the skin. Simply put a dab of a mild scrub on a damp washcloth and massage into the skin in a circular motion. After a quick rinse, any sign of dead skin should be erased. Your scrub should be very mild…never use a product, such as St Ives Apricot Scrub as it contains tiny, irregular sized, sharp ground up apricot pits that break open the skin, create micro-tears, and facilitate the spread of bacteria.
I also highly recommend exfoliation of the skin via microdermabrasion and chemical peels. In the hour it takes to get a chemical pee or microdermabrasion, you can take off 3-5 years off your face. At 360 Skin we have a wide variety of chemical peels (both single and dual modalities) that can best suit your skin and skin type.
Should you use a toner? Some people swear by toners, but many beauty experts do not. Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup and dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. I firmly believe it’s up to you. If you like the way your skin feels with a toner. Buy it. Use it. Enjoy it.
Step 3: Moisturize
A basic rule of esthetics is that if you have dry or combination skin, you should invest in a good moisturizer. So how much should you moisturize? Your skin will tell you. When your skin is tight, it’s crying out for moisture. Be careful not to over-moisturize as this can clog pores.
I carry one moisturizer in the studio and it’s for a good reason…it’s amazing: The Max Creme. One of the first creams available that incorporates two different strains of plant derived stem cells to prevent and reverse the signs of aging. This cream actively repairs cell damage, and protects against free radical damage to maintain a healthy structure of the skin. I love this stuff.
Step 4: Apply Sunscreen
The #1 cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so it’s important to use a sunscreen of at least 30 SPF from your early years on even in winter and even on cloudy days. Don’t use moisturizers with sunscreen at night, the ingredients are not meant to be used 27/7 and can aggravate skin. When choosing a sunscreen, make sure it contains zinc and titanium like Image’s Daily Defense Matte SPF/Moisturizer.
There ya have it! The basics of keeping that face of yours looking awesome, young, and fresh! The professionals here at 360 Skin are ready to help you unveil your future self…just let us know how we can help!
Great tips. I think I pretty much do steps 1-2-3 but I never put on sunblock. I need to start doing that. Question, my cleanser that I use in the morning is also a scrub. It’s a 2 in 1 combo. Is that a good option? I am also a lover of toner. I hate oil on my face, but I understand the importance of some. I guess I will start to modify a bit. You are the expert! Thanks for a great post!
Thanks for the questions David. You do not need to use a scrub more than once (maybe twice) a week. Anything more could potentially create micro-tears due to overworking of the skin and thus spread bacteria to uninfected areas. Toner, as I said, is fine if you like it, stick with it! I use it in the studio to return the pH of the skin before applying moisturizer/SPF. If you’re having issues with oil you might consider using a cleanser with salicylic in it to help control and slow oil production. I carry the Image Clear Cell Cleanser in the studio and it’s great. $26, will last you 6 months easily. 90% product, 10% binders unlike a lot of over the counter cleansers (Walgreens/Sephora) that are 30% product, 20% stabilizers, 50% filler/preservativesm.