Skin – The Largest Organ in the Body. Take Care of It.

Skin care is essential and basic. However, most of us either don’t have a routine or use the wrong products. I am sharing a simple morning and night routine that will work for both men and women and hardly takes 5-10 minutes each time.

The three steps of skin care include:

• Cleanse
• Treat
• Moisturize/SPF

Here is the recommended morning routine:

• Cleanse with CeraVe cleanser. These are available in local stores like CVS and Walgreens as well as online on Amazon. CeraVe products are very reasonably priced.
  • If you have oily skin use the foaming cleanser.
  • If your skin is dry use the hydrating cleanser.
  • If you have acne prone skin use the SA cleanser. .
• Treat with Vitamin C serum. This has been shown in clinical trials to be very effective in keeping the skin bright, spot-free, and healthy.
  • Skinceuticals has the best Vitamin C serum but is quite expensive.
  • The Ordinary products are very low cost and good quality. You can buy them online at Ulta or Sephora. Don’t buy them on Amazon. There are plenty of fame products.
• Moisturize with your preferred moisturizer or day cream with SPF (30-50).
  • A tinted moisturizer with minerals like zinc is the best. It has good coverage, SPF, and avoids the use of foundation on a daily basis. I use Alastin or Skinceuticals. These are a good investment as they last a long time.
  • The CeraVe PM moisturizer is cheap and very effective and can be used during the day too. The Ordinary has a moisturizer but it can be drying. I add 3 drops of oil to it for optimal effect.
  • SPF is critical to avoid sun damage and must be used 365 days a year. If you plan to go out in the sun double up and use copiously every 3-4 hours.
  • If you want to you can use a translucent powder or proceed with your make up.

Here is the recommended night routine:

• Cleanse with CeraVe cleanser.
  • Do not go to bed without cleansing your skin. This is harmful as it can cause infections and breakouts.
• Treat with retinol or retinoids.
  • Use sparingly as it can cause skin peeling. Retinol should always be used at night as the skin may become irritated under the sun. You can start with the mild version like 0.5% or lower and use it 2-3 times a week initially, then build up.
  • Do not use any other product with retinol. Retinol is the only other product that has been shown to be effective for healthy skin after Vitamin C serum.
• Moisturize with a night cream like CeraVe PM moisturizer or your favorite night cream. I use Olay or CeraVe PM.

There are other products that you can use too. I recommend products from The Ordinary line as they are very cheap and high quality. Here are a few suggestions:

• Hyaluronic acid – this is a skin plumper. it is not a hydrating product. In fact it causes dryness by pulling in all the water. So make sure your skin is moist or wet before you use the HA products. I like the The Ordinary HA. You can use it daily or intermittently. You can use it with Vitamin C serum but not with retinol.
• Salicylic acid mask – The Ordinary has a good product (AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution). It is bright red in color and should only be applied for 10 minutes or less. It can cause irritation and you must test it for short periods of time if this happens. Use it once a week only.
• Exfoliation with coconut oil and fine sugar – this is a home made product that is easy, very effective and makes your skin feel unbelievable. Mix the sugar in some coconut oil and scrub away for a few minutes, then wash your face. Feel the skin! It will glow and remains moist and well hydrated.
• Azelaic acid – this is a product that does not get its due.It brightens the skin and gets rid of the dark spots. Use it intermittently instead of retinol at night (but not together). It does dry the skin so moisturize copiously over it.
• Face oil – you can use any oil like coconut, almond, avocado, or The Ordinary Rose oil. You can mix 2-3 drops in your morning moisturizer  for a glowing look.

That’s all for today! There are more skin care tips that I will share in another post. Meanwhile enjoy your product haul and keep taking care of your skin everyday. Drop your comments below and let me know how it works.

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