2020 was a year of impact that changed the way so many of us live, but unexpectedly the world of skincare was shaken to its core. On came the rise of dermatologists and aestheticians on TikTok, which is how many friends of mine and I learnt everything we know about skincare. What started as an outright vendetta to cancel the notorious St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub became a movement that made us de-bunk everything we thought we knew about skincare. Chemical exfoliants are better than physical exfoliants, barrier protection is key, crank-up the Spf, clay masks really are unnecessary trouble, and the list goes on.
There is an overwhelming plethora of products and practices out there when it comes to skincare, and with it, a never-ending list of do’s and don’ts, dupes for luxury products, how to store these products, how they can oxidise and do more damage to your skin, what products you can and what you shouldn’t even think about mixing, how you might have been washing your face wrong all this time, what to only use in the 4 hours of sun we see in Scottish winters and what is strictly for before bedtime, and the various accompanying facial massages you can do for lymphatic drainage. This is the mountain of information that 19-year-old me was sifting through to cure the worst breakout of my life in lockdown. And thanks to the internet and its search-sensitive algorithms, the journey down this rabbit hole is long and winding. Now at 21 and slightly wiser, I have navigated my way to the perfect skincare routine (for me), and it feels like a little treat every night and every morning, a ritual and regime made for me. Sounds cheesy, maybe it is, but even in the busiest of times, it feels like something consistent to do.
Whether you do it out of necessity or pleasure is up to you with skin care. But it holds true that everyone in my life, even my 52-year-old dad (a big Olay fan, by the way), all have skincare routines. By watching, learning, budgeting, and, let’s be honest, regretting and repenting, I have learnt what I need to for this period in my life with skincare. With every routine, there is of course the seemingly impossible task of finding a starting point. I am not an expert on any of this but I think I have a few pointers. I believe it is vital for every efficient skincare ritual to do three things: cleanse, target, heal. Given the current cost of living crisis, skincare products are not a priority for most of us, but to an extent we do care about our appearances, so how do we work best with this?
Start with the basics: cleanser, moisturiser (face and body), spf, lip balm. Your basics are for protection, healing, and recovery, which aids our skin’s natural functions and if you are lucky enough to have relatively problem-free skin, you could do with just these. There are plenty cost-friendly options available at drugstores, my top tip is to weight quantity with price and how long they will last you. For example, I use the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser that is priced at £9.99 which seems like a lot to drop on skincare, but it easily lasts me 6 months after using a pump of it twice a day. CeraVe is great for long-lasting, non-complex products that are affordable in the long run, it took a lot of internal strength to not make this whole article about CeraVe.
Targeting skin problems is next: acne and breakouts, pigmentation, dehydration, bumps and enlarged pores, are some common skincare problems. There are products that target two or more problems at once, keeping things cost friendly. When I had a bad breakout, I found The Ordinary’s formula for niacinamide and zinc at £5, lasting for 6 months at the least, to be magical. It shrunk my pores, reduced the size of my breakouts, faded acne scars, and made my skin more even textured and balanced. If I could recommend just one product, it would be this one. Retinol used wisely is also great for more acne prone skin or for acne scars as well, the Inkey List formula is an affordable and strong option at £12.99 and will last you a whole year. If you struggle with textured skin or periodic breakouts, you can use an AHA-BHA solution when your skin gets especially bad. The CeraVe Control Gel helps not just the temporary breakouts but also protects your skin barrier in the long term, it is priced at £12.49, and will last you a whole year with regular once a day use.
It goes without saying that your basic skincare should revolve around your skin type, this makes for a more sustainable routine. The biggest thing to note with skincare is that, not every product you see or hear of, is for you. Less products used consistently is always more. Our skin is one of the first things people notice and the first thing we see when we look in the mirror. So, it is easy to attach a lot of our self-worth to it. I know many an occasion where one hormonal chin-pimple has sent me into a spiral.
Treat yourself well, your skin is for you and no one else. My routine and progress pics (you should definitely take those if you want to watch your routine pay-off) were a little confidence boost I always had with my previously bad skin. Your skin protects you from so many things every day, it is constantly renewing itself to encase you the best it can and skincare is a way to look after yourself.
Image Credit: “skincare routine” by laurenhcraig is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.