Hello Nola Newbies, please come in and get comfortable because today we’re discussing all things skincare! From Youtube tutorials to Instagram reels, the need to have clean healthy skin is the latest trend. Some influencers make it look “fun”, some give off a relaxing feel and others use so many products it makes it difficult to keep up – it also begs the question, “do I really need all those products?” While skincare can be overwhelming, I’m here to simplify achieving healthy skin, in a few easy steps.

That’s My Type

I’m sure social media isn’t the only reason you decided it was time to create a skincare routine. You probably noticed a need or want for your skin– tightness during the winter, oiliness in the summer, hyperpigmentation, or acne. The first step to treating your skin is knowing your skin type and what you want to achieve. For example, “I have dry textured skin and I want it to be smooth and hydrated”. Knowing if your skin is Dry, Oily or Combination ensures you’re using the correct products and not stripping your skin or overproducing sebum which causes clogged pores. Taking a skincare quiz can help determine your type if it’s too difficult to tell by sight, but it’s also helpful with skin concerns like redness, dark circles, and fine lines.

Find out your skin type in an easy 2-minute skin quiz to kickstart your regimen.

From AM to PM

Now that you have your skin type and are ready to treat your skin concerns, it’s time to put together a regimen for yourself. Having a day and night routine is beneficial for a few reasons – a daytime routine is meant to nourish + protect and a nighttime routine is meant to nourish + repair. While both routines have a simple breakdown of cleansing, toning, treating, and moisturizing, the difference lies in the product choice from am to pm.

Daytime Routine

• Cleanser: A lightweight cleanser is perfect to wake up for your skin before the start of your day, be it hydrating, clarifying, or refreshing. For those with dry skin, use a milk and cream cleanser, oily skin calls for a foam wash, and reach for a gel cleanser if you have combination skin.

• Tone: Using a toner varies based on your skin type – for those with dry skin a hydrating facial mist or essence is ideal to replenish your skin with hydration and a clarifying toner is perfect for those with oily skin to remove any excess dirt or oil that may be trapped in your pores.

• Treat: When it comes to treating your skin, the options are endless – serums range from skin type to skin concern which is why this extra step is a skincare lover’s favorite step. Serums can carry the benefits of restoring hydration, balancing the skin, and brightening the skin with the use of ingredients like lactic acid.

• Moisturize: For your daytime routine, it’s best to use a lightweight moisturizer that will allow your skin to breathe throughout the day. Choosing a nourishing day cream can offer benefits from hydration and UV protection with sunscreen. Also, if you’re someone who likes to apply makeup during the day, a lighter moisturizer makes applying your foundation easier.

Night-time Routine

• Double Cleanse: Using the method of double cleansing during your night-time routine will ensure you remove make-up, dirt, free radicals and replenish the skin with beneficial ingredients. For those with oily skin, oil-cleansing first is ideal to melt away makeup and residue before using a nourishing facial wash. For those with dry or combination skin, this can range from a milk cleanser and following up with a cream face wash.

• Tone: Tone as you normally would.

• Treat: Aside from serums, your nighttime routine allows you to apply spot treatments for acne, blemishes, and dark spots. (This is also the perfect time to use an eye cream if you would like) Using these types of products at night allows your skin to repair itself overnight.

• Moisturize: Unlike your daytime routine, your night cream should be a heavier moisturizer that can replenish and repair the skin while you sleep. Most night creams appear to be “oilier” but this is exactly what you want – now is the time to drape your skin in hydrating creams that will work 8+ hours while you rest. Please note: Night creams do NOT carry sunscreen and should not be substituted for day creams.

Layer like a Pro

Layering products properly is essential to ensure you’re not wasting products, and your skin is getting the most out of each step. When layering it’s best to allow 30-60 seconds between each product to give your skin time to absorb the product fully. A great pro-tip that isn’t discussed often is to always apply products to damp skin, so keep your facial mist handy throughout layering. The added moisture helps with skin absorption and allows your products to last longer.

Reality vs Instagram

Seeing as you’re new to the skincare community, let us be clear when it comes to healthy skin…real skin has real texture, and it doesn’t make it any less beautiful. Reality vs Instagram can cause confusion when it comes to “perfect skin”, the idea of having no pores isn’t true. You can minimize the appearance of pores, but we all have them. Healthy skin is perfect skin, and using the proper skincare products will achieve your goals of having healthy skin free from acne, dryness, or an oily t-zone. Another reality check is being patient with your skin and not expecting immediate results, we use the word “routine” for a reason – it’s something you need to do daily.

Newbie Recap

Know your skin type before investing in any products, create both an AM and PM regimen to get the most out of your skincare routine, and layer products properly to ensure you’re absorbing all the amazing ingredients. Having realistic expectations will help with continuing this regimen and it may even help to take before pics and check back in every few weeks to see your progress. Feel free to join the Nolababe Community and follow on Instagram for skin care and wellness tips throughout your new skin care journey.