There are two camps of people when it comes to skincare: those who do the most, with all kinds of sheet masks and lotions and potions, and those who do the bare minimum. It’s easy to get lost, and as your skin changes in early adulthood, your old routines may no longer work. Here’s a simple skincare routine for grownups that can be tailored to your skin’s needs.
Morning:
Wash your face first thing. You don’t need a harsh cleanser, since you just washed it last night (I read this tip in a Salma Hayek interview, so it’s legit)–a cotton pad soaked with micellar water will swipe away any excess oil produced overnight.
The other thing you should do in the morning is put on some spf. Protecting your skin from the sun is the best investment a young person can make, and you need to do it even on cloudy days. I like Neutrogena’s oil-free cleanser with SPF 15, but I generally just use the store brand version of the nearest drugstore. Any light moisturizer with spf will do–be sure to choose one that suits your skin type (dry, sensitive, oily, etc).
Night:
Wash your face with a good cleanser. I like to use an oil-based 2-in-1 foaming cleanser because it gets up the oil but still has the soapy stuff in it, but everyone has different cleanser preferences. Be sure to choose one that doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils.
Immediately after washing your face, follow up with a toner. This step balances your skin’s pH (washing your skin makes it more alkaline, and if you don’t balance it, dry patches and other damage may occur). If you’re going to hop on the K-beauty train, this is the product where it counts–Western toners are often more astringent and stripping than Korean toners, which are generally more gentle on your skin.
After toner, you can strip straight to moisturizer, or you can use a serum. This is the part where you can really customize your skincare to your skin’s needs–anti-aging, pore-minimizing, acne-fighting, hyperpigmentation-diminishing, you name it, there’s a serum for it. This is not an essential step, but if you like to pamper yourself, consider including this step in your routine.
The final step is moisturizing. Your night moisturizer doesn’t need spf, and it can be heavier than what you’d use for day. Choose a lighter moisturizer for oily skin and a heavier one for dry skin. I have oily skin, and I really like the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb moisturizer, but I can’t afford that on a college budget, so I use Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel moisturizer–its light texture absorbs easily into my skin and keeps my skin hydrated without that greasy feeling.
Cleansing, toning, and moisturizing are the three essential steps. I used to refuse to moisturize because of my oily skin, but that just dried it out and caused it to get more oily. Now that I’m using this basic grownup skincare routine, my skin is a lot happier. It doesn’t need to get fancier than this–it’s a simple way to take care of yourself.