A Guide to Taking Care of Your Skin
A Guide to Taking Care of Your Skin
Your skin type matters
You may suspect you have dry, oily, or sensitive skin, but do you really know your skin type? Knowing your true skin type can help the next time you’re in the cosmetics aisle. In fact, using the wrong products — or even popularized Internet hacks — for your skin type could worsen acne, dryness, or other skin problems.
Building a daily skincare routine
No matter what your skin type is, a daily skincare routine can help you maintain overall skin health and improve specific concerns like acne, scarring, and dark spots. A daily skincare routine has four basic steps you can do once in the morning and once before you sleep.
Cleansing:
Choose a cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin tight after washing. Clean your face no more than twice a day, or just once, if you have dry skin and don’t wear makeup. Avoid washing for that squeaky-clean feeling because that means your skin’s natural oils are gone.
Even oily skin needs moisturizer, but use one that is lightweight, gel-based, and non-comedogenic, or doesn’t block your pores, like CeraVe’s facial lotion.
Apply sunscreen with at least 30 SPF 15 minutes before heading outdoors, as it takes a while for sunscreen to activate. Darker skin tones actually require more sun protection because hyperpigmentation is harder to correct.