When creating a skin care regimen for yourself it’s important that you understand skin is complicated. So, don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to start . We all have different needs and are all aging, regardless of how old you are. On top of that notion, we have unique bodies and what is right for one person isn’t necessarily right for you. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the basics.
Cleanser
When talking about cleanser I don’t mean the bar soap you buy at the store. Most soaps are made for the masses and while they will clean your skin, typically they also strip you of essential oils. If you suffer from acne, rosacea or even brown spots, bar soap can make it worse. Instead, look for products that have alpha hydroxyl-acid (AHA) or beta hydroxyl-acid (BHA). These two substances smooth and clean the skin without pulling off too many essential oils. They also have the ability to fight acne causing bacteria and calm potentially irritated skin.
Quick Tip: Try IS Clinical Cleansing Complex as it has both AHA and BHA in proven levels.
Serum
The next step in your skin care path should be a serum. If you haven’t heard of or used retinol yet, you should strongly consider using one at night. Retinol can treat fine-lines, wrinkles, acne and even brown spots. But, “if you don’t use it every day for at least 3 months it’s a waste of time and won’t do anything,” says plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Narsete, MD. To Dr. Narsete’s point, retinol takes a minimum of 90 days to create new collagen, according to a study published in Clinical Interventions in Aging. Be sure to wear sunscreen whenever you use retinol and ease into it. Many people cake on retinol at first, which is a mistake. For more information on retinol, we wrote a complete guide on it. Click here to read the article.
For a daytime serum consider using a high-quality vitamin C serum. Since our bodies cannot manufacture vitamin C, we need to take it in food and can even absorb it via our skin. As a benefit, vitamin C is a key component of collagen, can help stop pigmentation issues (brown spots), help with fine lines, wrinkles and can even slow down sun damage. It is something to consider using following a cleanser and before sunscreen during the day. One challenge with vitamin C serums is they are notoriously unstable. When they hit air, light or even large temperature variances they don’t work. So, look for something in an air-tight bottle that comes from a medical grade skin care company.
Quick Tip: Try the new CEF Serum from Reflect Skin; it has vitamin C, E and ferulic acid which not only stabilizes vitamin C, but can reduce the daily effects of pollution.
Sunscreen
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation “an estimated 90% of aging is caused by the sun.” That’s a lot of damage. To slow down this process you need to wear sunscreen every day. Make it part of your regimen, following your morning serum. When looking for what to use broad-spectrum is the way to go because it helps block both UVA and UVB rays.
Quick Tip: Look on the backs of bottles for products with zinc and titanium (physical block), which will force UV to bounce off them vs chemical sunscreens which absorb light.
In short, the appropriate cleanser, serum (day and night) and sunscreen of at least 30 SPF should get you going. I know it can be difficult to figure out wear to go and what to use. This is why we formed Reflect Skin and created a custom-tailored skin care system for anyone who will take our skin care quiz. Try it…you won’t be disappointed as it will save you both time and money.
To the right skin regimen,
Team Reflect
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