Buying Skincare Products: 3 Important Things You MUST Know Leave a comment

I did not start my skin care routine until I was 18. Even then, skincare was not my priority since schooling was important, and hey, who could afford expensive skincare products when our part-time jobs could only pay so much? Besides, my mindset towards skincare at 18 years old, was horrible. I had thought that only older working ladies required to buy skincare products. Well, I was wrong. Caring for your skin should begin as early as 18 years old! When I decided to take the bold step out of my comfort zone to start caring for my skin, my mum became my first skin consultant. I wouldn’t say that she has the qualifications of a dermatologist, but she had at least 30 years of skincare habits and buying skincare products that she depended on.

Fast forward, I begin my personal self-care on my own. Thanks to Google, I was introduced to a range of good facial products. There are SO many skin care products available online! There is literally anything for any skin problems. You have anti-aging, oily skin, combination skin, dry skin, brightening, whitening … What?? Which to choose? What should I pick now? Wait, this one promises anti-aging and brightening!! Oh wait, the other one promises brightening and tightening! I’ll just throw my hands up in the air. Is there anything that I need to know as a beginner?

Yes, I know that feeling of both excitement and confusion happening at once. You’re not alone.

I had that feeling when I started my own skin care routine too. In fact, I had to go through rounds of trial-and-error to find the skincare products which were beneficial to my skin. Yes, many products can promise many things. However, it is important to be wise about their marketing strategies and to only buy those which are suitable for you and stick with them. Here are 3 very important lessons which I learned before buying my next skin care products online.

#1) Know Your Skin Type Before Buying Skincare Products

When you’re shopping for new clothes, it is helpful if you do know roughly what body type you belong to. Similarly, knowing your skin type can help to eliminate the products you do not need.

As a rule of thumb, here are a few typical skin types:

Oily Skin

The first noticeable thing for people with oily skin is the shine on their faces. People with oily skin tend to have a shiny exterior which gives an overall greasy look. Many who have oily skin do not appreciate this part about their skin as it does not present a sharp look. In some cases, this may actually affect one’s confidence to a certain extent. Imagine having oily skin while posing for the camera. Or, having the spotlights shining directly to their face. Yup, you get what I mean.

With oily skin, it is important to choose skincare products that are gel-like in texture. Gel-like textures help to reduce the appearance of grease on your skin. The Moisturizing Matte Lotion (50ml) from LA MER helps to reduce the shine on your skin and leaves a matte finish, which is ideal for people with oily skin.

Dry Skin

People with dry skin tend to have flaky skin on the face. In some cases, dry skin results in irritations and skin frustrations that can often leave scars and a lower level of self-confidence. In addition, dry skin may also cause itchiness. This leaves the poor owner being restless and frustrated for the rest of the day. It may be difficult for some to even apply makeup without creating weird patches due to uneven skin layers and dead skin cells.

For people with dry skin, it is important to keep their skin nourished and hydrated. The Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ With Pump (125ml) from Clinique helps to maintain a good moisture balance on dehydrated skin and aids in restoring the skin’s moisture barrier.

You can read up more on how you can better deal with the dry skin problem.

Combination Skin

The majority of the population seems to fall under this category of skin type. Combination skin includes an oily T-zone and normal/dry skin on other parts of the face. At times, the environment you’re in can affect your skin as well. Prolonged exposure to air-conditioned environments may leave your skin dry. On the other hand, when you stepped out of the air-conditioned place, your face turns into a greasy pan. This may be an indicator of combination skin.

The Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate Imugeneration Technology (30ml) from SHISEIDO uses a combination of ingredients such as the Reishi Mushroom, Bulgarian Rosewater, and the ImuGeneration technology to create a blend that gives you dewy-looking skin.

Acne-Prone Skin

If you’re fortunate to have smooth skin in your teenage years, count yourself lucky! I once had such bad acne problems that tea tree oil was my one true, loyal, best friend. With this being an increasing problem, it is no doubt that skincare producers are looking to formulate blends to help people with acne-prone skin. The Junkisui Moisturizer (120ml) from KOSÉ is formulated to soothe irritation below the skin’s surface and reduce inflammation.

Here’s a guide on how you can prevent pimples.

#2) Know The Basics: Skin Care Routine

 

After knowing your skin type, the next step is to know the basic skin care routine. In most skin care routines, you will come across these 3 essential steps — Cleansing, Toning, Moisturising.

Cleansing involves more than just cleaning your face with soap and water. After a long day outside, it is important to ensure that your face is thoroughly cleansed with makeup remover. Makeup remover is important in removing any impurities that accumulate on your face throughout the day (whether you’re wearing makeup or not). The Anti/Oxi+ Pollutant & Dullness Clarifying Cleansing Oil (150ml) from Shu Uemura is able to remove impurities and stubborn makeup effortlessly for an affordable price.

Toning preps your skin for the next step. Damp a cotton pad with your toner and apply it all over your face and neck. Toners help to remove any additional dirt on your skin while refreshing your skin for the moisturizers later. This Toning Lotion With Camomile (200ml) from Clarins helps to tone and ease skin irritations. Camomile is known to be a gentle, calming ingredient for our skin.

Moisturising is important to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. Hydrated skin does help to prevent unwanted aging and flaky skin. Knowing your skin type in Step #1 will help you decide which moisturizers are suitable for your skin type, ie — whether to choose a cream-based or a gel-based moisturizer.

You can find out more about how you can build up your own skin care routine.

#3) Know Who You’re Buying Your Skincare Products From

I can’t stress enough how important this step is! Buying products from pseudo brands is so risky and damaging for your skin. All the promises of improving your skin condition are plastered everywhere on their products and it is up to you as the consumer to differentiate authentic ones from fake products.

At BTEGA, our suppliers have been carefully sourced and audited before they land on your hands. We love skincare as much as you do and we will never compromise on the authenticity of the beauty products online at our store.

Are You Ready to Buy Skincare Products?

Keeping these 3 simple yet important steps in mind, all you need to do now is to start buying your skincare products. Go forth and begin your skincare routine early. The regret that most ladies go through at a later age is not taking care of their skin when they’re young. Still, it is never too late or too early to start your skin care routine!