Skin Care Routine: The Beginners’ Guide Leave a comment

If the term ‘skin care routine’ sounds new to you, it’s normal! There are many who still do not have any idea what this term means. It does sound intimidating if you’re hearing it for the first time. To be honest, what does it mean to build my skincare routine?

I have been through what you are feeling right now after some research:

Which one is suitable for beginners?

Does it mean that I have to follow a ritual every time I wash my face?

Or do I need to follow a certain standard operating procedure to cast my face in creams and serums?

Oh no, will my face feel like a kueh lapis if 9 steps are required?

Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

After some research, here is our Beginner’s Guide on how to start building a good skin care routine. Before we jump to the Guide, it is first important to understand why a good skincare routine is essential for anyone.

Understand Why A Good Skin Care Routine Is Important For Your Skin

A healthy skin (without makeup of course) signifies happy, healthy guts and it makes you more attractive and confident as a person. Imagine walking out the door with minimal to no makeup yet looking so fabulous! Well, they did say that first impression counts.  On the other hand, compare this with pale-looking dull skin. Attractiveness at first glance? Nah, don’t think so.

It is also important to understand that if you’re always looking to use makeup to cover all that pimples or uneven skin tone, you should take a step back and re-evaluate. Some makeup products will agitate your skin condition further and this is the last thing you want. An agitated-looking skin will cause more frustrations and upset your self-esteem. Why not consider building a simple, proper skincare routine so that you shine without makeup? Sounds like a better deal?

A good beginner’s skincare routine happens in the morning and at the end of the day. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can start to explore other types of skincare routines. For now, let’s stick to basics and get our skin the pampering they need. As a rule of thumb, the basics to build a good skin care routine goes by — Cleansing – Toning – Moisturising.

 6 Steps On How To Build Your Good Skin Care Routine

STEP #1) Cleansing

 Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

 Makeup Remover [Night]

After a long day, the first step you need is to use a strong makeup remover to remove the waterproof colours you’re wearing during the day. Even if you’re not wearing any makeup, it is also recommended to use a good makeup remover to remove impurities from the environment that piles on your skin throughout the day. If you’re using a liquid-based makeup remover, gently wipe down your face and neck with a soaked cotton pad. Do this at least 2-3 times to ensure that you have thoroughly cleansed your face.

Some of the makeup removers that we highly recommend are High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil by Shu Uemura, $106.50, and Bi-Facil Non Oily Instant Cleanser by Lancôme.

Proper Cleansing [Morning/Night]

Getting a good cleanser will help to remove any additional impurities that were not removed by the makeup remover.

When you’ve just woken up in the morning, your face will probably still have some remnants of creams you have applied the night before. Cleansing your skin with a gentle cleanser in the morning is always encouraged to remove any dead skin that surfaced. Massage your skin gently with your favourite cleanser and wash it away with clear water. Remember, a little goes a long way. I have seen many who use such a large amount of cleansers and this dries out your skin, definitely not what you want.

We recommend the Gentle Foaming Cleanser With Shea Butter by Clarins and Gel Eclat Gentle Cleansing Gel by Lancôme.

STEP #2) Toning

 Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

 The right way to tone your skin is usually to wet/soak your cotton pad with the toner first. With gentle strokes, wipe down your skin. Toners help with the additional step of removing any further impurities on your skin after cleansing. Besides, toners help your skin absorb the nutrients that you will be slathering on next.

Here are a few toners that you can consider: Treatment Softener by SHISEIDO and Toning Lotion With Camomile by Clarins.

STEP #3) Essence/Serum

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 Essences/serums are lightweight yet packed full with nutrients required for your skin. They are products concentrated with various properties and nutrients for extra-hydration, anti-aging, or whitening. Given their nature, it is best to apply essences/serums before applying the thicker layer of moisturiser. For essences/serums, we’d recommend Hydra-Essentiel Bi-Phase Serum (30ml) by Clarins and Perfectionist Pro Rapid Brightening Treatment (50ml) by Estee Lauder.

STEP #4) Moisturising

 Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

Moisturizers keep your skin hydrated and supple. When applying moisturisers to your face, always apply some on your neck as well and in an upward motion. You wouldn’t want your face and neck to have 2 different shades a decade later. There are Day Moisturisers that comes with SPF like the Ginza Tokyo Essential Energy Day Emulsion SPF30 by SHISEIDO. We’ll talk more about SPF later in step #6.

At night, do not use moisturisers with SPF as the ingredients used may interfere with your skin’s own repair system. You can try out Junkisui Moisturizer by KOSÉ, which helps in providing a soothing effect using water-based moisturising ingredients or Turnaround Overnight Revitalizing Moisturizer (50ml) by Clinique.

STEP #5) Eye Cream/Serum [Morning/Night]

Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash

Bright-looking eyes will always catch the attention of your audience. As much as you and I hate it, the condition of the skin around our eyes reveals our age too. So having a good eye care routine is important too. Oh dang!

Something to remember is, the skin around our eyes is also the thinnest and most delicate. Extra care and attention must be paid to prevent crow feet and dark bags. Eye creams are packed with nutrients to restore an all-nighter and keep your eyes looking fresh the next day.

In the morning, it would be good to use a lightweight, roller-ball type of eye serum as its cooling effect helps to reduce puffiness, brighten and wake the sleepy eye. You can consider All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage Roll On (15ml) by Clinique. At night, it would be advisable to use a denser, restorative eye cream to prevent the air-conditioner from drying out our skin, such as the Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix (15ml) by Estee Lauder.

As a beginner to a skincare routine, never, ever, leave out your eye cream.

STEP #6) Sunscreen [Morning]

Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash

Sunscreen is an important step to finish off your morning skincare routine. The harmful UV rays from the sun will age your skin dramatically. Sunscreens should always be applied every morning, whether you’re staying indoors or heading out. It may sound strange at first to be applying sunscreen when you’re not at the beach, but you will get used to it. Hey, who doesn’t want a youthful at the end of the day? Trust me, your skin will always need protection from those UV rays bouncing off in all directions, whether you see the sun or not.

Here are a few good sunscreens that you should consider Sekkisei White UV Gel (80g) by KOSÉ for their addition of the coix seed ingredient or perhaps the UV Protector SPF35 (30g) by Astalift, for finishing off non-greasy it can be used as a makeup base.

 Skin care Routine: Here is a quick summary:

 Morning —  Cleansing, Toning, Moisturising, Essence/Serums, Eye Cream, Sunscreen.

Night — Makeup Remover, Cleansing, Toning, Moisturising, Essence/Serums, Eye Cream

A good skincare routine would definitely take a lot of self-discipline and effort on your part. Be patient with yourself and if you find it difficult to remember these steps, write it on a notepad and stick it to your mirror. A habit takes 21 days to form. Do yourself a favour and try to keep up this skincare routine for at least 21 days until you can perform this routine unconsciously. I followed this routine religiously when I wanted to build my skincare routine. It works, trust me! There will be more to do for your skin as you incorporate these basics and understand what skin care products you should have into your lifestyle first.

If you are having dry skin issues, you may be interested to read up on this solution on dry skin. You can also read up on this simple guide on how to prevent pimples from outbreaking.

Btega is here to help you build your self-care routine through the products we sell. We offer free deliveries for purchases over $80 and all products are 100% authentic. Till then, we’ll introduce more routines for the different skin types and purposes.

[This guide is not intended to replace advice given by your dermatologist or doctor in any way. Please speak to your dermatologist if your skin condition worsens.]