When it comes to choosing the right skincare products it can be extremely overwhelming. It’s important to remember that what works for one person may not work for you & just because a product or routine is trending on social media doesn’t mean it is good for your skin.
The most important part of choosing a product is understanding your skin type & what it requires to reach your skin health goals.
What’s Your Skin Type?
Oily Skin – Experiences excess oil production, shiny appearance, enlarged pores, prone to blackheads, whiteheads & acne.
Combination (T-zone)- A mix of oily & dry skin. Typically the t-zone area (forehead, nose & chin) is oily & contains visible pores, while cheeks & other areas maybe dry or normal.
Dry Skin- Little to no oil production, little to no visible pores. Skin may feel tight, rough, or flaky.
Sensitive Skin- Prone to redness, irritation, & discomfort. Can often react to skincare products, environmental changes, or stress. This skin type overlaps with other skin types (i.e oily & sensitive, dry & sensitive, T- zone & sensitive)
Choosing Products
Once you understand your skin type its important to understand what the products you’re buying are doing to your skin, how often you should use them & the benefits they provide.
Cleanser – A cleansers job is to help remove dirt, oil, make up & other contaminates from the skin. There are lots of different types of cleansers, it is important to make sure you are choosing one that is right for you.
- Foaming Cleansers are great for most skin types.
- Cream Cleansers are great for T-zone, Dry & Sensitive skin.
- Gel Cleansers are great for most skin types (depending on the ingredients)
- Glycolic / Salicylic Cleansers best for Oily or T-zone skin. Caution with using morning & night as it may increase dryness & irritation. Best if used at night.
- Oil Cleansers are great for Dry or Sensitive skin. Can be used for all skin types as a pre cleanse to remove makeup & other surface dirt/oil.
Cleansing in the morning is important, as it helps remove sweat, oil & bacteria that accumulates on our skin when we sleep & prepares your skin for the rest of your day time products. Cleansing at night is important, as it removes daily contaminants, dirt, makeup, oil, sweat & helps prepare your skin for your night time routine.
Exfoliator – An exfoliators job is to help remove build up of dead skin cells, dirt, & oil that become trapped in the pores. This also help prepare your skin for the rest of your skincare routine & will allow the products to penetrate deeper, providing better results.
For at home use I recommend using a granular or chemical exfoliator. Granular exfoliators contain ingredients that provide texture to the product, giving it that scrubbing feeling. Avoid granular exfoliators that contain the shell of a nut or pit of a fruit, as these are way too aggressive for the skin on our face & over time can cause damage .
Chemical exfoliators contain a mixture of AHA’s & BHA’s or may contain either AHA’s or BHA’s. These are great for those that struggle with pimples & cystic acne, as it prevents spreading bacteria from the lesions & helps reduce breakouts.
You can exfoliate morning or night. However, its important to make sure you are not over exfoliating, as this can be very hard on your skin barrier. Exfoliating 1-2 times a week is plenty & will provide great results.
Mask- Masks are a great product to add once a week, they help target specific concerns you may be trying to treat. Every mask is different & benefits will depend of the products formulation. Generally sheet masks are great for hydration & all skin types, clay masks for oily / t-zone skin, gel or cream masks for t-zone/ dry or sensitive.
Toner, Essence or Mist – Their job is to help target specific skin concerns (dehydration, acne, hyperpigmentation) on the surface level. Benefits provided from the product will depend on the formulation.
They can be used morning & night after you cleanse to help prepare your skin for a serum or moisturizer. If you are using a toner that is high in active ingredients (AHA’s, BHA’s, Benzoyl Peroxide) they are best used at night, while the skin is most active.
Serum, Elixir or Oil- A serums job is similar to that of the toner. However, serums penetrate the deepest out of all skincare products. These are best used to target specific skin concerns (i.e Acne, Aging, Rosacea, or hyperpigmentation).
Most can be used morning & night. However, it’s important to remember that your skin is more active at night, this is when you should be using products that help correct/treat concerns & contains more active ingredients. While a day time routine should be products that promote hydration, healing & protection.
TIP: If you choose to use a hyaluronic acid serum, it’s important to remember for best results it needs hydration to latch on to. In our dryer Canadian climate, we nee to help provide the hydration. Before you apply the serum, make sure your skin is damp. You can dampen your skin with a toner, essence, face mist or fresh water.
Moisturizer or face cream – Help keep skin hydrated & balanced. When choosing a moisturizer its important to refer to what your skin type is. for example, if you have t-zone skin & are using a moisturizer that is best suited for oily skin, you may start to notice dry, irritated skin & may notice an increase in acne breakouts & congestion.
It’s also important to make sure you are using products that are meant for your face. Hand cream & body cream are not properly formulated for the skin on our face. The skin on our face & neck, when compared to the rest of our body, is thinner & more sensitive. Using those products can end up causing breakouts, congestion & irritation.
Sun protection – SPF helps protect against UVB & UVA rays & helps maintain results from any treatments you receive & products you use. Always apply SPF in the morning (even in the winter) & don’t forget to reapply every 3 hours. If you are swimming or doing physical activities where you are sweating a lot, you will need to reapply more frequently.
Starting a routine
Keep it simple, don’t overwhelm yourself & feel like you need every single product mention above or that you see on social medial. Start with a cleanser, moisturizer & SPF. Once you have that routine down, add an exfoliator 1-2 times a week & if you feel like you aren’t quite reaching your goal, consider introducing a serum or toner.
When you start a new skincare routine, you may experience a spike in breakouts while your skin adjusts to the new products. However, if the increase in breakouts last longer than 1 month, this is no longer a “purging” period & it can potentially be due to improper products for your skin type.
Look at skin scare like going to the gym or starting to eat healthy. Great results take time & consistency.
Ingredients
Product formulation plays a big role in the quality of your skincare. Its important to remember there is no such thing as “chemical free” skincare (even water is a chemical).
What I look for in my skincare products is to make sure it’s cruelty free, ethically made, & free of hormone disrupting ingredients such as parabens, fragrance, parfum, triclosan or phthalates.
Professional Products or Over The Counter
Yes, there is a difference when it comes to purchasing professional or OTC products. Professional products have stricter manufacturing guidelines, use higher quality ingredients & provide better results. While I highly recommend professional over OTC, I understand that they may not be with in everyone’s budget.
If you choose to opt for OTC products always read the ingredients, if you see parabens, fragrance, parfum, triclosan, phathalates, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), or formaldehyde PUT IT BACK!
The information contained within this blog is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and is not a substitute for medical services. The statements made within this e-product have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You should always consult with a health care professional before starting on any health plan or taking supplements. By reading this piece of work, you are not entered into a practitioner / patient relationship with the author.