Health + Beauty

The simplest skincare routine

March 5, 2021
I’ve built filter-free glowing skin by following a basic skincare routine on a consistent basis.

One of my biggest failures as a lover of skincare is that I have yet to fully convert my husband into a skincare lover. While he can totally recognize how much my own skin has changed for the better over the last few years as I invested in my skin, he outright refuses to engage in any kind of routine of his own, unless I am applying it or doing it for him, like I am running a full-time luxury experience every day.

For me, skincare is an act of daily self-love and self-care. It’s how I say – I want to take care of you – to my body, in addition to exercising, sleeping as much as I can, and hydrating constantly. Your girl is still going to eat a chicken wing, but she is sure as hell going to follow those up with a multi-step skincare routine.

Slowly but surely, I have introduced certain elements of my skincare into my husband’s life. He loves a jade roller, a gua sha treatment, an ice roller, a face mask, and really anything I will put on for him. He does it because it feels good, and it doesn’t hurt that he walks away from the situation with a healthy glow. But I still cannot get him to invest in an every day skincare routine, and this year, I am determined to make that happen for him.

Just like self-care, skincare is not, and should not be gendered; females don’t require a different type or level of skincare than men. What is true is that it’s more socially acceptable for a man to have wrinkle, to “age well,” or to be low maintenance, whereas women must constantly appear young and flawless. Whatever your identity, starting skincare routine is relatively simple, and can be as simple as a few steps following your shower or when you’re ready to start your morning.

The truth is, most people don’t need some elaborate skincare routine, especially if it’s going to prevent them from engaging in any skincare at all. The same products that I use are products anyone can use; they just need to be paired down to something simple and easy to follow, because many people don’t have the motivation (yet) to get into the nitty gritty of skincare. It’s something you have to want to do.

So I am going to introduce you to the basics – the simplest skincare routine that anyone can follow – whether you’re a beginner looking for somewhere to start, or you’re trying to invest your partner in taking care of themselves, like myself, this routine is for you.

The key principles? Exfoliation and hydration – my holy grail skincare principles I turn to over and over again. If you’ve been keeping up with the blog, then you know these are my staple concepts for skincare routines, on your face and for the rest of your body. You need to remove the dead skin and let in the hydration elements in order to get truly healthy skin. So if there are only two things that you do each and every day in your skincare routine, let it be those two.

Each of these products are ones I use on myself, so I am not going to go out and buy Chris something different, especially if he isn’t quite yet motivated to do these things on his own. We are going to stick with the elements of my basic skincare routine from one of my original posts – 1) wash, 2) tone, and 3) moisturize – but we are going to enhance it slightly. Where’s our exfoliation? We can combine it into steps one or two, but it depends on you.

Much of the skincare products you use should be dependent on whether you have dry skin (dull texture, no shine, flaking in patches, fine lines, skin feels tighter, more prone to sensitivities or irritation) or oily skin (often have shine on your face, larger pores, products make you feel greasy, more prone to acne or breakouts). If you have dry skin, you need to find products that won’t strip your skin, and if you have oily skin, you need to use products that won’t make you feel greasy or breakout. Many products will tell you what they are best for, but be wary of just picking up any product at the drugstore and assuming it will work for you. Everyone’s skin is different.

If you have dry skin, then I highly suggest that you start your routine by gently removing any of the dead skin sitting on the surface of your skin, or the daily pollutants that are sitting on the skin’s surface. I absolutely love this exfoliator from Tatcha that is gentle and available in different gradients depending on the sensitivities of your skin. You put a little bit of water onto a quarter-size amount of the rice, and it will gently build into a foam as you lather it onto your skin. From there, you want to be sure that you are toning, in order to restore the pH of your skin. I suggest a spray for those of you with dry skin, something that won’t rub at the skin but will add hydration as you tone. Avoid toners that will strip your skin, meaning to dry it out further. From there, your only goal should be to hydrate, so I added this new drugstore favorite hyaluronic acid serum that is super hydrating, combined with one of my favorite moisturizers from Ursa Major that helps recover the skin and keep it hydrated throughout the day.

If you have oily skin, then your goal is to ensure that the products you put on your skin do not create more oil or clog your pores to create breakouts, like acne or blackheads. The first step is to really just wash the skin and be sure you are clearing the way from oils for the rest of your products to sink in to your pores. You should use something meant to balance and clean the skin, like this gel cleanser from Indie Lee (perk – it smells like starbursts). From there, you want to exfoliate the skin, and your skin can take a bit more pressure given that it’s not as sensitive, so I highly recommend using a reusable cotton round, which will help exfoliate as you apply a toner, ideally something that is going to help prevent breakouts. I have used this toner with salicylic acid from Caudalie for years, and it is just a holy grail product for preventing breakouts and keep pores clear if you have larger pores. Finish your routine by adding in a clarifying serum that will continue to keep pores clear while also providing you hydration using niacinamide (helps to maintain moisture instead of adding more), paired with an oil-free moisturizer.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t take that much effort to keep your skin healthy. While it might be hard to convince someone that they need to implement a skincare routine when they aren’t having any problems, ten years down the road you will be grateful you took care of your skin. And I think you will be surprised how much you appreciate taking 2-5 minutes just to take care of yourself each day. Little things can make a big impact, and if you’re either unsure of where to start with skincare, or you’re trying to convince your partner to get it together in their thirties, then hopefully this basic breakdown gets the ball rolling.

Thanks for reading + shopping my blog post! For transparency, some of the links in this post may be affiliated, which means I may make a small commission at no cost for you when you shop using these links. I only share what I buy and love on Pretty Busy Brooklyn, and hope you enjoy, too!

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