The changing of seasons is a great time to reset your skincare regime and start a fresh cycle of back-to-school skincare habits. For many in the Fall, it's back to school that triggers this reset – a new term, new courses to digest, and new study techniques to refresh.
Skincare needs to change in different climates, and throughout each season of the year. It feels wonderful to have a deep cream moisturizer on your skin during dry, cold winter temperatures. Light oils in Summer give us that special glow under our sunscreen for a glistening and protected look when it’s hotter outside.
Taking care of your skin care needs as the seasons change can help you to revive, refresh, and reset your energy plus you maximize the benefits of your anti-aging products.
Great skin takes work and is not completely up to genetics. Ultimately caring for your skin is up to you and is a very personal choice. With so many opinions and products to choose from it can be difficult to know what to focus on, or where to begin. UV protection? Moisturizer? Let’s sort through some of the do’s and don’ts of skincare and how to decide on the best routine for your skin and lifestyle.
Basic Skin Care Routines
The Basics – when sorting through the needs of your skin and matching up what products you need, start with the basics – the basics of good skincare have three main components: cleanse, tone, and moisturize.
Get in the habit of committing to this as your bare minimum for AM and PM skincare, and then think of the other products you want to supplement the basics as add-ons to find your holy grail products that sub-in to the routine a couple of times per week.
Step 1: Why do you need these basic three as a start and not just a cleanser? Simple. Cleansing the skin removes dirt and oils and preps our face for the balancing effect of step two – toner. For your cleanser, try our Rosehip Regenerative Balancing Cleanser – it removes debris from your skin’s surface while regenerating skin cells with its active ingredient of rosehip seed oil.
Step 2: Toner gives a really fresh feel and is a great way to start and close off the day. Perfect for all skin types our Hydrating Skin Toner with CoQ10 includes lavender extracts, hydrators, plant extracts, and an effective dose of CoQ10 to leave your skin primed for moisturizing.
Step 3: Moisturizer completes the basics routine by hydrating and softening your complexion. A great starter everyday product for step three is The Only Cream You'll Ever Need – this moisturizer (for all skin types) has organic safflower seed oil, niacinamide, antioxidants, essential fatty acid, and amino acids – it is also the perfect primer for underneath your sunscreen.
All of the above products are rich in Vitamin A, C, E, and F, and are great products for your back-to-school basics routine.
These three basic steps complement one another and are a great way to consistently build self-care into your beauty routines. Take this time each day to check in with yourself, and use your skincare steps to create a daily ritual of feeling grounded and balanced. Notice the little changes within yourself that arise from your new routine, and reap the benefits that good skincare offers.
Skincare is a science and there is no instant fix for skin issues you might be looking to target – set yourself a goal of completing your basics routine for at least six weeks and be consistent. After this length of time, you’ll generally be able to see and feel the benefits of your skincare routine.
Anti-Aging Tips To Transform Your Beauty Routine
Now you are ready to step it up a notch! Try adding a serum before your moisturizer (we LOVE our 100% Hyaluronic Quenching Serum which reinforces the extracellular matrix and restores barrier function), or a face oil at night for extreme hydration – you’ll also want to experiment with a good exfoliator treatment 2-3 times a week; we like our G-S 5/2 Exfoliating Pads which have 5% glycolic acid, 2% salicylic acid and 2% witch hazel in the ingredients – these are key to recovering your skin from acne outbreaks and treating blemishes on the skin. Repeat with consistency and commitment for another six weeks – notice the benefits to your skin.
By now you’ll have a good sense of the importance of keeping up with the basics, and how adding in other products can help you to target specific skin concerns. Another great add-on to the basics is our Overnight Peptide Power Mask which is especially effective for treating dryness, fine lines, and renewing the skin’s elasticity.
Now, any skincare routine is not complete without one crucial final step – sun protection. All skincare experts will agree on this one, and you can make it easy on yourself by selecting a moisturizer with a broad spectrum sunscreen (make it at least 30 SPF). This ensures sun protection for your face is built right into the basics of your skincare regime. We love the Colorescience sunscreen products because they won’t make your skin break out or dry up like some of the other products out there.
If you want to discuss your skincare needs and skin type some more, we can help you select the products that will work best for you. An annual skin assessment is also a good idea especially as you age to ensure you are taking preventative measures against sun damage and catching any red flags that could be of concern. We offer skin assessments and consultations at our Skin Clinic & Aesthetics locations in Idaho Falls, and Pocatello.
Skincare Mistakes to Avoid
Finally – don’t overdo it! Sometimes we see people who in their attempt to establish a foundation for healthy skin, actually move further away from that goal by being overzealous with their products – exfoliating too often, or even cleansing too often can heavily strip the skin of its natural oils leading to skin irritation that can show itself with various skin problems from acne to eczema. Be patient with your baseline and introduce other elements such as face oils, masks, serums, and eye creams with care and caution. You don’t need to have a ten-step skincare regimen daily, and in fact, this will do you more harm than good.
Most importantly, take care of yourself by living well and prioritizing your overall health. Consistency and commitment are key to any new routine, so be patient with yourself and stay focused on your goals. Exercise, meditate, get enough rest and find ways to make yourself feel good so you tackle each day with revived energy and strength for your back-to-school experience. Your skin will thank you.