WEEK 2: ESTABLISH A DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE
Week 2 of your 30 Days to Your Best Skin plan will focus on one very, very important aspect of skincare: establishing a daily skincare routine. Skincare is, surprisingly enough for some, much like exercising: to get results, you have to be consistent. So while that yearly facial is not going to make a huge difference for your skin, what you do daily will! So this week, we’ll be giving you tips to help you create a skincare routine that is foolproof.
DAY 8: CREATE A SCHEDULE FOR YOUR SKIN
Think of your skin as you would when you exercise your body: you should mix it up and make sure you have a well-rounded routine. With this in mind, separate one day a week for masks, 1-2 days a week for exfoliation, and make sure you include the following four steps into your daily routine:
(1) Cleansing; (2) Treating (think acne lotions, lightening serums, etc); (3) Moisturizing; and (4) Protecting (SPF).
DAY 9: APPLICATION RULES
The order in which you apply your products is essential to achieve your best skin. As a general rule of thumb, apply products starting with the ones thinnest in consistency and up to those with the thickest consistency. This means that water soluble formulas like toners and essences will go on first, followed by serums, moisturizers, retinol (if you use one), and lastly, eye-cream. Make sure to space out your product applications by a few minutes so your skin has some time to absorb all those good-for-you ingredients before you slather on the next product.
DAY 10: THROW AWAY OLD PRODUCTS
Active ingredients loose potency over time, so make sure to look at the expiration date of your products and toss out anything older than two years old.
DAY 11: RE-THINK YOUR CLEANSER
If your current cleanser is a bar of soap or a super foamy formula, chances are it’s drying out your skin, especially in the cooler Fall weather. For hydrated, healthy skin in the fall and winter months ahead, switch to a gentle, water-soluble cleanser with a lotion-like texture like Image Skincare Vital C Hydrating Facial Cleanser ($26.50), which has pharmaceutical grade Vitamin C to gently remove makeup and dirt while soothing dry, dehydrated and rosacea skin. Also don’t forget to only cleanse skin once a day in this dry Colorado weather! A simply splash of water in the morning is enough to wash off the previous night’s products without stripping your skin of its essential oils.
DAY 12: POWER UP YOUR MOISTURIZER
As temperatures cool down, you will need a heavy-duty moisturizer with a rich, emollient formula to keep your skin hydrated and happy. An ultra-hydrating cream with Vitamin C and in an antioxidant rich emollient formula, like the Vital C Hydrating Repair Creme ($56), will repair aging skin while promoting healthy cell renewal.
DAY 13: PREVENT SKIN SABOTAGE
Protect skin and prevent it from premature aging by wearing at the very least a 25SPF daily on your skin. Make sure the formula is broad spectrum so that it protects skin from UVA rays, which cause wrinkles and dark spots, and UVB rays, which are the culprits of sunburns. Also make sure to chow down on these antioxidant foods to protect yourself from the inside out: citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, avocados, carrots, tomatoes, and watermelon.
DAY 14: SIMPLIFY YOUR ROUTINE WITH MULTI-TASKING PRODUCTS
Life is already hard enough, don’t make your skincare routine harder! Look for multi-tasking products that combine two steps into one to further simplify life and make sure your skincare routine is manageable and not pushed aside in the hustle and bustle of life. There are a ton of products out in the market that promise to make skincare easier, like Image Skincare Prevention+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF30+ ($36), a daily oil-free, chemical-free moisturizer complete with a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection and a subtle tint to even out skin tone and provide a healthy glow. Use it on its own, or as a primer for your foundation and save three steps in one!
SEE ALSO:
Think of your skin as you would when you exercise your body: you should mix it up and make sure you have a well-rounded routine. With this in mind, separate one day a week for masks, 1-2 days a week for exfoliation, and make sure you include the following four steps into your daily routine:
(1) Cleansing; (2) Treating (think acne lotions, lightening serums, etc); (3) Moisturizing; and (4) Protecting (SPF).
DAY 9: APPLICATION RULES
The order in which you apply your products is essential to achieve your best skin. As a general rule of thumb, apply products starting with the ones thinnest in consistency and up to those with the thickest consistency. This means that water soluble formulas like toners and essences will go on first, followed by serums, moisturizers, retinol (if you use one), and lastly, eye-cream. Make sure to space out your product applications by a few minutes so your skin has some time to absorb all those good-for-you ingredients before you slather on the next product.
DAY 10: THROW AWAY OLD PRODUCTS
Active ingredients loose potency over time, so make sure to look at the expiration date of your products and toss out anything older than two years old.
DAY 11: RE-THINK YOUR CLEANSER
If your current cleanser is a bar of soap or a super foamy formula, chances are it’s drying out your skin, especially in the cooler Fall weather. For hydrated, healthy skin in the fall and winter months ahead, switch to a gentle, water-soluble cleanser with a lotion-like texture like Image Skincare Vital C Hydrating Facial Cleanser ($26.50), which has pharmaceutical grade Vitamin C to gently remove makeup and dirt while soothing dry, dehydrated and rosacea skin. Also don’t forget to only cleanse skin once a day in this dry Colorado weather! A simply splash of water in the morning is enough to wash off the previous night’s products without stripping your skin of its essential oils.
DAY 12: POWER UP YOUR MOISTURIZER
As temperatures cool down, you will need a heavy-duty moisturizer with a rich, emollient formula to keep your skin hydrated and happy. An ultra-hydrating cream with Vitamin C and in an antioxidant rich emollient formula, like the Vital C Hydrating Repair Creme ($56), will repair aging skin while promoting healthy cell renewal.
DAY 13: PREVENT SKIN SABOTAGE
Protect skin and prevent it from premature aging by wearing at the very least a 25SPF daily on your skin. Make sure the formula is broad spectrum so that it protects skin from UVA rays, which cause wrinkles and dark spots, and UVB rays, which are the culprits of sunburns. Also make sure to chow down on these antioxidant foods to protect yourself from the inside out: citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, avocados, carrots, tomatoes, and watermelon.
DAY 14: SIMPLIFY YOUR ROUTINE WITH MULTI-TASKING PRODUCTS
Life is already hard enough, don’t make your skincare routine harder! Look for multi-tasking products that combine two steps into one to further simplify life and make sure your skincare routine is manageable and not pushed aside in the hustle and bustle of life. There are a ton of products out in the market that promise to make skincare easier, like Image Skincare Prevention+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF30+ ($36), a daily oil-free, chemical-free moisturizer complete with a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection and a subtle tint to even out skin tone and provide a healthy glow. Use it on its own, or as a primer for your foundation and save three steps in one!
SEE ALSO: