I recently had a client that asked me about skin care as understandably, she wanted her skin to be in tip top condition for her wedding day. Now I’m no expert in skin care nor do I pretend to be. I’ve educated myself with what I know and what works for me. Of course everyone is different and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Skin care brands nowadays create products specifically targeted for different skin types whether it be oily, dry, a bit of both and therefore combination, sensitive, acne prone, dehydrated, mature etc. But even so, there are times when your hormones go a bit wild and effects your skin as a result and that can sometimes be totally out of your control and you just have to kind of roll with it.
I did make my client aware of all of the above but she was more than happy to hear some of my suggestions (because she has combination skin as do I, she was very eager to find out what products I find works in my skincare routine). She had a very simple routine and was finding that she was suffering from frequent breakouts and of which she was struggling to keep control of. Her routine was drugstore/pharmacy own branded face wipes to remove makeup in the evening, followed by a moisturiser from the same range. In the morning she used their branded exfoliating scrub followed by the same moisturiser. Now this may have worked on my skin some decade ago but to be honest I wish I was more informed about skincare from the moment I left college. I’m hoping that by following a good skincare routine now, I can prove the term “it’s never too late” to be true.
My advice was a complete overhaul to her routine as was as follows:
1. Stop using face wipes to cleanse your face and invest in a makeup remover if you do wear makeup and/or SPF.
2. Cleanse your skin with a non-foaming formulation like a balm, milk or gel cleaner. Remove with a hot, damp flannel.
3. Avoid face scrubs with grainy beads/granules and opt for chemical exfoliants in the form of an exfoliating toner.
4. Follow exfoliating toner with a hydrating one.
5. Invest in an oil or serum pre moisturiser.
6. Moisturise as the last step.
Not satisfied with just the routine, my client asked specifically for the products and brands I used and what I find works for me. I happily obliged but also mentioned that she would have to take into consideration her diet and it’s effects on her skin i.e. drink plenty of water, load up on your omega 3 (eating fish or taking supplements), cut down on alcohol, sugar and caffeine etc. The following is the suggested skin care routine and product recommendations.