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Ritual to Routine: Building Habits for Facial Skin Care

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Ritual to Routine: Building Habits for Facial Skin Care
Photo by Content Pixie / Unsplash

I always stuggled with my facial care routine, it was only later in life, in my early thirties, that I started to take it seriously and I wish I started sooner. I've tried a few different rituals and I don't always stick to it but there are a few core elements that I think are fundamental.

Keep in mind that the whole process is a bit overwhelming if you're a complete beginner, but with some habit stacking, the whole process will seem like a breeze.

  1. Water - Making sure that we drink enough water is so important to healthy skin. There is no fixed amount of water for everyone and you need to calculate how much water you need to drink. There is a formula you can use, but if you look up hydration calculator online, you can enter your details and it will calculate how much water you should be drinking per day. After a few weeks, you'll notice a difference in your skin because it's hydrated!
  2. Double cleansing - Most people only wash their face once. From what I've seen online, most people use a wet wipe to remove any makeup and then wash their face. I wash my face twice. I don't usually wear makeup, so I wash once to remove the outer sweat, dead skin and dirt and the second time will grab all the other residue underneath. I feel a big difference when washing the second time. If I happen to be wearing makeup, then I'd wash 3 times, the third time would usually be an oil cleanse.
  3. Oil cleansing - After cleansing, and if I'm feeling particularly icky, then I'd also go in with an oil cleanse. I use grapeseed oil and rub it into my face for a good 2-3 minutes (which feels longer than it should), and you'll notice feeling debris between your hands and your face the more you rub. Once I'm done, I'll soak a face towel under hot water, rinse it out and then place it over my face. I'll leave it on my face for about 30 seconds and soak up the heat. Then I'll use the towel to wipe the oil residue off my face. The towel also works as an exfoliator but the oil will leave your face feeling soft and hydrated.
  4. Toners & Serems & Cream- After the oil cleanse, this is a great time to feed your skin. You want to work from the most liquid feeling product -> creamy. So for example, I'd use a liquid toner, then face serum and then cream. Which toner/serum/cream to use will depend on your skin type. The only exception is when you want to use a face mask.
  5. Face masks - The best time to use a face mask is after a double cleanse (and/or oil cleanse), I would already have applied a toner and the face masks I use already contain the ingredients of the serums, so I'll just go straight to the face mask. I would do this at the end of the day and then leave out the night cream.
  6. SPF 50 - I use this every morning, regardless of the weather. For two reasons - 1. It's a great habit to get into. 2. You don't need to be in direct sunlight to be harmed.

Here are some of my favourite products:

  1. Cleansing - Foamie Solid facial cleanser for dry skin with aloe vera and almond milk - https://amzn.to/47ERKwy
  2. Oil cleansing - Grapeseed oil - https://amzn.to/3OVvDL2
  3. Toners - Green Tea toner by Isntree - https://amzn.to/3qsYHjq
  4. Face masks - Garnier face mask - https://amzn.to/3OvFh5w
  5. SPF 50 - Garnier Ambre Solaire Antioxidant Super UV Sun Protection Cream https://amzn.to/3DTarik