SUGGESTIONS FOR AN EFFECTIVE SKIN CARE ROUTINE
Although it may seem easy to create the right skin care routine, most of the time, under our skin problems lies the use of products that are used at the wrong time or that are not suitable for our skin, and creating a wrong skin care routine. So how can we create the right routine?
Our skin type is the first thing we need to learn while creating an effective skin care routine.
For this, you can get help from the skin analyzers in our clinic, or you can learn it yourself at home in a simple way. When you wake up in the morning, you wash your face with clear water and then you wait for 30 minutes without applying anything. At the end of 30 minutes, you are in front of the mirror.
If you have a general glow on your skin; oily
If the T-zone is oily and the cheeks are dry; mixed
If your whole skin is dry and tense; dry
If it looks red and irritated; sensitive
If none of these exist, you are in the lucky few; normal
Well, we learned our skin type, our second question; your main concern about your skin
For example, we find the main issue about your skin that bothers you, such as occasional acne and acne scars or sunspots, redness. And we choose the active ingredients we choose according to these problems.
And finally your age
The last point we pay attention to when choosing a product in an effective skin care routine is age. Skin type and skin concern is our main guide. However, especially the menopause period and pre-adolescence are special periods for us. Before puberty, we should definitely use content suitable for children. During the menopause, we experience the fastest loss of collagen. Ingredients that prevent collagen destruction should be added to the skin care routine.
After all this, we decide where to start skin care.
We use the skin care pyramid for this.
Sunscreen is the basis of this pyramid.
In other words, sunscreen is a must for every age, every skin problem and every skin type, summer and winter. This is where our skin type and skin concern come into play when choosing sunscreen. For example, if we have oily and acne-prone skin, it is water-based, fine-structured and chemically filtered; In addition, we may prefer products containing therapeutic ingredients such as salicylic acid.
The next step is cleaning and moisturizing.
After sunscreen, our basis for every age- every skin type and every skin concern is to wash the skin morning and evening and moisturize it with a moisturizer suitable for our skin type. If we have dry or normal skin, we should wash it with clear water in the morning and a washing gel in the evening, and if we have combination or oily skin, we should wash it with a washing gel in the morning and evening. And even if our skin is oily after washing, we should not forget to moisturize our skin. Because oil, sebum and moisture are different things. Remember, skin that is not moisturized becomes more oily.
On the next step of the pyramid, we move on to the active ingredients.
Here come primarily retinoids and exfoliants.
Retinoids are the first ingredient to add for every skin type and every skin concern, except during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It prevents the destruction of collagen, stimulates the production of new collagen.
It inhibits the synthesis of melanin that causes blemishes and accelerates the skin cycle.
Controls oil secretion in the skin.
By increasing the skin cycle, it prevents follicular keratinization, that is, pore clogging, which is the first step in acne formation.
It reduces the appearance of pores.
When we say retinoids, we are talking about products of different scales, ranging from ingredients such as retinol-retinaldehyde, which we can buy from cosmetic markets, to tretinoin-retinoic acid, which is more powerful and sold in pharmacies. Since retinoids are ingredients that can cause irritation, you can start with products that are less effective and therefore less risk of side effects, such as retinol serum, when starting out. If you don’t have a problem, you can talk to your dermatologist for stronger retinoid options.
When we say exfoliants, we are talking about chemical acids that gently peel off the upper dead layer of the skin. Alpha hydroxy acid (glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid…), beta hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) and polyhydroxy acids. You can add these products to your skin care routine in serum or tonic form. If we classify it according to skin type and concern:
Normal to dry skin: alpha hydroxy acids
Oily-combination, acne-prone skin: beta hydroxy acid
Sensitive, red skin: polyhydroxy acids
Exfoliants should also be used at night for retinoids. Be very careful with sunscreen during the day. Both should never be used at the same time. They can be added to the skin care routine alternately 1-2 days a week.
Next step antioxidants
In other words, ingredients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, ferulic acid, resveratrol.
What do these antioxidants do?
Free radicals are formed in our skin, as well as in our body, with the stress factors it encounters throughout the day. Of course, the sun’s rays are at the top of this stress factor. In addition, it is related to all environmental factors such as air pollution, computer and phone screens.