Facial Care for Beginners

Do you currently not have a facial care routine and want to start? This post is all about giving tips on where to start, products to buy, what to look out for etc.

Know your skin type

It is important to know your skin type so you can buy the right products for your skin. You can check out the skin types page on Essencious.org to find a description of each type. You can also search around for other description through search engines. You can also try asking shop assistants at places like The Body Shop, Clinque, Lancome but they might not always be that knowledgeable. The best way to find out is speak to chemist or a skin care specialist in hospitals (or similar).

What products to purchase

For basic facial care you will need a facial wash, toner and moisturiser. Eye cream, ex-foliate face wash and facial mask is optional but highly recommended. You can check the basic facial care page to find out a bit more about what each one is for.

Products are so expensive!

Brand name products at Lancome and Clinique are expensive but you don’t need to spend that much money to begin with. Besides you need to understand your skin first before spending too much on things that won’t work for you. I would suggest trying out drug store products like Olay, Garnier and Simple. They are a good price and aren’t bad products at all. Expensive products doesn’t mean that it is better. The best product for your skin is one that works well and works right. It can be expensive, it can be cheap and it can even be natural home made.

It’s not all about products

Products will only do 20% of the work, the rest will depend on your lifestyle and diet. To get and maintain good facial skin, you must eat healthy, sleep enough and exercise. Most important of all, you must drink enough clear water (soft drinks or flavoured drinks don’t really count). A good amount of water is 1.5-2 litres a day. If you have many spots or prone to spots, you should stay away from eating too much oily food. Spots are produced from excess oil, so why would you want to add more oil to your body if you want to get ride of your spots or prevent them? Remember what you eat will have a big affect on the outside!

Make up

Make ups are generally wax base meaning that it will contain oil. No need to worry though. You can still wear make up everyday and should not worsen your skin if you take good care of it. You need to moisturiser 5 mins before applying any foundation or powder. I recommended that you also apply a cream like face primer in between your moisturiser and foundation to add an extra layer of protection and your foundation will last longer. Before you sleep you MUST wash off your make up thoroughly. You must NEVER sleep with your make up on. Your skin will heal and regenerate while you’re asleep (hence the term “beauty sleep”) therefore it is absolutely important that you let your skin breath while sleeping.

Disclaimer

Please note that the information I have placed on this page is from personal experience and may not apply to everyone. I have extremely interested to learn about other’s experience.