Skincare 101

First thing you need to know before you continue on reading: I am not a dermatologist; not a licensed beautician or anything remotely close to the beauty profession either. I'm not even someone who has dealt with major cystic acne all her life. So if you find the following post isn't informative enough or is not qualified as an educational post, then I'm sorry for having taken up your time. Or, since I warned you here beforehand, you can choose to not read it at all! That's your choice to make. I do, however, take serious care of my skin and have had the occasional pimple here and there even after reaching my 20s. I have now found what is perhaps the perfect regime for my skin, thus I'm happy to say that acne is something that I am able to tackle most of the time. Read more to find out!

Oh, hello, I see you've chosen to read more. Let's begin, shall we? 

The most important aspect of skincare is that all products you put onto (and subsequently into) your skin should deliver gentle hydration. That's right, hydration - for ALL skin types. Even oily skin needs it! What possibly differs are the ingredients of which hydration may come from and their amounts. Hyaluronic acid, for example, can be universally beneficial, but its differing amounts in various products might prove to be too much or too little for certain skin types. Too much hydration can cause acne due to the excess moisture. Too little hydration can also cause acne, as the skin becomes dehydrated and would secrete acne-inducing oils to compensate for the lack of hydration in the skin. Make sure you find what works for you! Check the ingredients. Hydrating components in skincare products are typically found in the form of humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Humectants take moisture from the outside and lock them into the skin, thus adding moisture in. If your product has sodium hyaluronate, you're in good hands! It's practically the same thing as hyaluronic acid (technically, it's a derivative, but tomayto tomahto).

Another important thing that should be incorporated into your skincare regime is oil. And yes, again, even oily skin needs it! It's all about which oil you should be using. Olive oil is a big no-no for those with oily skin because it has a high oleic acid content. People with dry skin should have no problem using olive oil on their skin, but beware, as it's ever so slightly comedogenic. My personal recommendations would be argan and rosehip seed oil. They are neither too high in oleic acid nor the highest in linoleic acid. In my opinion, the two facial oils are great for all skin types. They're even better for oily skin! I can talk about oleic and linoleic acids all day but we still have lots to cover so you can either do your own research, or comment below and maaaaybe I'll make a separate post all about oils at a later date. For now, take note: high linoleic acid for oily skin, high oleic acid for dry skin.

You might think it's a tad complicated. You're probably busy checking the ingredients in your skincare and feeling stupid because half of the ingredients may sound dang foreign. Or you might be thinking of buying new skincare to cover the points above. Well, worry no more! I bring good news. Facial oils are emollients. They make your skin soft and supple. As they mimic the oils naturally present in your skin, your body would also stop releasing more oil (or sebum), and therefore making you less oily with regular use. For oily skinned guys and gals, providing skin with emollients should be enough to keep the moisture level balanced. No need to slap on more moisturizers! People with extremely dry skin might need a bit more though, so you do what you see fit. Keep in mind that if you're planning to layer your water-based moisturizer with your facial oil, it's always moisturizer first and oil second. Do it the other way round and your moisturizer will not be able to penetrate the skin, i.e. you'd be wasting your precious seconds. For more information on humectants, emollients, and occlusives (water locking agent), this xoJane post is worth reading!

To conclude, make sure your skincare routine contains a balanced amount of oil and humectant components (unless you're really oily, then keep humectants at a minimum). Ingredients to look for: butylene glycol, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate somewhere along the fifth highest from the list. Stay away from anything 'oil-free', 'anti-acne' and harsh physical exfoliants. Ah, exfoliants! Maybe I'll make a post on chemical exfoliants (AHAs & BHAs) later. I don't know why I keep making all these empty promises... let me just refer you to this post from Glow Recipe for more info on the smoothing magical stuff that is AHA (and more).

Lastly, my personal secret to getting rid of pimples: Korean sheet masks! I just slap on a refrigerated mask in the evening for 15-20 minutes, every alternating day. I don't use any specific kind or brand. Anything that moisturizes would do. Pimples wouldn't even burst (ew?) or leave noticeable scars. They just slowly disappear. Moisture does wonders for your skin!    

So I guess that's it for now. Let me know if you're interested in knowing my skincare routine or anything else for that matter. I surely hope you found this article informative. Have a wonderful day ahead!