TOP 10 STEPS TO BUILDING A GREAT SKINCARE ROUTINE AS A MALE OR FEMALE TO ACHIEVE CLEARER SKIN

Who says skin care is only for women or even younger people alone? 🌚 Building a great skincare routine should be a thing for “All”!

You’d be surprised how many men and much older men and women visit spas monthly to have their skin worked on or who have skin care products recommended for constant use or weekend personal skin-pampering sessions.

Aside from this, whether it’s the skin of a female/woman or the skin of a man/male, it is still “Skin,” so regardless of skin tone or type, your skin greatly needs a lot. Some of these needs are constant moisturizing, cleansing, properly homemade food, fruits, a lot of water, and course, some excellent and intentional rest at a private or a public beach.

Now, there is a category of beginners who have absolutely no idea about skincare, the products to use, or who to trust when purchasing skin care products, while the other category knows a thing or two about skincare products but has not figured out a way to make it work. It is one thing to have skincare products, it is another to layer them correctly to achieve the desired results.

Moving on, you should know that the very first thing to be aware of as you work towards building a great skincare routine as a male or a female, is the specific skin type that you have. There are 4 different types of skin:

• Oily Skin
• Dry Skin
• Normal Skin
• Combination Skin
• Sensitive Skin

A visit to your dermatologist is not a bad idea if you cannot figure out what skin type you have.

Your Guide Into Building A Great Skincare Routine

Let’s take a quick look into some progressive steps that would guide you as a beginner into building that great skincare routine.

Step 1: Wash Your Face

This is a general rule of thumb in your skincare routine, and it is important to wash your face in the morning and at night. This also means your skincare routine is best practised in the morning and at night. 

Step 2: Apply Cleanser

Applying a facial cleanser comes in immediately after washing your face. Put the Cleanser on clean palms, massage it into your face, and gently wash it. If you are a makeup user, it means that you would have to repeat this process twice or more. When you are done, rinse out the cleanser with some water.

Step 3: Apply Toner

Toners are not necessary for everyone, but they can be used if you have specific skin concerns, for example, if you have acne-prone skin, dry skin, or sensitive skin there are different kinds of toners you should look out for. It is best to seek the help of your dermatologist for this. Toners for all skin types usually contain moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Other skin-soothing ingredients to look for include chamomile and rosewater. To use toner, pour a few drops on your palm or a cotton pad, and gently rub them on your face.

Step 4: Apply Serum

The best time to use serum is in the morning, serum with antioxidants e.g., Vitamin C. This serum is great because it helps to protect your skin from free radicals encountered during the day. While using the serum, always remember that water-based serum should go underneath your moisturizer, while oil-based serums should be applied after your moisturizer.

Step 5: Apply Eye Cream

Applying moisturizer under your eye can work in place of the eye cream, but if you choose to use a specialized eye cream, it is layered before the moisturizer since eye creams are thinner than moisturizers.

Step 6: Use Spot Treatment

Use Spot Treatment: If you have acne-prone skin, you should use a spot treatment, preferably at night. Note that you should be mindful of layering acne-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acids with retinol. Make sure to contact your skin care provider for the best product/brand to use.

Step 7: Apply Moisturizer

The type of moisturizer you use depends on your skin type. The main purpose of the moisturizer is to hydrate and soften your skin. Moisturizers sometimes have SPF, which protects your skin from sun rays. If you are wearing makeup, your moisturizer comes in just after applying your serum. Apply on your palm and rub on your face in a circle-like motion.

Step 8: Apply Retinoid

This reduces dark spots and breakouts but can irritate sensitive skin. Retinoid is best used at night because exposure to sun rays breaks it down. They also make your skin extra sensitive to the sun, so sunscreen must be used after a retinoid.

Step 9: Appy Facial Oil

Applying your face oil after your skin care product is best since it is oil, and nothing can penetrate it. Using Face oil is not a must you can choose to leave it out of your skincare routine.

Step 10: Apply Sunscreen

Sunscreen This is the final and most important part of your skincare routine, any dermatologist will tell you that sunscreen is a very important step. It protects your skin from skin cancer and signs of aging.

Need Some More Pep Talk? 🤓

I know some of us can get carried away being so busy at our day or night jobs making money, and learning more ways to make money online and offline. As a result, we stuff up our diet wrongly, having although very sumptuous and munchy, but not too great fast foods and drinks. Some even go overboard with ice cream and oily foods such as akara, fish pie, buns, etc. You know what they say, “too much of a thing can be bad”. Really though, setting up or building a great skincare routine isn’t so much hard work, it just needs some extra dedication than you’re already giving to keep at it, but hey! If you can follow these suggested steps, the outcome over time will be more than enough to get you feeling super skin fulfilled.

You can go from being a beginner to a pro in just a short time when you learn to get your skincare routine right. As there are many genuine skincare brands, there are more fraudulent and fake skincare products/vendors. It is paramount to your skin’s health that you know your exact skin type, how to choose the right skin care product(s)/plug, and where to get them.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to properly cleanse your skin at least twice daily, moisturize it always, and drink lots of water and some good food. Asides from these, and the above-listed routines, other things contribute to great skin. Some of them are:

• Get your beauty sleep
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet
• Use clay mask to remove impurities
• Stay hydrated always
• Protect your skin from excess sunlight
• Workout as often as possible
• Exfoliate more
• Take a lot of vegetables like edikang ikong soup, bitterleaf soup, efo riro, etc.
• Use water-based hair products
• Get a good night’s rest
• Be happy always
• Spend quality time with friends and family

Care for and love your skin as you should, and it would love up on you right back!

Stay Beautiful! 🥰