With fall here and winter just peeking around the corner, it’s time for a quick back-to-basic skin care routine for the everyday woman. As estheticians and salon professionals, it’s your goal to educate your clients on their skin, and point them in the right direction as to what products they should be using. With the copious amounts of input they’re receiving from friends, family, and the Internet, their skin care routine can become quite complicated. Skin care starts by dividing different routines by morning and evening. If you’re already doing this, you’re off to a great start. Here are some basic tips to help you, and your clients, get on the right track.
AM Routine:
- Light rinse of the skin with water (if you are struggling with acne or you wake up with large amounts of oil, you may want to do a gentle cleanse here)
- Antioxidant serum – Serums are essential. Since they are the smallest molecule in any skin care line, they are going to be penetrating the deepest, so you want to apply them first before heavier emollients. There are many different serums out there, make sure you are using one specific to your skin type.
- Eye Cream – If you’re over 20 years old you should start now with a basic eye cream.
- Moisturizer – This is going to vary for everyone, but it should be a light moisturizer with some replenishing properties.
- SPF – Sunscreen should be applied every single day, even on rainy and overcast days. Not only should sunscreen be applied in the morning, but reapplied 15 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours after that. Sunscreen is your best defense against the aging properties of UVA/UVB rays.
PM Routine:
- Cleanse – Make sure you’re using a good cleanser for your skin type. Gentle cleansers are pretty universal for most skin types and will take off dirt and debris efficiently.
- Retinol – Retinol is a form of Vitamin A that was created to treat acne patients, but it’s been found that it has many anti-aging properties. Always consult your esthetician or dermatologist before using a retinol, so you don’t over exfoliate and irritate your skin.
- Moisturizer – This can be the same moisturizer you use in your morning routine, but many women use a heavier moisturizer in the evening to combat dryness.
Remember this is just a quick guide for a basic skin care routine and will vary client to client. Have another tip you want to share? Do so in the comments below!
