A newbie's guide to skin care: The basics

One thing that I've always struggled with is skin care. I know there's a science behind skin care, but then again, science was never my best subject either!

As a teenager, I had a lot of pimples and acne as I turned 13-14 which then immediately stopped as soon as I turned 15. In that time, I've tried a whole multitude of products. Now I've come to the point where I can simplify which products I need and which I don't and protect my skin from aging and wrinkles (a.k.a not depend on "black don't crack")




1) A good deep cleansing wash

An example of a cleansing wash. Picture: drugstore.com

The point of a good deep cleansing wash for me is to bring out clearer skin. This is usually done by exfoliators and the one that I like to use is Olay's Clarify & Cleanse daily scrub (I don't think this is available anymore...I've had this for quite a while so the chance of it not being available was there). One thing to note- some clarify and cleanse products states that you can use it daily, however, products that cleanse and/or clarify shouldn't be used daily. I use it about once a week because any more than that could be irritating and drying.

2) A gentle face wash

An example of a gentle skin cleanser (Picture credit: drugstore.com)

A gentle face wash is the product that I use everyday. Non irritating, gets the job done so that the skin can retain moisture. Some products that one could use include Cetaphil's Gentle Skin cleanser or the Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. Products like these are generally non-irritating (although if your skin is sensitive and you want to use Cetaphil, go with the formula for sensitive skin) and as I said earlier, great for daily use.

3)A moisturizer that has a minumum SPF of 15

An example of a moisturizer with UV protection

A moisturizer with SPF 15 is a must for anyone of any age, skin color and skin type. Protection from the sun is vital and I think will help your skin to look better in the long run. Brands like Aveeno, Neutrogena, Olay and even your favorite foundation have products that provide SPF protection, but the price range varies.

So those are three important products to start with to take care of the skin. Skincare is always evolving so find products that suit your lifestyle and bring out a better you.