Skin Care Routine Tips: 5 Easy Steps to Beautiful Skin

March 23, 2017

When it comes to finding skin care, it seems like a never-ending quest. There is an infinite array of beauty advice, rules, and potions that promise to give you the complexion of your dreams. With all the overwhelming amount of information to us, it can be hard to know what works best and how to spend your money wisely.        

So, where do you begin? Are you supposed to exfoliate daily? What products actually work? What is a toner, anyway? How do you know what’s best for your skin type?

If you’ve pondered some of these questions, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for five essential skin care routine tips for healthy, radiant skin.

But first, it’s important to determine your skin type so you purchase products formulated for your needs. Your skin type can also change with age as will your skin concerns. We  have different skin issues in our 20s than we typically do in our 40s.

What’s your skin type?

Here are helpful hints to identify your skin type.

• Normal Skin is smooth and firm to the touch with small- to medium-sized pores.  Not too dry and not too oily––just right. You may also experience an occasional break out.

• Dry Skin is dehydrated and feels tight, rough, flaky, or bumpy in areas. The culprit? Lack of moisture. If this is you, avoid skin care with harsh chemicals and soaps that strip away natural oil and leave your skin parched.

• Oily Skin usually has a visible shimmer and larger pores, making it prone to trapping dirt and oil which can cause blemishes. The key to controlling oil slicks is balanced hydration (more on this in the next section!). The silver lining to oily skin is that it is less prone to wrinkles!

• Combination Skin is characterized by patches of oily and dry areas. For example, you might have an oily T-zone, dry cheeks, but the rest of your skin is normal. This is the most common of all the skin types.

• Sensitive Skin tends to sunburn easily and reacts to chemicals or fragrances found in skin care or makeup. It can also be sensitive to seasonal changes. Sound familiar? If so, you’re a prime candidate for natural skin care products to prevent irritation and breakouts.

Your ‘Holy Grail’ Skin Care Routine Tips

It’s never too late to start developing healthy habits and preserve your skin’s youthful glow. You may even find that you’ve picked up some bad habits or have been doing some things wrong. Perhaps now is the time to upgrade your skin care game.

Here are some skin care tips to keep you on the path to beautiful skin.

Step 1: Prep and cleanse. First, prep your skin by removing any trace of makeup, then follow it up with a deep cleanse, a method dubbed the “double-cleanse” by Korean women who use this beauty practice to maintain their famously flawless skin.

Start by using an oil-based formula, such as Abbey St Clare’s Rice & Olives Multi-Tasking Oil, to melt away pore-clogging debris and makeup. It’s an alcohol-free formula packed with antioxidant-rich plant oils, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q that your skin will soak up, without drying out out your skin. Ideal for sensitive and delicate skin around the eyes.

For the second part of the “double-cleanse,” use a gentle cleanser designed for your skin type, whether that is a mild cream cleanser, balm, or liquid. You can play it safe and use the Aniba Cleanser, which is perfect for any skin type. It has a unique blend of helichrysum, rosewood, and chamomile to calm and balance the skin.

Apply the cleanser using soft, circular motions to stimulate blood circulation, then remove with a face cloth soaked with cool water. Do not to vigorously rub or it may cause inflammation or lead to breakouts–exactly what you don't want. Pat dry with a towel.  

Step 2: Buff it out and exfoliate. Supple skin is devoid of dead cells building up on the surface, which could otherwise cause clogged pores, uneven skin tone, and worsen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

A natural earth clay mask or scrub is your best defense to deeply clean pores and pull out impurities. Focus on your T-zone and areas with larger pores. You can even use it as an overnight exfoliating mask and wake up to smoother and younger-looking skin. Do this step no more than one-to-two times per week, depending on your skin type. Too much exfoliation can aggravate your skin or leave it bone-dry.

Step 3: Tighten with a toner. Ditch the alcohol-based toner–the worst for drying out your skin–and look for one with nourishing plant extracts and essential oils, which is tailored for a variety of skin types and will naturally balance out skin oils.

Why use a toner? It removes residue that may have been missed after cleansing and balances the pH of your skin, prepping it for moisturizing.

Dab toner onto a cotton pad and apply to your face and neck. Do not dry your skin with a towel before applying moisturizer – let it breathe and air-dry.

Step 4: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. After cleansing and toning, you are ready to replenish your skin with a hydrosol, facial serum, and cream that encourages cellular renewal and restores hydration. Also, slow down the development of prematurely aged skin and sun damage by using a moisturizer that contains SPF.

Even if you have the oiliest skin known to man, using the correct serum and cream that balances oil production while moisturizing is the best thing you can do for it. Keeping your skin hydrated prevents your sebaceous glands from kicking into overdrive. It also keeps roughness and flakes at bay for those with dry skin.

Abbey St Clare offers a variety of hydrosols that soothe, clarify, and balance moisture. You can also use a hydrating facial serum such as Heule de Beaute, with its antioxidants and magical oils: marula, argan, evening primrose, rosehip, frankincense, and sea buckthorn berry to boost collagen and for velvety-smooth skin.

Every concentrated drop packs a punch. Just warm up a few drops of the vitamin-rich oil or cream by rubbing it between your fingers, then massage into the skin starting from the center of your face working outward and upward to counter to counter wrinkles. Allow to completely absorb before applying makeup or let it deeply absorb into the cells overnight. For best results, consistency is key.

Step 4: Anti-aging eye treatment. Prevention is much easier than trying to turn back the hands of time. Keep fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles away with Abbey St Clare’s Essential Eye Cream. It’s pumped full of peptides to super-moisturize your eye area and diminish dark circles, puffiness, and the look of fine lines.

Pat cream under your eyes and along the ocular bone and brow line, as well as where crow’s feet form. Use gentle motions and never pull on the skin. Your eyes will look their best when applied morning and night, plus it helps prevent new lines from forming.

Step 5: Night time beautifying. Lovely skin tomorrow begins the night before. For the gorgeous grand finale before getting your beauty sleep, slather on a generous amount of ultra-rich moisturizer. Think of it like a cream mask that locks in moisture and repairs your skin while you sleep.

For those with skin like the Sahara desert, a deeply nourishing night oil treatment and cream will be your best friend. Use it religiously to revitalize dull and dry skin.

Apply liberally to your face and neck, including the brow bone area, under the chin, and behind the ears. Massage into skin and allow it to absorb for several minutes.

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