The Skin You’re In: An Intro to Skincare

“In polite society, a well-maintained skincare routine is one of life’s great successes.”

• Violet Grey, “The Industry’s Beauty Edit”

It’s the largest organ in the human body, and your first defense against the outside world. Your skin is perhaps one of the most important parts of your body, and it’s also the best accessory to the perfect outfit. For your health and for your beauty, the best thing you can do is take care of your skin. But how do you ensure that your skin is being treated properly?

First, there are some key rules to follow to prevent breakouts and infections:

1.  Avoid popping, picking, or irritating your skin. Though many believe that the best way to eliminate a pimple or blemish is to pop it, this can be dangerous. If you pick at your skin with your nails or fingers, you risk introducing harmful bacteria to the site that can actually make your problems worse. Popping and picking can also lead to the development of acne scars and painful lesions.
2. Remove your makeup before going to bed. Going to sleep with your makeup on can jump start a breakout or trigger inflammation. Powders and liquids can clog your pores and trap dirt under your skin, and sleeping with makeup on can cause irritation if mascara or eye shadow gets in your eye. Makeup can also stain your pillow case!
3. Wash your face daily. This rule goes hand in hand with #2. Washing your face with a gentle daily cleanser removes dirt and oils from your skin, unblocking your pores and reducing the risk of acne.
4. Avoid touching your skin. Your hands (and cell phone screen) are cesspools of bacteria and other skin irritants. Touching your face can spread oils and gunk around your face, which can lead to breakouts.
5. Wear a daily sunscreen.  This is one of the most beneficial and most disputed recommendations. People just hate wearing sunblock! I’ve heard every complaint under the sun- “I’m too dark to wear sunscreen”, “I don’t burn/I tan”, “sunblock smells bad”, “sunblock irritates my skin”, “sunscreen causes me to have a white cast”, “sunscreen feels uncomfortable” are some of the most popular ones- but those are just excuses. I’ll rant about this in another post, but sunblock is not optional. The sun’s rays are incredibly damaging (yes, even if it’s cloud and you can’t see the damage it causes), and sunblock is the most effective way to prevent skin cancer and wrinkles.
6. Start a skincare routine. Okay, so technically this step is optional but highly recommended. A skincare routine is just a daily (or twice a day) routine that prevents and treats a variety of skin issues (from acne to wrinkles to dry skin and more). A skincare routine must be highly personalized to maximize effectiveness, as every individual’s skin is different and each routine must be designed around your own specific issues. However, there are guides and basic routines that have been tried and tested that beginners can start with, and it’s easy to find product recommendations once you know your skin type.
7. Go to the dermatologist. A dermatologist is a doctor specifically trained to treat skin disorders and concerns, and thus can help you target problems you face (from discoloration to scarring to severe acne). If a situation is bad enough, your dermatologist might prescribe more powerful products and medications to subdue and control hormonal acne or pigmentation. And, your dermatologist will check you for skin cancer, so it’s a win-win. You should go once a year, or once every six months if you’re like me and have a family history of skin cancer.