Some people like to go all out with their skincare routines on Valentine’s Day, believing that they need a 15-step regimen if they want their skin to really glow.
However, good skincare doesn’t need to be complicated. While there’s definitely nothing wrong with spending time on your skin, keeping things simple can sometimes do your skin a world of good. After all, you don’t want to overwhelm it with new products and techniques right before your big Valentine’s Day date!
So, if you’d like to stay minimal while still ensuring that your skin looks and feels it’s very best, read on as we share some highly effective yet very basic skincare tips.
Always Cleanse Your Skin Before Applying Other Products
One of the most basic skincare tips that we can share also happens to be one of the most important; always cleanse your skin before applying any other skincare products over the top.
Why does this matter so much? Because, even if you’re only quickly slapping on a moisturizer, failing to cleanse means that anything that you apply to your face will only be layered over the top of all of the dirt, sebum, and pollutants that build up on the skin over the course of the day.
This is a problem for two reasons. Firstly, it prevents your skincare products from taking effect. Rather than coming into direct contact with your skin cells, they’ll be blocked by all of the grime on your face, rendering them far less effective.
Secondly, applying skincare products to dirty skin will only cause congestion. Rather than sinking into your pores, those products will mix with the oil and dirt particles on your skin. Then, they’ll dive into your pores together, resulting in blockages. Nobody wants to be dealing with an acne breakout on Valentine’s Day, making cleansing a must!
Don’t forget to rinse your face with cool, rather than warm, water to give your skin an added glow!
Using a Toner Can Hydrate and Balance Your Complexion
A toner isn’t usually included in a basic skincare routine because it isn’t considered an essential. As true as this may be, this simple product could singlehandedly improve your complexion.
How? Well, it goes without saying that you need to pick a good toner in order for this to apply.
For starters, a toner will help to remove any residue left behind by your cleanser. It could be an area of dirt that you missed or even a small amount of cleanser that never rinsed away. Either way, our toner will enhance the quality of your cleanse.
Since a toner comes into direct contact with freshly cleansed skin, this is also a good opportunity to treat your skin to any vitamins that it needs. Look for a toner with niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3. This ingredient, which is also an antioxidant, is famed for how it can strengthen the feel of the skin’s barrier, reduce the appearance of discoloration, and keep the skin feeling protected against environmental aggressors.
Basic Skincare Always Involves a Moisturizer
Once you’ve cleansed, and possibly also toned, you then need to decide exactly how long and complex you want your skincare routine to be. Since we’re all about basic skincare this Valentine’s Day, give your skin a break from the essences, ampoules, and serums that are often recommended.
Instead, skip straight ahead to what is usually the last step of a skincare routine; moisturizing. While all of the other steps in between are optional, moisturizing isn’t. Everyone’s skin, no matter their skin type, needs to feel moisturized and hydrated. A good moisturizer will do exactly that, without leaving your skin feeling weighed down or greasy.
Know How to Layer Your Products
We’ve already shared a very basic skincare routine; cleansing, possibly toning, and moisturizing.
However, if you would like to add in a serum or a face mask as well, then, in order for them to work in the best way possible, you need to understand the order in which they should be applied.
No matter what, cleansing and toning always comes first. After that, there’s an easy rule that you can follow; start with your lightest product and end with the thickest.
Since a basic skincare routine only consists of a few products, this is usually pretty easy to do. However, if you change your mind at the last minute, then spend some time working out the order of thickness when it comes to the products that you use.
This way, the lightest and thinnest products will be able to easily absorb into your skin, before your thicker products seal them in. If you do things the other way around, the thinner products won’t be able to make their way past the thicker formulas that you’ve already applied, meaning that they won’t produce much of a result.
Feed Your Skin From Within
Skincare isn’t solely about the products that you apply to your skin. Instead, even the most basic skincare regimen should take lifestyle factors into consideration, and one of these is diet.
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’? This couldn’t be more true when it comes to your skin. The food that you put into your body will drastically influence how your skin looks and feels. These are the nutrients that support your skin from within, making it important to ensure that you’re feeding your skin with only the very best of ingredients.
Eating one healthy meal after weeks of consuming an unbalanced diet isn’t going to change your complexion overnight. However, even just a few days of healthy eating will soon start to show itself in your skin, making it well worth reassessing your diet in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.
Ideally, you should be filling your diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Pick produce that comes in as many different colors as possible since each color signifies a unique range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Cook up plenty of lean proteins too, and don’t forget about essential fatty acids – these are what give your skin a firm and supple finish.
Of course, moisture is just as vital. Make sure that you’re drinking your eight glasses of water a day. This will keep your skin cells feeling adequately hydrated. Hydrating foods can help to increase your skin’s moisture content too, with watermelons, strawberries, cucumbers, and grapes being good choices.
Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Skincare Products
If you don’t already have an up-to-date skincare arsenal, then you may be tempted to reach for some of those older products in the back of your bathroom cabinet to give your face a boost for Valentine’s Day. However, doing so without checking their expiry dates would be a mistake.
Not only will expired beauty products be less effective, but they could also cause damage to your skin in a few different ways. Some active ingredients are infamous for how they oxidize over time. Apply these to your skin and you’ll be causing oxidative stress to your skin cells, which could lead to irritation, sensitivities, and premature aging.
Old skincare products that have been hanging around in a cupboard or on a shelf for a few years will also be full of bacteria. Once this bacteria makes its way onto your face, a breakout won’t be far behind.
So, while you’ve still got time, make sure that you stock up on any basic skincare essentials before you need to get ready for your Valentine’s Day plans.
Don’t Forget About Your Body
When it comes to your Valentine’s Day skincare efforts, it’s easy to focus on your face, but don’t forget about your body either. This is especially important if you have a romantic night planned!
Fortunately, since the skin on the body is thicker and more robust than the skin on the face, it’s easy enough to practice basic skincare that’s still effective.
Just like with your face, good body care begins with a cleanse. While you’re in the shower, we would recommend using an exfoliating body scrub once you’re done cleansing. A salt-based formula will scrub away dead skin cells, leaving your body looking soft and radiant. Spend some extra time exfoliating the rougher areas of your skin, such as the knees and elbows, to ensure that you’re glowing from head to toe.
Once you step out of the shower, gently pat your skin down to dry it, but don’t dry it completely. Ideally, it should still be damp while you’re applying a body moisturizer. This way, rather than sealing itself over dry skin, the body butter will lock in all of the extra water molecules that are sitting on your skin, pushing them down to give your skin cells an extra dose of moisture.
Keep Your Hands Clean
Once you’ve completed your basic skincare routine and you’re ready to get started with your Valentine’s Day plans, there’s one more thing that you should keep in mind; make sure that your hands remain clean.
Most of us subconsciously touch our faces throughout the day. However, our hands hold so much bacteria. Every surface that your hands have touched since the last time you washed them will transfer bacteria onto your skin. Touch your face with these dirty hands and the delicate skin on your face will soon be swarming with this bacteria too, which can lead to a whole host of skin problems.
Of course, let’s not forget that the more you wash your hands, the drier they’ll be. So, after each wash, swipe some hand cream over your palms. A high quality, lightweight formula will keep your hands feeling soft and smooth after each wash while minimizing the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and loose skin.
Summary
Everyone wants to look their best on Valentine’s Day, and all you need for this is a simple and basic skincare routine. So long as you follow the tips we’ve shared above, you’ll be able to give your skin what it needs to beautifully glow all day long.
Leave A Comment