I started caring for my skin when I was a very young girl. I was raised by my great grandmother who kept a bottle of Oil of Olay on her dressing table. The makers of this pink beauty serum claimed: "...it can help you to look younger too!"
Those words struck a chord in my young mind and motivated me to start using my grandmother's lotion. Now, I don't know why I was obsessed with looking "younger" at the tender age of 13, but I was, and all I can say is that it has definitely paid off over the decades. (I won't give away my age, but I will tell you that people mistake me to be at least 15 to 17 years younger than I actually am.)
Over the years I advanced to more expensive brands: Mary Kay, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Clinique,etc. And I what I found is that you do not need to spend a fortune on beauty. In fact, in my humble experience, the less expensive brands are better. I now use Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser and St. Ives Fresh Skin Scrub, both can be purchased at your local drug store, and my skin has never looked better. In addition, they both are cruelty free withouth harmful additives, unlike many expensive department store brands.
It's so important that we take care of our skin. Years ago, I was shocked to learn from some of my old co-workers that none of them moisturized their skin nor did they have a daily skincare routine. Not only would they slab on makeup all over their faces in the morning, but they also wouldn't remove it before going to bed at night!
Removing your makeup at the end of the day is crucial to having a healthy complexion: it prevents clogged pores, breakouts, and irritations to the skin. It also allows the skin to "breathe" and regenerate while you sleep.
Here is a five-minute skincare routine that you can do in just three simple steps so you can have beautiful skin!
Wash your face morning and night with a gentle facial cleanser to remove all dirt, oil, and makeup.
Exfoliate with a gentle facial scrub. This will help to remove dead skin cells, which helps to improve the appearance of your skin. Exfoliation can also help your skin to look brighter and feel smoother while improving the effectiveness of topical skincare products by enhancing absorbtion.
Moisturize the skin. Moisturizing the skin is imperative to having and maintaining healthy, youthful-looking skin. A good moisturizer prevents dryness, reduces wrinkles, and promotes a supple, radiant complexion.
Eyes and Premature Aging
The skin around the eyes is prone to showing signs of aging early, so investing in a good eye cream and applying it carefully can help you to prevent these signs.
If you decide to splurge a little on an eye cream, you should look for one that addresses your specific concerns: dark circles, puffiness, or fine lines, and choose ingredients that target those issues.
It's also important to drink plenty of water and to stay well-hydrated throughout the day, especially if you drink coffee and wine. Water is essential for healthy, radiant skin because it hydrates skin cells, promotes cell function, and maintains elasticity. It also aids in the elimination of toxins which can result in a smoother, brighter complexion while also reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The takeaway: By investing in just 5 to 10 minutes a day to yourself, you can establish a five-minute skincare routine and have healthier, younger, and more radiant-looking skin.
Sources
WebMD. (n.d.). Drinking water: Does it help your skin?. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/drink-water-skin
Why you should always wash off makeup before bed: Dermalogica®. Dermalogica. (n.d.). https://www.dermalogica.com/blogs/living-skin/wash-off-makeup-at-night
The importance of moisturizing. The Importance of Moisturizing | UT Medical Center. (n.d.). https://www.utmedicalcenter.org/blog-post/importance-moisturizing