How to Build the Perfect Skincare Routine for Your Skin in 4 Steps

Here's a secret about skincare that most people aren't telling you: your skincare routine is only going to work if 1) it's tailored to your skincare needs and 2) you actually do it. Doing the work (and really, it's not that much work) to maintain healthy, glowing skin is up to you. As for tailoring your skincare routine to your skin, well, Hale Cosmeceuticals can help with that. Here's our 4-step plan:

Step 1: Know Your Skin Type

Before you begin shopping for skincare products, you need to narrow down your choices because there's a lot of them. The first step to finding products that are really going to work for you is to make sure they are formulated for your skin type.

What's a skin type? It's the general constitution of your skin, usually described in one of the following ways:

• Oily - your skin produces excess oil, often resulting in clogged pores. Oily skin is often acne-prone because clogged pores create ideal conditions for the overgrowth of bacteria.

• Dry - your skin produces insufficient oil. Signs of dry skin are itching and flaking, and many people experience a tight feeling because of poor elasticity.

• Sensitive - your skin is more reactive to irritants, sometimes because of an underlying mild inflammatory condition, like rosacea or eczema.

• Combination - your skin is oily in areas, usually the T-zone, and dry in others, typically your cheeks.

Sometimes dry and sensitive are combined because dryness often contributes to sensitivity, and what irritates one will likely exacerbate the other.

Most people know their skin type. But, sometimes medications or other treatments may mask your true skin type. If you want to be sure, take our personal skin assessment.

Step 2: Know Your Skincare Goals

Before you can populate your medicine cabinet with products that will deliver the results you want, you have to know what results you want.

Skincare goals are driven by your preferences, so take some time to identify what healthy skin means for you. Do you want:

• Clearer skin (i.e. fewer acne breakouts)?
• Thicker, firmer skin (i.e. less crepey)?
• Fewer lines and wrinkles?
• Less redness overall?
• Brighter under-eye area?
• Less puffiness under your eyes?
• More even skin tone?

Your skincare goals will determine if what best suits you is an anti-aging formula, oil-reducing treatment, skin brightener, etc.

Step 3: Pick Your Products

When you know your skin type and skincare goals, you can better select product formulas that will work with your skin for best results. To make sure you choose the best quality products, keep these tips in mind:

• Avoid products made with animal byproducts and/or heavily synthesized active ingredients. Plant-derived ingredients are often much safer and ecologically friendly options.
• Look for products manufactured and packaged to ensure the highest potency of active ingredients. Look for products that indicate they are cold processed and, especially for antioxidant products, packaged in dark bottles.
• Find the right moisturizer base for your skin type - generally water-based for oily complexions and oil-based for dry/sensitive skin types.

Cost is not always the best indicator of product quality, but there are some products for which you get what you pay for. Products advertised to use advanced skincare technologies will likely be pricier because the research and development required to formulate them and the careful processing to produce them will be reflected in the price.

Step 4: Outline a Routine that Actually Works for You

Once you've selected the best products for your skin type and skin care goals, you will only get the best results if you apply them as directed. That means you need to apply them with the frequency and in the order indicated on product instructions.

So, if you have a serum that says apply morning and evening on freshly cleansed skin, you need to apply the serum two times daily after you've washed and patted your skin dry but before you apply moisturizer. Don't skip applications.

If you have a masque that says use weekly for best results, don't think you're going to accelerate results by using it every three days. Likely you're going to experience over-drying or worse. At Hale Cosmeceuticals, we formulate our products to achieve visible results. We want you to get the best results, so all our products have clear application instructions and recommendations for product combinations. If you have questions about how to best use our products, contact us. A knowledgeable representative will be happy to assist you.