By now, you may have a rich assortment of high-quality skin care products "on the shelf. Attracted by the positive effects of the various ingredients, you think you can keep your facial skin in optimal condition. But: are you following the right order? Timing is everything. But also knowing what to apply. Don't use too many products (at once) and won't they counteract each other?
That's why we thought of a basic and an advanced routine for you. So that you know exactly how to handle your facial skin and make it sparkle. If you are already a pro and have been using the basic skincare routine below for a while you can skip straight to the Advanced Skin Routine, Easy does it!
Just the right steps and what products you use to achieve the best results.
BASIC SKINCARE ROUTINE (With Grown Alchemist!)
Step 1: Facial Cleanser
The first step you take in the morning is to cleanse your face. That's an essential part of your skincare regime. This is because a good cleanser will remove all sebum, dead skin cells and dirt from your face. In the evening before you go to bed you do the same, of course. Washing your face with just water is not enough. Water does not dissolve fatty particles, resulting in the clogging of your sebaceous glands. In addition, the active ingredients in a toner or moisturizer can penetrate better into a cleansed skin.
So we advise you to invest in a good cleanser. One that suits your skin perfectly. In any case, it should be a mild cleanser that makes sure the skin does not dry out or become irritated. An excellent facial cleanser will prevent clogged pores, pale dull skin and pimples.
Step 2: Toner
The second step to healthy skin is a good toner. A good mild moisturizing toner helps soothe and protect irritated skin. Using a toner also strengthens the skin barrier and maintains a healthy moisture balance in your skin. In addition, it also enhances the active ingredients of other skincare products; think of it as a liquid primer that prepares your skin for the rest of your skincare regime.
Step 3: Face Cream
The final step in a basic skincare regime is to apply a face cream. Always apply a moisturizer (moisturizer) as soon as possible after you use a toner. This is because many active ingredients in a cream are more easily absorbed by damp skin. By applying your face cream immediately after using a toner, you ensure that both moisture and the active ingredients of the toner are, as it were, enclosed in the skin.
So in your skincare regime, always use a moisturizing product first (in this case, a toner) and then a moisturizer. This is because hydration delivers moisture to your skin, and moisturizers lock it in.
Our advice is to choose a face cream with SPF so that you are protected against skin damage from the sun (the biggest contributor to skin aging). Or even better, after your cream, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Not just in the summer, there is still plenty of Uv radiation in the winter as well.
Tip: Now should you have a very oily skin, a day cream may be unnecessary. In that case, a toner is a great alternative to a cream. Just be careful not to dry out your skin; oily skin tends to crack.
ADVANCED SKINCARE ROUTINE (With Medik8!)
Above we have outlined the basic steps on how to get and keep your facial skin in great condition in a relatively quick way. Of course you can go a few steps further. It can always go next level. If you are ready for that by now, we give you 7 steps to get and keep your skin in excellent condition.
Step 1: Facial cleanser
The first step in the morning is to cleanse your face. This is an essential part of your skincare regime. A good cleanser removes all sebum, dead skin cells and schmutz from your face. In the evening before you go to bed you do the same, of course. Washing your face with just water is not enough. In fact, washing your face with soap and water causes your skin to dry out. Water also does not dissolve grease particles, resulting in the clogging of your sebaceous glands. In addition, the active ingredients of the other products in your skincare routine can also penetrate a cleansed skin better.
So we advise you to invest in a good cleanser. One that suits your skin perfectly. In any case, it should be a mild cleanser that makes sure the skin does not dry out or become irritated. An excellent facial cleanser will prevent clogged pores, pale dull skin and pimples.
Step 2: Scrub Exfoliator
One step further in cleansing your face is exfoliating or scrubbing the skin. After a cleanser has cleared your skin of dirt, you can use an exfoliant to remove the top layer of your dead skin cells. This will actually stimulate your skin cells to renew themselves faster, making your skin more even, soft and radiant. Scars and blemishes will also fade faster as a result. By the way, don't do this more than once or twice a week, unless it says on the package that it is so mild that it is suitable for daily use. Of course, you want to avoid damaging your skin.
Just what is the difference between exfoliation and exfoliation?
- Scrubbing is physical. With tactile granules, you scrub away dead skin cells in a fairly robust way.
- Exfoliating is chemical. Instead of literally scrubbing off dead skin cells, you use ingredients such as fruit acids, glycolic acid or salicylic acid to loosen the dead skin cells.
The result is the same, only the action differs. So it all depends on what you prefer and what works best for your skin. Make sure that when you exfoliate, you do so gently. If you scrub too coarsely, the skin barrier can be damaged.
Caution: Should you have used an exfoliator, it is not advisable to use a serum containing glycolic or salicylic acid afterwards. These acids are already present in the chemical peeling, so the skin undergoes the same treatment twice in a row. You run a great risk of damaging your skin. Our advice is: "Work smarter, not harder".
Step 3: Toner
After removing the dead skin cells from your skin, a toner is the next step to healthy skin. In fact, a good mild moisturizing toner helps soothe and protect irritated skin. Using a toner also strengthens the skin barrier and maintains a healthy moisture balance in the skin. In addition, it also enhances the active ingredients of other skincare products; think of it as a liquid primer that prepares your skin for the rest of your skincare regime.
Step 4: Serum
Think of applying a serum as an extra tool you can use to address a specific skin problem. Here you can think of counteracting skin aging, pigmentation, hydrating dry skin or treating blemishes. So it is important to choose a serum that suits your specific skin problem.
- Skin aging, wrinkles and fine lines: vitamin A (retinol), vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, peptides
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Hyperpigmentation: Thiamidol, vitamin C, azelaic acid, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), alpha arbutin
Acne: Salicylic acid (BHA), vitamin B3 (niacinamide), glycolic acid (AHA), azelaic acid, vitamin A (retinol) - Dry skin: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides
- Dull skin: Vitamin C, vitamin A (retinol), glycolic acid (AHA)
- Sensitive skin: Vitamin B3, C and E, salicylic acid (BHA), glycolic acid (AHA)
- Oily skin: Vitamin B3 (niacinamide), vitamin C, licorice root extract (glycyrrhizia glabra), hyaluronic acid
Step 5: Facial cream
A perfect follow-up step after a serum is the application of a high-quality face cream. The benefit of a high-quality face cream is that you maintain the skin's moisture balance. It has a nourishing effect and keeps the skin healthy.
Our advice is to choose a face cream with SPF so that you are protected from skin damage caused by the sun (the biggest contributor to skin aging). Or even better, after your cream, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Not just in the summer, there is still plenty of Uv radiation in the winter as well.
Tip: Especially with dry skin, it is recommended to use a nourishing and moisturizing night cream. This cream can then soak in throughout the night, providing your skin with extra nourishment and hydration.
Step 6: Eye cream
It is important not to forget the skin under the eyes. This fragile area is in fact very sensitive. This is where the signs of skin aging begin to be noticed first. Therefore, we recommend applying a high-quality cream or gel here as well.
A good eye cream not only nourishes and moisturizes, it also improves skin elasticity and combats fine lines, dark circles and puffiness under the eyes. The earlier you start taking care of the areas around your eyes, the less likely you are to have dark circles, puffy bags and noticeable lines. For best results, use an eye cream during the day and apply it before you go to sleep.
Note: When using a special serum or cream for under the eyes make sure that you have not applied a face cream to this area first. This is duplicating the nourishing effect.
Work Smarter. Not Harder
Make sure you do not duplicate products with the same ingredients, as this does not make much sense and can even be harmful to your skin. So always read what ingredients are present in which products. For example, do not use a serum with acids like glycolic or salicylic if you have just extensively scrubbed your face with an exfoliator that contains the exact same ingredients.
Also avoid wrong combinations. Especially with vitamin C, things often go wrong. Products containing vitamin C should preferably not be combined with vitamin A (retinol) and other acids (hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, does no harm). Therefore, we recommend using products containing vitamin C in the morning and skincare products with other active ingredients in the evening before you go to bed.
It is also better to use moisturizing products in the evening anyway, because then your skin has a chance to actually absorb a moisturizer properly. Especially men with dry skin therefore do well to use a good night cream.
Can you see water burning when reading some of the tricky terms in this article? Then read our Big Skincare Dictionary. Here we explain all the skin care terms (that you as a man should know) in detail for you. If you still have questions based on this article, please let us know! Then we can help you.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men.