Skincare Routines, When Is It Too Damn Much?
The year is 2016. Kylie just introduced her liquid lipstick line. I’m still wearing skinny jeans, but considering making the switch back to mom jeans. It’s a Vibe.
My client most likely just came from a tanning bed and doesn’t even know that you need to wash your face BEFORE you put on products, and I’m trying to explain to them why they NEED to add a moisturizer to their routine! Like C’mon!! Get SOMETHING on your face, please!
Fast forward to a post-pandemic world of social media, targeted advertising, TikTok trends, and a huge uptick in the skincare industry, and a conversation with a client looks a bit different.
Now, a client often sits down in my chair with a 27-step product list.
Sometimes they ask if they should bring in their products to show me, while I ask if they need a U-Haul to get them to me.
For real.
The fact of the matter is, the skincare industry is completely booming, and it’s all like “hang on for dear life” or you fall completely behind. And the worst thing ever is that the person you’re being replaced by is 14 and recording videos of herself applying hemorrhoid cream to her eyelids. What the F*#$ just happened?!
In a world that’s moving 100,000 mph, can we PLEASE slow these trends down for a minute? Skincare does NOT have to be that complicated. You don’t need to put potatoes on your face or bathe in virgin blood every single weekend to have great skin.
Great skin is like art. It’s not about putting every single color on the page; it's about figuring out which colors match and blend and create stunning visuals. The more paint you use, the more muted the original picture becomes. Truly, less is more.
If you have not found the right order for your products, they’re likely not complementing each other. Which means you might as well throw your cash in the toilet than invest in Jlo’s new beauty line.
15-step beauty routines are completely unnecessary, and might be doing more harm than good.
Here are some things to consider when creating your daytime and nighttime routine.
☀️ Daytime is for protecting your skin.
Every day you brush your teeth, comb your hair, put on your clothes, and head into that big, scary world. You step out into an environment that’s full of pollution, UV rays, and, apparently, according to experts, feces on every doorknob (which has haunted me every day since I learned about it).
It only makes sense that the products you use in the morning are intended to shield you from all that scariness. Your focus should be on locking in moisture (warding off anything that comes to steal it), protecting your skin cells from damage via external factors, and most obviously. . .SUNSCREEN ALWAYS.
🌖 Nighttime is for restoring and revising.
You should be adjusting your routine to follow this rule. Nighttime is when your entire being goes into a mode meant to repair itself. Sleep is how we recover from the flu, and it is also how we transform our skin. Remember, your skin is just one big organ. It needs sleep, water, and nutrients. Your nighttime products are meant to encourage this restoration process.
👩🏼🔬 pH levels matter.
I don’t expect you to put on a lab coat and test the pH of your products, but keep in mind that different types of products work on specific pH levels. They call them “acids” for a reason. Say you use a product that works best on a pH 3.5, and you immediately follow it with a moisturizer that sits closer to a pH 6.5, you have effectively neutralized your products. And that is just a waste of money.
⌚️ Exfoliate regularly. Period.
I don’t care how many serums you use; if you don’t exfoliate your face, they are NOT benefiting you. Would you ever paint your house without stripping off the old paint first? No, because it would look janky as hell. The paint wouldn't go on smoothly and would probably slough back off with the crusty old paint.
The same runs true for skincare. If you’re not exfoliating off old, dead skin cells, they’re essentially getting in the way of that $150 serum you just put on. If you’re dropping cash to nourish your already dead skin cells, then by all means keep doing it. Personally, I want it IN my pores.
🚫 Don’t over-exfoliate. Seriously.
If you’re using 4 different AHA products, that’s just plain overkill. Pick one. I realize that everyone has a favorite glycolic acid product that completely changed their lives, but I promise, you are in for a BAD time if you’re using too many acid products at once.
🙅🏼♀️ Don’t believe the hype. Or influencers.
It’s right for them, but is it right for YOU? Keep in mind that what my skin needs is completely separate from what your skin needs. We all have unique situations, and it’s better to have a few products that are right for you than extra ones that are going to get in the way.
When in doubt, estheticians are crucial in helping you find the right balance for your skin. We can tell you what to add and what to stop using to keep your skin healthy and beautiful. These days, we’re more necessary than ever in undoing some of the harm that has been done by big money advertising. L'Oréal has absolutely no idea who you are or what you actually need.
Find an esthetician who cares about you more than the big business company on your newsfeed, or an influencer out to get another buck off whoever will pay them the most. We are here to bat for you. We cheer for you, support you, and know what your skin needs, just as much as we know what semester of college your kid is going into this year.
Estheticians are here to love, educate, and protect you from greedy wolves in a multi-billion-dollar industry that is targeting how you feel about yourself. We’re always ready to help you feel like the beautiful self you are in a way that honors what you genuinely need.
Need help with products? Come in for a session!
