What does the skin care process include?

Essentially, all skin care procedures can be broken down into two categories: "required basic items" and "optional overlay items." The required items are only three steps: cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. The rest are all content that can be flexibly adjusted according to skin type, skin care needs, and scenarios. There is no fixed unified template.

When I first got into skin care two years ago, I followed the "most complete skin care steps" on the Internet, layer by layer. I applied toner, serum, essence, eye cream, lotion, and facial cream one by one. It took more than ten minutes to complete one set. As a result, my face became dull and closed. When I went to the dermatology department, the doctor asked me to stop all the superimposed items. I washed my face with amino acid cleansing, applied a mild moisturizing lotion, and remember to wear sunscreen when I went out. It took more than a month for my face to return to a stable state.

Of course, this does not mean that overlay items are completely useless, but they must match your skin condition. There is no step that everyone must do. Take the controversial topic of exfoliation as an example. My friends with combination skin tend to get oily in summer and use low-concentration acidic cotton pads to wipe the T-zone once a week. The blackheads and clogged pores are indeed relieved a lot. However, my colleague with sensitive skin followed the trend and used scrub to exfoliate last month. Her face became red and stinging for almost half a month. She couldn't even use ordinary moisturizing lotion. For her, exfoliation is a purely face-ruining operation.

The process will also change in different scenarios. If you wear long-lasting makeup foundation or apply waterproof high-power sunscreen at night, you have to add an extra step of makeup removal before cleansing. If you only apply ordinary commuter sunscreen every day, you can wash it off with a gentle cleanser. There is no need to additionally remove makeup and burden the skin. In the past, I would remove everything I applied first, which made my cuticles thin. As soon as the season changed, I would become red and itchy. After changing this habit, I slowly recovered.

In fact, the skin care process is very much like eating. Basic cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreen are staple foods that must be eaten every day to ensure the most basic metabolic needs of the skin. Functional essences, exfoliation, and patch masks are like snacks. If you digest well (skin tolerance is strong) and have additional nutritional needs (whitening, anti-aging, etc.), it is okay to add a little. If you have a weak gastrointestinal tract (sensitive skin), eating too many snacks will cause indigestion. There is no need to add steps just to make up the "complete process."

Oh yes, it’s also interesting to see whether toners, which are hotly debated on the Internet, have an IQ tax. Some people think that the concentration of active ingredients in toners is very low, and they evaporate before being absorbed when applied to the face. Some people think that if you have oily skin, you should use a refreshing toner as a base in summer. After applying lotion, you won’t feel stuffy and it will feel better. In fact, there is no standard answer to this. If you feel comfortable, just leave it on. If you find it troublesome, skip it and it will not affect the skin care effect at all.