What are the contents and requirements of the skin care process?

The skin care circle has gone through so many years, but the core basic process has actually not changed much. It is the three necessary options of cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. The remaining functional steps such as whitening, anti-aging, and acne removal are all optional. There is no "standard process" that requires seven or eight steps. Both dermatologists and professional skin care practitioners have reached a consensus on this. There is really no need to be burdened by various "must-do skin care steps for exquisite girls" online.

Not long ago, I met a little girl who had just entered college. She saved up half a month's living expenses and bought a skin care set with eight pieces, including makeup remover, secondary cleansing water, essence, lotion, face cream, eye cream, and sleeping mask. She applied it on her face one by one. Within two weeks, her face became red and closed. She went to the dermatology department at the hospital. The doctor asked her to stop using all products except gentle cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreen. Within a week, most of the redness and closed lips disappeared.

Let’s talk about the easiest part of cleaning first. There has always been a controversial point here: should I use cleansing products in the morning? A common experience among people with dry and sensitive skin is that just rinsing with warm water in the morning is enough. The sebum film itself is thin. Frequent cleansing will damage the skin barrier, making it drier the more you wash it. ； Most people with oily or combination skin feel that their face secretes a lot of oil after sleeping all night. Without gentle amino acid cleansing, it is easy to clog the pores and cause acne. In fact, both opinions are correct. You can adjust it according to your own skin condition that day. There is no need to copy other people's experience. Another reminder is that exfoliating products and cleansing masks should not be used frequently. In the past, a friend with oily skin used soap-based cleansing every day in order to remove blackheads. He also applied cleansing masks three times a week. This turned healthy oily skin into sensitive oily skin. It turned red and hot when the season changed. It took more than half a year to recover. Dry skin and sensitive skin can even use no such products at all. Oily skin can only use it once a week at most.

The next step after cleansing is moisturizing. The thicker you apply it, the better the effect is not as everyone thinks. It depends on your skin type and season: for oily skin in summer, applying a refreshing gel may be enough to moisturize, but applying too much may cause acne.； If you have dry skin in winter in the north, you may need to apply essential oil first and then a thick cream, otherwise your face will be dry and painful if you go out and blow in the cold wind for half an hour. There is also a little controversy here: Is toner a necessary step? Some people think that most of the ingredients in toner are water, and the amount of moisturizer added is limited, so they can completely skip applying moisturizing lotion directly. ； Some people also think that applying toner on the face can quickly infiltrate the stratum corneum, and subsequent moisturizing products will be absorbed faster. This completely depends on your own skin feel. Leave it on if it feels comfortable. If you feel it is unnecessary, just skip it and it will not affect the effect at all.

Finally, let’s talk about sun protection. This is one of the few aspects that is almost uncontroversial. As long as you are exposed to natural light during the day, even if it is cloudy or winter, you must use sun protection. However, the method of sun protection can be chosen flexibly. It is not necessary to apply sunscreen. The effect of hard sun protection is actually better than Sunscreen is better and doesn't hurt the skin - a wide-brimmed hat, a sunscreen mask, and a parasol are more reliable than applying two layers of sunscreen. I have several friends with sensitive skin who sting and turn red when they apply sunscreen. They rely on hard sunscreen when going out all year round, and their skin condition is very stable.

As for products like whitening essence, anti-aging essence, eye cream, and facial mask that everyone often asks about, they are essentially bonus points. If you have corresponding needs, you can add them to the basic process: if you want to brighten, add a whitening essence before moisturizing. Recently, if you have acne after staying up late, add an anti-acne essence. If you have dry eyes, apply an eye cream. There is no need to pile all the products on your face. The absorption capacity of the skin is limited. Applying too much will cause a burden, and the gain will not be worth the candle.

In fact, the core requirement of skin care is never how expensive products you use or how many steps you take. It is that you understand your skin type, choose suitable products, and adhere to the principle of simplicity and efficiency. It is much more effective than following the trend and buying a bunch of useless products.