You need these beauty essentials like you need air to breathe
This is a sign to clean up your beauty product collection
Like most things in life, beauty, or the consumption of it, falls on a spectrum. You might be the type of person who spends at least $500 a month with your local Sephora or Ulta - a beauty product fiend. Or you might be the type of person who cleanses her face with an all-in-one shampoo, conditioner, and body wash - a man. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there will always be a beauty product(s) that is essential for your day-to-night routine.
As we prepare for the fall season, now may be a good time to revisit your beauty product lineup. In a previous post, we suggested you switch out your skincare products every 2-4 months. Your skin cells tend to build up a resistance to the active ingredients of certain skincare products, so the switch is necessary. If you do not do this already, begin with Fall so that you always remember to make the switch! With that said, let’s talk about:
5 beauty essentials that everyone must have
1. Foaming or gel cleanser
This should go without saying, but a [gentle] cleanser is one of the most important products in your skincare routine. Even if you do not wear makeup every day, you should cleanse your skin at least once a day. As you go about your daily life, free radicals attack your skin. A free radical is a scientific term for an unstable molecule that can destroy skin cells over time. With your skin being the first line of defense for your internal organs, you would be remiss to neglect this. That is why a [gentle] cleanser is a beauty essential that you must have.
Also, sweat, ew. Even if your face does not drip or feel wet with sweat, you are still sweating. Your body releases sweat to keep you cool and remove toxins. Why, then, would you want to let that sit on your skin? Leave a comment below to explain.
2. Hydrating moisturizer
No matter your skin type, a hydrating moisturizer should be a part of your daily skincare routine. If you have normal, combination, or dry skin, you may be able to get away with an oil-based moisturizer. Whereas, we recommend that you use a water-based moisturizer if you have oily or sensitive skin. Moisturizers can act as barriers against free radicals, so this is another reason why you should consider adding this beauty essential to your regimen. Bonus point: invest in a hydrating moisturizer that contains sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 or more.
3. Skin brightening serum
When it comes to skincare, it is safe to say that most people want the same things: clear, smooth, and glowing skin. Thanks to genetics and other factors that are often beyond our control, most people are not as fortunate to have all of these things at once. In the case of acne, for example, you not only have to worry about clearing up an outbreak, but you also have to worry about any blemishes that it may leave behind. Apart from hyper-pigmentation, some people struggle with scars and enlarged pores as a result of acne. It’s all one big nightmare.
In comes a skin brightening serum. That is not to be confused with skin lightening, a process in which you use a hydroquinone-based product to lighten melanin produced by your skin cells. Most skin brightening products contain vitamins A or C - retinol and ascorbic acid. These are natural ingredients. Whereas vitamin A speeds up skin cell turnover to reveal new, blemish-free skin, vitamin C inhibits melanin production in your skin cells. The result of the latter is faded dark spots and resurfaced skin. When choosing a skin brightening serum, it is best to consider the potency of the active ingredients and the specific skin issue(s) that you have.
4. Face mask
The CDC recommends that you wear a face mask, and so do we. Sometimes, your skincare routine needs to go beyond the 3-4 products in your skinimalist lifestyle. With wear and tear, you may find that your skin glows less, does not feel as supple, and is dry or patchy. In moments like these, a face mask is one of the best beauty essentials you can rely on, especially if you cannot afford to visit a day spa for a customized facial. There are three main face masks: clay or mud masks, sheet masks, and overnight sleeping masks.
Choosing a face mask depends on the specific skin issue that you are addressing. If you want to give your skin a deep cleanse and remove excess impurities that you cannot remove with a cleanser, then a clay mask such as Masktini’s Twilight Zone Tahitian Detox Mask is an excellent option. It contains active ingredients such as bamboo charcoal and Tahitian black pearl that draw out impurities and resurface the skin. Unlike many other clay face masks on the market, this one does not dry out your skin. It hydrates your skin and leaves it feeling soft, smooth, and refreshed once rinsed off.
5. Skin toner
This might be a controversial pick for a must-have beauty essential, but hear us out. Skin toner can get a bad rap because many people confuse it with astringent. To be clear, they are not the same things. Like skin toner, an astringent is water-based. Whereas both toner and astringent remove makeup and excess cleanser from your skin, an astringent goes deeper and removes excess oil from your skin.
Most toners are natural and contain the active ingredient witch hazel. Astringent may contain a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) such as salicylic acid. If you have oily skin, then the idea of using an astringent instead of toner may sound great. However, overusing an astringent may dry out your skin and cause your sebaceous (oil) glands to overproduce oil. This overproduction of oil can lead to an acne outbreak. Then, this acne outbreak may cause hyper-pigmentation or scarring. The cycle is unending! That is why most beauty brands and dermatologists recommend that you only use an astringent to treat a specific skin issue. Otherwise, a simple toner will do.
So, there you have it - five must-have beauty essentials. If you have been following along since we let you in on this year’s hottest beauty trend, skinimalism, then you know that these essentials fit in line with that trend. Skinimalism is using the least amount of skincare products to take care of your skin. It requires that you focus less on consumerist beauty and more on what your skin needs. With the way things are going in the world, this is the best route. What are some beauty essentials that you cannot live without? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. Until next time!