Your Complete Guide to Healthy Skin and Hair

It’s not just a beauty concern to want glowing and healthy hair and Skin. These aspects of a person’s appearance carry a lot of weight regarding first impressions and how someone is perceived.

A strong and confident appearance can be an asset that will help you to succeed among others. Not to mention that both your hair and your skin are both strong indicators of your overall health.

It’s not just about other people, either. Having healthy hair and skin is a big part of how you might perceive yourself. It can boost your self-esteem and make you feel more comfortable and confident in your own skin. Additionally, these are important aspects of self-representation and your personal style.

In this article, we are going to keep you up to speed on how to identify your skin type. With this information you can form the best routine to care for your skin and clear out any pesky skin conditions that might be standing in your way.

Following this, we’ll talk about hair and the ways that you can narrow down and identify your own hair type. With some tips on how to care for it and the best ways to approach various hair conditions, your hair will shine as if you had just left the salon.

Your Guide to Glowing Skin

Believe it or not, beauty isn’t the only important aspect of your skin. Skin is actually the body’s largest organ. This means that, for all its aesthetic and stylistic purposes, the most important thing skin does is protect our body from infection and outside threats.

The overall health benefits of healthy skin include:

• The ability to more consistently regulate and even out your body temperature.
• Increased vitamin D production from exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is vital for efficient calcium allocation and maintaining strong bones.
• Being better equipped to protect the body from harmful UV rays.
• The ability to feel important stimulation from the environment, such as pain or physical pressure, which can allow you to act in a way that protects the rest of your body.

Each layer of skin plays a different role in fighting infection and impurities throughout the body, all the while shielding our vital organs. And just like any organ made up of cells, skin cells need hydration, or the water content within the cells that allow them to be bouncy and flexible, and moisture, which refers to the ability to seal in the hydration and build a protective barrier for the skin, to remain healthy.

Healthy skin has a moisture layer that binds water to the outer skin layers. In the beauty world, this moisture layer is described as a glow. Healthy skin should appear plump but not swollen.

Your routine’s number one goal should be to balance your skin’s moisture layer. Additionally, it’s important to remember that we have skin all over our bodies. This skin also requires moisture, care, and it also has treatable conditions.

What Are Skin Types?

We inherit our skin type from genetics. Each skin type has the potential to be healthy and beautiful. However, determining your skin type is the first step toward knowing what kind of skin care routine will best promote overall health.

For the most part, skin types are categorized by how much sebum the skin produces and where. Sebum is the natural skin oil that protects the skin’s moisture balance. However, sebum that mixes with dirt, bacteria, and dead skin can cause infections in the skin’s surface.

Even among people with the same skin type, skin condition varies from person to person. It is also influenced by factors, such as air quality, allergies, diet, and hygiene practices.

The four most common skin types include: Normal, Dry, Oily, and Combination.

Normal Skin

The ‘normal’ skin type refers to skin that is healthy and well-hydrated. Those with normal skin do not experience too much or too little sebum. Instead, their moisture layers are well-balanced.

Normal skin tolerates most internal and external factors without overreacting. It will likely appear smooth with good blood circulation, fine pores, and fewer blemishes. Normal skin is not prone to sensitivity. However, as normal skin ages, it often becomes more dry and sensitive.

• Since normal skin is so tolerant, you have a lot of latitude to figure out what routine and products work best for you and your lifestyle.
• Normal skin can tend to dry out as it ages, so it’s important to begin an anti-aging skincare routine in your mid-to-late twenties, before you even begin to see signs of aging.

 

Dry Skin

Dry skin produces less sebum and therefore lacks the fats needed to retain moisture and protect the skin. It might feel tight or brittle. Additionally, dry skin often clings to a layer of dead skin cells that make the skin appear dull or flaky.

Dry skin requires routine moisturization both through increased hydration and topical moisturizers.

• Avoid taking overly hot showers, which dry out the skin. Splash your skin in cold water at the end of your bathing, moisturize right after the shower to seal in moisture.
• Take care when exfoliating, since over-exfoliating can dry out the skin even more. Use products such as salicylic or glycolic acid sparingly, and make sure to always reapply moisturizer after exfoliating.
• Avoid products that contain detergents or sulfates, which irritate dry skin.
• Opt for cream moisturizers rather than a thin lotion or gel. Moisturize both in the morning and at night.
• Cleansers for dry skin should be mild to avoid damaging the skin. Look for gentle surfactants that are specially designed for dry or sensitive skin. Use only natural fragrances and fruit oils that offer your skin vitamins.
• Wear sunscreen to protect the skin from dehydration and sun damage.
• Areas where the skin is thinner, such as the lips, will require more frequent moisturizer applications and protection from harsh conditions.

Oily Skin

Oily skin has greater sebum production than normal skin and will tend to have more blemishes. While genetics play a large factor in whether you have oily skin, sebum overproduction can also stem from hormonal imbalances, stress, some medications, and the use of cosmetic products. Oily skin might have enlarged pores, thicker skin, and a glossy shine.

Those with oily skin should avoid thick creams and moisturizers. Many prefer gel moisturizers for their ability to seal in the moisture of the skin without feeling dense or heavy.

• Choose cleansers specially formulated for oily skin to help clear away excess oils and bacteria.
• Avoid thick creams and moisturizers. Instead, opt for gel moisturizers that seal in moisture without feeling dense or heavy.
• Hyaluronic Acid is an amazing ingredient to help oily skin retain its water without feeling greasy.
• After washing, splash your skin with cold water to close the pores.
• Glycolic Acid can reduce the appearance of pores without drying out the skin.
• Gently exfoliate oily skin on a regular basis to help clear away the buildup of dead skin and oils that can accumulate on the surface. Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient that naturally exfoliates while cleansing the skin to prevent acne.

Combination Skin

Combination skin usually refers to skin that is oily throughout the T-zone (the area of the forehead, nose, and chin) and dry or normal on the cheeks. Those with combination skin should evaluate the oil production in different parts of their face, and care for the skin accordingly. For some, the area around the mouth can be its own combination of oily, dry, or sensitive.

• Split your skincare routine, so that you apply oily skin products on the T-Zone and normal or dry skin products on the rest of the face.
• Alternate cleansers and moisturizers, depending on the moisture of your skin during different seasons or times of the month. For example, all skin tends to be a little drier in the winter than the summer, making it more important to use heavy moisture or creams in the winter months.

Skin Conditions

Skin conditions may come and go during your lifetime. While some are avoidable with a good skincare routine, others are hereditary and at times unavoidable.

These conditions are heavily influenced by both internal and external factors, such as climate and air quality, medication and nutrition, stress, aging, physical fitness, allergies, and skin care products.

Skin Sensitivity

Sensitive skin is prone to inflammation and easily irritated by factors that might not bother someone with well-balanced skin. This happens when the skin has little to no natural barrier, allowing it to lose too much water. Skin sensitivity is particularly common among those with dry skin.

Some may experience skin sensitivity as an inherited condition. Others, might have sensitive skin because of internal or external factors, such as sun exposure, stress, or the use of harsh ingredients in cosmetics.

Individuals with sensitive skin will often have reactions to particular ingredients. Irritation often manifests as patchy red, itchy, burning, and dry skin. Many with sensitive skin will recognize triggers, irritants, and patterns that they can avoid in the future.

To mitigate the effects of sensitive skin, make sure to moisturize it to soothe it and replenish the skin’s protection. However, make sure to choose clean products that don’t contain unnatural dyes or fragrances, which could irritate the skin.

• Avoid friction, excessive heat, and other triggers, such as alcohol, stress, or various nutritional allergies.
• If your skin is currently troubled or sensitive, look for a hydrating serum to help it to heal and even out.
• Antioxidants are important for damaged skin to eliminate free radicals.
• Avoid ingredients known to irritate skin, such as isopropyl myristate, which is common in hair conditioners.

Acne

Acne arises when pores are blocked with a combination of oil, dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria. This infection becomes inflamed and develops into a pimple or zit. While it is often most frustrating on the face, acne can be found all over the body, particularly in the areas of the back, neck, chest, and shoulders. 

The different forms of acne:

• Blackheads are open to the surface of the skin and their exposure to oxygen gives them their black appearance.
• Whiteheads are closed beneath the top surface of the skin.
• Papules are a more extreme form of acne that appears as small, raised bumps often surrounding infected or ingrown hairs.
• Pustules are small, red pimples with pus at the top.
• Nodules are solid painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin.
• Cysts are larger, very painful pus-filled lumps beneath the skin.

In most cases, acne won’t harm overall health. Severe acne, however, can be painful and picking at or disturbing your acne can cause scarring. It can also cause emotional distress and social anxiety.

Why do they occur?

There are numerous causes of acne, including skin sensitivity, unclean skin, irritants in cosmetics, as well as hormonal and stress outbreaks.

When hormone levels change, you could experience skin problems or breakouts. For many women this happens on a monthly basis with their monthly cycle. Others will primarily experience this during pregnancy or menopause. Additionally, certain medications, such as birth control and corticosteroids, can influence the growth of acne.

These fluctuations will signal a production of androgens, which is a male hormone present in both men and women. This increases sebum production while expanding the size of pores, allowing for blockages and pimples.

How to Get Rid of Acne

• Don’t scrub at your face or pick your pimples. They will take longer to heal, and your hands could spread bacteria.
• While it may be tempting to wash your face constantly to get rid of acne, it’s best to wash it no more than twice a day, and after sweating a lot.
• Clean skin daily with mild soap to remove oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. Many cleansers that help will contain salicylic acid, which prevents pores from clogging
• Keep hair out of face to avoid transferring oils and dirt onto the face.
• Check your makeup to make sure that it’s not causing your breakouts.
• Always remove makeup before bed.
• Change pillowcases and bed sheets regularly.
• Shower after exercising.
• Masks that contain sulphur or carbon will help to clear up oil and bacteria while also clearing away skin cells.
• Prescription-strength topicals are available to reduce oil production and clear out bacteria.
• Some doctors and dermatologists will prescribe antibiotics to reduce inflammation and destroy the bacteria that causes acne. This is a short-term solution and can’t be used for long-term skin sensitivity.
• Isotretinoin (Accutane) is a medication developed from vitamin A prescribed to treat severe nodular acne. This is only used for treatment-resistant flare-ups, since it can have serious side effects.

Wrinkles

Signs of aging generally begin at around 25 years old with fine lines that can eventually turn into wrinkles. As the skin ages, it loses its elasticity and slows its moisture production.

The first fine lines and wrinkles that most people develop are crows feet and laugh lines around the mouth and at the corner of the eyes. These are often followed by forehead lines.

What Causes Wrinkles?

Ultimately, aging is an internal process, driven by hormonal influences, such as the decreasing estrogen levels over time, poor blood circulation, and genetics.

When we age, our skin produces less sebum, which can cause it to be dryer, less elastic, and slower to heal. 

At the same time, the dermal layers of the skin begin losing about 1 percent of their collagen a year from the age of 25. Collagen helps the skin maintain its structure and integrity. Without it, the skin cells are less structured, allowing for wrinkles. This might mean that the lips lose a little of their plumpness, the skin flattens, and parts of the face and neck start to sag.

The skin also decreases its production of hyaluronic acid, which is responsible for binding water into the skin. This makes the skin more prone to damage.

Deeper in the skin (subdermal layers) the number of lipid-storing layers starts decrease with age. This results in sagging skin and volume loss, leading to deep wrinkles and hollow cheeks and temples.

External causes are generally triggers of oxidative stress, which releases free radicals that break down important skin components, including naturally occurring hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin. Healthy skin uses anti-oxidants to catch and neutralize free radicals. However, the ability to fight them off decreases over time.

The biggest causes of oxidative stress include:

• Sun Exposure – Photoaging is skin damage that comes from sun exposure, which can cause dead skin and uneven pigmentation. Photoaging doesn’t just come from prolonged  sunbathing, but it can happen with everyday sun exposure as well.
• Pollution – Exposure to pollution can trigger the release of free radicals.
• Tobacco Smoke – The chemicals in cigarettes, including nicotine, can greatly increase the number of free radicals in the skin.

Techniques for Softening or Removing Wrinkles

It’s best to begin preventative skin maintenance before you hit your thirties. This will most often mean drinking plenty of water and beginning a moisturizing routine. Many who are concerned with aging opt for moisturizing eye creams in addition to using other facial moisturizers.

• For those with wrinkles, anti-aging products can help to reduce their appearance.
• Don’t over-exfoliate, even when the skin feels dry.
• Moisturize right after washing or bathing.
• Use a humidifier indoors, particularly in climates with dry winters.
• Wear gloves with cleaning with cleaning agents, detergents, or solvents.
• Aging skin also becomes more vulnerable to sun damage with less efficient healing and cell turnover. Wear sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, and avoid direct sunlight.
• Consume antioxidants, often found in fruits and vegetables, though nutritional meals and supplements. Antioxidants are molecules that help to neutralize free radicals, thus slowing down the skin’s aging process.
• Look into procedures, such as microdermabrasion or laser skin tightening, to minimize the appearance of wrinkles, sun damage, and fine lines.

Rosacea

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition where broken blood vessels in the face cause redness. In some cases, those with rosacea may also experience small pustules. Rosacea flare-ups may last for weeks and even months.

Anyone can have rosacea. Nonetheless, it’s most common among middle-aged women with lighter skin tones. There’s no cure for it. However, treatments can help to control its appearance and reduce the signs and symptoms.

What Causes Rosacea?

For many people, rosacea is a hereditary condition. Environmental factors may also exacerbate or trigger flare ups. Additionally, rosacea can happen over many parts of the body.

Some common rosacea triggers include:

• Hot beverages and caffeine
• Dairy products
• Spicy foods
• Red wine and other alcoholic beverages
• Extreme temperatures
• Sunlight, windburn, or humidity
• Emotional triggers, such as stress, anxiety, anger, or embarrassment
• Vigorous exercise
• Reactions to drugs that dilate blood vessels, such as blood pressure medications
• Some cosmetic products
• Smoking tobacco products

You can recognize rosacea by:

• Facial Redness – The redness associated with rosacea tends to be patchy and persistent. This is because the smaller blood vessels on the nose and cheeks will swell and become visible. This might sometimes manifest as someone blushing easily.
• Swollen Red Bumps – Many people will experience acne-like pimples and pustules with a rosacea flareup. These can make the skin feel warm to the touch and tender.
• Dry or Swollen Eyes (Ocular Rosacea) – In some cases, rosacea can cause dry, irritated, or swollen eyes and eyelids.
• Enlarged Nose (Rhinophyma)- Over time and with extensive flare ups, rosacea may thicken the nose, causing it to become bulbous. This symptom is more likely to occur in men than in women.

How to Clear Up Rosacea?

If left untreated, rosacea can worsen over time. To identify your personal triggers for your rosacea flare ups, try keeping a list of things that you’ve eaten or done before the flareup.

• Use broad spectrum sunscreen of at least 15 SPF.
• To mask rosacea breakouts, use a moisturizing green-tinted concealer.
• Using a scarf or hat to protect the face in winter weather.
• Do not rub or touch the face, particularly during flare ups.
• Avoiding facial products that contain irritants or alcohol.
• Using moisturizer after topical medications have dried.
• Decrease alcohol consumption.
• Avoid electric shavers.
• Stress is a common trigger of rosacea, and that includes physical stress brought on by extreme physical exercise. Try breathing exercises, meditative movement (such as yoga or tai-chi), and other stress relief methods.

For severe cases of rosacea, see a doctor, dermatologist, or skin specialist. Avoid over-the-counter steroid creams and medication until you’ve talked with your doctor.

• Topical medications can help to reduce inflammation and redness.
• Antibiotics may be prescribed as topical medication or taken orally. These are used for anti-inflammatory properties, and they often give quick results.
• Isotretinoin (Accutane) is an oral medication that can be used for severe cases for treatment resistant flare-ups.
• Blephamide is a steroid eye drop sometimes prescribed for ocular rosacea.
• Tetracyclines are sometimes prescribed for ocular rosacea to address symptoms of dryness, itching, and light sensitivity.

Eczema

Eczema is a form of severe dermatitis, known as Atopic Dermatitis. Eczema causes patches of skin to become red and inflamed. It can often be itchy and result in cracked, rough, and blistered skin.

It’s often a hereditary condition that can last for years, most often during adolescence. Some people outgrow the condition while others will continue to have eczema into adulthood. Those who live in drier climates are more likely to develop dermatitis.

What Causes Eczema?

There are a variety of causes of eczema, and it’s normally up to individuals to examine their life, environment, nutritional, and lifestyle factors to see what may be causing their eczema.

Possible trigger for an eczema flare up:

• Certain foods, similar to allergic reactions, such as nuts or dairy, soy products, or wheat
• Environmental factors, such as pollen, pets, mold, smoke, or pollution
• Irritants from soaps, shampoos, detergents, lotions, and cosmetics
• Microbes, such as viruses and some fungi
• Extreme temperatures, weather, humidity, and perspiration from exercise
• Hormonal imbalances or changes, such as pregnancy or monthly cycles

Treatments for Eczema

There is no way to cure or eliminate eczema without your body naturally healing from it. Treatments instead focus on alleviating and managing symptoms. This is important to keep yourself from scratching or irritating the condition further.

• Use mild soap or cleansers when washing.
• Apply moisturizer soon after bathing to lock in moisture.
• Pat your skin dry and do not rub with harsh towels.
• Moisturize everyday.
• Wear soft and breathable fabrics, instead of scratchy or itchy fibers and tight-fitting clothing.
• Don’t allow sweat to sit on your skin.
• Avoid rapid changes of temperature.
• Learn your personal eczema triggers and avoid them.
• Use a humidifier in the home or office during dry and cold weather.

Medications are sometimes prescribed by doctors to alleviate the symptoms of eczema:

• Topical corticosteroid creams are anti-inflammatory medications to relieve inflammation and itchiness.
• For those that don’t have relief from topical creams, doctors may prescribe oral or injected systemic corticosteroids, antibiotics, and antiviral and antifungal medications.
• Antihistamines can be used to reduce nighttime itching and scratching.
• Phototherapy, specifically exposure to UV A or B waves during light therapy may be effective to treat dermatitis.

Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition where a patch of skin becomes darker in color than the surrounding skin. This is a common condition that affects people of all skin types and tones.

Hyperpigmentation can cover large or small areas and patches. In some cases, it can even affect the entire body.

These darker patches come from an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that determines skin color, deposited in certain areas of the skin.

Types of Hyperpigmentation

Age or Liver Spots (Solar Lentigines) – This is a common form of hyperpigmentation in the form of small darkened patches that occur as a result of sun damage. They are often found on the hands and face.

Melasma – Melasma spots are larger areas of darker skin that often appear after hormonal changes. This often happens through pregnancy, which can cause an overproduction of melanin across the face, abdomen, and other areas of the body.

Injury and Inflammation – Skin injuries can alter the pigmentation of the surrounding skin. This is not normally a result of scarring so much as inflammation.

Treatments

• Sunscreen is essential to keeping an even skin tone and protecting the skin from aging and sun-caused hyperpigmentation.
• Avoid picking at skin that has a darker pigment to prevent injury and scarring.
• Topical treatments will often include ingredients, such as azelaic acid, corticosteroids, or small amounts of hydroquinone, kojic acid, retinoids, and vitamin C.
• Laser therapy has had some success treating hyperpigmentation, as well as intense pulsed light therapy.
• The exfoliation of chemical peels and microdermabrasion can help to lighten parts of the skin.
• Prescription creams that contain hydroquinone can help to bleach or lighten darkened skin areas by slowing the melanin production. These topical creams can irritate sensitive skin and make it even more sensitive to sun exposure.

Nutrition

When you eat, you’re nourishing your skin as well as the other organs of your body.

Proper nutrition influences everything, including strong, protected, quick-healing skin with improved elasticity and hydration.

Key ingredients that will help your skin are:

• Healthy fats
• Vitamins
• Antioxidants

Foods that Are Good for the Skin

• Vegetables and olive oil offer nutrients and antioxidants that are really great for the skin, particularly to prevent symptoms of aging.
• Blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit, kale, spinach, and peppers all offer Vitamin C and antioxidants that directly help with skin health, anti-aging, and regeneration.
• Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as those from fatty fish, help to keep the outer skin layer strong and elastic.
• Salmon, sardines, eggs, and walnuts offer proteins and healthy fats that help to strengthen skin cells.
• Foods containing B-carotene, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and apricots, and lycopene, including tomatoes and tomato purees, watermelon, red peppers, and pink grapefruit, can help to prevent sunburn and sun damage.

Foods that Are Bad for the Skin

• Some people experience breakouts from foods that contain iodine, such as cod and dairy, as well as other seafood and seaweed.
• Many react poorly to dairy products and other products that contain animal fats.
• Excessive amounts of sugar will exacerbate breakouts.

Hydration

You need to stay hydrated for your skin cells to function at their best.

Without adequate hydration, your skin cells might feel tight and flaky, making it more prone to aging.

Drinking water has the following benefits for your skin:

• Your skin will gain fewer wrinkles and fine lines.
• Your complexion will be brighter and more even. Your skin will be less puffy with smaller pores for a smoother complexion.
• Water flushes toxins from your skin while also increasing blood flow to the skin to allow for regeneration and faster healing.
• Your cells will be better at fighting off infection and clearing away acne.

Exercise

Exercising helps get your blood circulating. This increased blood flow is an important part of transferring oxygen to skin cells. In addition, exercise can help to regulate and balance hormones which will slow the release of sebum.

Additionally, exercise will help to decrease stress and anxiety, which can decrease the lifestyle liability for developing acne.

Tips to Get You Moving

• Remember that exercising can be as good or better for your skin as a trip to the spa.
• Go out for a walk with your pets or kids.
• Go for a stroll during a work break.
• Use a standing desk.
• Do a HIIT exercise in your own home.
• Plan a weekly gym visit or yoga session into your schedule.

Stress

Higher stress levels may stimulate the adrenal glands, causing the body to pump out hormones, such as cortisol. When the hormones rebalance, it triggers androgens, therefore stimulating the oil glands.

Too much sebum when combined with other effects of stress, such as not taking as much care of yourself as you would normally, poor nutrition, dead skin cells, debris, and other bacteria makes it more likely to break out.

Additionally, when stress affects your sleep cycles, it can cause bags under your eyes, wrinkling, acne, and a dulled complexion.

Skin Care Products

Skin care products can be intimidating for those without a lot of experience or who are just beginning to embrace a skincare routine. This is because everyone’s skin is different, and it will have different reactions to various ingredients.

It can be difficult to fully trust reviews and marketing. The important thing is to look at the ingredients and pick products with clean ingredients and those without alcohol, sulfates, and parabens.

The second consideration is to trust yourself and your experience. If something irritates your skin, note down the ingredients, drop it, and find something else.

Basic Products You Should Have in Your Beauty Routine

These products are ordered in terms of application order and routine. Keep in mind that some people have a skincare routine of only three to four steps and others ten or more steps. Just listen to your own skin and its needs.

• Makeup Removal Oil – If you often wear waterproof or a full face of makeup, you might be better off with the double-cleansing method. To double cleanse, find an oil cleanser or makeup remover oil. This will melt away the makeup while also cleaning your skin. Do this before using your regular cleanser.
• Cleanser – Cleanser is the first step in a skincare routine. In most cases, you’ll want a gentle water-soluble cleanser. Don’t use soap, which can disrupt the pH balance of your skin.
• Toner – Toner is the next step after cleansing to get rid of any oil or leftover makeup. Toner also helps to balance the skin, thus preparing it for serums and moisturizer.
• Serums – Serums are formulas packed with ingredients and nutrients for brightening, hydrating, and anti-aging. Some target specific skin types and issues, while others provide all-in-one effects. Do not be afraid of oil-based serums either, since frequently these oils strengthen your moisture barrier and are non-comedogenic.
• Moisturizer – Moisturizer is the last step in a skin routine and also one of the most important. No matter what skin type you have, it’s important to keep it hydrated. Moisturizers are developed for all different skin types and environmental needs, and many of them are packed with nutrients and antioxidants to help keep your skin healthy.
• Exfoliant – Exfoliants shouldn’t be part of your daily routine, but they are a good weekly measure to keep your skin healthy and glowing. The best way to exfoliate is with a gentle chemical exfoliant.
• Eye Cream – Moisturizers specific for the eyes tend to be thicker and specially developed for anti-aging benefits to reduce wrinkles, plump the skin, and bright skin around the eyes.
• Sun Protection – Find an SPF moisturizer that is specially formulated for the face and incorporate it into your morning routine on days that you venture outside.

How to Build a Routine for Your Age

Most people won’t fully change their routine as they age. Instead, they will change out the products that they use to target their specific aging concerns.

For example, as your skin ages, you’ll likely trade in acne-prevention products for moisturizing and skin-plumping products, such as those that contain hyaluronic acid.

As your skin ages, serums will be more targeted toward gently exfoliating dry skin, rather than blemish control. Additionally, as you age, you might opt for moisturizers that contain retinol, and regularly add eye creams into your routine.

Makeup

While makeup can help to make your skin look perfect, it’s best if you apply it to a base of smooth healthy skin. For best results, apply your makeup after your morning skincare routine.

Tips to wear makeup while maintaining healthy skin care habits:

• Clean your makeup brushes weekly.