Skin care routine includes

There is no standard answer to the skin care process across the Internet. The core can be divided into two parts: "basic items that must be done" and "optional items that can be added as needed" - the former is cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection, which are inescapable for all skin types.； The latter includes steps such as exfoliation, functional care, and special repair, which can be flexibly adjusted according to your skin type, skin care needs, and current scene. There is no rigid rule that "must be done in order."

Let’s talk about the most common pitfall of cleansing first. I followed the advice of bloggers with oily skin in the past two years and used soap-based cleansers to rub my face in the morning and evening. Within half a month, my cheeks became red and a small rash developed. I went to a dermatologist and found out that the barrier was damaged due to excessive cleansing. There are ongoing debates about morning cleansing on the Internet. People with oily skin say that the oil from the night will clog pores if not washed away. People with sensitive skin say that rinsing your face with warm water is enough to retain the beneficial sebum film. In fact, there is nothing wrong with either statement - if you have oily skin and can fry an egg on your T-zone in the morning, it is perfectly fine to use a mild amino acid cleanser. ； If you have dry skin or have just undergone cosmetic surgery, wash it with warm water around 35℃ for two minutes. There is no need to apply facial cleanser on your face. Cleansing at night is more flexible. Just apply sunscreen or use cleansing oil for light makeup. Only heavy makeup requires a second cleansing. Don’t listen to the fallacy of “removing makeup regardless of whether you wear makeup or not.” I’ll cry if you remove too much makeup.

Moisturizing after cleansing is actually more "casual". When I'm oily in the summer, I just put on a refreshing toner and go out. In the winter, when my skin is dry and peeling, I have to apply essence first, then layer the cream, and finally apply some squalane oil on my cheekbones and corners of my mouth. I was confused before about "should I apply it in the order of water, essence, lotion, and cream?" Later, I asked a friend who is a formulator and found out that the so-called order is essentially from small to large molecules. If you are lazy, there is no problem in mixing the essence with the cream and applying it together. As long as the skin can absorb it without rubbing, there is no need to burden yourself with the steps. The only thing to remind people with sensitive skin is not to use moisturizing products containing alcohol or high-concentration acids. If the transepidermal water loss rate increases, no matter how much water you add, you won't be able to retain it.

Oh, by the way, there is also the sunscreen that is said to be bad. In fact, there is no hard rule of "wearing sunscreen 365 days a year, all year round". My best friend sits in the office next to the floor-to-ceiling window, and wears SPF30 sunscreen every day for commuting. My own workstation is in a backlit corner. I close the curtains every day when I get to work, and most of the time I wear a mask and a hat when I go out, but I don’t get a tan. Of course, if you go to the beach or climb mountains for more than two hours of outdoor activities, let alone high-power sunscreen, you must arrange a complete set of physical sun protection clothing, sun hat, and sunglasses. Otherwise, tanning will be a trivial matter, and photoaging and wrinkles will be the real disadvantage. Let me mention the current controversy: Some people say that sunscreen will burden the skin. In fact, regular brands of sunscreen have been tested for safety. As long as you remove them properly at night, there is no need to stop eating due to choking.

After talking about the basic items, there is no fixed number of options that can be superimposed on demand. For example, for exfoliation, if you have oily skin, you can use a mild fruit acid product once a week. However, if you have dry skin, you may not need to use it even once a month. If you have sensitive skin, you can just skip this step. I used to use a scrub every week to remove blackheads. As a result, the blackheads were not reduced and the pores became larger as I rubbed them. Later, I switched to using a salicylic acid pad to scrub the T-zone once every half month, and it became much more stable. There are also functional products such as whitening and anti-aging. Some people like to apply them after water, while others like to add them to facial creams. As long as the ingredients do not conflict (for example, it is best not to apply acid and high-concentration VC on the same day), you can feel comfortable as long as you like. If you stay up until 3 o'clock the day before and have a date the next day, applying an emergency facial mask is completely a temporary process and does not need to be included in the daily routine to put pressure on yourself.

To be honest, I have seen too many people copy the skin care routines of Internet celebrities, and in the end their faces become sensitive and red. The essence of skin care is to take care of your own face. You don’t have to follow the steps to get full marks when doing math problems. If you feel comfortable on your face and your skin condition is stable after using it for a period of time, then that is the best process for you. There is no need to align with other people’s lists.