5 Skincare Basics That Are Essential For Healthy Skin

When it comes to skincare products, it’s best to keep things as simple as possible. You’ve probably heard that in order to have amazing skin, you need to be using products like serums, facial oils, night creams, exfoliators. The list goes on and on! And whilst these products are great additions to your skincare routine, they’re not essential. In fact, if you’re using too many products, it can actually have a harmful effect on your skin. Keep it simple! You really don’t need all of these products! However, there are 5 skincare products that are essential in every beauty routine. And they’re the basis for healthy, glowing skin. So let’s find out what they are and why these skincare basics are vital to have in your skincare routine.

#1: CLEANSER

This product makes it to number 1 on my skincare basics list and is an absolute MUST in every skincare routine. Because if your skin isn’t clean, dirt will build up and it will cause breakouts and other skin irritations. This is especially important if you have oily skin. However, over-cleansing is not good for your skin type either. I’ll talk more about this in a moment.

Cleansing Wipes ARE NOT a cleanser!

Firstly, you need to ditch the cleansing wipes! They’re not an effective cleanser. And they should only be used in emergencies when you literally have nothing else to cleanse your skin with. Or after a night out when you really can’t be bothered to remove your makeup. In this case, it’s okay, as removing your makeup with something is better than nothing at all. But this should be the exception rather than the rule.

Cleansing wipes do not cleanse your skin properly. And depending on the type of wipes your using, they could actually strip your skin of their natural oils and dehydrate or irritate your skin.

How to choose an effective cleanser?

Make sure to invest in a good quality cleanser that contains gentle, nourishing ingredients for your skin. Avoid any that contain alcohol or harsh detergents as they’ll just strip your skin of their natural oils. And will cause it to become dry and dehydrated. If you have sensitive skin, your skin will become really irritated by such harsh ingredients which can lead to even more breakouts.

How often should I cleanse?

Twice per day is more than enough. So that’s once in the morning and once in the evening. This also applies to oily skin. It’s important for your skin type not to over-cleanse your skin either as this will just irritate your skin and cause it to produce even more oil.

If you’re in need of even more tips, make sure to read my article where I share my top summer skincare tips for oily skin.

#2: MOISTURISER

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it always amazes me how often I hear from my makeup coaching clients that they don’t use a moisturiser. Or the type of moisturiser they’re using is totally wrong for their skin type.

Using any old face cream or even worse, a moisturiser that’s meant for the body is not going to do anything good for your skin either. You need to give your skin what it actually NEEDS. So just like you feed your body with foods that contain the nutrients it needs, you also need to do the same for your skin.

Know your skin type

Again, I suggest keeping it simple here. Yes, there a TON of moisturisers on the market that are anti-wrinkle this, skin firming that. BUT, what’s most important is using a moisturiser that’s right for your skin TYPE.

As I’ve already mentioned, you need to do the basics FIRST. This is where the real results come from. When you’re doing those things right, then you can start to add on some additional products that will really target specific areas or skin conditions.

The difference between Skin Type and Skin Condition

If you’re not sure what your skin type is, make sure to download my FREE skincare guide. You’ll learn how to determine your skin type as well as how to care for your specific skin type.

You’ll also learn why it’s so important to know the difference between skin type and skin condition. For example, rosacea, acne or sensitive skin are NOT skin types! And it’s important to know this and how it plays a role in your skincare products.

Even if you think you already know your skin type, I recommend you download the guide too. As it’s surprising how many people think they’re one skin type when in fact they’re a completely different skin type altogether.

#3: EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

This is SUCH an important one. And using your cleanser, or worse, face wipes, to take off your eye makeup is a big no-no! So why is an eye makeup remover one of the top 4 skincare basics you really need in your routine?

The skin around the eye area is very delicate. And as such, it needs to be treated with the utmost care and attention.

The products you use on your face are not suitable for the eye area as they’re too heavy and concentrated for the delicate eye area. This is why you shouldn’t use your facial moisturiser on the eye area. And I highly recommend using a separate eye cream if you want to treat this area.

If you’re using your facial cleanser to remove your makeup, it’s actually going to cause more damage to the eye area. This can result in eye bags and lead to fine lines and wrinkles.

So please do your beautiful eyes a favour and always use a separate eye makeup remover to remove your eye makeup.

#4: SUN PROTECTION CREAM

No matter the season, protecting your skin from the sun is a MUST! Even in Winter, a sun protection cream should still be one of your skincare basics. There’s a misconception that an SPF is just for protection against sunburn. But actually, it’s the suns UVA rays that do the most damage to the skin and cause premature ageing of the skin. This can still occur in Winter when it’s cold and may seem like the sun isn’t as strong. So make sure to apply a sun protection cream on your face every single day.

#5: DON’T FORGET THE QUEEN OF ALL SKINCARE BASICS!

Good quality skincare products are great. BUT, if you’re not taking care of yourself on the INSIDE, this is also going to show on the OUTSIDE. Again, it’s time to go back to basics.

Even though this isn’t a product as such, it makes it into my skincare basics list as it’s probably THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do for your skin.

You see your skin is made up of over 60% water. So it makes sense that it needs hydration. Yes, even oily skin needs hydration too.

So you need to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water every single day. Now I know that might sound boring. But this is actually such a simple thing. AND depending on where you live, it’s FREE too. Or at worst it’s a fraction of the cost of expensive serums and lotions. Yet SO much more effective.

If you’re not sure how much you need to drink each day. Or if you find it hard to get into the habit of drinking water, make sure to read this article where I have plenty of tips on how to get into the habit of drinking water as well as plenty of tips on how to make drinking water less boring and super yummy.

But what about all the other products? What if I have wrinkles or fine lines and want to target those?

I get it. We all have things that we want to target, whether it be acne or wrinkles or rosacea.

But once you’re doing these skincare basics first, then you can add one new product at a time into your routine such as a serum, facial oil, eye cream, etc. If you actually need them! These types of products are great additions to your basic products. But they’re not a must.

Why I don’t recommend using too many products

Products can react against each other. For example, if you’re using a serum and a facial oil and another anti-ageing cream, your skin doesn’t know which one it needs most. And it can cause breakouts or possibly even skin irritations or reactions. Even if you have normal skin.

If you do want to try new products, introduce just 1 new product at a time. That way you can actually notice if it’s working or not. Or if your skin reacts to it, at least you’ll know which product to avoid in the future.

Remember to always, always keep it simple! And don’t forget to download your FREE skincare guide too.

How do I know the exact products that are right for me?

This can be a bit tricky. And I’d absolutely love to help you by giving you some personalised advice and help with choosing the right products for your skin type. This is exactly what I teach at my 1 on 1 makeup lessons. Not only will you learn the exact makeup products and techniques that are perfect for you. You’ll also learn the exact skincare products that are right for your skin type. You can find out more about what you’ll learn here.

I really hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful. I’d also love to know, do you find it overwhelming trying to figure out which skincare products are right for you? Do you already include these skincare basics in your beauty routine? Let me know in the comments below. xo