Skincare can be overwhelming, stressful, and confusing, especially when it comes to brown skin. There are thousands of products for every skin concern, and it is difficult to figure out which products are necessary versus “nice to have”. On top of that, melanin-rich skin needs gentler products to avoid excess hyperpigmentation. Most advice out there is from skincare enthusiasts, with 10-step skincare routines. In this blog post, I will go over how to create a basic skincare routine for you as a busy college girl or corporate girlie. You will have glowing skin in no time without all the stress of figuring out skincare by yourself. So let’s dive in.
The Foundation for a Basic Skincare Routine
First and foremost, it is important to know your skin type. If you have dry, flakey, and tight skin, you probably have a dry skin type. You are an oily skin type if you have greasy and acne-prone skin. If you fall in between, you will be a combination skin type. Lastly, if you do not fit into any of these and feel like you have had decent skin all your life, you are probably a normal skin type.
Although your skincare products within your routines should change as the seasons change, the basic skincare routine is the same. I will dive into the most critical steps to have within a skincare routine so that as you learn more about skincare and your skin, you can adapt the routine and products.
Basic Morning Skincare Routine:
I know it usually feels like you are running 10 minutes late every morning, so we want to keep this routine extra simple. This should take you less than 5 minutes to do in the morning. There are three basic steps for your morning skincare routine:
Step 1: Wash Your Face
Washing your face in the morning with a gentle face wash or gentle cleanser helps remove any oil and dirt build-up from the night. This is also just a great way to wake yourself up and start the day on a clean note.
How to Wash Your Face
First, wet your face. Then add your face wash to your hands and rub your hands together to lather/emulsify the product. Once lathered, gently rub your face with the emulsified face wash for 30 seconds to a minute, and then rinse off with water.
Step 2: Apply a Moisturizer
Regardless of your skin type, moisturizer is important because it helps keep your skin cells happy and hydrated. When our skin is dry, it is prone to irritation and broken skin which can lead to breakouts. If you have oily skin, not using a moisturizer can make your skin produce more oil which is the last thing we want.
How to Apply Moisturizer
Pat dry your face and then use a gentle moisturizer. If you have an oily skin type, look for gel consistencies because they are lightweight. If you have a drier skin type, look for a thicker consistency moisturizer.
Take about a dime-sized amount and dot it around your face. Add the dots of moisturizer on your forehead, nose, chin, and each cheek. Then, use your fingertips to gently rub in the moisturizer till fully absorbed.
Step 3: Use Your Sunscreen
Sunscreen is the best thing you can do for your skin. It prevents wrinkles, helps with anti-aging, reduces hyperpigmentation, prevents skin cancer, and so much more. Any skin issue you might be having gets further aggravated by exposure to the sun. But since sunlight and Vitamin D are important, sunscreen is the best way to preserve the skin.
How to Use Sunscreen
I want to make sure you are using the right amount of sunscreen to get its benefits. Take about a dime-sized amount and dot around your face like we did with the moisturizer. Rub it in. Then repeat by taking a second dime-sized amount and rubbing it into your skin. Layering your sunscreen will make sure all parts of your face are adequately covered.
{Related Post: Skincare Advice for Managing Oily, Sensitive, and Acne-Prone Skin}
Basic Night Skincare Routine:
We are essentially doing the same simple skincare routine as we did in the morning, but with a few modifications.
Step 1: Take Off Sunscreen and Makeup
It is important to wash off the sunscreen and makeup that we had on throughout the day. There are a few ways to do this such as using a cleansing balm, cleansing oil, micellar water, makeup remover, makeup wipes (not recommended), or using your face wash twice. The simplest and most common method is micellar water so we will dive into that.
How to Take Off Sunscreen and Makeup
Take your favorite micellar water and saturate a cotton round with the product. Gently rub the cotton round on dry skin to remove sunscreen and makeup. For sensitive areas like your eyes, gently press the cotton pad to the skin for 10-15 seconds before rubbing. This will help break up the mascara and eyeliner so you don’t have to rub as much. Once everything feels dissolved, you are ready for the next step.
If you opt for oil cleansing, take a few pumps or a dime-sized amount of product and rub it into dry skin. You will see and feel the makeup coming off your skin. Once you feel everything is dissolved, wet your hands and rub your face to emulsify the oil cleanser. Then rinse off.
Step 2: Wash Your Face
Wash your face the same way we did in the morning basic skincare routine. If you did not remove your makeup and sunscreen earlier, just repeat this step twice.
Step 3: Apply a Moisturizer
This is the same as the morning basic skincare routine. Easy peasy!
Adding in Extra Skincare Steps
Once you have this basic skincare routine down and can do it consistently every morning and night, start adding in serum after you wash your face and before you apply your moisturizer. Serums are lightweight watery products that often have ingredients to target a specific skin issue. This will take an extra 30 seconds of your time but will help a ton.
Recommendations Based on Popular Skin Concerns:
- Dryness or Dullness: use a hydrating serum with Glycerin or Vitamin E to moisturize the skin
- Acne or Oiliness: use a purifying serum with Niacinamide or Azelaic Acid to reduce oil production and clean the pores
- Hyperpigmentation: use a brightening serum with Vitamin C or Alpha Arbutin to reduce uneven spots
- Redness: use a calming serum with Centella Asiatica or Cica to reduce redness.
Seasonal Modifications
The easiest way to think about this is that winter weather means a drier environment so you need thicker and richer products. Summer weather means hotter, humid environments, so lightweight products are better. Autumn falls towards needing thicker consistencies and summer towards lighter consistencies. With this in mind, you can use more milky cleansers in the winter months, when hydration is key, and gel cleansers in the summer when you need to cut through the sweat and oil build-up. In the same way, your skin is producing more oil in the summer so you probably need less help from a moisturizer, whereas the dry winter climate makes your skin scream for help. Hopefully this helps add some clarity on how to switch up your basic skincare routine.
Final Thoughts
Okay, I know I just threw a lot at you but hopefully, this basic skincare routine is simple enough for you to get started and stay motivated to be consistent. Consistency in a simple skincare routine is crucial. Let me know what you think of this basic skincare routine for the busy college or corporate girl in the comments below!
With love,
Aditi <3
Aditi Rani – Figuring Out Life in Your Twenties
*Disclaimer: This is not professional advice. Some links are affiliate. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a commission. It does not alter the price or change your buyer experience.