Five things I wish I knew when I was still a skincare newbie
Words and photos by Luna Javier
Picture this: The year was 2016. Bold brows, matte foundation, and really matte lips were all the rage. Of course, I was into it - and there’s nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that I did not really care about skincare.
Yes, this self-confessed skincare addict used to be someone who cared more about hiding her imperfections than taking care of her skin. I now cringe at the layers of foundation that I used just to hide pimples, or acne marks. I didn’t know how to get out of the house without a fully-packed face. I didn’t even use sunscreen! (Gasp!) I did so many things the wrong way.
Then one day, I decided that I wanted to take care of my skin. I was no longer happy with how textured it became, how I’m only using makeup to hide my skin issues. I didn’t even want to take barefaced photos of myself back then because I was ashamed. And sometimes, I would even edit my photos because for me, they did not seem perfect enough.
Don’t get me wrong: I still, and will always love makeup. The only difference is that I now know that it’s still best to take care of our skin first. After all, when our base is good, then the makeup will look even better. Still, I’d be lying if I say that the whole process was easy. There were things that I wish I knew before delving into skincare, and I’m sharing them today!
We don’t have to attack our skin. Using pieces of calamansi directly on my skin? Soaking my pimples with alcohol? Scrubbing my face daily? Name it, I’ve done it.
Because I was so obsessed with the idea that I needed to have perfect skin right away, I thought that maybe, I should ‘treat’ my pimples the fastest way. But surely, attacking them was not a treat.
DIY is good, but when it comes to acne, it’s best to leave it to the experts. See a dermatologist, or at least, try to learn about skincare ingredients that are good for acne and look for products that contain these ingredients.
Oh, and using ‘new products on the skin all at once? Definitely a no-no. Even if they are from the same line, try to wait a few days (better if up to a week) before introducing new items to the routine. Don’t use them all in the same night, and give skin some time to adjust.
Our skin does not have to feel “squeaky clean” to be considered clean. It’s a common misconception that our face has to feel ‘squeaky clean’ - you know, that tight and dry feeling after washing our face. Back then, I thought that meant I did a good job getting rid of all the dirt on my face, but guess what? It’s actually not necessary for us to feel that dry and tight-feeling after cleansing, especially for those have oily or combination skin.
This is because that ‘squeaky clean’ feeling might actually mean that our moisture barrier is being compromised, and it would just backfire. How? Well, when our skin feels like it is too dry, it would bring forth an overproduction of sebum, which may then make our face even oilier.
What should we do then? We can start by washing our face with cleansing balm and facial cleanser only at night, or during our PM routine. In the mornings, we can just use water. Yes, from the tap! We don’t need to do more than that. This way, we can keep from hurting our moisture barrier.
Choose cleansers that are gentle (ideally with low pH). Back in the day, I would use at least three (!) cleansers in the evening, and sometimes even a wash-off mask or scrub after that. That’s definitely something to avoid
Keeping the moisture barrier in good shape is important because it literally exists to retain water and moisture, and if it gets damaged, our skin will suffer.
Exfoliation is important, but please do not over-exfoliate. While it is essential to exfoliate the face (we need to get rid of dead skin cells, excess oil, and other pore blockages), it is also important to know that not to over-do it.
Try to have an exfoliation schedule. We don’t need to exfoliate more than two to three times a week. We may use a chemical exfoliator (those with AHA, BHA, PHA or LHA) and a physical exfoliator (scrubs) interchangeably. It’s always best to give skin some rest after using actives, or exfoliators. And, we must not use them together with other actives such as Vitamin C because doing so may sensitize skin.
Don’t skip the sunscreen! I only started wearing sunscreen daily around 4 years ago and it was life-changing! Sunscreen is possibly the best healthy-aging product there is. It keeps skin from aging prematurely due to it’s #1 stressor, which is the sun. Even when we’re just indoors, it’s still best to use sunscreen because our skin needs photo protection, especially when we have big uncovered windows.
I know it might take a while for the habit to kick in, but it’s best to start as early as possible.
Remember that it takes time. Skincare is not magic - it is something that needs time and commitment. Remember that our skin is not the same as others’ skin, and that sometimes, what we see working on others may not work well for us. It’s probably not what most of us want to hear, but skincare may involve a lot of trial and error, especially in the beginning.
But, little by little, and with the help of some research, dermatologists, and our own experiences, we’ll find what products work well and what doesn’t. Your skin may not be perfect (mine isn’t), but it will be healthy. And it will be amazing.