The Anti-Stress Skincare Guide
Switching up your skincare routine seasonally is a GAME CHANGER. And very necessary to keep your skin energized and youthful. However, changing it up too often can bring a lot more trouble than it’s worth. So how much is too much? The important thing is to have a good basic routine for your skin that you carry through religiously. Once your skin “trusts” you, you can start introducing some advanced options.
Our friend, Lynille Steffenhagen, is a licensed Esthetician as well as a licensed Massage Therapist and Brand Educator with over 20 years of experience in the spa and wellness industry. Below she shares her tips and tricks for a stress-free seasonal skincare swap.
How do I switch up my skincare routine seasonally without stressing out my skin?
Let’s assume you have a solid routine in place. Cleansing, toning, applying daily face SPF and moisturizing twice a day, exfoliating once a week, and maybe masking once a week. Those are your basics. Now let’s say winter is right around the corner (because it is!). This change of seasons is a perfect time to try something new. It’s important to realize though, that changing too often is not good for your skin either. As human beings, we want to see an immediate transformation, and often this is too drastic for our skin.
Top trick: Sometimes you have to accept that NOT noticing any changes is progress in its own right.
What skincare routine I should be using for my skin type?
There are three main skin types: Dry, Oily and Combination. You may also identify your own skin as Normal or Sensitive. Read on for simple steps to follow for each skin type.
DRY SKIN:
Daily
- Cleanse with a cream-type cleanser (younger skin is better off with a fluid or liquid)
- Tone with a gentle, balancing toner
- Moisturize with a dry skin focused moisturizer
- Sunscreen next (chemical is usually best), but separate from the moisturizer so that the skin is properly hydrated before application
- Don’t forget sun protection for your lips and eyes
Weekly
- Exfoliate with a physical exfoliator once a week
- Mask with a hydrating mask once a week, after exfoliation
Advanced care
- Ampoule or Serum at night for a set period of time (e.g. 4 weeks)
OILY SKIN:
Daily
- Cleanse with a gel or foam cleanser
- Tone with a gentle, balancing toner (if your cleanser is mild, you could alternate with a clarifying toner which has exfoliating properties and use every other day)
- Moisturize with an oily skin focused moisturizer (e.g. if actively breaking out, something mild and hydrating with aloe, cucumber, and tea tree or if just oily, use a liquid or gel based moisturizer)
- Either physical or chemical sunscreen work well
- Don’t forget sun protection for your lips and eyes
Weekly
- Exfoliation with either an enzyme, AHA (if pigmentation is an additional condition) or BHA (if breakouts are an additional condition). AHA is also the best exfoliation if you want to target anti-aging.
- Mask with a hydrating mask that has a gel base or a setting mask or detox mask over breakout areas.
Advanced care
- Ampoule or Serum at night for a set period of time (e.g. 4 weeks)
COMBINATION SKIN & NORMAL SKIN:
When I come across a skin type that has no conditions or issues I prefer to do as little as possible to alter the skin’s current state. This is what we all strive for, so maintaining is the goal.
Daily
- Most cleansers will be effective, so best to choose one that suits the current conditions of your skin
- Tone with a pH balanced toner
- Moisturize according to your current skin conditions
- Either physical or chemical sunscreen work well
- Don’t forget sun protection for your lips and eyes
Weekly
- Exfoliate once a week or every other week, but keep it simple. Upsetting the skin is not worth it.
SENSITIVE SKIN:
Sensitive skin is a little more tricky. You can have sensitive skin that reactives to certain ingredients, sunlight or other toxins. Or you can have a sensitized skin, which is usually a different skin type that had skin conditions which were treated too harshly. They are sometimes hard to tell apart, but the daily, weekly and advanced routines for each are similar.
Daily
- Cleanse with a fragrance-free cleanser, usually a fluid or cream
- Tone with a non-astringent toner (Rose Water or Aloe are good ingredients to seek out)
- Moisturize with a light but hydrating, fragrance-free moisturizer
- A mineral or physical sunscreen is best so nothing is absorbed into the skin
- Don’t forget sun protection for your lips and eyes
Weekly
- Exfoliate with a gentle enzyme exfoliator to gently dissolve bonds between dead skin cells. Nothing too abrasive and also better to exfoliate less often. Every other week or every 3 weeks. The less you fiddle with this skin type the better.
- Mask with a calming, cooling and soothing mask. Placing a cool compress over the top will also help.
Advanced care
- Use Ampoules with pure ingredients. I would suggest using every other day. If the skin objects, then leave more days between applications or just leave this advanced step out until the skin is more stabilized.
Top takeaways: Don’t try too many things at once. Listen to your skin and it will tell you what it needs. And don’t forget your sunscreen. :)
