How to start a skincare routine

Why start a skincare routine?

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, it protects you from the outside world and it bares the brunt of our lifestyle and overall state of wellness. So taking the time to look after it, the same way we look after our other important organs (like our hearts and brains), has untold benefits, both cosmetic and medical.

Taking good care of your skin is something that your future self will always thanking for, a well designed programme can slow the signs of ageing, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation (age) spots as well as maintaining plumpness and that youthful glow we didn't know we had.

Targeted products can also combat skin concerns from every day dryness/ oiliness to more complex conditions such as rosacea and acne. This can have an overwhelming impact on self-image and confidence.

Many people also find that incorporating a skincare routine into their morning and nighttime rituals improves their mental wellbeing. It's a moment in the day where you can be entirely focussed on yourself, experience a moment of complete control and visibly see the benefit of healthy habits - something that can encourage you to develop healthy lifestyle routines in other elements of your life.

What do I need to know?

The first thing to do is determine your skin care needs. No skin is the same and so your skincare routine needs to be bespoke and individually tailored to you and your goals. The best way to do this is through a consultation with a skincare professional where you can discuss your current skincare routine (even if its just a splash of cold water in the morning) and how your skin actually feels to you, as well as a detailed assessment of your skin's appearance, texture and tone.

Your primary skin type, which is how your skin feels when it is clean and free from product, falls into one of 4 categories:

Dry Skin: Skin that feels tight, dry or flakey

Oily Skin: Skin that feels greasy or looks shiny

Combination Skin: Skin that is dry with oily areas (such as in the T zone)

Normal Skin: None of these features

Identifying your primary skin type allows you to choose products to tackle skin concerns that are best suited and help to manage and not exacerbate your primary skin type.

Skin conditions can include ageing, sensitivity, sun damage and acne and can occur in any of the primary skin types.

What are the basic steps?

Skincare routines are divided into 4 key steps: cleansing, treating, moisturising and protecting.

Cleansing: Washing your face, to remove the environmental pollutants, dirt ad other factors that we are exposed to throughout the day and night. This helps to unclog pores without stripping out essential, healthy oils.

Treating: Involves using active ingredients to target your specific skin concerns and provide your skin with the antioxidants it needs to face the day. If you have multiple concerns, multiple formulas can be used.

Moisturising: Hydrates and softens the skin, replenishing moisture, preventing water loss and complimenting the skin's natural oils. Day moisturisers focus on protecting your skin from your environment whereas night moisturisers focus on repairing any damage

Protecting: Universally agreed by skincare professionals and dermatologists to be the most important part of any skin care routine - SPF. Protecting our skin from the sun is unbelievably important. UV rays speed up the development of fine lines and wrinkles, but most importantly are implicit in the development of skin cancer.

What products should I use?

At Elle, we offer two different skincare brands - Environ and AlumierMD. We love these brands because they offer both in-salon treatments and home-care products that are precisely tailored to individual skin needs and offer cutting edge technology. A skin consultation with one of our Professionals can help you to identify which range is best suited to you.