Crash Course on Choosing the Right Skincare Products

Pimples, blemishes, sun spots, flakiness, and the list of skin problems goes on. The external factors have various negative effects on your body, and this is why you need to provide your skin with special care in order to keep it beautiful and healthy. If you're one of the many struggling with figuring out your skincare routine, you're in the right place! Enjoy our crash course on choosing the right skincare products.

1. Determine your skin type

This is the very first step in the process of choosing the right skincare products and customizing a skincare routine that will work best for you. Knowing your skin type is fundamental since most beauty brands have their products divided into dry, oily, combination and normal skin types. If you find your skin difficult to classify, there is a simple DYI test you can do at home. Cleanse your facial skin with makeup remover and warm water and go to bed without applying any product, including night creams and moisturizers. Once you wake up, pat your face with a tissue. The amount of oil you notice on the tissue will determine your skin type—from oily (the tissue has excessive amounts of oil) to dry (the tissue has little or no oil at all).

2. Do some research

You may be fed up with tons of beauty brand's ads and makeup bloggers on social media, but you shouldn't be too quick to dismiss them all. You can actually learn a lot about the adequate beauty routine, acne treatment and makeup tricks from Instagram influencers and worldwide celebrities. Once you have determined your skin type, start using the social media platforms as a source of knowledge—just be wary that many sites and bloggers are praising certain brands and products only because someone paid good money for it. However, after a while, you'll be able to easily distinguish between what's true and false and only take the best of what Instagram and Facebook are saying about different skincare products.

3. Check ingredients

Most of us buy and apply products without really knowing what is it that we're putting on our skin. And even on those rare occasions when we do turn the package backwards and read the list of ingredients, we're pretty much bamboozled by Latin or medical terms. However, it takes a minute or two of Googling to know, and it can significantly upgrade your skincare routine. If you're looking to avoid chemical ingredients and harsh products, look for natural skincare brands. Also, an informative check-up with your dermatologist should be a must, so you’ll know if there are any restrictions you should take into consideration when buying and applying skincare products.

4. Makeup basics

Although the idea of makeup is mainly as a beautifying effect, makeup products come in all forms and shapes, and while some can be harmful to your skin, others can have positive effects. It all goes back to your skin type and your preferences when it comes to makeup. What is important to bear in mind is that what applies to skincare products applies to makeup as well—do thorough research, check the ingredients, try different products before opting for one, and remember that less is more—you need very little for a fresh and beautiful look.

5. Be patient

Getting to the ideal skincare routine is not an easy nor a quick path. The process can be frustrating, expensive, and time-consuming. There are too many frogs to kiss before you find your prince—finding the right skincare products can be a hassle, but it's worth the effort and it can actually be pretty fun.

We hope our crash course will help you decide from among the myriad beauty products available on the market and advertised online. Healthy and flawless is not mission impossible—with a little homework, you will come away with a skincare routine that’s safe, effective, and perfectly suited to your body's needs.