What are the contents and requirements of the skin care process?

The core of the complete skin care process consists of three basic modules of "cleansing-moisturizing-sun protection", which are superimposed on functional steps that match skin type and skin care needs. There is no absolutely unified sequence and number of steps required. The core principle is to adapt to your own skin condition and avoid excessive intervention.

A while ago, I helped my best friend with oily skin who had just started skin care to tidy up the dressing table. She had four layers of serums alone - oil-controlling, whitening, anti-aging, and stabilizing. After one set, her face was so sticky that it could stick to paper towels. Within half a month, her face was filled with boredom and her mouth was shut. To put it bluntly, she regarded skin care as a "task" and completely missed the core logic.

When it comes to cleansing, there have been a lot of controversies in the past two years. One group says that you must use facial cleanser in the morning and evening to cleanse the dirt in the pores. There are also dermatologists who advocate using only warm water to cleanse your face in the morning to avoid damaging the surface sebum film. In fact, there is nothing wrong with either view. It all depends on your skin type: If you have oily skin, your T-zone will feel full in the morning. If you have oily skin, it’s okay to use a mild amino acid cleanser. If you have dry skin or sensitive skin, just rinse your face with warm water at about 35 degrees Celsius for 30 seconds in the morning. Don’t just rub it in with a soap-based cleanser. As for deep cleansing operations such as makeup removal and facial cleansing, it should be done at most 1-2 times a week, otherwise even the thickest stratum corneum will be torn into sensitive skin.

The skin care steps after cleansing often make everyone tangled up. Which toner must be applied with a cotton pad, essences must be stacked in order from thin to thick, and lotion and cream must be used at the same time. These "rules" are actually not hard requirements. My mother is born with dry skin and finds it troublesome in winter. After applying toner, she directly applies a thick layer of sealing cream. Her skin is still so moisturized that there are few fine lines. On the contrary, many young girls add one layer of water, two layers of essence, and three layers of cream and cream, which is equivalent to covering the skin with three thick quilts. It is so stuffy and suffocating that it is strange not to get acne. Oh, by the way, there is another point that has been debated for a long time: when applying skin care products, should you pat your face to promote absorption? Some people say that patting on the face can speed up the penetration of ingredients, while some doctors say that patting on the face will only accelerate the evaporation of surface water, which will make the face dry. In fact, you can do it however you feel comfortable, as long as you don’t pat it so hard that your face becomes red and hot.

As for the sun protection that everyone is emphasizing, there is no need to stick to wearing sunscreen. Last summer, my brother went camping at the beach. He thought it was too "troublesome" for boys to wear sunscreen. He spent a whole day in the sun, and his back became red and peeling. It hurt for almost a week, and he also had several dark sun spots. Later, he wore a cap and a mask when commuting every day, even with sunscreen. There is no need to apply sunscreen, the sunscreen effect is better than the two layers of SPF50 I applied. If you have sensitive skin and are afraid of the preservatives and alcohol in sunscreen that will suffocate your face, you can rely on hard sunscreen to meet your daily needs. You can only reapply sunscreen when you are outdoors for a long time.

If you encounter a special period of redness or allergies during the change of seasons, there is no need to compose a complete process. Stop all the functional steps and only use mild moisturizer. It will be more effective than ten layers of stabilizing essence. To put it bluntly, there is no standard answer for skin care. If your face feels comfortable after applying it, there will be no redness and acne, and if you can achieve the results you want in the long run, then that is the process that is most suitable for you.