What does the skin care process include?

Cleansing, moisturizing, sunscreen, and all other steps can be flexibly added or subtracted based on personal skin type, skin care needs, and current environment. There is no "standard answer" that requires 7 or 8 steps as reported online.

A while ago, I helped my cousin who had just entered college organize a skin care list. She still kept the "complete skin care routine" on the Internet to check with me. She said that if the toner, essence, lotion, and cream were missing, any step would not be effective. I laughed on the spot. , she has a typical oily skin. She sweats all over her face after taking just two steps in class. Sometimes it is enough to apply a refreshing toner after washing her face and then apply sunscreen. Applying an extra layer of lotion will make her chin shut. At this time, the forced process will put a burden on the skin.

Of course, if you have advanced skin care needs, you can insert steps that suit you into the basic process without having to worry about the order. For example, if you have dry skin in autumn and winter and your face feels tight after washing, you should first apply a moisturizing essence and then a sealing cream. The moisturizing feeling can last all day long. ； If you are looking for anti-aging and brightening, just put the corresponding functional essence after cleansing and before moisturizing products. As long as you remember the general principle of "put small molecules first, and avoid direct contact of irritating functional products on the naked face", you will basically not go wrong.

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate on the Internet about "should exfoliation and facial mask be included in the regular routine." Skin care friends around me are also divided into two groups. One group believes that for healthy skin, exfoliating once and replenishing the mask twice a week can help metabolize old dead skin cells, and the absorption efficiency of subsequent skin care products will be much higher.； The other group believes that as long as daily cleansing is done properly, there is no need for additional exfoliation. Frequent application of facial masks will cause the skin to become over-hydrated, destroying the barrier and causing a bad face. I have combination skin. When the T-zone becomes very oily in the summer, I use a mild acidic cotton pad to wipe the T-zone once a week. It is indeed less likely to cause blackheads. However, I have thin skin on my cheeks and never dare to take these functional steps. My best friend with dry skin feels stinging even if she applies a sheet mask in the summer, so she does not have these options in her daily routine.

There are also many people who tend to ignore process adjustments for special situations. For example, if you put on makeup or apply high-power waterproof sunscreen during the day, you have to add a step of makeup removal first when you get home at night, and then do regular cleansing. Don't just rub it hard with facial cleanser. I used to have a colleague who was lazy and used facial cleanser directly after applying waterproof and sunscreen. After half a year, the barrier on the cheekbones was damaged, and the spring breeze would turn red and hot. If you have just completed medical beauty treatments such as photon and fractional therapy, the process will be even more streamlined. In the first three days, you may only wipe your face with saline and then apply a repair cream prescribed by the doctor. All functional products must be stopped. Applying more than one step may cause problems.

To put it bluntly, the skin care routine is never a fixed fill-in-the-blank question. It is more like a buffet to choose according to your needs. What suits others may not necessarily suit your skin condition. Knowing your own skin type and temperament is much more useful than trying to follow the so-called "standard steps". Don't put unnecessary burden on your skin just to follow the routine.