Like any other part of our body, skin must be cared for. Whether for health, appearance, or mental health, skincare is an essential daily ritual to incorporate into people’s lifestyles.
With skin being the largest organ in the human body, taking care of it is especially important. Properly caring for our skin prevents dryness and irritation, making it less prone to infection. When discussing skincare, skin cancer is mentioned as something a skincare routine could prevent. Protecting our skin using sunscreen and other products strengthens our skin barrier.
Many start focusing on their skin to improve their appearance. Treating our skin could help reduce and prevent acne when it erupts and give skin a glowy look. When we look our best and feel good, our confidence boosts. Taking a few minutes every night and day to complete a routine could easily result in feeling better in our skin.
Taking the time to take care of our skin improves our mental health. The few minutes taken to pamper our skin give us time to step back and be present with ourselves. Self-care is also practiced when having a skincare routine.
Though there are all these benefits of improving our skin, going into stores to find products can be intimidating. Even when having a huge routine seems fancy, only a few products are essential when first using skin products, and less is more in the skincare world. The most important things to have in the practice are a facial cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. The correct cleanser that works for you could come with trial and error. With more oily skin, using an oil-free option for a cleanser would be a good idea. Toner is next after washing our faces. Softening and calming our skin, toner is applied after washing our faces, usually reducing redness and dry patches.
Moisturizer is used after every face wash. This helps prevent the skin from drying out, leaving our skin smooth and hydrated. Finally, sunscreen is applied during the mornings at the start of the day. With the obvious function of sunscreen protecting us from the sun, sunscreen is a must for the days spent outside (Northwestern Medicine). Common brands that provide these products for an affordable price are Cetaphil, Neutrogena, Cera Ve, and Cocokind.
When asked about how skincare benefited her, Megan Wang (10) answered, “As a person who deals with breakouts, I find skincare vital to maintaining a healthy, balanced skin barrier.” Due to the many benefits of skincare, there is no harm in creating a daily routine to rejuvenate our largest organ.
