New To Skincare? Here's What You Need To Get Started + My Skincare Tips

Let's face it: the beauty industry is constantly growing which can be pretty intimidating for beginners. The regular release of new products have saturated the market and there are so many claims out there of what you should and should not do. 

A recent interaction with my friend inspired this post. She's not really new to skincare but she was lost at what she actually needs. This reminded me of my secondary school days when I started worrying about skincare. 

I am not a skincare expert and I'm definitely not SkincareByHyram, but I've been passionate about beauty products for a long time. Over the years, I've learned what works for my skin. Of course, I've also committed so many skincare sins and mistakes. So today's post is a compilation of what I'd recommend if you're new to skincare.

*My skin type: Combination skin. I break out from eating junk and dairy, neglecting my skin and having late sleeping schedules.

The Basics of Basics

The start of it all begins with three simple steps: cleanse, moisturise and protect. 

Cleanse

This step is necessary to get rid of the gunk, dirt, makeup and sunscreen on your face. My (proper) skincare journey started with double cleansing because I wore sunscreen and makeup regularly. But before that, I started with just a normal foam cleanser. 

Skincare Tip #1: If your skin feels dry after cleansing, that cleanser is not for you. Cleansers shouldn't leave your skin feeling squeaky clean because that means your barriers were damaged. Try looking for a hydrating cleanser. 

Skincare Tip #2: This goes out to the people with oily skin or combination skin. Do not wash your face more than twice a day. Yes, I know it's tempting to clean regularly so that you can get rid of the oily feeling. But if you damage your skin by drying it out, your skin is only going to produce more oil. 

Skincare Tip #3: Look for slightly acidic cleansers. Yes, your skin has a pH level and if you use cleansers with a high pH, you are going to damage your skin by disrupting the pH levels. (With that being said, the CosRX Low pH cleanser is probably going to be the first recommendation Google gives, but I am not a fan of that cleanser because it's drying and broke me out every time I used it).

My recommendations: 

1. Good Molecules Daily Rosewater Cleansing Gel
2. Etude House Soon Jung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser

Moisturise

Moisturising your skin really helps balance the extremes (i.e the dry and oily skin types). 

Repeat after me: Balanced skin is happy skin. 

Personally, I've experienced both extremes of overly dry skin and overly oily skin - so, I understand bestie. But an important remedy is moisturisers.  Moisturisers are usually thick and creamy and they help to create a barrier to lock in moisture and nutrients to the skin. 

Skincare Tip #4: There's a difference between hydrating and moisturising products. I only learned this last year (whOops). So you're probably wondering, "when do I use a hydrating product or a moisturising product?". Hydrating products are usually more for dehydrated skin, and moisturising products are for dry skin. Hydrating products tend to be more watery, while moisturising products tend to be thicker and oily. 

I know...now you're thinking "what's the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?". For me, I'll usually rely on my instincts since I know my skin and it's something that I can feel. But, this is a topic that I have fuzzy knowledge on so I'd recommend reading up more about it to cater your skin needs better. 

My recommendations: 

1. iUNIK Centella Calming Gel
2. Rooki Beauty Superfood Saviour Creme (pricey but good really works)

Sunscreen 

If you're going to skip this step, then maybe you shouldn't do skincare at all. Jokes. 

As harsh as it sounds, all I'm trying to say is: Sunscreen is a crucial step for your skincare routine. UV rays are more harmful than you think they are, so sunscreen is cruciall to help protect your skin. If you're trying to brighten your skin tone or fade acne scars, all the more sunscreen is necessary for your skincare routine.

My recommendation:

1. Anessa Super UV Skincare Gel. I'd recommend the gel version for combination/oily skin, and the milk version for dry skin. A word of caution is that the milk version is very oily. 

Do I need to add in more products?

The previous three steps I've stated are just the basics and my product recommendations are based on my skin's needs. 

I strongly believe that everyone's skin is different, so whether you incorporate more products depends on your skin concerns. For instance, if you're struggling with breakouts, adding acids and acne-targeted products would definitely help. If you're looking to fade acne scars, there are also products for that. Look at what your skin needs and add accordingly. 

I hope this post sheds some light on how to begin your skincare joinery. Thanks for reading!

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