New year, new ways to discover your skin type?
Winter can be hella harsh on the skin, so I decided to reach out to educator and esthetician Robyn Sutton of Poised Professional to discuss some commonly overlooked skincare tips.
Know your skin type
Before you start buying facial wash, masks or scrubs, it is important to know your skin type in order to combat your skin concerns. Just like your unique hair type, it is critical that you take your skin type and skin concerns into consideration before you buy products or alter your routine.
Stay hydrated
Here are 4 simple steps to keeping your skin hydrated and healthy this winter:
- You need a hydration mask (yes, even you, oily skin”>. Masks are great for hydrating the skin, eliminating dead skin cells, and drawing out impurities. A hydration mask is a great step to add to your skincare regimen, especially in the winter. Tip: an inexpensive hydrating mask option is SpaLife Hydrating, Purifying, Anti-Aging, Detoxifying and Soothing Korean Facial Masks — SUPER BOMB! If you have not tried these masks, you are missing out!
- Try a thicker moisturizer in the winter. This will help you retain moisture all day. It provides intense nourishment to the skin –which is key. If you want to have glowy skin with and without makeup. A thicker moisturizer is a necessity. Tip: my favorite weather-proof moisturizers are coconut oil or Honey Baby Naturals Bee Sweet Face & Body Butter. Moisturizers are a bit pricier, but you can also go the drugstore route. Many brands are stepping their game up and switching to more natural ingredients – the key is to read your ingredient list.
- Serum is not to be confused with moisturizer. Applying a serum is essentially an extra step to keep the skin young and fresh. Serums have antioxidants like Vitamin C and E that together help protect against sun damage. Serums are also anti-inflammatory, healing and calming to the skin. Tip: serums are best used at night, so apply to a clean face before bed. My favorite serum is Rose & Geranium Facial Serum.
Maintain your water intake. Our water intake needs to be as high in the winter as it is in the summer. When our water intake is low, our skin is left dehydrated. Your skin is reactive, so learn to listen to what your skin is telling you. If your skin is dry or dull, nine out of ten times that is a sign that your skin is dehydrated. Increase your water intake, your skin will thank you!
Don’t forget these necessities
- Exfoliate your lips. Our lips are soft and delicate, they need love in the winter too. This is the cure for chapped lips.
- Change the linens weekly. If changing your linen weekly is not realistic, then at least change the pillowcases frequently. Oil from our skin and hair seep into our pillowcases, and our skin may pick up the bacteria, resulting in breakouts.
- Sunscreen (SPF”> is important year-round. If you are like me and not a fan of sunscreen, look for BB creams or moisturizers that have SPF.
Thanks to Robyn for helping to bring awareness to women about skincare and self-care. Follow her online @poisedprofessional and get more of my personal self-care tips @blackgirl.slays
Oh, and in case you’re curious what our skin looks like, below are our makeup-free selfies.
Pictured: Yours truly!
Next: The 2018 Skincare & Beauty Trends That Are Actually Worth Trying
