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[PAPERS FLIPPING]
After nearly two decades of a fickle and somewhat financially
impulsive approach to skin care, I
decided to make a small commitment.
Develop a solid skin care routine.
Use the same products every day and night,
wash my face thoroughly, enjoy the meantime, basically,
grow the hell up and treat my skin better.
And I wanted to create my skincare routines based
on research, not just vapid claims from the beauty industry
to completely transform my skin.
As I pressed on with my new routine,
I kept notes about how my skin responded,
because skin care is rooted in science, not aesthetics.
And I realized that even as my skin started
to clear up, soften, and just plain feel better,
there was a lot that I would never be able to control.
I realized that I, a fairly savvy consumer,
had been fed a lot of skin care lies.
Number 1, don't dump money on products that
claim to transform your skin.
The most important lesson from my new
found skin care obsession was that there's
a huge difference between my complexion
and the appearance of my skin.
For example, my forehand doesn't always have to look shiny,
but I will always have oily skin.
No cleanser can change that over time.
It's like thinking a vacuum cleaner can
change the shape of your house.
Also you cannot shrink your pores.
That poreless look on celebrities and Instagram
models, genetics and face tune.
Take comfort in the words of Dr. Bobby Buka
on the plus side of course.
Large pores and the oil that comes with them
can counteract the physical toll of aging and wrinkling.
All of this is to say, when you're choosing products
like cleansers and moisturizers, don't
choose based on the skin you're hoping to have.
For me, that meant choosing a cleanser that stayed away
from claims like increases radiance
or improved skin's natural defenses.
Number 2, basic skin care doesn't have to be expensive.
When I let go of these unsubstantiated expectations,
it was surprisingly easy to find something
that balanced my most basic needs, which is simply
to remove dirt and excess oil without forming
irritating dry patches.
I actually found it in a cleanser that cost $6.99.
One targeted at teenagers.
Number 3, no, every woman does not need a toner.
My everyday skincare products, sunscreen in the morning,
cleanser at night, makeup wipes only when I've worn a very
large amount, a 10-minute agave mask--
literally, just a teaspoon of agave on my face--
and face oil.
If I have significant breakouts, I
will also use a spot treatment, but I also
want to talk about what I don't use.
I don't use toner, although I was
a huge fan of aggressive drying toners in high school.
Today, trainers have become more diverse in their functions.
Many are sold in spray bottle packaging targeted
as refreshers, but numerous dermatologists,
including Toronto's Dr. Renee A Beach say toner is unnecessary.
Whether you call it a toner or a refresher,
its primary purpose is still to remove excess dirt.
If you're using toner, you probably
need a better cleanser, says Beach.
If you like the clean and crisp feeling of a refresher midday,
a spritz of cucumber water is way cheaper.
The main takeaway here, you don't need every single skin
care product under the sun.
Start with a good moisturizer, cleanser, spot treatment,
and sunscreen.
Number 4, water is not a cure all for your skin care woes.
One budget friendly tip you've probably heard
is to drink more water.
It's the top product celebrities with perfect skin credit
for their ageless appearances.
Spoiler alert, the real answer is money.
Beyond skin care, water is the catchall recommendation
for oral health, energy, digestion, and weight loss,
but hold up before you go out and buy
a Mammoth Mug or a CamelBak.
While hydration is important, the skin benefits
are greatly exaggerated.
New York based derm Dr. Joshua Zeichner says
that there is no evidence that drinking
fewer than eight glasses of water per day
is harmful to your skin.
As long as you're not dehydrated, your skin is fine.
And if you are dehydrated, you have bigger things
to worry about.
I already drink a ton of water because I'm an extremely
physically active person.
When I first started drinking a lot of water,
my skin did clear up, and I thought
it meant I was magically flushing all the dirt out
of my skin.
Chalk it up to confirmation bias,
the next time I got my period, it
was breakout city once again.
Number 5, you can't get perfect skin
by putting yourself in a bubble.
There's a lot of tested and true skincare advice that
is actually backed by dermatologists,
and a lot of it conflicts with the condition known
as being human.
Don't wear foundation, don't drink
alcohol, perfectly valid advice, but some that's
also alarmist and impractical.
Yes, these things can stress your skin out,
but it's also true that if these things stress your skin out,
your skin was far from perfect to begin with.
After six months, I found myself somewhere in between skin care
is one big lie and skin care is the most important routine
you will ever have.
There's no universal product advice I could ever share,
but the best routine advice I can share is simplify.
Don't buy products that are backups for other products.
Stop overanalyzing every little imperfection.
Don't go to bed with a dirty face.
Don't fall for the anti-aging price tag.
There is enough proof out there from the pros that
has convinced me that, yes, we are sold on too many products,
but that doesn't mean the cure is skin care nihilism.
It's important to clean up after yourself
and treat your face nicely.
And certain routines like removing your makeup
every night will help the appearance
of your skin immensely.
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