5 Skincare Tips I'd Tell My Younger Self

When I discovered my first pimple as a teenager I literally freaked. The fuck. Out. And as a response, I decided to buy the strongest acne wash and most popular medication I could find. As a result, I piled my face with chemicals that proceeded to ruin my skin. All because of one measly zit on my nose. Years have passed and since then I've learned that just because I have one pimple does not mean I have an acne problem. I realized that instead of waging war against my skin, I should've been pampering it. So, if I could turn back time, here are 5 things I'd want to tell my younger self:
1. Wash Your Face Daily Quite possibly the most cliché of my 5 skin care tips but definitely the most important, washing your face every day is something you should never skip. When I was younger I used to stay out all night, so when I got home the last thing I wanted to do was wash my face. I thought I could just wipe it down with a facial wipe and be done with it. But I soon learned, as my skin started to break out, that a quick wipe down was not going to cut it. Now I've adopted the 10-Step Korean Skincare routine and even though it sounds like a huge time commitment, I assure you it's worth it. My favorite cleanser at the moment is the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam ($13.98).
2. Stinging ≠ Working Remember that acne wash and medication I bought? Well, when I used them they caused my face to start stinging, and I thought to myself: "well then, it must be working!" But damn was I wrong. People often believe that oily and acne prone skin need to be dried out so they apply harsh chemicals and neglect hydration. But all that causes is dryness and premature aging. So don't assume that just because it's stinging means the product is good. Good skincare should not hurt you!

3. Moisturize, Even if You're Oily As a follow up to my last point, always moisturize, even if you're oily! When I became a teenager my T-zone went haywire and soon I was (or so I thought) an oil slick. I skipped moisturizing because I thought depriving my skin of hydration would cause the oil to go away but nothing much changed. Now I've discovered the magic of double cleansing where you use an oil-based cleanser first then follow up with a water-based one. Water and oil don't mix so a water-based cleanser won't rid your skin of the excess sebum, but oil dissolves oil so hence the oil-based cleansers importance. One of my favorite oil-based cleansers is the Banila Co. Clean it Zero ($16.98) When I'm done, my last step is to moisturize and one of my favorites right now that works great with oily skin is the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel ($6.49)
4. Find a Routine that Works for You When I first started solidifying my skincare routine I did tons of research online and I thought I had it all figured out. What I didn't realize is that just because something works for one person does not mean it'll work for me. I have combination skin but I was solely focused on products that were hyped up at the moment. I didn't take note of whether or not that product had worked for a person with my skin type so occasionally I wouldn't see any results. Remember that your skin is your own and you are the one who knows it best, so listen to what it's trying to tell you in terms of what's working and what's not.
5. Treat It Don't Conceal It Lastly, when skincare wasn't showing me instant results I started to neglect it and began covering my skin with loads of makeup. It worked on my good days, but most of the time the concealer accentuated my pimples and made me feel even more insecure. That's when I realized, I had to deal with the root of the problem and that meant sticking with my skincare routine even though the results take time.
Highlights • Wash Your Face Every Day • Good Skincare Does NOT Sting • Oily Skin Needs Moisture Too • Your Skin is Your Own • Deal with the Root of the Problem, Results Take Time
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