What does the skin care process include

Cleaning, moisturizing, sun protection, and the remaining steps such as exfoliation, functional essence, facial mask, eye cream, and neck cream are all options that can be flexibly adjusted according to skin type, skin care needs, and seasonal environment. There is no problem in taking more or less steps as long as it suits you.

You may not believe it, but I followed the "ten-step skin care" trap for almost three years. I only did nine steps of skin care in the morning, from the foundation to the top layer of makeup. My face did not become translucent. Instead, I would get red and allergic two or three times every spring and autumn. After I went to a dermatologist, I found out that this was a typical form of excessive skin care, which thinned the originally healthy stratum corneum.

In fact, the skin is like a small ecology with its own regulation ability. If you stuff it with a lot of nutrients that it can't digest every day, it will "accumulate food" instead. Stuffy mouth, acne, and itchiness are all signals of protest it sends out. There are two factions that are most quarreling about the skin care routine on the Internet right now. One faction insists on minimalism, saying that just three core steps are enough, and any additional steps will burden the skin. The other faction advocates refined care, and stacking products with different functions in different areas and time periods, so that problems such as dullness and fine lines can be accurately solved. In fact, there is nothing wrong with either view. It all depends on your own skin condition and needs.

My male colleague with combination skin has only two steps for daily skin care: amino acid cleansing and moisturizing lotion, and only applies sunscreen when the ultraviolet rays are strong in summer. His skin is smoother and more delicate than many girls who layer three or four layers of essence every day. Another best friend with dry skin who has strong anti-aging needs adds an alcohol-based essence and neck cream at night in addition to the basic three steps, and strictly builds tolerance and sun protection. After more than half a year, the dry lines around the eyes have indeed faded a lot, and there has been no redness or breakout.

If you have stayed up late recently and want to brighten your face, then add a whitening essence. If the season changes and you are stuck with powder, apply more occlusive moisturizers, or even apply a temporary hydrating mask as an emergency. By the way, don’t believe that applying a mask every day will make your skin better. I used to apply it for three days in a row and broke out a bunch of rashes. This thing is for emergency use. Applying it every day will cause the stratum corneum to become overhydrated and the barrier will become brittle and turn red when the wind blows. If your T-zone feels lumpy and old dead skin cells are obviously accumulated, use a mild salicylic acid peel once every two months. If you have sensitive skin, just skip this step. There is really no "must-do" process.

To put it bluntly, skin care is an "auxiliary" for the skin. Don't think of it as a KPI that must be completed every day. Do it as you feel comfortable. As long as the core three steps are in place, the rest is just icing on the cake. There is no need to copy other people's procedures and torment your own face.