10 Things You Should Be Doing For Your Skin

...if you want to take good care of it. (That should be the real title, but it was too long. These are the 10 things every woman and man should be doing if you want to prevent aging and maintain healthy skin. Remember, you only get one face so I think you should take care of it as best as you can. 

1. Wear SPF. I know this might be of no surprise but it's so important I'm mentioning it first. Wear your SPF every day that the sun rises in the morning, even in the winter. It is the single best way to prevent damage. Make sure it's a physical Broad Spectrum SPF as well, which doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream, but sits on top of the skin and blocks both UVA and UVB rays. If you take ANYTHING away from this post, let it be this. So. Freaking. Important. 

2. Graduate to Big Girl Skincare. If you're still using that Clean and Clear Cleanser from the drugstore, it's time you upgraded your products. Now I'm not saying you need to spend $200 on a new cleanser, but I will say that if you invest in your skin, you will not regret it. I wear significantly less makeup because I'm happy with my skin 99% of the time. Cheap products are cheap because of the way in which the ingredients are made and it's important to use good ingredients on your face. Good skincare doesn't have to be crazy expensive, but you should at least learn which products are best suited for your skin type.

3. Use a toner. Toning is extremely vital because it balances your skin and brings it to a healthy pH after cleansing. It also allows for better product absorption with everything applied after. There are loads of different types of toners. If you have questions on which one is best for you, ask me! I like helping you :)

4. Use a face mask at least once a week. This is key because our skin will not be the same day to day and sometimes needs an extra treatment outside of your daily skincare routine. Using a mask once a week also forces you to look at your skin and see what it needs. 

5. Exfoliate once a week. Exfoliation is huge to preventing premature aging and maintaining healthy skin. As we age, the rate at which our cells turnover slows down significantly. Exfoliating on a regular basis can help get rid of old, dead cells and encourage the production of new ones. If you have questions on which type of exfoliation is best for you, let me know!

6. Use an eye cream. It is NEVER too early to start taking care of your eyes. They are often the first area to show signs of aging and the skin is much more delicate than the rest of your face, so take the time to start using an eye cream. It's always great to start good habits young. 

7. Remove your makeup before cleansing. If you wear makeup, you need to be removing it before you cleanse your skin. If you don't, you are simply pushing makeup around instead of cleaning. If you take the makeup off, you will get a much more efficient cleanse and actually work towards cleaning your skin. 

8. Product variety. I understand not everyone is a skincare junkie like me with 20 masks on hand at home, but if you want to do what's best for you skin, keep a variety on hand. I believe the best skincare is that which changes with you as your skin changes. Some days I need different levels of moisturizing, so it's vital for me to have light to heavy moisturizers on hand depending on how dry my skin is that day. The more you can learn to read your skin and figure out what it needs, the more your skin will find balance. 

9. Get your advice from a professional. Now I'm not just saying this because I'm a licensed esthetician, but we are trained in this! I cannot tell you how much bad advice I have seen on the internet from people who are uneducated in the skin. Please before trying anything, consult someone you trust, like an esthetician. You can always email me your questions! I love helping others learn about the skin. 

10. Pay attention to your skin. I know this may seem obvious, but do you really pay attention and think about how your skin is changing? It will rarely be the same week after week, so if you're having problems, keep a journal of changes to compare. Keeping track of your diet can also be helpful to see if that's affecting your skin. It's important to just be aware of what's going on, otherwise it's hard to figure out a solution. 

So how many of these things are you currently doing to take care of your skin and prevent aging? Don't be embarrassed if you don't do them all. It's never too late to get started! Let me know if you need help doing so.

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea Fontana