You’re obsessed with skincare. You LOVE using creams, serums, toners, masks, and oils. You watch endless videos on TikTok and YouTube with morning and night skincare routines, and to be fair, it is really easy to get hooked on them.
But, honestly, is it possible you like the “ritual” of skincare a little more than the skincare itself?
Let’s talk about the beauty routines from your skin’s perspective! Have you ever considered your skin’s opinion about your products?
Skincare is a blast!
Skincare is a hot trend, and it’s great fun to watch beauty influencers enjoy their daily routine. It’s like a daily ritual: You cleanse your face, apply one product after another with meticulous care, and feel your skin, but more importantly, your soul, glow.
The exact process is followed by your friends, your schoolmates, people you follow and people who follow you on social media. Skincare is everywhere. And it’s everywhere because skincare… is great fun and cool! Most of the products smell amazing, their packaging is like little works of art, and you’ve already got your eye on some cute little skincare coolers to preserve your collection! Right?
So, is skincare your hobby?
Do you find yourself getting “bored” of products that are good for you, for the joy of the new and viral? Indeed, it’s not just you doing this; all of us who love skincare do the same. Every one of us had, at one time or another, changed some product that made our skin say thank you because it wasn’t as fancy as others.
Have you ever wondered, though, what the ingredients of all those products that all the big influencers use are? Are they true to their statements? Is it safe to use the same product as a content creator who, presumably, is at least a decade older than you and uses heavy makeup daily as part of their job?
Who are The Sephora Kids, and why are they viral?
And as we all love skincare here, were we the ones who passed our trends on to younger kids who are hurrying to grow up like we did at their age?
That’s how Sephora Kids, the children of the so-called Gen Alpha (those born after 2010) were born and went viral on TikTok for their young age and their obsession with Sephora stores. If you search on TikTok, you’ll see what we mean in seconds.
The Sephora kids didn’t go viral on their own; we pushed them to virality while uploading one video after the other, with one screaming voice shouting things like:
Whaaaaat? What are 10-year-olds doing at Sephora?
The issue here is not why children shop at Sephora stores but what they are shopping! They most probably want what you have now, in your early 20s. They want the products used by famous influencers in their 30s and everything their mum uses at home, who is in her 45s, etc. They also often use testers with strong anti-ageing formulas, retinoids, and acids.
And that’s when young, ultra-healthy skin gets a shock!
While skincare is fun, enjoyable, and a fascinating hobby, our skin has an entirely different view. It’s no coincidence that if we ask dermatologists about the dozens of skincare products on the market, we won’t like their answer.
Been there, done that 😑
How many skincare steps do you follow, and how many do you need?
Is skincare ideal for all ages? It is! Is the same skincare suitable for all ages? It is not! For it to actually work we need to apply the right products for our needs. And this, as generic and vague as it sounds, is the key to healthy skin.
Unfortunately, using many skincare products is not always beneficial. Although K-Beauty offers more than 10 steps with different products, you don’t need all those steps when you’re 15 or 20.
How many skincare steps are there?
Tell us your age so we can determine how many skincare steps suit you. Each decade in our lives is unique, and so should our skincare be.
A complete set of skincare steps at the moment includes:
- Cleansing morning and before bed (you might have seen 2 cleansing sessions suggested per time, one with an oil-based cleanser and one with a water-based cleanser)
- Exfoliation 1-2 times a week
- Toners and essences
- Serums
- Face masks 1-2 times a week
- Eye cream
- Moisturizing cream
- Sun protection
The reason there are so many different products for each step is so that they will nurture the increased needs of more mature skin and, of course, to be fair:
It’s also about marketing
Are all these steps for me?
Not yet, but they will be in the future. Don’t worry—we’ll all get there! If you don’t have more than 25 candles on your cake then your skin doesn’t need all these steps, as most of what these products do are already done by your own skin’s mechanisms.
For example, have you ever forgotten your skincare for 5-6 days and seen your skin improving? If so, then it’s the first sign that you might be using products that, instead of making your skin better, are making it worse. And to be fair, it’s not the products’ fault; they are just not suitable for you, right meow 🐱!
Of course, you may need treatment if you have a skin condition such as acne. Again, an anti-ageing or repair treatment with heavy active ingredients will not do you any good.
Minimal & effective skincare in 3+1 steps
The best skincare is consistent skincare. The type you can do every day, even when you have to leave the house in 10 minutes. Note that a skincare routine with all those steps is more likely to tire you out and make you neglect it entirely than a simple and effective skincare routine like this:
Step 1: Good cleansing is a must before applying any other product. Use a morning-to-night facial cleansing foam that deeply cleanses your skin, removes excess sebum, and protects the skin with gentle botanical ingredients.
Cleansing Foam for Face & Eyes
Crystal Clear
Deeply cleanses & moisturisesPrevents the oxidation of sebum
Controls sensitive skin outbreaks
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Step 2: Hydrate, hydrate, and then… hydrate some more. The best way to make your face glow is to use a good moisturizer containing plant-based and skin-friendly ingredients.
Face Moisturising Cream
Seas the day
Powerful antioxidantDoes not clog pores
Matte effect
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Step 3: The best method of anti-ageing and facial care is, of course, sunscreen. It’s the most important step of your daily skincare routine, especially if you’re running around all day in classes. It protects your skin from future wrinkles and dark spots, helps you get rid of that “weird” tan from your sunglasses and makeup products, and protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays!
Bonus step number 4: A weekly step that is very good for your skin is exfoliation and mask! Choose gentle skin products that don’t dehydrate you after use (a sign that the face’s natural sebum has been disrupted is the feeling that your skin is “pulling”) and don’t contain strong exfoliants.
Face Scrub & Mask
Better together
Prevents the oxidation of sebumMinimises the appearance of blackheads
Detoxifies skin
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Skincare for the sake of skincare is not skincare
It’s great that you have chosen to start your skincare at this age! Be smart, ask questions about the products you’re getting in order to learn more and become the skincare expert that all your friends consult!
Your ideal skincare can be very different from your friends’, and that’s the most beautiful thing ever. Imagine if there was one skincare routine for everyone:
How boring would it be if we all did the same unboxing 😅?
Young Carpo’s team of authors consists of experienced professionals with expertise in the health and beauty field, who create content based on research related to the skincare industry.
