The foundation of a skincare routine
by the Alurx Medical & Expert Council
Having a skincare routine is essential for your skin health and requires consistency. We recommend that you talk first to your dermatologist about your personal needs and concerns to help you establish a ritual, and recommend ingredients and products that will work for you.
Why? The purpose of a skincare routine is to protect your skin, which is your largest vital organ, your first line of defense against the environment, infections, and an important sensory gateway. A skincare routine can also address other skin concerns such as acne, dullness, or signs of aging. Our skin’s microenvironment is a delicate balance of bacteria, yeast, oils, sebum, keratin, and other elements that also dictate the pH of our skin. When starting a new routine of any kind, this delicate balance can be temporarily disrupted. Getting professional advice can save you the pitfalls of trial and error and/or the misguided advice from people who do not know your skin.
What? Skincare basics should always include these 3 steps:
- Cleanse
- Protect
- Restore/Repair/Treat
Cleansing your skin involves helping remove excess dirt, sebum and oil, and buildup on the skin. Generally, a simple gentle cleanser is sufficient, however, some may find it helpful to add an exfoliant to this step.
Protecting the skin involves understanding the importance of keeping the skin’s barrier intact. Moisturizing and hydrating the skin effectively is critical and often include ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and botanicals like aloe and chamomile flower extracts, all formulated in our Hydrating Wrinkle Smoothing Cream. Applying sunblock all year round to protect the skin from harmful UV rays is also a must.
Restore/Repair/Treat involves understanding other challenges your skin may experience, such as acne, dry skin, and wrinkles, which may require adding targeted products. Serums like the Multivitamin Rejuvenating Serum are usually formulated to address those concerns by blending ingredients such as natural antioxidants like turmeric or essential vitamins.
When? A skincare routine requires consistency. The frequency of skin care can vary widely from person to person based on their skin needs and experience. It is important to avoid assumptions that frequencies such as daily, twice daily, or multiple times daily are “mandatory”. Cleansing and protecting your skin do require daily attention. The benefits of a skincare routine could start to be seen in the first couple of weeks, but in general, it will be closer to 2 to 3 months before true improvement is noticed. For targeted treatments such as acne or inflammation, the results may be visible faster.
Next, review your diet and sleep habits with your dermatologist to make sure that you take care of your skin from the inside out. Nurturing your skin health is a journey of self-care that requires investment in time and consistency and can positively impact your overall wellness. So start building your skincare routine without delay and trust an expert to guide you.