“It’s time”, you whisper to yourself.
You’re ready to set off on your skincare quest, armoured with good intentions and resolve for patience and consistency. With eager anticipation at the thought of healthy, thriving skin, you step out on your journey.
It’s simple really, a solid routine to care for your skin is all that you need, but there’s just a slight hitch…
Who do you listen to? Where do you start? How do you cut through the noise?
Understanding how to care for your skin in today's world of limitless knowledge sharing can be… confusing, overwhelming, contradictory, and plain intimidating.
The marvel of modern technology has provided us with a constant stream of information, right at our fingertips. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Blogs, Youtube.. all of these platforms are offering up content 24 hours of the day, as amazing as this is, well, there’s no wonder there’s so much confusion out there when it comes to caring for your skin.
We live in a world of information overload, and I don’t know about you, but it sometimes leaves me needing a looong lie down in a dark and quiet room with an ice pack on my head.
We need to get back to basics.
Let’s take the stress out of skincare and simplify, the Shawishi Way!
Whose with me? 🙋
Here are our Shawishi approved universal tips for caring for your skin:
1. Know your skin type.
Knowledge is power when it comes to skincare, without a basic understanding of your skin type, it will be more tricky to find products that really harmonize with your skin. To avoid trial and error, wasting your time, wasting products, wasting your money… find out ahead of time what your skin type is.
If you’re struggling with this, we got you!
Take our skin quiz HERE to learn what skin category yours falls into!
2. Customize your skincare regimen for your particular skin care needs.
What is your main skin concern right now? Acne? Hyperpigmentation? Dehydrated skin? Whatever your main concern is, the products you choose should be tailored to this issue.
3. Get the basic regimen covered.
Once you’ve covered the basics, you’re already on your way to dreamy skin.
Simplicity really is key here. By basics I mean a cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer and SPF.
The following products work for all skin types so are a great place to start:
- Cleanser - Clean Canvas
- Exfoliating Toner - Clarity Now
- Serum - Nectar Drops
- Moisturiser - Tropical Cream
- SPF - Throwing Shade
4. Be consistent and patient with your skincare regimen.
We know this can be a hard one, we all want instant results, but changes truly don’t happen overnight. Practicing consistency and patience allows the products time to work their magic and your skin time to adjust. This is key to achieving real, lasting results. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
5. Stay hydrated.
Y’all know this one.. hydrated humans = glowing skin! (this is your prompt to go fill up that water bottle!)
6. Prioritize rest and taking breaks when needed.
It’s hard for our skin to thrive if we’re not sleeping well or enough. Lack of sleep and inadequate rest shows on our skin (think piling on that under eye concealer). Sleeping is when our body heals and restores, so it’s important to prioritize sleep where possible.
7. Try to manage your stress.
Y’all have heard how stress = breakouts, right? We all know how detrimental stress is for the body, and I get it, sometimes it’s unavoidable. Stress is a part of modern life.
But we can do things to counteract the stress, and not just for our skin but for our overall physical and mental health (such as practicing yoga/ mindful movement, meditation and generally trying to achieve balance in life).
8. Be intentional about what you put in your body, eat well, move often and live a healthy lifestyle.
This one is an obvious one, but one that is so important to include. If we eat well, move often, and are intentional about what we put in our bodies, it will reflect in how we feel and look. Give your body those nutrients, sweat, release endorphins, do things that make you happy. It’ll show!!
P.s Certain medications can cause skin issues/ dryness/ acne, so this is something to be aware of too.
9. Protect your skin and pay extra attention to caring for your skin during extreme seasons/ weather conditions.
This means wearing SPF 50+ all year around and adding extra protective clothing in Summer (hats), and being mindful of adding in extra moisture during the colder months of winter that can leave skin feeling dry and cracked.
10. Be gentle with your skin and treat it with care.
Avoid using harsh products that are unsuitable for your skin. Be delicate with your skin, especially in the under eye area and generally try not to rub too harshly!
Let’s finish by acknowledging that the above are a number of universal truths that apply to the majority when it comes to skincare, but tweaks and adjustments are necessary in order to find exactly what works for your own unique complexion.
The skin is always evolving, changing and aging, even season to season, so revisiting what works and what doesn't can be a good practice to instil as you journey through life.
With these 10 tips you’ll be giving your skin its best chance to thrive. Now go out there and claim that beautiful complexion of yours!