What are the steps in the skin care process

Cleaning, moisturizing, sunscreen, and all the remaining additional steps are all added as needed. There is no unified standard for "how many steps must be taken to be effective in skin care."

A while ago, I helped my cousin with oily skin who had just entered college adjust her skin care routine. She read the "Ten Steps to Perfect Skin Care" online. She applied makeup remover, cleanser, exfoliating gel, toner, essence, lotion, face cream, eye cream, sunscreen, and isolation every day. It only took half a month for my face to become so dull that my face was full of clogging, and even my T-zone started to become red and itchy. Later, I cut the process directly to "amino acid cleansing + oil control essence + refreshing lotion + sunscreen" and cut out all unnecessary steps. Within three weeks, my skin condition stabilized and the clogging was gone.

Of course, it does not mean that fewer steps are better. It still depends on your skin type and current skin condition. For example, girls with dry skin often feel their face tightening after washing in autumn and winter. It is completely reasonable to apply more toning lotion after cleansing, or even apply a hydrating mask for 10 minutes before applying moisturizing cream. There is no need to follow the streamlined process for oily skin.

Speaking of which, I have to mention two controversial items that have been debated in the skin care circle for many years - secondary cleansing and exfoliation. One school of thought believes that the accumulation of old dead skin cells will clog pores and affect the absorption of skin care products. Exfoliation once or twice a week and wiping the face with clean water twice a day can make the skin more translucent. The other school of thought believes that healthy skin itself has a 28-day keratin metabolism cycle, and extra effort will damage the skin barrier and forcefully turn healthy skin into sensitive skin. I believed the former statement before and exfoliated my face twice a week. As a result, my cheeks became red and hot. It took me half a year to recover. Now I only use mild scrubs locally when there are oil particles in my T-zone. I don’t dare to exfoliate my face at all.

There are also some steps that are added based on the scene of the day. For example, if you wear heavy makeup or apply high-power waterproof sunscreen today, then take an extra step to remove makeup before normal cleansing. If you only apply non-waterproof daily sunscreen that day, most gentle cleansers can wash it off, and there is no need to remove makeup to damage the skin. If you have anti-aging or anti-spot effects, just add the essence with the corresponding effect before moisturizing. Don’t worry about which fixed position to insert. Just remember to apply the thinner product first, and always put sunscreen in the last step of skin care, and you won’t make a big mistake.

I have a friend with naturally sensitive skin. Her skin care routine consists of two steps all year round: gentle cleansing + repairing cream. Her skin condition is much more stable than that of many people who apply seven or eight layers of skin care products to their face every day. To put it bluntly, skin care has never been about making up KPIs. Your own face feels comfortable and stable, which is more reliable than any "standard process" uploaded online.