Simplified Skin Care Routine

As far as protective wrappings go, skin has everything else beat. Your skin is your body’s barrier, protecting you against the elements, not to mention disease. You can return the favor with just a few simple skin care basics, and by getting attention from a dermatologist when your skin experiences any condition that’s out of the ordinary.

Skin Care Basics: It’s Elementary
Cleanse, nourish, protect — those are the three skin care basics that will keep skin looking, feeling, and functioning great. Because these skin care steps all rely on products, start by choosing them wisely. Remember that skin care products aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so you need to be a careful shopper.

Look for products tailored to your skin type, but at the same time, beware of too much hype about the results you can expect. “There’s no correlation between how expensive a product is and how well it works,” says Mathew M. Avram, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser and Cosmetic Center in Boston.

Keep in mind that serious skin conditions usually need the care of a dermatologist, a skin specialist, who can prescribe effective treatments that have FDA approval.

Skin Care Basics: Your 3-Step Master Plan

With only a few products and a few minutes, skin care will be a breeze:

Cleanse. Dry and sensitive skin need cleansing just once or twice a day, but even oily and acne prone skin will benefit from gentle skin care — overwashing can be irritating and chap the top layer of skin, and won’t impact the amount of oil you produce. Cleansing is most important at night — yes, just when you may feel the most exhausted — but it’s a must to remove old makeup and the grime of the day. The old-school three product skin care system used to call for a liquid toner between the cleanser and the moisturizer, but this isn’t necessary, says Dr. Avram. Exfoliating can be part of cleansing, but it’s more of a weekly or twice-a-week step to slough off any dead cells to help reveal a rosier complexion.

Nourish. Moisturizer works by sealing in skin’s natural moisture. If you have dry skin, you may need a rich formula by day and a thicker one at night. “For dry skin, the best time to apply moisturizer is right after you shower, when skin has moisture in it,” says Avram. If you have oily skin, you may not need one at all. “Oily skin won’t need a moisturizer to same extent as dry skin, but does need sunscreen,” says Avram. “Look for gel or lotion products instead of creams.”

Protect. In fact, it can’t be said often enough: Sun protection is vital for every skin type, every complexion, and every day because, by far, what causes skin to age and causes skin cancer is the sun, says Avram. He adds that wearing a hat, avoiding peak sun hours, and applying sunscreen is crucial to avoid skin discoloration and wrinkles over time. Look for cosmetics, from moisturizer to your foundation, that include SPF, but if you’re going to be in the sun for any longer than it takes to get in and out of your car, use a sunscreen that offers UVA and UVB protection (at an SPF of at least 15) to guard against sun exposure and sunburns as well as skin cancer. And don’t forget to reapply often.