Tips for Beginners who want to start a skincare routine.

The lockdown in March was when I finally decided to start my skincare journey for my acne prone skin. But the biggest mistake I made was believing influencer reviews. So that actually was one of the reasons why I wasted lots of money on skincare brands which don't really work. Even the "honest" youtubers when you watch the reviews now once that you have used the products on your skin don't seem honest anymore. Well to save you from ending up with spending lots of money on products which honestly don't work here are my tips everyone should follow before they start a skincare regime. 

1. Identify your skin's needs: One of the most important and the first step of forming your skincare routine in my opinion is identifying what your skin needs. This is something you need to research and also observe oneself. You need to first identify your skin type because this is required to choose products. 

2. You only need products which cater to your skin's need: By identifying your skin's needs you can buy only those products which will help your skin to reduce it's issues. If your issue is acne then something like a salicylic acid serum or products containing that will be helpful. You also need to choose cleansers and moisturizers according to your skin's type. 

3. Watch videos by skincare specialists, dermatologists for information on ingredients: Studying an ingredient is difficult because as common people it is very difficult to understand the scientific terms and uses. So at such times watching dermatologists on youtube is helpful. Even though the products they recommend aren't available in your country the basic usage of the ingredients still remain the same.

4. Start slow: As someone who is just beginning their skincare journey it would be smart to first start with the basics i.e.; cleansing, moisturizer and spf. These are steps which no one should skip no matter what their level in skincare might be. 

5. Do not skip sunscreen and reapplication: A continuation to my previous step but sunscreen is a product which should never be taken out of a routine. It is a vital part because the sun can cause a lot of harm to our skin and all the efforts you put in a routine would go in vain if not used sun protection.

6. It's time to start using chemical exfoliators: By this time its known to most people that physical scrubs containing walnut shells or coffee powder are very rough on our skin and cause more harm than good. So as a beginner you can slowly introduce a chemical exfoliator in your routine and this will not only keep your skin clear from breakout but is also very gentle.

7. Introduce the actives very slowly: Whenever you are deciding to introduce an active ingredient you need to first patch test it and then if you see no allergic reaction to it then start using it first two times a week and then gradually increase the days as per the actives you are using.

8. Do your own research: With websites like incidecoder and paula's choice you get a good explanation of ingredients and what they are useful for and if they are safe or not. Incidecoder is my go to website to look up products and the ingredients they use and whether they are useful or not. 

9. Do not fall for fear mongering: I often see videos on youtube where its a new ingredient being vilified everyday. Do not blindly follow some random influencer's advice and instead look up what dermatologists say about those ingredients. Paula's choice has an ingredient dictionary which is very useful for such matters.

10. Give it some time: Skincare is not magic. You need to give your skin at least 4 weeks to see a difference. And most times lots of skincare ingredients especially acne ingredients can cause purging. So don't freakout and stay calm.

    I hope these tips help you guys decide how to begin a routine. I know there are not many well known brands here in India yet but there are some which have helped me with my acne. If you guys want me to review the products I use and want my routine details do let me know. This is my first post here so in case of any error I apologize.