skincare tips (for men and women) from medical professional 💖

Skincare tips from nurse Bee, my loves 🫶

I have dealt with patients struggling with skin maintenance, and, being a skincare enthusiast myself, I have gathered skincare expertise over the years.

You may already know these tips, or not need them, but allow me to further explain them.

Create a skincare routine based on your skin type and needs

You may already have a favorite, go-to skincare routine, and that's great! Just note that simply splashing your face with water, or rubbing your face with dish and/or hand soap won't cut it. The skin on your face is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on the rest of your body. That's why there are cleansers and products made specifically for you to put your best face forward! :)

No need to overdue it

You don't have to go all-out on expensive products and procedures to have healthy skin. In fact, doing too much skincare can damage your skin. Washing and toning your face too often can damage your skin's moisture barrier, causing dryness and flaking. On the other hand, lathering your skin too often with heavy creams, oils, and serums can clog your pours and cause or worsen acne. The best daily routine for those with combination skin (the most common skin type, oilier by the nose, forehead, and chin, dryer by the cheeks) is wash to your face in the morning and afternoon (if needed, removing makeup with micellar water first) with a gentle gel cleanser (such as Neutrogena's skin balancing purifying gel cleanser), adding facial moisturizer, serums, topical treatments, etc. once a day, if needed. Masks and toner, if desired, only have to be used once a week. Of course, spa days are fun, but they don't need to be every day. This routine goes for men and women with combination skin. Honestly, you could just wash your face (with light cleanser) twice a day and have perfectly healthy skin.

Specific tips for those with oily and acne-prone skin

We've all been there. Pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, it happens. But for some, it's an ongoing problem that they can't control. As a teen, I struggled with moderate acne. Since I have been doing skincare for 10+ years now, my skin is fairly clear. But nothing can permanently get rid of the little blackheads on my nose, or the texture on my skin. It's normal, it's human. But I know from experience how breakouts can lower confidence and cause pain, so here are some tips to help. ♡

- Avoid using creams, serums (usually contains oil), oils (and products with oil) on your face. All of these products are too rich for oily skin, and will worsen breakouts in the end. Instead, opt for gel cleansers (as I already suggested), and wash yours face twice a day.

- Purchase topical (concentrates on the oily areas) cleansers and treatments, with active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide (5% or less, some people are sensitive to it), salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids.

- Try toning. Specifically topical toners. Apply to a cotton ball and gentle rub around your face. Do this once every other day. Toner clears out pores before they become clogged.

- Try not to pick! You may be tempted to, but resist. Picking ultimately doesn't help. It's breaks the skin's surface and causes blood, oils, and/or pus to spread, and increases the chances of getting acne scars. Plus, your dirty fingers scratching at your face doesn't make the situation any better. Instead, stick on a pimple patch (like Hero Cosmetic's Mighty Patches), that absorbs the oils instead of spreading them (can be left on for as long as overnight). If you fell victim to picking, apply pressure to stop the bleeding and absorb the liquids, dry the area with a dab of topical toner, and pop on a patch.

- Use non-comedogenic/oil-free makeup foundations and concealers. This makeup is specifically made to not clog pores.

- Cleanse your makeup brushes and applicators weekly (before bed so it dries by morning). Soapy water does the trick. Bacteria can easily infect your applicators if not cared for properly.

- Wash your pillow cases and blankets once a month or more. Don't all the gunk pile up on there overtime.

- Consult your doctor. Moderate to severe acne may be caused by hormonal imbalances or disorders. If your acne persists or gets worse, seek medical help. Concentrated prescription drugs may do the trick.

Specific tips for those with dry, flaky skin

Like acne, it happens, during the dry winter months. But some suffer from it year round.

- HYDRATE! Dry, scaly skin and lips are a tale-tell sign of dehydration. Carry a water bottle with you, and take sips every now and then. Try to work your way through at least 3 8-ounce bottles, or 2 and a half 16-ounces.

- Focus on moisturization. Apply facial moisturizer/lotion (such as Neutrogena's hydro boast water gel) after cleansing. Serums (especially those rich in vitamin e, which helps heal and repair damaged skin) and facial oils applied once a day help lock in moisture, as well.

- Run a diffuser (like urpower 2nd gen aroma essential oil diffuser) in your room while you sleep to keep your skin moisturized through the night,

- Talk to your doctor. Worsening facial dryness, redness, and flaking irritation may be a sign of eczema or psoriasis, in which case specific treatments and drugs should be prescribed.

Anti-aging tips

Tips to prevent and treat premature anti-aging:

- Sun protection. It's a known fact that UV rays from the sun damage skin if overexposed (causing wrinkles, and cancer at worst). Protect yourself with sunscreen. Make sunscreen apart of your skincare routine, applying facial sunscreen (non-comedogenic/oil-free versions are available for those with oily, acne-prone skin) on sunny days. Look for foundations and chapsticks with SPF 15 or higher, wear baseball hats, sun hats, sunglasses, and long sleeves and pants, and reapply sunscreen on your body when needed for maximum coverage.

- Use serums once a day, especially those rich in vitamins to nourish and heal your skin, preventing wrinkles and fine lines in the long run. There are specific anti-aging serums that you can purchase (like Olay's regenerist regenerating serum) for concentrated treatment.

- Try out collagen products and supplements. Human bodies naturally produce less collagen as we age, contributing to wrinkles and fine lines. More collagen means, stronger, firmer skin, and the postponement of visible facial aging. It's never too early to establish anti-aging in your skincare routine.

I hoped I helped and/or educated you in some way lol