Skincare Routines

Ally Matthan, founder of Areev shares her personal skincare regime.

Last year was a GREAT skin year for me. I began the year with a set of skin goals and while some have carried over to this year I’ll be the first to admit that this is the one area where I did make considerable progress. Here were my skin goals:

Acne free skin – I’d get the odd pimple or two just before my periods. I wanted 8 months of continuously consistent acne free skin. It also meant no scars to deal with the rest of the month.
Skin on my face and body to have a certain plump perkiness that reflects hydrated and soft skin.
Manage the wrinkle’s : face, neck and hands also the patchiness and coarseness from days spent in a chlorinated swimming pool or a salty ocean.

Here’s the progress I made:

I have been completely acne free for 10 months and counting!
My skin is well nourished and hydrated : no chapped lips or feet anymore, no dryness on my legs or elbows and the texture of my skin is taut and glowy.
Work in progress: I see and feel an improvement on the lines on my hands and the neck wrinkles are less pronounced. I still need to stay concentrated on these areas though.

Here’s what I did:

The first week of January last year I got rid of all the excess bottles of anti-ageing creams, acne spot reducers extra that I had picked up and were just lying on my bathroom shelves. I decided that I was headed back to the kitchen instead to figure out what ingredients work for me.
I spoke to my trainer who helped me build a skincare routine around physical exercise.
I worked on creating simple habits: cleansing and moisturizing. Drinking more water and including key ingredients in my food (I can’t use the word diet because I eat everything).

My key learnings:

Finding a skincare regimen that works for me and me only me specifically.
Achieving skin goals is more about motivation and lifestyle change : products play a supporting role.

Which brings me to the basics of figuring out YOUR SKIN CARE regime: take the whole month to figure this out by experimenting, for me early mornings work best:

Set specific skin goals – if you begin with wanting clear skin break it down to specific definitions like no redness, pigmentation, acne etc. What is it that you are specifically trying to achieve?
Ask your mother or grandmother what kitchen recipes worked for them. Genetics plays a large role in skin – chances are they will work for you. Share them with us so we can learn as well!
Set a water drinking goal each day : begin with 500ml and work yourself upto 3litres at set intervals.
Figure out food and exercise that works for you. Im hoping to put down excercises specifically for the face and neck that have helped me.
Understand what goes into building a routine for skin and hair and put it down consistently like brushing your teeth everyday.

THE BASICS OF A ROUTINE:

Skincare Product	What is this for?	Why do I need this?	What results will I see?
Cleanser – A MUST	A gentle, water-soluble cleanser removes debris, oil, and makeup. I recommend coconut oil followed by a handmade soap.	Rinsing with water is not enough to clean your face. When your face is clean, it allows the other products you use to work even better, morning and evening.	Your skin will look and feel healthier, smoother, and be ready to receive maximum benefits from your other products.
Toner – ONLY if you need it	Well-formulated toners smooth, soften, and calm skin, while removing the last traces of makeup. They also add vital skin-replenishing ingredients after cleansing. I recommend simple rose water.	Toners hydrate, refresh, and revitalize the skin's surface immediately after cleansing. They also help diminish the look of redness and dry patches.	Your skin will feel softer and look smoother, and redness will be visibly improved. Those with oily skin will see minimized appearance of pores.
Exfoliant – incorporate with controlled frequency: once or twice weekly – NEVER MORE	Exfoliants gently remove built-up dead skin for smoother, noticeably renewed skin. I recommend powdered walnut or apricot scrub.	Environmental damage causes the surface of the skin to become dull, rough, and uneven. Exfoliating eliminates this build up, which otherwise would cause clogged pores, uneven skin tone, and worsen the appearance of fine lines and deeper wrinkles.	Your skin will look radiant, smoother, and younger (really)!
ACNE TREATMENT : ONLY if you need it	Drinking upto 3 litres makes an impact. Support your water and food habits with citrus and/or turmeric based products. I used Areev’s Citrus and Turmeric soap left on my face everynight for 15 minutes.	When acne is your concern, research shows that topical treatment with is an essential step for achieving clear skin.	You will see fewer breakouts and a reduction in large, red, swollen pimples. Plant-based soothing ingredients calm redness.
SERUM: ONLY if you're not using an acne treatment; otherwise, those go on first)	Applied morning and evening, serums filled with antioxidants and other anti-aging ingredients help defend your skin from environmental assault, including visible effects of pollution. I used Turmeric essential oil.	Serums with antioxidants improve your skin in numerous ways, from calming redness to improving the appearance of wrinkles, skin texture, and helping skin look and feel firmer and radiant.	Immediately, your skin will feel smoother and look radiant. With twice-daily use, visible signs of aging will soften and your skin will look healthier, remarkably smoother, and younger.
Moisturizer with Sunscreen(the last step in your morning routine)	This essential morning step keeps your skin protected from visible effects of sun damage. It must have an SPF 30 or higher rating, and offer broad-spectrum protection. I used Clinique’s sunscreen	Sunscreens with antioxidants are essential to protect your skin from UV light exposure, which is the #1 cause of wrinkles, uneven skin tone, loss of firmness, and many other signs of aging.	Protecting your skin from further sun (UV) damage allows it begin looking younger and healthier. This is the critical step to having radiant skin. With liberal daily application, you will see fewer signs of aging!
Moisturizer(the last step in your evening routine)	All skin types will benefit from moisturizers because they contain the types of ingredients research has shown help your skin look smoother, perfectly hydrated, and visibly younger.	Used daily, moisturizers (cream, lotion, gel, or liquid texture) improve skin's appearance, helping to keep it feeling smooth, plumped and soft. You can use them around the eye area; however, if you prefer using an eye cream, you can apply it over or instead of your moisturizer around your eyes.	When you use the right moisturizer for your skin type, you will see smoother, radiant skin that's hydrated and healthier-looking. Dry, dull, or flaky skin will be replaced by skin that looks visibly younger and replenished!

A Sample Routine:

The following simple, step-by-step routine covers the basic types of products everyone should use and the order in which to use them every day. These steps apply regardless of skin type.

Essential Routine: MORNING

Cleanser
Exfoliant
Moisturiser with Sunscreen

Essential Routine: EVENING

Cleanser
Exfoliant
Moisturiser

Your Advanced Routine

An Advanced Routine is one most people concerned with signs of aging, large pores, uneven skin tone, or breakouts will need. It includes targeted solutions that build on the foundation of the Essential Routine to address your personal skincare concerns, such as acne, clogged pores, redness, wrinkles, lack of firmness, and dehydration.

For example, if your sole concern is dry skin, you’ll do fine following the Essential Routine. But if you have dry skin and wrinkles or oily skin and wrinkles and breakouts you will want to follow an Advanced Routine for best results, making sure to first think about your water intake, exercise routine and then product, in that order.

The Advanced Routine includes a gentle toner as the second step, morning and evening. If you’ve never used a well-formulated toner before, prepare to be amazed by the results!

Advanced Routine: MORNING

Cleanser
Toner
Exfoliant
Serum
Moisturiser
Optional:Targeted Solution (applied as needed before sunscreen)

Advanced Routine: EVENING

Cleanser
Toner
Exfoliant
Serum
Moisturiser
Optional:Targeted Solution, as needed, applied before or after your moisturizer or eye cream.

I hope this gives you a point at which to begin. Then slowly build a routine that works for you and your skin. Give yourself time: a whole year and you will see measurable and discernible results. Remember skin care begins with motivation – I hope you have a wonderful skin year!

The Best Skin of Your Life Starts Here: The same type of research used to create this article is also used to formulate Areev Skincare products. You’ll find products for all skin types and a range of concerns, from acne and sensitive skin to wrinkles, pores, and sun damage. With Areev’s Skincare, you can get (and keep) the best skin of your life! I can be reached at areev@matthan.com and I’m happy to help in any way that I can.

Ally Matthan

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