Skin Care 101

Why should I have a skin care routine?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Your skin is your largest organ. It’s made up of millions of skin cells, and it renews itself every 28 days. That is a lot of important biology to take care of, and a skin care routine helps you do just that.

What is a skin care routine?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Cleansing and moisturizing are the most important steps, and you can customize the rest of your routine based on your needs, such as age-defying, evening out skin tone, acne-fighting solutions, etc. To best care for your skin, go through your routine morning and evening.

I don’t like a lot of steps in my daily routine. What is the bare minimum I should do to care for my skin?

David Gan: At the very least, cleanse and moisturize each morning and night. Also use sunscreen to decrease the risk of skin cancer. Some moisturizers even have SPF protection, so you don’t have to add another step. 

Do I need to wear a sunscreen even if I’m not at the beach?

David Gan: Yes! It is important to protect your skin with sunscreen every day — even on cloudy days. In addition to preventing sunburns, it also decreases the risk of skin cancer and helps prevent the early signs of skin aging. Your future self will thank you! A broad spectrum sunscreen will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays, which is important since UVA rays can cause damage without giving you a sunburn.

Do I need skin care even if I don’t worry about age-defying benefits?

David Gan: Yes. Skin care is about more than defying aging. It helps you maintain healthy skin long term and avoid breakouts, and it gives skin a brighter appearance.

Why is cleansing my skin important? What are the consequences if I don’t?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Washing your face helps remove makeup, dirt, grime and impurities that can lead to blocked pores and breakouts. It also gives you a fresh start for your nighttime routine. Also, makeup tends to migrate to our fine lines and creases while we sleep. You will wake up looking fresher if you remove makeup from the day before.

Do I need skin care even if I don’t wear makeup?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Yes! If you aren’t wearing makeup, you want to have beautiful, healthy skin to show off. So a skin care routine will benefit your no-makeup look.

Do I need to wash my face at night if I don’t wear makeup?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Absolutely. You need to cleanse your skin morning and evening to help clear away breakout-causing impurities.

Do I need skin care even if my skin looks great?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Yes. There are many stressors that can have a cumulative impact on your skin and affect how it will look in the future. A skin care routine will help your skin continue to look great.

Why is moisturizing my skin important? What are the consequences if I don’t?

David Gan: Our skin naturally produces oil to moisturize itself, but it’s important to replenish moisture after cleansing your skin. Squeaky-clean, unmoisturized skin isn’t necessarily a good thing. And depending on the person, skipping your moisturizer can lead to extra oil production or dry skin. If you have oily skin, you need a moisturizer that works for your skin type. An oil-free moisturizer could be a good option for you.

Do you have any general tips or tricks for someone new to having a skin care routine?

Dr. Cristi Gomez: Start with cleanser and moisturizer, and add new skin care products as you feel comfortable. This will also give your skin time to adjust to new products, which is important if you are trying a product with added benefits, such as exfoliation, for the first time. 

Also, make it easy to maintain your routine. I buy two facial cleansers. I keep one in my shower for washing my face in the morning and one by my sink for washing my face at night. This makes washing my face way more convenient and eliminates excuses.