The Ultimate Guide to Skin Care
A thoughtful skincare routine is vital to maintaining healthy, hydrated skin. Many of us try to take care of our skin, but we don’t always know the best way to do it. With this ultimate guide, you will learn the best ways to care for your skin, how to build a routine that will leave you with healthy, vibrant skin, and what products will take that routine to the next level.
C h a p t e r 1 :
Caring for Your Face
Your face is who you are and the first impression you give anyone, but keeping that clear complexion is not always as easy as you might hope. The skin on your face is not like the rest of your body, meaning you need to be extra careful about how you care for it.
How To Choose a Good Face Wash
Washing your face is a crucial part of your skincare routine. With so many products out there, finding the right face wash can be a challenge. The first thing to look at is the ingredients label. The skin on your face is more sensitive than the other parts of your body. Therefore, you need gentle yet effective ingredients.
Always choose natural, nourishing ingredients in your face wash. Also, pay attention to how your skin responds. If your face is often dry, turn to hydrating ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and rose water. If you have oilier and acne-prone skin, choose more potent ingredients, like apple cider vinegar and turmeric.
At the same time, it’s crucial to steer clear of certain harmful ingredients. Harsh ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, and alcohol variants can dry out your skin or affect its health. Mineral oil, another common ingredient, is often used for hydrating purposes, but instead can clog up your pores and lead to breakouts.
When you choose a face wash from WOW Skin Science, you can trust that each formula uses plant-based formulas free of harsh ingredients. Some refreshing options include WOW’s Apple Cider Vinegar Face Wash and WOW’s Ubtan Face Wash.
After washing your face, always be sure to follow up with an effective moisturizer.
How Often Should I Exfoliate?
Exfoliating is another excellent way to keep your face radiant and clear. Your skin is constantly shedding skin cells as it grows new cells. Exfoliation helps to remove these dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin. By removing these shed cells from your face, you open up your pores while clearing out dirt and oil, helping to reduce your chance of developing acne and clear blemishes.
Exfoliating also helps your other products work better. After exfoliation removes the build-up from your skin, your moisturizer and face wash are more easily absorbed into the top layer of your skin.
Because it reaches so deeply toward the top layer of your skin, exfoliating can be tough on your skin. Therefore, you should exfoliate no more than once or twice a week with a gentle exfoliant or face wash.
Should I Use a Face Mask?
Face masks can be an excellent addition to your skincare routine, giving you a chance to incorporate more nutrients while providing additional moisturizing power. By resting on your face, face masks allow your skin to absorb nutrients more deeply while also clearing out excess dirt and oil.
Using a face mask is easy. Simply apply a thin layer evenly on your face and let it dry for 10-15 minutes. Once it has had a chance to settle, rinse off the mask with lukewarm water and pat your face with a towel to dry it. Use a face mask once a week for best results.
For a face mask that deeply nourishes your skin, try WOW’s Turmeric Clay Face Mask, Pink Rose Clay Face Mask, or explore our entire collection of face masks. These face masks provide you with excellent nutrients, like skin-clearing turmeric, hydrating pink rose, moisturizing shea butter, and antioxidant-rich extra virgin olive oil.
Additional Treatments
You can also add in extra treatments throughout the week to keep your face looking radiant and youthful. Adding in an occasional face massage helps to boost your circulation, work out pollutants, and reduce signs of aging, on top of being an excellent stress reliever.
To massage your face, simply use clean hands or a face massage tool and massage from the inside of your face outward and then down around the edges. You can incorporate face massages two to three times a week for stronger skin. Be sure to use a nourishing oil of some sort during the process.
WOW Vitamin C Face Serum, for example, helps to strengthen your skin’s collagen structure and support smoother skin with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. You can use also use face serums as a regular moisturizer up to twice daily, after washing your face in the morning and before bed.
C h a p t e r 2 :
Nurturing Aging Skin
Your skincare routine is the biggest factor in maintaining the health of your skin. Keeping a consistent routine each day will give you soft, strong, and shining skin, but it is vital to know what rituals and products you need to include and how often.
What Should Your Morning Skin Routine Be?
Your morning skincare routine sets the tone for the rest of the day and is important for giving your skin the nourishment it deserves. Overnight oil, sweat, and dirt can build up on your skin and face, making your nighttime routine important. After waking up, you should:
Wash your face
Use a Toner
Apply a face serum, if you’d like
Moisturize
Some people prefer to shower in the morning, while others prefer to shower at night. There are merits to both, so the choice of when to shower is ultimately yours. If you sweat a lot at night, consider showering in the morning to clean off all the oil and bacteria build-up.
How To Care for Skin When Going Outside
If you plan on going outside, be sure to end your morning skincare routine by using a protective sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Reapply it after every two hours if you are outside for an extended period of time. Sunscreen is crucial to protecting your skin as it works to repel powerful radiation.
If you neglect this step, you will have to add an extra step to your routine to treat your sunburn, and even worse, think about how to address extra wrinkles and sun-damaged skin later on. If the sunburn already occurred, use a soothing moisturizer with ingredients like aloe vera and tea tree oil.
What Is a Good Nighttime Skincare Routine?
A bedtime routine helps keep your skin looking great. Before bed, remove your makeup, wash your face, and moisturize. This is also a great chance to use a face mask or face cream. To give your routine a significant boost, consider using a body scrub twice a week to exfoliate your skin and give it a natural glow.
Many dermatologists also support taking a shower at night to clean your skin of all the dirt and pollutants that build up throughout the day. In doing so, you also keep your sheets cleaner to prevent dirtier skin in the morning.
Lastly, the best thing you can do for your skin at night is to get enough sleep. Getting between 7 and 9 hours can go a long way toward supporting a clear complexion and soft, smooth skin.
How To Care for Your Skin in the Shower
Whenever you decide to shower, make sure you set the right temperature. Although it can feel nice, showering in hot water is one of the worst things you can do for your skin. Instead, shower in lukewarm water that is no higher than body temperature.
After setting the right temperature, use the right products to support your skin’s health, as choosing the right body wash is vital. The wrong body wash can strip your skin of its natural oils, drying it out and causing irritation. Harsh detergents can take a toll on your skin over time.
Therefore, when you choose a body wash, pick one with all-natural ingredients that nourish and hydrate your skin instead. Ingredients like argan oil, avocado oil, and shea butter help to hold in moisture and support your skin’s natural oils instead of working against them.
How Should I Care for My Skin After a Shower?
The period after you shower is one of the most important in skin care. When you shower, your skin absorbs some of the moisture, making it the point of the day when your skin is most hydrated. To take advantage of it, immediately follow up your shower with a body lotion to lock it in and keep your skin hydrated throughout the day. Make sure to pat your skin dry with a towel instead of rubbing it to prevent any irritation.
C h a p t e r 3 :
How to Maintain Hydrated Skin
Hydrated skin is healthy skin. Hydration plays an important role in maintaining its elasticity and resilience. However, anything from environmental factors to an inadequate skincare routine can dry out your skin. By being mindful of this, you can build a routine that protects and preserves your skin’s moisture.
Use Hydrating Products
Since hydrated skin is so valuable, choose products to support a high moisture content in your skin. First, it is important to know the difference between hydrating and moisturizing. Hydrating ingredients attract water to the skin, while moisturizing products, also called emollients, lock in moisture that is already there.
For hydrating products, look for ingredients called humectants, which bond with water and attract water to the skin. The following are great examples of hydrating ingredients:
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA)
Hyaluronic acid
Moisturize Frequently
To maintain hydrated skin, moisturizing must be a consistent part of your routine. The best time to moisturize is when your skin is damp after a shower. Every time you wash your face, moisturize. Ultimately, moisturize at least once a day, or usually twice for your face.
If you live in a dry climate, make sure to moisturize even more frequently. Because of the cold, dry air, you should do the same in the winter. In these cases, you may even want to moisturize after each time you wash your hands to avoid dry, cracked skin.
Keeping a humidifier can help you get even more out of your moisturizing routine, as a humidifier makes the air less dry and allows your skin to hold more water. For extra moisturizing power, use a powerful body butter to boost your skin’s health.
What To Look for in a Good Lotion
The lotion is a crucial part of your skincare routine, so it is important to choose a good one. Unfortunately, many products are designed to improve the appearance of your skin without focusing on its health. As a result, many lotions use harmful ingredients like parabens, added fragrances, and polyethylene glycol.
Other ingredients should be used with caution. Retinol poses several benefits but may not work for all skin types. Similarly, AHAs can help support the health of your skin while also having side effects depending on skin type. If you are concerned about which ingredients to avoid in your routine, consult your dermatologist.
As with any product, focus on choosing natural ingredients in your lotion to maximize your skin’s health and appearance. Vitamins C and E can help with firming your skin, aloe vera can help soothe irritated skin, and shea and cocoa butter can retain moisture while providing healthy fatty acids.
Choosing the right lotion also depends on your skin type. For example, if you have dryer skin, then you will want to choose a heavier cream that uses hydrating ingredients to tackle dryness. Those with oilier skin should choose a lightweight lotion with ingredients like argan oil. Meanwhile, a lotion for aging skin would prioritize vitamin C and antioxidants to support collagen production and maintain the life of healthy cells.
C h a p t e r 4 :
How to Manage Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is much more common than you might think, and it requires special care. If you have sensitive skin, adjust your routine accordingly to avoid discomfort and give your skin the care it deserves.
What Are the Signs of Sensitive Skin?
There is no easy way to diagnose sensitive skin. After all, everyone’s skin can be sensitive to certain environmental factors. However, those who have sensitive skin tend to have skin that is more easily irritated than others. If you have sensitive skin, you may notice any of the following symptoms:
Redness
Regular dryness
Frequent rashes
Acne breakouts
Extra sensitivity to the sun
When you have sensitive skin, these signs are more likely to show up after using soaps, skincare products, perfumes, or other household products. If your skin reacts to any of these products, limit your use.
How To Treat Sensitive Skin
When treating sensitive skin, the key word is “gentle.” Avoid using harsh soaps, showering in hot water, and spending too long in the sun. Often with sensitive skin, less is more. Don’t worry about loading up on as many products as you can. Stick to using gentle cleansers and gentle moisturizers to maintain healthy skin.
Incorporating occasional extra treatments can still help you get an extra boost for your skin. For example, you shouldn’t exfoliate often, but you can do so every now and then with a gentle cleanser. You may also want to include an alcohol-free toner or gentle body scrub in your routine for additional nourishment.
Also, make sure you take extra precautions with sensitive skin, like being extra serious about using sunscreen. Certain ingredients, like sandalwood oil and saffron, can provide additional protection. Choosing the right products for sensitive skin is a crucial part of developing an effective routine.
What Products Should I Use for Sensitive Skin?
No matter what, always avoid harsh detergents and alcohol, but with sensitive skin, you should avoid certain beneficial ingredients, too, like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids. For sensitive skin types, moisturizers with gentle, soothing, and nourishing ingredients are key.
Green tea, jojoba oil, and aloe vera are wonderful for calming irritated skin, while vitamins C and E help replenish the skin’s strength. Excellent products that can soothe while fighting dryness include a face wash like WOW Aloe Vera Foaming Face Wash and WOW Ubtan Foaming Body Wash. WOW’s Aloe Vera Face Wash features aloe vera, green tea, and calendula to moisturize and soothe. Meanwhile, our Ubtan Body Wash contains soothing rose water, anti-inflammatory turmeric, and protective sandalwood oil.
C h a p t e r 5 :
How to Boost Your Skincare
It’s essential to have a regular skincare routine that you follow every day, but you can mix it up now and then. Occasionally adding in other treatments allows you to provide extra nourishment for your skin and boost its overall health.
What Is a Mist Tonic?
Mist tonics are an excellent option to hydrate and soften your skin. With the right ingredients, these products can support a clear complexion, tightened skin structure, and an even skin tone on your face. In mist form, they are super gentle and provide vital moisture. As a result, they are a wonderful addition to your daily skincare routine.
WOW’s 10-in-1 Apple Cider Vinegar Mist Tonic is an excellent choice, complete with apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, witch hazel extract, and several essential oils for essential antioxidants and vitamins. To use our apple cider vinegar mist tonic, simply apply two to three sprays on your face and allow it to dry between cleansing and moisturizing.
Should I Use a Body Butter?
Body butter can provide a more intense form of moisturizing power compared to body lotions, as they are thicker and heavier. If you have particularly dry skin or aging skin, body butter can be an excellent option to provide you with additional support. On the other hand, oily skin types generally benefit from thinner lotions.
If you have a skin type that could benefit from adding a body butter to your routine. You can use body butter just like any moisturizer and use them in place of a lotion to lock in hydration. WOW Skin Science has an expansive collection of body butters for you to choose from. One excellent example is WOW Body Butter Moringa, which features vitamins A, C, and E to repair skin damage and support collagen production.
What Is a Body Scrub?
You may include an exfoliant in your face care routine. Well, exfoliating is a great idea for the rest of your body too. Body scrubs are exfoliants that help remove the dead skin cells, bacteria, and dirt that build up on your skin over time. They can also help stimulate cell turnover for healthier, more youthful skin. So, when should you use a body scrub? And how often?
As with your face, over-exfoliating can lead to problems. Two to three times a week is generally enough to see the benefits without overdoing it. If you have sensitive skin, then limit it to about once every ten days. To include a body scrub in your routine, gently rub it across your skin before you shower.
For a powerful yet gentle exfoliant, try WOW Ubtan Face and Body Scrub to support healthy skin. This formula includes chickpea flour, almond powder, rose water, and turmeric extract to remove impurities, support an even complexion, and soften skin.
C h a p t e r 6 :
Hyperpigmentation
If it is not clear by now, the ingredients in your products are extremely valuable to the health of your skin. Using natural, vitamin-rich ingredients is key to providing your skin with a healthy structure and radiant appearance. Fortunately, there are many wonderful ingredients you can use.
The two most common causes of hyperpigmentation are aging and sun damage, which leads to aging or liver spots. However, factors like hormonal changes from medications and pregnancy can also lead to hyperpigmentation. Acne spots and freckles are two other examples of hyperpigmentation.
Even though hyperpigmentation is not harmful, many people seek a solution so they can maintain a clear, even skin tone.
Apple Cider Vinegar
At WOW Skin Science, we love apple cider vinegar, and for a good reason. Not only is this ingredient extremely versatile, but it also does every job exceptionally well. Apple cider vinegar is an effective natural cleanser and exfoliant. As a result, it can help clear out your pores, remove excess oils, and support a clear complexion.
Apple cider vinegar also features admirable antimicrobial properties, which can help to tackle harmful bacteria and support infection-free skin while soothing irritation. It may also help balance your skin’s pH, helping it better lock in moisture and resist pollutants.
At WOW, we are happy to include this remarkable ingredient in all of the following products:
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a naturally soothing gel that comes straight from the leaves of a tropical plant. This plant has been used for centuries for its potential healing properties and makes a wonderful addition to your skincare routine.
Because this plant is so great at providing relief, you should search for it in your products if you have sensitive, irritated, or dry skin. We make it simple to include aloe vera in your routine with all of the following products:
Coconut
Coconut provides many benefits for your skin as it is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Not only is coconut full of nutrients, but it is also an excellent moisturizer and can help support a healthy pH balance. It’s also an excellent choice for caring for your face since it is gentle on your skin. You can include coconut in your skincare routine quite easily with any of the following products:
Hyaluronic Acid
As mentioned above, hyaluronic acid is an almost magical humectant with remarkable hydrating powers. As a humectant, hyaluronic acid attracts water into the outer layer of your skin from the skin’s surface or the surrounding air. Consequently, you enjoy better-moisturized skin, which means less dryness, itchiness, and cracking.
You can find hyaluronic acid surrounded by other nurturing ingredients in WOW Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel or WOW Coconut Water Full Cream with Hyaluronic Acid. Incorporate either of these products into your face care routine by applying them after your cleanser and toner.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has been used for centuries for its potential medicinal capabilities, and that potential can do wonders for your skin. Tea tree oil is rich in antioxidants and features antimicrobial properties to support clearer and more youthful skin. It can also help improve your circulation to keep your skin vibrant and healthy. With these capabilities on top of its soothing properties, tea tree oil is great for sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Altogether, tea tree oil is a wonderful choice for boosting your skin care. You can add any of the following into your routine to start seeing its excellent benefits:
Ubtan
Ubtan is a lesser-known but incredibly underrated skincare ingredient. Ubtan is a powerful combination of ingredients and has been used for skin care for thousands of years. Although the formula can vary slightly, Ayurvedic Ubtan generally consists of turmeric, almond, oatmeal, neem, fennel, chickpea flour, and sandalwood. Altogether, this magical formula cleanses and exfoliates the skin while leaving you with a smooth complexion. It is also great for sensitive and acne-prone skin.
To include Ubtan in your routine for stunning, glowing skin, try these products:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an excellent addition to your daily skincare routine. The most significant contribution of vitamin C is its ability to support collagen production, which means firmer, more resilient skin with better elasticity.
Vitamin C also includes powerful antioxidants, which help slow skin aging and support healthy cells. As a result, you enjoy a more even skin tone and stronger skin structure with fewer wrinkles.
To leverage the benefits of this essential vitamin, you can try any of the following products or bundle them together:
We hope this brief guide helped you to understand your skin and provide it with all the necessary care. Check out our Expert advice page to find out more about skin care and specific skin problems!