SKINCARE ESSENTIALS

First of all: sorry I can only manage one post a week at the moment, but I am truly packed with work! 

Some of my lovely friends asked me about the absolute essentials in my routine and keep asking me "Do I really need this?". So whether you are just getting started, or have been a skincare-junkie for a while, or are not happy with your current routine and are looking for a way to jumpstart it: here are my personal essentials that I think everybody should have, to get the best skin they can!

- 2 Cleansers (at least)

1 Oil/Balm/Cleansing Oil/Micellar Water/Make-Up (very simple plant based, non-fragrant for first cleanse/removing all the stubborn stuff. See my rave about oils here!)

1 water-based Cleanser (in the morning/as second cleanse after I remove the gunk with oil) 

I like to switch them up depending on my skin's needs, the season (!!!), the stubbornness of my sunscreen, make up, my daily preference, the degree of laziness,.... you get the idea. Budget-wise you can think cheap here! Get a closer look at the cleansing basics, if you haven't already.

- 1 Toner

I know there are people out there feeling very intense about toners. I don't (well at least not for now). I look for anything gentle and non-irritating  to add moisture and balance out my skin after cleansing. I keep mine (a self-made one) in a spray bottle. Costs almost nothing. 

- 2 Acid Exfoliants

1 AHA (I currently use one between 8-10%)

1 BHA (The one I am using at the moment is quite low with 0.5%, as I have pretty good skin and only target a few things with it)

Again: depending on your skin, listen to it, people! Both should be lower strength, to be used everyday, you don't want to over-exfoliate. I got best results with switching them daily and using them once a day in the evening. If my skin is really dry, I stick to the AHA, if it is my hormonal time of the month, or I notice some spots, I go in with a little extra BHA-love (with special focus on the areas where I have trouble). Acids are a little tricky, because the pH is important for them to work. Sadly it usually is to high, so if you are not sure, leave a comment, I am happy to recommend some I have tried). This is the first time where the price goes up a little (€15-30), but mine last me for quite a long time and I think it's really worth it.

- 2 Serums (at least) 

1 oil based

1 water based 

I include "special needs products" here, and this is basically where you should put your biggest focus on (also financially). Don't waste your time on silicone-glycerin things, don't get me wrong, both can be good ingredients, but there is SO much more possible for your money! I like to have at least one good and highly potent (in antioxidants) oil serum (I mix mine myself), and at least one water based one. If you can afford it, try to get one high in hyaluronic acid and one high in niacinamide. If you are over 30, you should really have a go at a well formulated retinol, if you can tolerate it, it is a great anti-aging ingredient!

- 1 Moisturizer

light weight, super simple and tolerable for morning and night. I really like to use different ones for winter/summer.

- 1 Sunscreen 

For the morning use of course. Please be sure you wear plenty of it all year around and it is suffitiently protecting against UVA rays!

Ok, guys, this is it for today! Please leave me your comments or questions below, follow me on instagram, twitter, facebook,... stay tuned for upcoming posts, have fun, enjoy, thanks for sharing & spreading the love and most importantly: be happy, love yourself, love your skin!

N.