5 Skin Care Tricks I have Adopted Over the Years

I love using skin care but I am not the 10-step skin care routine person. I prefer to keep my things simple and uncomplicated though with recent posts you would not feel so. Lately, I have slipped into the habit of layering my skin care in which I end up using around 5 products easily but I am finding it too cumbersome. Then, I decided to stick to my basic skin care tricks which will keep my skin and me both happy.

You should ideally have a toner / face mist, serum, facial oil, moisturizer, body oil / body lotion and sunscreen in your skin care stash. You do not have to use everything at one go but these are the basic things you need to start with and then you can add just one more thing – an antioxidant serum which goes on before sunscreen to boost its efficacy. This is specifically helpful for working people and new mommies who hardly have time for themselves.

5 Skin Care Tricks I have Adopted

Using body oil in shower

When you are slick wet from shower, slather on a body oil. It is the fastest and best way to keep your skin supple and hydrated all day long. You could follow up with a moisturizer or body butter on areas which need something extra. If not body oil, choose a body butter which spreads easily when wet. Do not use lotion as it will be too thin and will get washed off with the water.

Using retinol cream as a spot treatment

This is something I learned from Dr. Chytra. I got this generic 0.025% retinol cream which I apply on the nose and surrounding areas prone to blackheads. I also have a salicylic acid face wash which I use when I feel my skin needs a pick-up and the combination can be too drying even for oily skin. So, I do spot treatments with both of them. And, yes, a sunscreen is a MUST when you apply retinol.

Face and Body Masking

I do not really like to use face masks usually and then I went ahead and got a body mask on whim. The thing is when I do any skin care routine, I do it for the entire face. neck and décolletage. This becomes very time taking and messy unless I am going to shower. So, to save time, whenever I use my face mask, I slather on the body mask on my arms. It really helps with tanning. This is my pampering routine and following is my usual routine.

Using Mask in Shower

Now that I have mentioned I hate face masks, I use my masks in the shower on a regular basis. I like to follow up with a less expensive hydrating masks or powder cleansers which double up as masks during the shower. This is nourishing and at the same time takes care of my masking routine. Another of my skin care tricks – You could use the masks when sitting on the pot and love taking your own sweet time!

Using Facial Oils

Instead of using a serum followed by oil followed by moisturizer, I prefer to mist my face generously and use about 5 drops of face oil. This is something I have been doing for a long time but I read the tip on Womenstuff as well. This is my lazy routine or daily routine depending on how I am feeling.

For now, I can think of only these skin care tricks. I shall update the post as and when relevant tips come my way. I am right now in the mode of using too many products and thinking of cutting down through the layers slowly but once in a while make do with only a facial oil.

What do you do? How do you cut down on your skin care routine? Or, you like to go the full throttle from step 1 to step 10. I would love to hear about your routine and favorite products.