Getting flawless, attractive skin has probably crossed your mind at least once in the past. The desire to acquire attractive, youthful-looking skin is one of the few things that connects us all in a very diverse globe, and skincare is a hotly debated subject everywhere.
It is this common desire that has seen many of us flock to whatever fad routine, innovative product or miracle ingredient that’s trending on social media, often with less than satisfactory results. We’ve seen routines like the 10-step Korean skincare routine become popularised, ingredients like snail mucin, donkey milk and horse oil dominate our Instagram and Tiktok feeds and then disappear as quickly as they arrived.
While skincare used to be something only women would pay attention to, men’s skincare has also evolved significantly and is continuing to grow. A growing number of men all over the world, including Singapore, have started to pay more attention to their skin, and we now see an increasing number of male influencers becoming avid users of and advocates for quality skincare products.
If you haven’t yet gotten serious about your skincare, the good news is that it isn’t too late to start now. Skincare is a labour of love, self-love to be specific, and taking care of your skin can have a lot of benefits not just to your skin but also to your confidence and mental well-being. Here’s a comprehensive guide to putting together your own skincare routine, and how to choose the right skincare products regardless of whether you have acne-prone skin or dry and sensitive skin.
01 An Introduction To Skincare
What Is Skincare
Our skin not only serves the purpose of holding all of our internal organs in place, it is also our body’s first line of protection against harmful pathogens. While extensive skincare may appear to be mostly an act of vanity, it is actually an essential part of our lives as strong and healthy skin serves as a barrier that prevents harmful external elements from affecting our bodies.
Skincare is the process of caring for and maintaining our body’s largest organ, the skin. It involves a range of practices such as cleansing and moisturising, that supports our skin’s integrity, enhances its appearance and relieves our skin of certain skin conditions. Just like you would regularly exercise to maintain your health and vitality, skincare needs to be performed consistently in order for it to pay off.
Why Is Skincare So Important?
As the saying goes, prevention is better than the cure, and this couldn’t be more true when it comes to skincare; it’s a lot easier – and cheaper – to prevent skin problems with a discipline skin care regimen than it is to scurry around looking for solutions to preventable skin problems later on. Certain skin problems such as eczema and acne can even be potentially embarrassing and can affect you in ways that go beyond just skin health.
With skincare it isn’t about going big once in a while but rather routinely practising skincare and exercising good skincare habits. Those $300 facials or once a month laser treatments at the dermatologist are not only expensive but kind of pointless if you aren’t practising a good skincare routine daily.
It is particularly beneficial to inculcate a good skincare routine at as young an age as possible as the good habits are likely to stick with you throughout life. A good routine can also help control hormonal acne brought on by puberty and prevent long term skin concerns such as acne scars and discolouration.
But if you haven’t yet developed a good skincare regimen for yourself yet, do not fret. While it might take a little longer for you to see the desired results because the turnover rate of our skin cells slows down as we age, it’s still not too late to start. A good skincare routine with the right skincare products can help treat skin concerns such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity and pigmentation that is often associated with ageing.
A disciplined skincare regimen can also support skin cell turnover by assisting in the removal of dead skin cells so that your body can replace them with newer cells which appear more youthful and radiant. Nourishing treatments also help strengthen and protect your skin, slowing down the ageing process which translates to healthier skin, less makeup and an increase in self confidence!