Real Skin Care
We mean the basic care and keeping of your largest organ—your skin! It plays an important role in protecting you from outside pathogens and, you know, holds all your internal organs in place (phew). And in the same way that you regularly brush your teeth, your skin requires at least some attention to keep it functioning properly.
Why should I care about skin care?
Yes, caring about skin care might be quite trendy these days, especially with beauty influencers demoing everything from facial steaming to jade rolling on social media, but no matter what, giving your skin some love has both cosmetic and medical benefits. For instance, although you can’t slow down the passage of time, with a finely tuned skin-care regimen you can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and sun damage. You can also quite effectively manage some more minor skin concerns, such as dryness or oiliness, with face care products.
For those with specific skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and acne, skin care isn’t always optional and requires a bit more thought about ingredients that will be safe for your skin. For one, treating a specific skin condition often means you need to employ a particular skin-care regimen, and for another, your condition may make your skin more sensitive to ingredients and products in general. Finding a skin-care routine that works can offer a vital way for someone to manage and treat their condition.
There’s also the fact that many people find their skin-care routines offer some mental health benefits—having that routine may help you realize just how easy it can be to do nice things for your body and build healthy habits. “A consistent, healthy routine is important for establishing rhythm and order in our lives,” Corey L. Hartman, M.D., founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, tells SELF. “Whether the routine is skin care, exercise, meditation, or any other beneficial activity, the dedication to the method can bring grounding to our everyday lives, which can often feel chaotic and uncontrolled.”