The skin care industry has evolved over the years. A simple cleanser-toner-moisturizer set of the past is not enough. Today the aisles of the shops are lined with exquisite products like wrinkle-reduction formulas, skin lightening products, anti aging skin care products, acne treatments and so on.

However, all the high end serums, masks and eye creams cannot get you effective results unless you get your skin care basics correct. You need to know about the essentials that you need to keep your skin healthy. Therefore, you need to evaluate your skin care routine regularly and make sure you are doing the right things. Here are some easy tips that you can incorporate into your skin care routine.

Focus on the Basic Essentials

Often women spend a lot of money to purchase expensive moisturizers and eye creams thinking that they would bring more results. However, unless you get your basics correct, you would not be able to get the benefit of any add-on beauty product. Therefore, invest in a quality cleanser, toner and moisturizer and make sure that your skin is treated well.

Use a Mild Cleanser

Cleansers often contain harsh detergents that apart from cleansing the face, also strip off the natural lipids and moisture contents. When you wash your face with such cleansers, the skin becomes dry and feels tight. And because the skin is excessively dry, all the skin care efforts you make fails to show effective results. Therefore, use a mild cleanser that hydrates the face without making it too dry. Try using iS Clinical Cleansing Complex or Kinerase Gentle Daily Cleanser, a gentle foaming cleanser that suits all skin types including sensitive skin.

Don’t forget to Use a Toner

Though some people feel that using toners are not necessary, the fact is that toners are a very important part of a skin care regimen. They remove all the residues like salt, chlorine and minerals from the skin pores and flush out all the toxins. Moreover, they also normalize the pH balance of the skin. It should be applied immediately after cleansing the face. In fact, toners also help to seal in the moisture. Avoid using alcohol-based toners if your skin is too dry and instead use one that contains witch hazel. Obagi Nu Derm Toner would be a great choice because it contains natural ingredients and herbs that help to tone the skin.

Use a Moisturizer with SPF during the Day

It is advisable to use moisturizers with SPF during the summer months or if your skin is too oily. This is because instead of loading your skin with two products, you can get the benefit of both the sunscreen and the moisturizer by using one single skin care product. Make sure the moisturizer contains at least SPF 15 and you slather it all over the exposed areas of your body. Try using La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX, a superior moisturizer & sunscreen.

Exfoliate at least Twice a Week

Exfoliation should be done at least twice to twice a week, depending on the requirements of your skin type. Use a quality scrub or exfoliating product that scrapes off the dead skin cells from the surface without harming the fresh new cells lying underneath. Try using the Nia 24 Physical Cleansing Scrub that contains Pro-Niasomes that gently exfoliates your skin and makes it smooth and soft.

Avoid Harmful Ingredients in Skin Care Products

Skin care products often contain harmful chemical ingredients like artificial fragrances, parabens, sulphates, etc. These chemicals tend to harm the skin and lead to acne, breakouts and even promote premature aging. So make sure the skin care products you use don’t contain any such ingredient or they are at least low on the ingredient list.

Beware of Products for all Skin Types

There are very few skin care products that work well for all skin types. Different skin types have very different needs and requirements and seldom can one single product meet all of them effectively. It’s always advisable to use skin care products that cater to the special requirements of your skin type and help to maintain healthy skin.