How many skin care products do I really need?
Hands up who has a bathroom cabinet full of skincare products? Or a cluttered bathroom shelf? Or an even more cluttered dressing table? Or even all three, plus more?
Now hands up if you use all of those products? Or have some been used once, and left banished to the back of the cupboard because they don’t suit your skin type?
Don’t worry, we’re not here to judge by any means! We’ve all done it, and been sucked into buying a cleanser or moisturiser that’s on an enticing offer, or a fancy exfoliator or age defying serum that was accompanied by a glossy marketing campaign.
But do we need them all? Should we stick to what we know and leave it at that? Should we experiment with our skincare?
What happens if I use too many skin care products?
The answer, as is usually the case in life, is that our skin, and by default therefore our skin care products, are unique to us. Just as our music tastes and the clothes we wear are uniquely ours, our skin care should be too.
So the answer to “do we need them all” is probably not, especially if we’re hoarding half used moisturisers that are unsuited to our skin. But the answer to “should we experiment with our skin care” is absolutely yes!
We always advocate adopting a trial and error attitude to finding the right skin care that works for you - and then sticking to it! By all means add a serum or a toner or two, but essentially, when you find the skin care that works, or even better, the right skin care brand for you, it's truly worth sticking to it.
Keeping skin care simple
Our advice here at Sönd is to keep your skin care routine simple, especially if you have sensitive, non conformist or misbehaving skin, such as acne prone skin, eczema or particularly dry or oily skin.
Overloading the skin with lots of different products can cause the skin to become a bit stressed out. And what’s more, if something is causing your skin to behave badly, then it’ll be really difficult to work out which product (or products) it is if you use multiple layers of products.
What are the most important basic skin care products?
Having suffered with non conformist skin ourselves, we know a thing or two about skin, in particular skin that commonly suffers acne breakouts.
In our (ever so humble) opinion, the absolute essentials for the skin are cleansers and moisturisers. If you start from scratch and get these two fundamentals right, then you can work from there and gradually add products that you think might be necessary.
The Sönd range of skin care products is made from natural plant botanicals and alkalising silica salts, and is designed to suit all skin types including those that regularly suffer problems.
Our Rebalance & Reset Cream Cleanser is ideal for gently cleansing the skin of makeup, excess oil, dirt and cellular debris, whilst nourishing and hydrating the skin. This can be used twice a day, morning and night, and is best followed by our Calming Hydration Day Cream or Midnight Feast Night Cream. Both are designed to penetrate the skin deeply, and nourish and support it from the inside out.
Then, you might want to think about a gentle, non irritating eye cream or serum. Plus, you might also want to consider sun protection. We don’t add SPFs to our products as we believe that sun care should be down to the individual to use what’s right for them.
This might be avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, using a wide brimmed sun hat or using a chemical based SPF or a mineral based SPF.
What are the ‘nice to have’ skin care products?
Once you have your basics sorted, then you can think about those extra products that make us feel a little bit pampered and like we’re really indulging in our skin care.
These products include serums and exfoliators. Serums are designed to add extra nutrients to the skin, and to help brighten the complexion and do all kinds of other lovely things.
Our Deep Hydration Serum brightens, plumps and smooths the skin and is ideal for adding to our simple cleansing and moisturising products for an extra boost. Lots of our fans call this serum their secret skin weapon and we totally know why! It helps to support the renewal process of the skin, helping to minimise fine lines, reduce areas of pigmentation and restore elasticity.
An exfoliant helps to slough away dead skin cells and flush out the pores, helping to clear away blockages and the buildup of dirt and cellular debris that can lead to spots and acne breakouts.
Exfoliant products can be mechanical or non mechanical. Mechanical exfoliants include products with natural scrubbing ingredients such as tiny bits of apricot kernel or brushes and cloths that have a gentle abrasive nature.
Non mechanical exfoliants are products that contain gentle chemical agents such as salicylic acid and other fruit acids that peel away the top layers of skin. They help to remove skin dulling dirt and dead skin cells and unclog the pores.
Like with any skin care product, aim for an exfoliant that is gentle on the skin, and is suitable for your skin type and use it once or twice a week.
What are the skin care products that aren’t essential, but can be used now and again?
Finally, there are those luxurious skin care products and treats that we can use every month or so, or longer. Such as a salicylic face peel or having an indulgent facial from an expert.
Face masks are also great for nourishing the skin, especially if it’s particularly dry or sun parched.
How can I use more skin care products?
The best way to add more skin care products to the cleansers and moisturisers that you know work for you, is to add one product at a time. Being disciplined like this will help you to identify where your skin care might be going a little amiss and causing your skin to react.
The bottom line is, your skin care regime should contain whatever number of products that work for you and that keep your skin happy. You're unique, celebrate that fact and celebrate not following the crowd - your skin deserves the best and only you know what’s best for your skin!