Choose Skincare Products That Suit You

Your dressing table is already filled with various bottles and jars, but whenever you hear about a famous brand's new product launch, you still buy it without hesitation - this is the characteristic of blind beauty pursuit. To be a rational skincare expert, you should clearly know what you need and what you should buy. Now let's learn together how to rationally purchase skincare products!

Classification of Skincare Products

Today's skincare products come in countless varieties, but categorized by function, they can be roughly divided into the following two types.

Basic Skincare Products

Basic skincare products are like three daily meals - if any meal is inadequate, your body feels uncomfortable. Similarly, if skin lacks basic skincare, it will also feel very uncomfortable. Therefore, basic skincare is daily essential homework.

Basic skincare products include, besides general cleansing products:

• Toner
• Lotion
• Cream
• Sunscreen
• Essence, etc.

Creams can be further divided into day cream, night cream, eye cream, and hand cream.

Functional Skincare Products

Compared to basic skincare products, functional skincare products are like body-strengthening supplements with specific targeting. For example, moisturizing creams or masks targeting acne, dull complexion, or spots all belong to functional skincare products.

But we all know that taking too many supplements can have side effects on the body. If you use certain functional skincare products long-term, it will affect skin's natural repair function. Therefore, these products should be used appropriately and in moderation.

Skincare Mini-Classroom

Do Skincare Products Need Frequent Changes?

Generally speaking, skincare products shouldn't be changed too frequently. Whether a skincare product is effective can't be felt in just a few days, so it's best to use a 6-month cycle.

Of course, you can't use the same product long-term just because it works well - skin develops resistance, and even the best skincare products will have diminished effects over prolonged use.

Correct Order for Using Skincare Products

The order of skincare product application is crucial. If you apply randomly on your face, even the best products will be wasted. After cleansing, the correct order for basic skincare products is:

1. Toner
2. Essence
3. Eye cream
4. Lotion/Cream (choose one - lotion for oily skin, cream for drier skin)
5. Sunscreen/BB cream with SPF (daytime only)

Whether basic or functional skincare products, usage order should follow one principle: "water first, lotion middle, oil last" - meaning thinner products go first, higher oil content products go last. This is because oil-based skincare products are more moisturizing and can form a protective film on skin surface. If you use oil-heavy products first, other products won't absorb easily.

Should You Choose a Complete Set from One Brand or Mix Different Brands?

Skincare product pairing is like clothing coordination - if you're not a high-level matching expert and haven't mastered pairing techniques, mixing brands might make you look mismatched. It's better to use manufacturer-coordinated sets - though lacking variation, it at least reduces error probability.

Four Popular Ingredients in Skincare Products

The skincare market is diverse with varying prices, making choices overwhelming. This salesperson promotes "pure plant, non-irritating" products, while that promoter emphasizes "marine minerals with great moisturizing effects." Which should you choose? The wise decision is: check the formula before acting.

Below are useful ingredients commonly found in skincare products. Understanding them will help you make targeted, confident choices when purchasing skincare products!

Amino Acids - Anti-Wrinkle

40% of human skin's stratum corneum consists of amino acids. If skin lacks amino acids, wrinkles will appear. Many skincare products now include amino acid ingredients, with "peptides" (amino acid chains composed of two or more amino acids) being the most popular.

Peptides can command skin cells to function, promoting skin collagen production - excellent helpers for anti-wrinkle firming. Peptides come in different types:

• Hexapeptide can inhibit nerve conduction, relax expression lines, and fade wrinkles, called "Botox-like"
• Nonapeptide can block MSH (melanin stimulating hormone) conduction, reducing melanin production

Hyaluronic Acid - Moisturizing Beauty King

Big S said female celebrities can't live without hyaluronic acid. What exactly is hyaluronic acid? Originally named hyaluronic acid, it's an important weapon for maintaining skin moisture and softness.

Newborns have rich hyaluronic acid content, but it decreases with age. Skincare products containing hyaluronic acid are not only gentle but have super water-absorption ability, increasing skin water content, maintaining skin moisture, giving skin proper elasticity and luster, with no discomfort after use.

L-Ascorbic Acid - Whitening

There are many whitening-related skincare ingredients like mercury, arbutin, fruit acids, and hydroquinone, but most have significant side effects on the human body. Only L-ascorbic acid is recognized as a relatively safe whitening ingredient.

L-ascorbic acid works on the epidermis to block UV rays and provide sun protection, while reducing tyrosinase activity to prevent melanin production and fade spots. Working on the dermis, L-ascorbic acid promotes collagen production and fights free radicals, preventing skin cell damage and aging.

Coenzyme Q10 - Antioxidant

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble enzyme present in the human body with life-extending and anti-free radical effects. Adding Coenzyme Q10 to skincare products can supplement the body's insufficient natural production, making skin active and renewed, effectively preventing fine lines and wrinkles.

Additionally, Coenzyme Q10 is very gentle, non-irritating, and has no photosensitivity, so it can be used anytime - even sensitive skin needn't worry.

There's Always a Cleanser That Suits You

Which cleanser works best? How to choose the highest quality cleanser? These questions actually have no answers, because there's never a "best" cleanser, only the "most suitable" one. Different dishes suit different tastes - cleansers should also be chosen based on personal actual needs.

Different Skin Types, Different Choices

• Oily skin people have more oil production than average, so they need products with stronger cleansing power. Usually need to choose soap-based products because they have strong oil-removing ability and rinse easily, leaving skin feeling very refreshing.

• Combination skin is mainly oily in the T-zone while cheeks are generally normal to dry. For this situation, cleanser choice should balance T-zone and cheek needs. Summer can use soap-based products to clear T-zone oiliness; autumn and winter can switch to regular foam cleansers to moisturize cheeks.

• If you're lucky to have normal skin, care is relatively easy with a wide range of cleanser options. You can choose according to special needs like spot removal, whitening, moisturizing, etc.

• Dry skin shouldn't use foam cleansers, as they'll become drier. Can use cleansing oils, cleansing creams, or non-foam cleansers - these products feel relatively refreshing.

• The most difficult sensitive skin requires "sensitive" cleanser choices too, otherwise skin becomes more damaged with each wash. Suitable cleansers for sensitive skin are "three-free products" - marked as fragrance-free, preservative-free, with no additional functions (whitening, acne-fighting, spot-removing, anti-wrinkle) beyond moisturizing.

Different Ages, Different Choices

Different age groups should emphasize different aspects when choosing cleansers.

• Around 20 years old - Young skin produces more oil, so cleansing can use soap or foam products because these alkaline products strongly cleanse oil
• Around 30 years old - Skin oil production is much less than at 20, recommend choosing lotion products for gentle cleansing or very fine foam cleansers
• 40-year-old women - Skin relatively lacks elasticity, recommend choosing cleansing milk containing amino acids to supplement skin nutrition

Common Questions

Q: Can cleansers make skin whiter?

A: Cleansers' main function is cleaning and generally don't have whitening effects. However, only with good cleaning can skin better absorb whitening skincare products, so there's some indirect whitening effect. Some cleansers contain appropriate amounts of skin whitening agents like angelica and arbutin - long-term use will have some whitening benefits.

Q: Is using the same cleanser year-round harmful to skin?

A: Seasons change, so cleansers should change too. In spring and autumn, with more dust in the air and unpredictable temperatures, skin easily becomes allergic - choose additive-free, anti-inflammatory products. Summer brings higher temperatures and unbalanced oil secretion, making faces always feel oily - choose refreshing, oil-controlling products. Winter should use gentle, moisturizing products like cream types, minimizing or avoiding overly strong cleansing products.