Toner, Primer, Serum: Your Ultimate Guide to Skincare Essentials
Unlocking the Secrets to Radiant Skin
Researchers estimate that over 7 billion toxins accumulate within the skin, hindering its ability to maintain a healthy glow and generate new cells. Additionally, your skin needs protection from external factors such as free radicals, weather conditions, and chemical pollutants in the air. The ideal solution is to combine oils, elixirs, serums, and moisturizing creams. These products are designed to work together to provide adequate hydration and protection for your skin.
Toner: The First Step to Flawless Skin
Toning products typically have a watery texture and come in large bottles. They help balance the natural acidity of dry and irritated skin while exfoliating dead cells. Like serums, toners contain active ingredients but often from different categories, such as hyaluronic acid, alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids for gentle exfoliation, and more.
Toner is excellent for the preparation and additional cleansing stage before applying other cosmetic products.
How to Use Toner
Apply toner using a cotton pad with gentle tapping motions.
Oils: Nature’s Elixir for Skin
Oils usually consist of a blend of several active oils containing omega acids. Since our bodies do not produce these acids, we need to apply them topically and regularly include them in our diet.
Oils are very similar in composition to skin lipids, allowing them to be well absorbed. Some facial masks consist of essential oils, whose main advantage is that they work not only on a physiological level but also on a psychological level. Their aroma can relax the body and fill it with energy.
People with oily skin often avoid oils, although in reality, their regular use can help balance the skin. Oils penetrate quickly, contain no emulsifiers or wax, and therefore do not clog pores or lead to the development of acne. Even a two-week course can change the structure of the deep layers of the skin and improve its overall condition.
How to Use Oils
It is recommended to apply oil after thorough cleansing to slightly damp skin. Remember that before applying the next layer of the product, you should allow the oils to penetrate the skin. You only need a few drops for the face and décolleté area. Many cosmetologists recommend applying oils at night, as this is when our skin actively eliminates toxins.
Serums and Elixirs: The Powerhouse of Skincare
Serums are often perceived as “emergency” products for “repairing” certain areas of the skin. In reality, their effect is much more multifunctional: serums contain water, vitamins, antioxidants, peptides, and more. All of these consist of very small molecules that, like oils, can deeply penetrate the skin.
The main advantage is that even when most of the fluid has been absorbed, a high concentration of active ingredients remains on the skin’s surface. Since these ingredients are more expensive for manufacturers than water and thickeners, serums are not cheap.
How to Use Serums
Apply serum after using oil, gently pressing with your fingertips on the skin. Be cautious with new products, as powerful ingredients can irritate sensitive skin. A patch test on the inner bend of the elbow is advisable.
Moisturizing Cream: The Final Touch
Moisturizing products, or moisturizers, are a combination of oil and water. They also contain emulsifiers and wax to thicken the molecular structure so that they penetrate only the upper layers. This helps to compact the skin, block moisture, and prevent nutrients from evaporating.
In the winter, it is very important to include additional moisturizing in your daily care routine, as the skin is regularly exposed to extreme temperatures and suffers from fluctuations.
How to Use Moisturizing Cream
The cream is the last layer, applied after using oils and serum. Use a small amount of the product, but do not forget to pay attention to the neck and décolleté area.
Primer: The Protective Shield
Primer is a product designed to protect the skin from applied makeup. It affects how long your foundation lasts and helps eliminate enlarged pores and other texture problems.
Manufacturers note that each skin type should have its own type of primer. Additionally, new products now contain components for sun protection, which should not be neglected.
How to Use Primer
Apply primer to dry skin using either your fingers or a special cosmetic sponge.