Skin care isn’t just about beauty; it’s also about health. Many Mission Hills students use skin care, but may not be using it correctly—or even not using it at all—and finding how to use skin care correctly is the key to a healthy face. There are many types of skin care products, some specializing in certain skin types, some offering specific outcomes, and some catered towards certain age groups; identifying what products will help someone’s face and which ones may do more harm than good is also crucial to proper skin maintenance.
“Personally, I’d recommend First Aid Beauty Moisturizers. I have dry skin and they work well on mine, but it also works well on people with combination or oily skin,” junior Emma Decker said.
Decker mentioned one of the most common and basic products, often the easiest to find and buy from any local store. She specifically called out First Aid Beauty Moisturizers as her recommended product, and for good reason, as it has a positive reputation among all skin care lovers. With several types of this moisturizer out there, people interested in buying some can tailor their purchase to their skin type and general preferences for the best outcomes. Note that these moisturizers are on the expensive end, ranging from $30 to $70, depending on the product; some cheaper alternatives can be moisturizers from CeraVe and Aveeno, which usually range from $12 to $20. All of these work well with any type of skin, as supported by Decker, so skin type should not affect the functionality of the product.
“I think toners are really important, and my top recommendation would be to use any toner from Bliss,” junior Anthony Prokes. “Also, cleansers from Aveeno and Clinique are great, but make sure to use facial cleanser and foam cleanser in tandem.”
Bliss Facial Toner, which retails anywhere around $15 to $50 and above depending on the product, provides both cheap and expensive options for anyone to choose from. Prokes followed by recommending the liquid Aveeno Facial Cleansers and Clinique Facial Cleansers, specifically their foam or mousse ones. Prokes specified that these products should be used together, as it will maximize their function and give the best effects. While making no direct comment on skin type and the effect on it, each product of each brand is either catered to various skin types, or will clearly label what skin type it is meant for, making shopping for it very easy.
“Use the liquid cleanser before the shower, then toner afterwards followed by the foam cleanser, toner again, and finalize it with some moisturizer,” Prokes said.
He stressed the order in which the products are applied, as this order can greatly define how effective each product is, and can significantly change the outcome of it. Other combinations do exist, but it seems this order of products is the most popular and effective. Although if it isn’t providing the best outcomes, experimenting with different orders and formulas might help discover what is the best. Everyone has different faces; even if the method above is the most common, some people may find more success with other methods.
“Even if I do recommend all of this, people should still be careful, because sometimes your skin might have a reaction to the care. Also, you should avoid using products catered to adults, like retinol and bronzing drops. I’ve seen a lot of kids use them [and] I don’t think it’s safe for their skin,” Decker said.
Caution should always be placed whenever using skincare, and test runs should always be made with a small amount to check for allergic reactions and avoid large scale injury to the face; just because something is mostly safe for people does not mean it will be safe for everyone. Not only this, but Decker also advises caution with products mostly meant for adults, such as retinol and bronzing cream. These products—when looking at their official uses on their pages—are mostly used for anti-aging purposes and meant to give youthful glows to people of older ages. People should be careful when using products like those if they’re under around 25, and if choosing to do so, research possible health effects and use very carefully.
Skincare and health are best friends—they always go with each other. The more someone cares for their face, the healthier and cleaner their face will be. Whether it’s a cheap or expensive product, something will always do better than nothing, and they will almost always boost the face within a short time of their use. Consider buying and using skincare of any type: it could change lives!
