Wake up and make-up? Not so fast! Before you decide to apply your make-up, prepping your face with a morning skincare regimen can help with a smoother make-up application with longer-lasting results. Even if you’re not the make-up type, there is no doubt anymore about the importance of protecting your face from daily exposure to sun, pollution and certain lifestyle factors. Your skin is your biggest organ and needs to be treated with the same respect as you would treat your other organs
Cleansing your face in the morning
Can water dry out your skin?
A splash of cold water can do good to wake up those tired morning eyes. Cosmetic experts are slowly moving on to a cleansing routine using less water. The reason for this is that water has the ability to dry out your skin, which may be confusing as you are actually wetting your face, right?
This effect is even more apparent when exposed to warm water for longer periods (e.g. warm baths) which will induce water loss from the deeper layers of the skin, leaving our skin to feel dehydrated. This contributes to more sensitive skin. If you already have dry and sensitive skin, try to wash your face fewer times than usual for example once a day instead two times or every other dry for very dry skin. And use lukewarm water instead of very cold or hot water.
Are cleansing products really necessary?
Are you conscious of a proper skincare routine? Then you probably figured out that adding cleansing products to your daily routine can really improve your skin condition. Different skin types need different cleansers. Dr. Barbara Geusens prefers to skip these cleansing products in the morning and rather use them in the evening. At night our skin regenerates by producing lipids that will strengthen the skin barrier. Cleansing in the morning increases the risk of washing what your skin built up during the night. So if you properly clean your face before going to bed, there is no need to use cleansers in the morning. Here are some tips on choosing a cleanser.
STEP 1: Choose a milky/oily face wash
Make-up, pollution and skin components are mostly oil-based and are best removed with these types of cleansers. Besides, it will keep your skin hydrated which is important to prevent fine lines and wrinkles in the long run.
If you have oily skin, you might think this is not for you. But actually, this is a ‘reverse psychology’ approach. When you dry out your skin, more sebum (oil) production is stimulated which leads to oily, acne-prone skin. By adding oil/lipid-based products to your skin, it will get negative feedback to stop producing more oil than necessary.
STEP 2: Go for a gentle toner
Implementing a gentle water-based toner to your routine may serve as a double cleanse: it removes the remaining make-up or cleansing products and ideally also removes dead skin cells. Avoid toners with a high content of alcohol that will dry out and strip your skin barrier, but instead select one with a such as enzymatic or fruit acid peelings.
How do I prep my face in the morning?
Dayserum
A day serum often exists of a light-weight texture which you can consider as a ‘shot’ of highly potent ingredients to hydrate, protect your skin and tackle your skin concerns. It is the first product to come into contact with your skin after cleansing your face in the morning. A serum might also help with better penetration of your daycream. This is mostly the case for skincare from the same brand as they are often created to be a proper match without any interaction.
Day cream
A day cream often has a thicker texture for more hydration and sometimes protects from sun damage if it includes an SPF factor. In reality, most people don’t like the white texture of sunscreens so that’s why purchasing a day cream with SPF could possibly be more encouraging to protect yourself from harmful UV-rays. However, nowadays scientists have created more pleasant sunscreen formulas to deliver a more pleasant feel on the skin. This is often a challenge for cosmetic formulators.
Sunscreen
Your day cream might already contain a sunscreen filter (chemical and/or mineral), but that doesn’t mean you are protected from UV damage throughout the entire day. There are two types of sunscreens: mineral and chemical sunscreens. Mineral sunscreens reflect UV rays while chemical sunscreens absorb UV light that is subsequently converted into heat.
Regardless of your skin type, you should always top up with your sunscreen multiple times a day to achieve the SPF (i.e. SPF15, 30, 50) that is shown on the packaging. This is especially the case if there are known cases of skin cancer or sun allergies within the family and if you tend to get hyperpigmentation easily. Depending on the amount of sun exposure and your skin type (Fitzpatrick Scale), application times can vary. It is often recommended to apply sunscreen every two hours as a standard indication.
Remind yourself to bring along a sunscreen wherever you go to protect your skin throughout the day. Ideally, look for a sunscreen that protects from both UVB and UVA. It is preferred to use a sunscreen that is compatible with your other skincare products, meaning that it may be better to use a sunscreen that is not comedogenic (clogging the pores), not occlusive and has a pleasant texture matching your skin type (dry, normal, combination, oily).
Make-up
To finish your morning routine, you can add some coverage by using an appropriate foundation or by using a tinted day cream for a more natural finish. You don’t really need a primer on a daily basis as a proper skincare routine will provide the same benefits. Primers are often commercialized but not always necessary. Top it off with some bronzer, blush and highlighter to enhance your most beautiful features.
What Nomige's personalised skincare routine can offer you
Nomige offers two cleansing products:
a milky cleanser to remove make gently, yet efficiently
an enzymatic toner to remove the remaining dirt and functions as a gently peeling which is suitable to all skin types including sensitive skin.
The Nomige day serum is formulated to feel lightweight on the skin. It is tailored to your genetic profile (DNA) and contains powerful antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. These are more potent than classical vitamin C and E, which are present in the day serum as well, but more as support.
The Nomige day cream takes into account your lifestyle factors and also includes (mineral) UV filters. It has a thicker texture and forms an ideal base for make-up. Depending on your preference, it can come it a tinted version as well. If your lifestyle changes, or the season, your life phase, the environment, this particular cream changes too. It “grows along” with you.
If you tend to have clogged pores from your makeup, look for non-comedogenic products that will not or minimally clog the pores.
Apply the lightest textured product first on your face and let it fully absorb to prevent product ‘pilling’ (balling up of the product after application).
When using a chemical sunscreen, let it sink into your skin for about 20 min. before you head out the door as it needs to react with specific skin proteins in order to protect from UV rays. If possible, apply as the first layer of your skincare routine in order to ensure optimal reaction with skin proteins.
Learn about DNA skincare & Nomige from Dr. Barbara Geusens
Watch an interactive and educational session where you can learn more about your skin, the role of your DNA, skincare and the Nomige concept.
The online Masterclass is the ideal opportunity to learn more about Nomige and DNA skincare.
