how to maintain consistency in your skincare journey
As with most things in life, consistency in skincare will reward you with better results and long-term skin health. This is easier said than done, as prioritizing our skin is something we often push aside when we need to stick to a stricter budget or feel that we don’t have enough time.
I totally understand and empathize with not having the time or money to get beauty services done. It’s something that I have had to skip out on too, and still have to from time to time! This is why I ask my clients to prioritize their at-home regimen before trying to come back frequently for in-studio services. While the treatments we do in the studio are important to your long-term goals, your at-home regimen is equally as important. Being consistent with your at-home routine is also an important habit to form before moving into more target in-studio treatments.
There are actually quite a few services your esthetician cannot do if you are not on a guided routine. Services like chemical peels can cause more harm than good with improper pre-care and aftercare. This may seem like a money-grab from the outside, but truthfully I (and many others) make very little money from product sales. I make far more revenue from doing in-studio treatments, but I will always prioritize what is the right choice for your skin and budget. Finding the right balance between in-studio treatments and your at home regimen is important to a holistic approach.
Now with that being said, I don’t recommend products to clients that aren’t professional brands. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend an arm and a leg to get quality skincare though, all the brands I carry are comparable to Sephora and Target price points.
Ultimately, professional skincare is better quality and under a lot more scrutiny from professionals than the products sold at Sephora or Target. You can think of it like the difference between store-bought hair color and the professional color sold to licensed professionals. It’s often a one-size-fits-all kinda deal with little regard to what you actually need to get your ideal results.
They are creating these products to appeal to the largest group of people possible, and that’s not ideal considering we all have different needs. When I worked at Sephora, I was gifted a lot of skincare. Very little of what I was gifted was even remotely suitable for my skin type. The things that were, unfortunately, did very little to improve my skin. I noticed few changes in the overall balance and health of my skin until I incorporated professional brands. My skin used to be so incredibly oily, that when I woke up every morning I had a thick film on my face. My skin stills leans oily, but I no longer feel like a slug when I wake up because I started using products that balanced my skin barrier rather than stripping it more.
So, what can we do if we can’t afford regular treatments? Well, the biggest thing will be to figure how to remain consistent with your at-home routine. If you invest in professional skincare, we can’t determine how its working for you if you aren’t using it consistently.
A good skincare routine is just like your workout routine, it’s only as good as how frequently you use it. My skincare is not doing anything for me by sitting on my bathroom counter unused, just like my gym membership isn’t going to make me stronger unless I actually put in the work. Consistency has always been a huge issue for me personally because, apparently, neurodivergent folks can have a harder time implementing and sticking to routines (knowing this sooner in life would have been so cool, thank you late-adhd diagnosis).
If you find yourself struggling with consistency, I found it helpful to pinpoint what areas of my routine were deterring me. If you find yourself dreading a certain step, it is totally reasonable to try to find an alternative or switch things up to make it more enjoyable.
For me, I hate and i mean HATE the feeling of water dripping down my arms when trying to wash my face. This may seem silly, but it has always been a big sensory issue for me. I generally don’t like water on my face at all, so washing my face in the shower wasn’t a good alternative for me. I found some little wrist cuffs that are fluffy and designed to block the water from traveling down your arms and I suddenly had much less resistance to doing my skincare routine to the point I actually do enjoy it now. It feels less like a chore and more of a special thing I get to do for myself!
A common deterrent my clients mention to me is that they are too tired before bed to do their routine. As a fellow sleepy guy, I get it. I don’t want to do anything at all by the time I go to bed. If you find this to be a big deterrent for you, you can actually do your evening routine whenever works best for you. I recommend waiting until you are not going to be outside anymore, or until the sun has set only because our evening routines normally have actives in them and we don’t want to sleep with SPF on. There are plenty of times where I have gotten home around 5 or 6 pm and just went ahead and did my evening routine because I knew I was not going to be going anywhere else.
The cuffs, from Mei Apothecary. These are also available in studio for clients to purchase. :)
Finding what works best for you is an important part of your skincare journey. Making small changes to your routine can be very impactful and at the end of the day all that matters is you finding a sustainable way to take care of your skin! If you are a client of mine struggling with consistency, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I am happy to discuss things with you to try to help find a solution for you.
