Why is a Skin Care Routine Important

Your skin is one of the largest organs your body has, and it works hard every day to protect our bodies from harmful elements. Taking care of your skin and developing a skin care routine is important because it can help this organ do its job better and longer.

A proper skin care routine helps to keep our outermost surface layer of skin intact. This layer maintains the skin’s overall hydration and serves as our primary defence against the environment, so keeping it strong and healthy is critical.

Harsh toners, for example, can damage the outer layer by stripping essential lipids and moisture. Using proper skin care regimen daily can help preserve this important protective layer.

In what order should I apply my skin care products, and does it matter?

YES, sequence matters, here’s why:

Applying your skin care products in the proper order ensures that your skin receives the full benefits of each product.
The order of application is incredibly important.
The skin’s job is to keep things out, but many of the skin care products we use have ingredients we want to get in. Only a very small amount of these key ingredients can penetrate the skin, even when perfectly formulated and perfectly applied.
If you don’t apply products in the correct order, you will not see the best results from your skin care regimen.

Your Daily Skin Care Routine

Most of us already know that good skin care involves more than just washing your face, but once you get past exfoliators and moisturisers, you might begin to feel a little lost. There are so many types of products out there, and there is no way to craft the right routine for yourself if you don’t even know what these products do.

Here is a rundown on all the types of products for skin health, so you know what they are, what they do and how to effectively use them and how to layer your skin care products with our step-by-step guide.

So which product goes on top of what, you ask?

An easy rule of thumb to follow is to apply your products with the thinnest consistency to the thickest, or from liquid to oil.

In general, think thin-to-thick, but you also want to first use the products that will benefit your main skin concern for example pigmentation and ageing with the ingredients that are most important to penetrate the skin (like serums and treatment products) and finish with the products that need to sit on top of the skin (like moisturisers and sun protection).

The morning routine is all about moisturising and protecting the skin against the elements.

As your skin naturally repairs itself at night, your nighttime routine should be all about treatment and giving your skin the nourishment that it needs.

Cleanser

At the end of a long day, nothing feels quite as good as cleansing your face. Removing every trace of dirt, sweat and makeup allows the skin to breathe, repair and renew itself. Having a spotless surface also helps your other skin care products to penetrate your skin more deeply and perform their tasks more efficiently.

General rule: Wash your face at night, and never sleep with your makeup on.

Place a small amount of your chosen Annique Rooibos cleanser into your hands and emulsify with lukewarm water. Massage it lightly onto your skin using circular motions for at least 30 seconds. Make sure you include commonly missed areas like along the hairline, below your ears, the front and back of your neck and your décolletage.

Remember to rinse your face with warm Rooibos/Green Rooibos-infused water, not hot. Once done, gently pat (instead of rub) your skin with a clean, dry towel.

Serums

Serums usually contain antioxidants, which help fight free radical damage. They can also contain anti-ageing ingredients, which stimulate collagen production. Because they penetrate deep into the skin, these products are great for hydrating the skin.

Serums are best used after your cleanser, and they must be used underneath your moisturiser and night creams to treat the skin.

With continued use, serums offer visible results that creams and lotions alone cannot achieve.

Face Oil

Nutrient-filled face oils like Miracle Tissue Oil help to build a resilient layer for your skin, regardless of your skin type. This can be very hydrating, making it especially useful for those with dry skin.

Add two to three drops before your moisturiser or after your serum. For acne-prone skin, Miracle Tissue Oil works wonders, as this oil is classified as a “dry oil” that penetrates easily into the skin and does not leave an oily residue. It will help with any scarring.

Eye Cream

Eye creams are specially formulated to penetrate the delicate skin around the eyes and can be used once or twice a day. Annique’s Forever Young Eye Therapy helps stimulate collagen production.

Annique Rooibos’ Forever Young, Eye Therapy will plump and repair sagging skin while antioxidants from Rooibos protect from environmental damage.

Rule of thumb: When it comes to eye care, the earlier the better.

Many people start using eye cream in their thirties when they start noticing the first subtle crease on the outer corner of their eyes. However, you can start using eye cream as early as your 20s, even before you see a wrinkle.

That is because the best results come from prevention.

Moisturisers

As skin is the largest organ in our body, taking care of it should be an utmost priority. And one of the best ways to protect this key part of our body? Using moisturisers regularly!

Moisturiser seems simple enough. It comes in a jar or a tube, and once or twice a day you apply it onto your skin. However, if you are applying it wrong, it’s about as beneficial as that bottle of multivitamins that sits in your cupboard but never gets opened.

Applying your moisturiser correctly, on the other hand, boosts hydration in your skin, prevents flaking and dullness, and creates a protective layer of moisture that lasts all day. Plus, proper application of face cream will help anti-ageing ingredients work better, increasing the odds that they will work.

If you think you are doing everything right, you might be surprised to learn that you could be moisturising better. And with small tweaks to your routine, you really can get through the winter without chapped, dry skin.

All you need is your trusty jar of Annique Rooibos’ moisturisers and these rules.

Layer strategically.
You get more functional utility out of your skin care products when you layer products that work together in the best most effective order. The rule of thumb is to start with the thinnest consistency products and work your way up to the thickest.
Serums go on first, followed by oils, then creams. The one exception is sunscreen, which should be applied last. It would not be ideal to put SPF under a lotion or cream moisturiser because by nature SPF products block skin absorption.
And you want your moisturising ingredients to be able to sink in.
If it isn’t broke…
Just because winter is looming doesn’t mean you need to completely revamp your skin care routine. If you have a routine that works well, why would you completely change it simply because of a new season?
Try troubleshooting with products that address seasonal skin issues, like a thicker moisturiser in the winter to combat dry skin, but there is no need for a total overhaul.
If you love your moisturiser, but you need more hydration, you can also try layering moisturising serums (for example Bo-Serum) or oils (for example Miracle Tissue Oil) underneath.
Timing is everything.
After showering or washing your face, you want to lock that moisture into your skin. But if your skin is “too wet,” the moisturiser will slide right off.
The best strategy is to apply moisturisers when skin is freshly moist. This moist state is most accessible immediately after towel drying your skin.
Measuring is personal.
There’s no ideal measurement for how much moisturiser you need, for either your face or your body. A certain amount of experimentation is necessary to determine the optimal amount of product for each specific situation. If you are unable to pat in all of the moisturiser, then you’ve probably used too much.
Apply by pressing onto the skin.
As you age, gravity pulls your skin downward, causing sagging and wrinkles. To combat this, we recommend applying moisturiser by pressing it onto the skin gently. It may not be enough to reverse the effects of gravity, but it does not make the situation worse either.

Exfoliator

Ever wonder why a baby’s skin is so soft? It’s because babies naturally replace their skin cells every few days. As you grow older, the rate of cell turnover slows down dramatically. Dead cells on your skin’s surface hang around much longer, and this tends to accentuate those fine lines and can make your complexion look dull and lifeless.

By removing these dead skin cells, whether physically with a scrub (for example Crème Exfoliator) or chemically by using enzymes (for example Enzymatic Exfoliator), helps to speed up the skins renewal process, improving the tone and texture of your skin.

Here are some reasons why you need to exfoliate your skin regularly:

It fades age spots by removing dead skin cells containing the pigment.
It unclogs pores and allows the release of natural skin oils
It minimises pore size and superficial scars.
It makes fine lines and wrinkles look less visible because the newly exposed layer of skin reflects light better.
It allows better absorption of moisturisers, antioxidants, and collagen-boosting products by removing the top layer of dead and damaged cells.

Application:

After cleansing, splash your face with lukewarm Rooibos-infused water and apply the exfoliator to your forehead, nose and chin.
Begin exfoliating the centre of your forehead in a circular motion and work your way to your temples.
Gently scrub your nose from bridge to tip.
Use slightly more intensive, upward circular motions on the edges of your nose to promote circulation and lymph drainage.
Exfoliate along your jawbone to your chin on both sides.
Complete your exfoliation down towards your neck from the side of your chin.
Rinse off your exfoliator with lukewarm Rooibos-infused water and gently pat your face dry with a clean towel.
Follow with your skin-appropriate masque suited to your skin type.

Face Masques

Once your daily skin care regime is in place, taking care of your skin is simple. However, sometimes your skin just needs an extra boost to keep it looking and feeling healthy. When this happens, what do you do?

The answer is simple… use a face masque. The power of a face masque is often underestimated, but they have plenty of benefits which will leave you wondering why you have not used them sooner! Face masques can truly be wonder products; they are like at-home facials that give you a chance to relax and de-stress. Plus, they allow you to transform your skin in as little as 10 to 15 minutes. Most skin care products need to be used continuously to make a visible difference to your skin. These are important to keep your skin in good condition all year round. However, sometimes you just need it look better right away for momentous events like a wedding or a date.

Face masques have the power to do exactly that by instantly improving your complexion.

However, you must relax and de-stress, not only do face masques have an incredible amount of skin care benefits, but they also have a rather significant impact on mental well-being. Taking time out of your day to use one will allow you to relax and feel stress melt away whilst the skin loving ingredients work their magic on your complexion.

Night Cream

If you generally go to bed without having used a night cream, then you are doing something wrong. This is because of the benefits of night cream on your skin that you would not have ever imagined! Though the idea of applying night cream seems trivial, how it enhances your skin cannot be explained in one sentence only!

Your skin absorbs active ingredients better at nighttime than it does during the day. Also, your skin’s cell regeneration power is higher at night when you are asleep. Therefore, a night cream not only keeps your skin nourished but also helps to repair the damaged cells.

The skin is also far more susceptible to healing and absorbing nutrients from Annique skin care products as we sleep. Therefore, to ensure that you receive the full benefit from your night cream, it is strongly recommended that you use your moisturiser each day with your preferred night cream each night.

Benefits of Night Cream:

It soothes your skin
It also ensures that your skin has an even complexion along with having a finer skin texture.
Your night cream boosts collagen synthesis in your skin.
The cream also helps better blood circulation in the face.
The wrinkles and other lines on your face get reduced.
It makes your skin soft and supple.
It helps your skin to restore its elasticity.
Helps in the renewal of the cells and nourishes your skin.

Freshener

An Annique Freshener is a spray-on skin care product that is designed to re-balance the pH level of your skin after applying your anti-ageing, treatment, and daily skin care products.

Where does the pH of your skin fit on this scale?

Skin has an average pH of 5.5 which makes it slightly acidic. The acid mantel of your skin protects it from bacteria and helps retain moisture in the skin.

What are the benefits of an Annique Freshener?

Restores the pH balance of the skin.
Aids in the optimal absorption of products.
Refreshes and hydrates the skin.
Calms and soothes the skin.
Contains Rooibos extract to help soothe allergies and revitalise skin.

Did you know that tap water has an average of 5-6% of chlorine? Tap water contains chlorine and other chemicals that dehydrate and negatively affect your skin’s ph. Use warm Rooibos tea to rinse your skin after cleansing, and an Annique Freshener to rebalance the pH of your skin.

Sun Protection

You’ve heard it a thousand times before. “Wear sun protection.” “Every day.” “All day.”

And, most likely you are already quite diligent with sunscreen application when you know you’re going out into the sun, when going to the beach, having a braai, or swimming with your kids.

But what about when you are driving, going to the store or while you’re at the office?

Sun damage: the facts

Sun exposure over a period accelerates the ageing process in the skin (also known as photo-ageing)
Sun exposure causes damage that can lead to skin cancer.
South Africa has the second highest incidence of skin cancer in the world (And Australia is first)
Your body is not fully equipped to heal every kind of DNA damage the sun does to it.
Estimates that less than 30% of people protect themselves adequately from sun damage.

Sunscreens should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow the ingredients to fully bind to the skin. Reapplication of sunscreen is just as important as putting it on in the first place, so reapply the same amount every two to three hours when in contact with direct sunlight.