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How to Start Your Skincare Journey



Note: I am not a dermatologist nor a medical professional.

Five years ago, I looked at the condition of my skin and felt like it could be better. When I was a teenager, I was blessed to have fairly normal skin outside of the hormonal acne and felt like I didn't need a complex skin care routine. However, as I approached my twenties, my skin drastically changed. I noticed more texture, redness, and an extremely dull appearance that looked worse with my pale face. I knew that my simple foaming cleanser and moisturizer routine wasn't going to help my face any longer. I needed to step up and finally learn how to take care of my skin, but where the hell was I suppose to start? If you're asking yourself the same question, then hopefully this article will help as you begin your skincare journey.

What are your skin concerns?

An extremely helpful question to ask yourself is what concerns do you have about your skin? When you look at your skin bare and without any makeup on, how do you feel in it? Do you feel too dry? Is your skin too oily? Do you have acne or acne scars you wish to get rid of? Does your skin feel dull and you just want that glow? Be honest with yourself and write down how you feel in your skin.

 Do your best not to compare your skin to others and feel like you need to look like them. Just think about what improvements you want to make that would make YOU happy and feel good. If you feel like you're getting too wrapped up in the negatives of your skin, write down at least three things you like about your skin or how you're treating it.

Afterward, write down what end result(s) you want for your skin: how you want it to feel and what you want it to look like? If your concern is that your skin is too dry, then your end result can be that you want your skin to feel hydrated and look like its glowing. Don't jump ahead and think about how you will achieve the end result, just think about what you want your skin to feel like in the future.

If you need more information on what kind of skin concerns are out there, the Asian Beauty subreddit New User Guide has a wonderful section on Skin Concerns.


Determine your skin type



There are several online quizzes you can take to help you determine your skin type, but it may take more than just one or two quizzes to help. The first section of this WikiHow article is also a great way to determine what your skin is like in person. I also recommend the new Beauty Within video about skin types and how to figure yours out above. However, it may take a few tries of different methods to really figure out what your skin type is, so don't be discouraged. A basic description of the skin types are:

Normal - Normal skin is often associated with being "ideal", only because it appears to be the most healthy as the balance of oil and water is optimal, leading to reduced pores, fine lines, and blemishes.

Oily - Your skin is probably shiny, feels “greasy” and probably gets clogged with acne, bumps, and blackheads fairly easily.

Dry - Skin that is dry (lacks oil) may be rough and flaky.

Combination - Individuals with combination skin typically have a mix of oily and dry types. The “T-Zone”, that being the forehead, nose, and chin, are usually oily while the cheeks tend to be dry.

Dehydrated



This skin type is what some refer to as a "hidden" skin type since it is not commonly talked about but could be the cause of a lot of skin concerns. If any of this rings true to you, then you may be Dehydrated:
  • Your skin is both oily and dry at the same time
  • Your skin feels tight and very dry after using a cleanser
  • Your skin burns or is very sensitive to products even with the most basic ingredients
  • Your skin is more likely to be congested or develop closed comedones even when you use products to prevent it
  • Your skin feels lackluster or dull with a tired appearance
Many of us have Dehydrated skin and can also have any of the above skin types (Dry, Oil, Combination), which makes our skin particularly tough to treat. Dehydrated skin can be caused by a myriad of things including:
  • Using a harsh cleanser with a high pH
  • Using a singular moisturizer that is too heavy for your skin to absorb
  • Not drinking enough water throughout the day
  • Not sleeping enough
  • Plus so many more environmental factors
If you believe you have Dehydrated skin, it is extremely important to do research into this subject and figure out the cause of it. It took me a long time in my skincare journey to realize my skin was dehydrated and the cause of it was my harsh, high pH foaming cleanser. All efforts to address the issue were wasted until I realized my cleanser was the issue as my skin rejected all other products due to the sensitivity from dehydration.


Research products and have patience


Once you have nailed down your skin type, identified the cause, and wrote down your skin concerns, the next step is to research products you want to use. While I fully subscribe to the 10-Step Korean Skincare Method, I encourage you to research individual products and introduce yourself slowly into a routine that will work for your skin.

Get involved in Facebook Groups, join a subreddit, read blogs from people who share your skin type (this is important as you want product recommendations based on your skin type), watch informative videos on YouTube about the science of skincare, and deep dive into any information you can get your hands on. Some resources I recommend are:

When you get involved with the skincare community, you will notice people touting the phrase YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), which means that while this product may have worked for them, it may not work for you. It is extremely important to keep this phrase in mind as you add products into your routine and t to do your own research into the product.

Testing products properly and with patience

Before you go buy a skincare kit that has tons of travel size products or samples, I urge you to slow down and test one product at a time. Especially if you suffer from sensitive skin (but this applies to all skin types), you will need to try one product in an isolated area for at least one weeks before you can call it a success or failure. It is a beginner's mistake to slap on a ton of products all over the face and hope for the best. This could end of doing a lot of damage as your skin could react negatively to any ingredients in any of the products, but you won't be able to identify which product or ingredient it is. For example, if you want to test a new moisturizer, try only putting it on your forehead or any other area that is not breakout prone for one week. If that one week goes well, then you can apply it all over your face for another week. If that goes well, then wait at least a week or two before testing another product to accommodate for any sudden skin changes.

To keep track, I highly recommend creating a spreadsheet for yourself. I was inspired by Snow White and the Asian Pear to create my spreadsheet, but you can set it up how you please. Create yourself a Testing tab or area so you can mark down what product you are testing, the start date of testing, the end date of testing, and a notes area for the results. You may also want to add the top 5 ingredients so you can keep track of products with similar ingredients working or not working for you. It is completely up to you how you want this spreadsheet to look like and what information you will find yourself. You could even just simply write down this information in any note-taking application or journal if that suits your needs better! The important part is that you keep track of what you're putting on your face so you can identify what is helping and what is not.


It is certainly going to be a process to get your skin to how you want it. Whether you figure out quickly or take five years like me is completely up to you. It is completely fine to make mistakes and don't be afraid to ask questions. As long as you keep YMMV in mind and put in the time to research products, you will be on your way to better skin.


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