My Top 5 Skincare Tips

If there’s one aspect of the beauty world that I love, it’s skincare! It’s the beginning of keeping my canvas clean and healthy way before I think about all the beauty makeup portraits I want to take.

But outside of the makeup, healthy skin is something I take rather seriously. You won’t find me with a skincare routine that has 10 steps because I believe that:

• Less is more. I don’t want to overwhelm my skin with too many products
• I’d rather drink or eat healthy goods and let my body do most of the work from within to keep my skin just as healthy

With that said, I’ve used a fair share of skincare products, and tried a handful of methods to keep my skin looking the way that it does. I’m no expert so all I can offer is experiential advice from someone who’s committed to giving you honesty. It’s So without further ado, here are my top 5 tips that have helped me when it comes to my normal/combination skin type.

H2O Is The Way To Go

First, let’s talk about the OG of all liquids that our big, blue planet contains. Yes, you’ve probably heard this before about 1000 times before, but that’s because the level of truth to this is 100% correct!

I don’t always get my 2L of water a day, but I’m constantly drinking liquids on a daily basis. When I’m at the office, you’ll find me having at least 3 cups of something (tea or coffee usually) with an extra dose of water. Sure, it can make for long trips to the loo but drinking a lot of liquids is something that has been ingrained in me for a very long time. From my grandmother drinking green tea (and her skin is beyond amazing), to having a recently doctor tell me I need to drink a ton of water to help with a serious health infection I was dealing with.

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Needless to say, water is super important. Not just for your skin but for your general health and wellbeing. I’ve added some Venga Coconut Water into my liquid life, which has been a delicious addition. Coconut water has great benefits for your skin, like fighting aging, keeping acne at bay and overall skincare. So in essence, listen to the 1000 people (plus me now) who have told you about water before 🙂

Give Your Skin A Hydro Boost

Speaking of hydro, I’ve been using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost range for the most part of 2019, and I have been so impressed with how the products have given me the necessary hydration it needed – especially during winter.

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My two favourite products from this range have been the Hydro Boost Water Gel and Cleanser. Containing Hyaluronic Acid, both of these products have been refreshing to use when it comes to giving my face an instant boost of much needed moisture that I lose throughout the day. I normally use these two products at night (great to help your skin feel hydrated by the time you wake up the next day), and so far, it’s been a winning formula for me.

Now I’m currently testing out an oil-based product because I’m intrigued to see the comparison between acid-based and oil-based skincare products on my dry skin (because I think there’s some value for you in doing a comparative analysis like this). What’s the difference between these two? What do the results look and feel like? Does acid-based trump oil-based skincare products, or vice versa? I’ll be taking the next few weeks to figure this out.

Mask Up!

In the beginning of my skincare routine, I was never really a fan of masking. It seemed like an odd extra step that wasn’t too necessary. Until I got into DIY masks (remember homemade avocado masks!?). That’s when I saw the benefit of this step but never really sought to go into stores to purchase any masks because I could make them at home…

…Until charcoal and clay masks were all the rage in the beauty industry, and I found myself being open-mined to trying this new variety. Needless to say, charcoal masks left their own impression and I was consistent in using the L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Face Wash (which I would leave on my face for about 7min as a mask) for months…

The idea of sheet masks was whack to me (why would I put juicy paper on my face??). But being open-minded to trying new things will do wonders for you because there I was, watching a Jackie Aina YouTube video where she was trying a face mask. Fast forward to now, and I’m an odd lover of these types of masks. I have a review up on my favourites from Pond’s, but in essence, there are real benefits to masking. Not only is it added moisture and nourishment for your skin (especially if you’re more on the drier side), but there are masks that have been designed for your specific skincare needs now, so you can better target the concerns you have.

SPF Seriously Matters

Another thing that Jackie Aina taught me was the importance of using SPF. I’m guilty of once believing that I didn’t need SPF coverage on a daily basis because my melanin would protect me enough from all the harsh sun rays.

I did my research on this and discovered that I’m just as prone to the harm that UV rays can cause to the skin, and it’s not wise to think I have some kind of layer over my skin magically protecting me. Skin, at the end of the day, is an organ that needs to be taken care of so that it can function optimally.

This is why I took some time to do research, read up on reasons why even us melanin queens need to use SPF. Sun burns, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, dark spots and cancer are all the forms of damage the sun can do on unprotected skin, included mine. So I changed my belief and now I incorporate SPF products into my skincare. I’m currently using the Justine Tissue Oil Repair Face Cream with SPF 20. I’m being faithful in applying this everyday, and while the texture is thicker than my usual day creams, I don’t think anything is going to stop me from ensuring I get SPF skincare products to help my skin stay protected.

A Little Skin Self-Love Goes A Long Way

I see how on South African Twitter, mainly, #SelfCareSundays is a thing where ladies come together to share all the ways they’re doing some self care on the last day of the week. Especially for their skin.

And to wrap up my tips, I think it’s important to show your skin all the love that it deserves. You won’t always get your skincare routine right. You’ll change products until you find what works for you. You’ll sleep with makeup on every now and then.

But as you continue to walk your skincare journey, show yourself (and the largest organ you’ve got) some love. See a dermatologist when you need to. Drink your water (yes, I said it again). Eat your greens. Wash your face thoroughly. Take yourself for facials.

My skin didn’t always look the way it currently does. It took time and patience, so be kind to your skin. You’ll encounter many more tips – some better than my own 5, others that aren’t so useful. But I encourage you to get familiar with your skin and it’s needs so you can address them in a love. Because you really only have this one skin – might as well work to keep it looking healthy and beautiful!