You’re intrigued, I know. You see your girl’s routine and her skin looks great. But the bathroom sink looks like an apothecary. It’s intimidating.

I got you. 

I’m gonna give you a simple skincare routine, key word: SIMPLE. And soon your girls gonna ask you what you’re using, so read on, Brotha...

You only need 5 products and you’ll use them in the same order day and night. 

#1 Step - CLEANSE 

No, I don’t mean washing your face with bar soap. Please stop doing this! 

The skin on our face is thinner and is more sensitive than the skin on our body. Bar soap is best used for washing hands because it’s designed to break down dirt, sweat and oil that have built up throughout the day.

Facial cleansers, on the other hand, which are also formulated to remove oil, sweat, dirt and dead skin, also prevent our skin from breaking out. They are much gentler - and a good facial cleanser will actually add moisture to our skin. 

#2 Step - TONER

“Uhm what?” is probably what you just said. I get it, we’re only on the 2nd step and this is already a big question mark. But it’s simpler than it sounds! 

Toners have water (or gel)-like consistency, and help remove the rest of the unwanted stuff on our face. Toners are great for preparing our skin for the next products we’ll be applying and it restores our skin’s natural pH balance. Put some on a cotton pad or your palms and gently apply on your face.

#3 Step - SERUM 

There’s lots of serums out there and each one targets a different skin issue, so you kinda just have to listen to your skin and see what it needs. These are treatments.

Our recommendation for beginners is a Vitamin C serum in the morning, which will help improve skin damage and a Retinol serum in the evening which will help prevent fine lines and wrinkles. 

If that is too much, then just start with a serum that has Vitamin C for both morning and evening. Once you’re more experienced with your skin you can add different serums to your routine.

#4 Step - MOISTURIZE 

Toner adds moisture. Serums add moisture. Adding Moisturizer seems like overkill, but it’s not. 

Moisturizer is a thicker formula and it creates a barrier, which will help the serum do its work underneath. It also prevents post-shaving irritation (if you have facial hair). 

Not only will it lock in all of those products you just applied, it will also help your skin look younger, improve your skin texture and it will replenish skin hydration. You don’t wanna skip this step - it helps prevent skin problems!

#5 Step - SUNSCREEN 

We made it! We’re on the last step - Prevention. 

I don’t care what colour your skin is - black, brown, white, green, purble, blue, rainbow - EVERYONE needs sunscreen everyday! 

UV rays from the sun will penetrate your skin on a cloudy day (even if you’re inside a building with windows). UV rays are invisible. 

People of Colour (POC) may believe that the melanin in our skin is enough, but it’s not. Yes, melanin will give us some sun protection, but not enough. And unfortunately, because of this myth POC tend to get their skin checked less often increasing skin cancer diagnosis to happen at a later stage.

Don’t take the risk. Wear sunscreen.

Lucky for you this step is only required in the morning. Reapplication every two hours is also recommended to keep up the protection throughout the day.