Teenage beauty: 5-step skincare routine

Editor’s note: Samantha (Sammy) is Miss SY’s best friend from school and a journalism student. Each month she shares some style and beauty tips that are relevant to teenage girls of all ages – please leave us a question if you have a teenage style/beauty question you’d like answered.

Skincare. It can be a love-hate relationship for many.

But the reality is, it’s all about trial and error, and finding out what works best for you and your skin.

Lucky for me, I’ve been blessed with problem-free skin. But since making the switch to natural and organic skincare earlier this year, the results have been even better.

So to also get you into the same regime, today we’ll be discussing a simple 5-step skincare routine, suitable for all ages.

1. Simplicite Damask Rose Day Creme (Normal/Dry Skin) $46.30

2. Simplicite Hydrating Floral Toning Lotion (Normal/Dry Skin) $36.30

3. Simplicite One Step Exfoliating Cleanser (All Skin Types) $48.40

4. Simplicite Rosewood Face Oil (Normal/Dry Skin) $43.20

5. Simplicite Revitalising Night Creme (Normal/Dry Skin) $53.50

Skincare is something that should be apart of your daily routine for the rest of your life. And if you haven’t already started, do so NOW. You’ll thank me later.

In particular, skincare is about sticking to a routine. So once you have found your “go-to” products, just go with it! I personally see it as something that is just as important as eating and sleeping.

BUT – with skincare comes responsibility.

It’s about knowing what products work together, how they can benefit your skin, and what order you should be using them in. Once again, this brings us back to trial and error.

For me, Simplicite has worked best. What sold me was their cruelty-free factor, use of medicinal-grade herbs, and hand-picked production. Tick, tick and tick!

So to also find out what’s best for you, below you will find a handful of products I have selected from personal experience to help narrow down your selection.

STEP ONE: CLEANSE

1. Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser $39.95 | 2. Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Bar  (For Face and Body) $22 | 3. Natio Young Wash It Off Cleanser $9.95 | 4. Natural Instinct Refreshing Foaming Cleanser $9.95 | 5. Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser $9.95 | 6. Simplicite Plant Gel Cleanser (Normal/Dry Skin) $40.90

One of the most essential steps out of the five is cleansing. And yes I’m talking both morning AND night.

Why? Well, it’s important to do both as the morning cleanse will revitalise your skin tone and gently remove excess oil and dead skin cells, whereas the evening cleanse will wash away debris, excess oil and remove makeup residue.

Depending on your skin type – be sure to choose a cleanser which focuses on hydrating and revitalising, rather than one that will strip away all the good oils, as this will leave your skin feeling like a Sahara desert!

I use Simplicite’s Plant Gel Cleanser for normal/dry skin and have found it simply does what it says it will. With ingredients such as aloe vera, jojoba extract and coconut, this cleanser leaves my skin feeling fresh, without having that “squeaky clean” feeling. Also perfect use for lazy-girl skincare routine’s as it comes as a pump top.

STEP TWO: EXFOLIATE

1. Sukin Detoxifying Facial Scrub $12.95 | 2. Grown Alchemist Polishing Facial Exfoliant $49.95 | 3. Clarins Gentle Refiner $48 | 4. Simplicite One Step Exfoliating Cleanser $48.40 | 5. Natio Young Pore Unclogging Face Scrub $9.95

Hands up if you forget to exfoliate? It’s okay, you can start now 😉

But before you choose your exfoliant, please be aware of harsh scratching products that feature ingredients such as plastic beads and glycolic acid, as this can cause sensitivity problems and damage the skin’s acid mantle, leaving it vulnerable to sun damage.

Above I have listed my favourite exfoliants. Remember these products are to be used sparingly and only a few times per week, depending on how your skin is feeling. This is because if you scrub too often, you’re not allowing your skin cells to regenerate, which can lead to further breakouts!

STEP THREE: TONE

Simplicite Hydrating Floral Toning Lotion (Normal/Dry Skin) $36.30

Toning is probably one of my favourite steps, and if you’re experiencing blackheads, well then you’ve come to the right place.

A must-have product to help breakdown impurities is Witch Hazel (100% distilled). Just apply with a cotton pad over the entire face, either once or twice per day, and it will help cleanse away any excess oil.

Currently, I’m also loving Simplicite’s Hydrating Floral Toning Lotion to help tone, replenish and hydrate my skin. This product is specifically designed for normal/dry skin, and with ingredients such as chamomile, you can’t go wrong.

With just a spritz over the face after cleansing, your skin will be left with that extra oomph! Be sure to use both morning and night.

STEP FOUR: HYDRATE

1. Simplicite Rosewood Face Oil (Normal/Dry Skin) $43.20 | 2. Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ $29.95 | 3. Sukin Facial Recovery Serum $17.95

While water may just do the trick, face oils and serums will also help speed up the process of skin hydration.

Again – depending on your skin type, you may only need to apply your face oil/serum a few times per week (underneath your moisturiser), as over hydrating the skin can also lead to breakouts.

If you find you do tend to be more oily rather than dry, and are applying your serum daily and resulting in breakouts, just cut back the usage.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have been very lucky to have skipped the “breakout” stage, but since using Simplicite’s Rosewood face oil (during the day) and Trilogy’s new Rosehip Oil with Antioxidant+ (at night), I’ve found I have gained more radiance by rehydrating the skin and have restored my natural glow.

Simplicite Rosewood Face Oil (Normal/Dry Skin) $43.20

STEP FIVE: MOISTURISE

1. Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream $34.95 2. Clinique Moisture Surge $60 | 3. Simplicite Damask Rose Day Creme (Normal/Dry Skin) $46.30 | 4. Sukin Rose Hip Hydrating Day Cream $23.95 | 5. Clarins Daily Energizer Cream $40 | 6. Natio Young Oil Free Moisturiser $9.95

Last, but certainly not least, is moisturising.

This is crucial to the 5-step skincare routine, as without moisturising, your skin can become quite dull and undernourished.

And if you’re like me, and prefer light-weight moisturisers, well then today is your lucky day! Above you’ll find a range of my favourite moisturisers, which are perfect for the humid summer days ahead and great for makeup application.

Personally, I do favour Simplicite’s Damask Rose Day Creme, as it not only helps revitalise the skin and restore it’s elasticity, but also assists in the repair of conditions such as redness, eczema and rosacea. Win-win!

And for night? I use the Revitalising Night Creme. I find it’s not too heavy or greasy, but just enough to nourish the skin.

So there you have it, Stylers. Your simple 5-step skincare routine.

I guess it’s true when they say happy skin equals happy girl.

Since using Simplicite and keeping on track with my 5-step skincare routine, I have most certainly restored my radiance and have gained that “post-holiday” glow. Benefit? I didn’t even have to take the holiday to reap the results!

So if you’re feeling like you need a bit of a pick-me-up, trial some new products to determine what works best for you. But most importantly, try and create the habit to follow a regular skincare routine.

I now thank my beautiful mother for drumming a simple skincare regime into me since I was a tween, and now count my blessings, even if there was a bit of whinging at the time 😉

Not sure what your skin type is? Take the test here.

So tell me, what does your skincare routine consist of? Do you have an all time favourite product? 

Samantha Cheney is a Brisbane-based freelance writer at www.samanthacheney.com, and is currently completing her Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Business degrees at the Queensland University of Technology. Her interests include travelling, writing, and photography. Check Samantha out on instagram to follow her adventures @sammycheney