3 Basic Steps To Prepare Your Skin Before Makeup

Before putting on makeup, it is very important to first have a properly prepped and cleaned face. More so if you have problem skin like oily skin, dry skin, combination skin or acne. Knowing and practicing the correct way to clean your face could also help improve your skin condition. So here's how you do it..

Step 1. Cleanse
Function - to clean away dirt and unwanted oil on the skin surface.
-Start by splashing your face with water. Not too warm or too cold. Hot water will make your skin drier and too cold will closed up your pores.
-Use a facial cleanser to wash your face. Make the cleanser foam in your hands before applying the foam to your face. It is the foam that will clean the dirt from your pores- not the gel or cream or whatever form the cleanser came as.
-Rub the foam in circular motion starting from forehead. Do not forget your jawline and under the chin too.
-Lastly, rinse carefully. Make sure the foams are all washed away especially around your hairline and jaw areas.

Note: I've tried many brands of cleanser from a few to hundreds ringgits worth. The one that works the best and I'm still using til now was recommended by a dermatologist in Indonesia. It's called AcneAid and you can get it from any pharmacy. It's suitable for all skin and even better for oily skin. The best thing is its only RM13!!

Step 2. Tone
Function-to rebalance the skin PH so that it can absorb moisturiser better and evenly. Also closes up the pores and even help to clean excess cleanser and hard water residue.
-Choose a toner that is suitable for your skin.
-There's two ways of using toner. The easiest way is to spray it on and just tap the mist on your skin. The other way is to soak a cotton ball and wipe it around your face. I prefer to use the spray as its faster and I don't waste the toner and could probably save a tree or two..

Note: Any good reputable brand of toner should be ok. Now, there're so many types of toner that do additional function such as firming, refining etc. Most importantly is to check the ingredient list and see what's in it. The first name that comes out in the list is the heaviest percentage of the ingredients so make sure you make your money worth! Always use products of high quality with natural oils, extracts and vitamins and less chemicals. If the ingredient list has many names you can't even pronounce, better leave it on the shelf.

Step 3. Moisturise
Function-to keep your skin moist and hydrated. This is especially a crucial step for oily and dry skin. Even when you have bad cases of acne, you should never skip this. I'll explain why. When you do not moisturise, your sebaceous glands will have to work overtime to produce natural oils. When these oils are produced in excess, they will clog the pores and this is the reason we get even oilier skin before 12 in the afternoon and one of the great causes of acne.
-Dab the moisturiser on several spots on your face and slowly tap and massage them in an upward motion.

Note: Get a good moisturiser that's suitable for your skin condition. Those with natural oils, extracts and vitamins (C or E) would be better. For dry skin, use those with more natural oils. For oily and combination skin, use those specifically for oily skin. They should not feel oily at all when you touch your face after doing Step 3 but should instead feel soft and supple. A good moisturiser that I've been using for a while now is Make Up Store's All Time. I have very oily skin since young and even til now, and I used to skip this step because I was really afraid my skin will get oilier. But now I know better, and thankfully my oily skin has been under controlled for the past year.

So next time before putting on your makeup, please remember these 3 easy steps and your makeup will be even more beautiful and also last longer!