3 Things Missing from Your Beauty Routine
These easy-to-follow guidelines will give you glowing skin and shiny hair from week to week. Just remember to make time to actually do them!
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1. Wash makeup brushes.
It seems obvious, and yet so many of us overlook cleaning the very tools we use on our face on a daily basis. Using clean makeup brushes can improve skin health, help makeup go on smoothly, and even extend the brushes' lifespan to up to a decade.
New York makeup artist Andie Markoe-Byrne shares her tips on how to care for her brushes: Squeeze a drop of liquid antibacterial soap in your palm. Wet the brush and swirl it around the soap. Next, run the bristles under warm water until it runs clear. Gently ring out the bristles and lay brush flat. Never stand it up in a cup to dry - the water will drip down and loosen the glue that adheres the bristles to the handle, cutting its lifespan in half. If you notice that your brush has lost its shape, the bristles are falling out, or the handle is loose, then it's time to consider a replacement.
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2. Deep condition hair.
Applying a deep conditioner to your tresses just once a week will hydrate and even repair hair follicles better than a daily conditioner. "It builds the keratin protein in the structure of the hair and strengthens it," says New York hairstylist Sarah Potempa.
Soak your hair in warm water before smoothing on the deep conditioner. "This will help open up the hair cuticle and allow the product to penetrate," says Potempa. Need the perfect excuse for a long, bubble bath? Potempa says to keep the deep conditioner on for as long as you can, preferably tucked away in a shower cap. Then, finish with a cool water rinse to lock in moisture and shine.
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3. Exfoliate.
Scrubbing away dead skin cells weekly with an exfoliator can enhance the texture and tone of your skin. "As we get older, our own enzymes that normally exfoliate our skin are no longer as effective so complexions can look rough and dull," says New York dermatologist Jeannette Graf, MD. Dermatologists recommend using a glycolic acid peel twice a week (but if your skin is sensitive, use only once a week). "Always exfoliate at night," adds Graf. Skin is in protection mode during the day and renewal mode at night, so buffing off dead skin cells before bed works with skin's natural regeneration cycle.
- By Carol Kim
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