Hello, the title is pretty self explanatory, but I will go a bit more into details (please also not that I am not a native english speaker, I will do my best)
I am a 25M, while I do consider having an ok hygiene and managing my hair + facial hair correctly >!(this last part is discutable, I do apply shampoo every days, I heard it could be bad for my hairs but I really do not feel clean without that)!<, I am completely oblivious to any sort of cosmetics, I never had to care about it, that include cosmetic that are visible (foundation, highlighting, ect) or less visible (exfoliation, moisturiser) and manucure as well.
After my nerdy, horrible university sequence (and now that I have a bit more money too) I want to take more time to care about my appearance. I have relatively simples question :
\-Regarding the non-visible things such as exfoliation, moisturiser.. What should I do to treat my skin ? Should I do buy and apply these two ? Should I do something in addition ?
\-Regarding Exfoliation and Moisturiser product, I can check whether or not they are good for health with applications ect but regarding the efficacity of these product, what do I need to look for ? A specific brand to recommand ?
\- I am open to visible makeup. I do think there is a thin line to not cross, for me at least, I do not want it to be remarkable, but perhaps I can hide some imperfection, things like that. What do you recommand and for these, again, what should i look for, do you have specific brand to recommand for instance ?
I am sorry these are relatively open question but as you can understand I am pretty lost, I would really like to know some basics before actually buying things
For exfoliation you might want to try something gentle first, like lactic or mandelic acid. Glycolic is stronger, but you can build up to it over time if needed. Start with something not too expensive, brands like The Ordinary. I’m in Europe and find lots of decent stuff by brands i don’t otherwise hear about on Notino.
Vitamin C serums are great for anyone. Anti-aging, they even out complexion and brighten it.
If you have acne, uneven skin tone, and redness, then azelaic acid is great. Depending on where you live it could be available with a general practitioner’s prescription, it often is.
Always wear sunscreen, especially if using chemical exfoliants and vitamin c. Otherwise you can get hyperpigmentation, sun damage, and premature aging. Garnier Ambre Solaire is great and not too expensive.
A light moisturiser is a must. Check the ingredients. Those with dimethicone will sometimes pill when you apply makeup over them. Apply it on the eye area too.
You can use a hyaluronic acid serum for moisture too if you want an extra moisture boost. They have to be used on wet skin. Some formulations can cause breakouts, and hyaluronic acid is one of the products that often pills under makeup for me. I like the Hada Labo Tokyo ones, they’re the only ones that don’t break me out and i use them for my hair too.
If your skin is very dry, you’d need an occlusive product, especially for winter. That can be Vaseline, or just thicker creams.
Don’t introduce too many products at once. If you get acne or irritation, it’ll be easier to find out what caused it if you introduce them one by one.
Check out r/SkincareAddiction for recommendations.
For covering imperfections start with a concealer that matches your skintone. You can try a tinted moisturiser too if you think you need to even out the tone on your whole face. Foundation is trickier to apply without it looking caked-up. I recommend a beauty blender sponge, or a simple wedge sponge. I apply my base with my fingers, with a tapping motion, then dab with a damp sponge.
If you have pronounced redness, undereye circles etc, you might want to look for those color-correcting concealers, they often look like a color wheel with green, yellow, pink, peach tones. You put the green one where you have redness, the yellow one where you have purple hues etc, and then go over that with a normal concealer. Personally, I’ve stopped using these because i can’t tell much difference between using them vs just normal concealer, but I’ve seen them work well for people.
If you wash your hair daily definitely use the gentlest shampoo you can find. If you use styling products you’ll need a clarifying shampoo occasionally to remove the buildup, but for daily use it’s important to use something gentle so you don’t damage your hair and scalp.
If your hair is long-ish, never go to bed with wet or damp hair. It can cause scalp fungus that’ll look like dandruff and itch, and can be very difficult to get under control. Definitely use conditioner if you have longer hair.
If you want a groomed looked, maybe brush eyebrows into place with a small toothbrush and hairgel or hairspray (some people swear soap works for them), and if there’s a few poking out unflatteringly you can trim those.
Hey you will get more information on r/skincareaddiction . If you read the community info, you will find info on everything from cleansers, moisturizers to exfoliants to what type of products to use depending on your skin type etc. As for makeup, check r/makeupaddiction. Good luck!