Skincare Questions You Were Too Afraid to Ask

Want to know, but the thought of showing your knowledge gaps is just too much? Listen, we understand. We aren’t born with all the answers, and sometimes you’re just too far into it to ask the questions. We’re on hand with a round-up of the questions you were just too afraid to ask! 

Do I have to wash my face every day? 

This is a great question and one that folks are a little embarrassed to ask. However, the nerdie word is: yes. Twice, in fact. 

You should wash your face first thing in the morning, and last thing at night, too, to remove dust, oil, pollution - you name it. And how should you wash it? Well, that leads us on to our next question ... 

Can I wash my face with water? 

No, you cannot wash your face with water. You can wet your face with water – but water will not remove oil, makeup, impurities, or anything else which has bonded to your skin. You’ll be wet, but not clean. In order to clean your face ready for the day ahead, or wash off all that has come before, you need to apply a product to your skin.  

For gentle, everyday cleansing, our nerdie suggestion is to start out with the Cleanse Off Mitt, a microfibre mitt which can remove oil, SPF, makeup, and everything in between with the help of water. It uses the power of microfibre to hook pollutants out of pores to get your cleanse off to a great start. Follow up with a double cleanse with product – in the AM, we might suggest Skingredients PreProbiotic Cleanse, or ASAP Gentle Cleansing Gel.  

In the PM, you can go in with your Cleanse Off Mitt once more, and follow up with the treatment cleanser of your choice as recommended by your Nerd or Nerdette. We love Skingredients Sally Cleanse for our salicylic-acid needs, or NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Wash for most hoomans seeking a through cleanse! 

How important is it to wear SPF every day? 

You’ve heard the SPF hype, but just how key is it? Well – it's pretty gosh darn key. Washing your face and wearing SPF every day are the most important things you can do for your skin. Wearing SPF can help to protect your skin from UVA, UVB, and HEV lights, as well as working to protect your skin and reduce your chance of developing skin cancer. That’s why it’s so important to apply, reapply, and wear it every single day. 

Is it too late to start wearing SPF? 

It’s never too late to start protecting your skin. Even if you’ve never done it before, tomorrow is a new day, and picking up the SPF is never a bad idea. The best time to start wearing SPF was probably ten years ago. The next best time is right now! 

Can I actually shrink my pores? 

We always say that pores aren’t doors. They don’t open, and they don’t close – but it’s possible improve the appearance of pores with certain ingredients. Niacinamide is a great ingredient if pores are on your mind. It can help to reduce sebum production, which can in turn make your pores appear smaller. Pores can appear larger when sebum is trapped inside them, so choosing a product rich in niacinamide can be a great idea. Pore size is often more to do with a natural breakdown of elastin rather than oil, but you can maintain your pores with the correct concoction of skincare ingredients.

Is it actually ok to pick spots? 

It’s not a good idea to pick spots. Treatment can depend on the kind of spot in question. If it’s a whitehead, applying salicylic acid on the spot itself can help to dry it out. If it’s a red, headless spot, which is angry and inflamed, you can apply salicylic acid, too – but it’s best to leave these and do NOT pick them, as picking them will make things exponentially worse.  

Picking spots can lead to scarring, or even infection in some cases. If you truly have to squeeze your spot, wash your hands, cleanse your skin, wrap your fingers in tissue, and press down on the skin around the spot, and wiggle. Stop before there is blood! Apply an on-the-spot antibacterial treatment to the skin and don’t apply any makeup until it’s healed. 

Is it important to moisturise? 

It’s more important to apply key ingredients to your skin to feed it all that it needs to be protected and healthy. The nerdie philosophy focuses more strongly on serums – which are like very concentrated moisturisers crammed with active ingredients. Often, your serums can provide your skin with all that it needs without the need of an extra moisturiser. The Skingredients Core 4 doesn’t include a moisturiser, as Skin Veg and Skin Protein both take the place of a traditional moisturiser, as they’re both packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and pro-collagen peptides galore. If you’re a hooman with very dry or dehydrated skin, or skin that loves the luxurious feeling of a moisturiser, we could recommend Skingredients Skin Good Fats!  

Did we answer your spooky little secret questions? Let us know in the comments, and message us if you have any further questions you’d love an answer for – no nerdie judgement here, we swear.