I don't wear makeup...but

Hi /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I'm a new member of this forum and my name is Josie. I am currently 19 years old. The problem is I've never wore makeup in my life, and had only tried for a few times (prom,graduation). Every time some helped me with doing my makeup so I don't know much about makeup. I've try watching Youtube and gurus always seemed to know what product and shades work for them. The thing is I wanted to start on makeup but I don't know what shades or skin type I am. I have no idea! 

People always commented on how I look younger than my age (17?). I do dress a bit young but I think it is also because I don't put a lot of products on my face. Anyways the other day my roommate was telling me that if I don't start having a skincare routine, I will age faster. I never wash my face with anything except water. Should I invest in skin care products even if I don't wear makeup? Do they really help?

If I never wore makeup or use skin care products, would my skin get irritated if I start doing so? 

I never put products on my hands either but I just started dating in college and my boyfriend told me I should (even though he said my hands are pretty soft). His sister gave me a kit contained with lotions and exfoliating products. She told me that if I don't exfoliate my hands weekly, then my hands will be very dry and recommended me to do so. She also taught me some things about makeup.

Is exfoliating really necessary? If I don't, would my lotions go to waste since I am just applying lotions on top of dead skin cells? 

I'm sorry if this is really long, but I just need some advice. I wanted to try skin care and hand care products but is afraid they will ruin my hand since my hand/face seems to be fine without them. Thank you!!

Everyone should wear sunscreen on their face and hands.  The earlier you start, the better!  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Originally Posted by Joshsah /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hi /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I'm a new member of this forum and my name is Josie. I am currently 19 years old. The problem is I've never wore makeup in my life, and had only tried for a few times (prom,graduation). Every time some helped me with doing my makeup so I don't know much about makeup. I've try watching Youtube and gurus always seemed to know what product and shades work for them. The thing is I wanted to start on makeup but I don't know what shades or skin type I am. I have no idea! 

People always commented on how I look younger than my age (17?). I do dress a bit young but I think it is also because I don't put a lot of products on my face. Anyways the other day my roommate was telling me that if I don't start having a skincare routine, I will age faster. I never wash my face with anything except water. Should I invest in skin care products even if I don't wear makeup? Do they really help?

If I never wore makeup or use skin care products, would my skin get irritated if I start doing so? 

I never put products on my hands either but I just started dating in college and my boyfriend told me I should (even though he said my hands are pretty soft). His sister gave me a kit contained with lotions and exfoliating products. She told me that if I don't exfoliate my hands weekly, then my hands will be very dry and recommended me to do so. She also taught me some things about makeup.

Is exfoliating really necessary? If I don't, would my lotions go to waste since I am just applying lotions on top of dead skin cells? 

I'm sorry if this is really long, but I just need some advice. I wanted to try skin care and hand care products but is afraid they will ruin my hand since my hand/face seems to be fine without them. Thank you!!

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Yes you will indeed age faster if you don't take care of your skin. Washing your face daily with a mild cleanser(not just a bar soap or just water) is essential, because it removes impurities and dirt from your skin, water by itself won't do it. All the oils your skin produce and what ever dirt you have there won't go away with just water.

 Skin care products do work, I would say at least get a mild cleanser, a moisturizer, eye cream and sunscreen. You need to moisturize your skin so it stays younger and soft!  Your skin won't get irritated if you start using skin care, unless you are allergic to something or say scrub your face daily. Before getting any skin care though, you need to figure out which skin type you have. If you like not depending on makeup and like your natural beauty, you need to learn that that won't be there forever and this is not coming from someone with any aging marks, after all I'm only 2-3 years older than you. However I do appreciate my skin and take care of my face, because I realize that I will eventually age.  

You need to scrub your hands and face to get rid of dead skin cells, and lotions still penetrate your skin if you don't exfoliate(scrub), but they penetrate better if you do! Also you'll feel the difference if you have never done it! 

I can't really recommend any drugstore skin care for you, because I don't use drugstore skin care. However I could recommend some higher end products, I personally started out with Clinique, which I think is a great idea, because their website and the ladies at the counter will help you determine your skin type, which I already mention is vital when looking for skin care that fits you. Also most if not all Clinique products are  hypoallergenic, mild and really gentle on your skin!

Another thing that is important not only to keep your skin pretty and prevent aging, but also to prevent skin cancer, is sunscreen! Wear sunscreen on any body part exposed to the sun! And ofc it's key to prevent aging /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Hope this helped and sorry tldr! XD I was in the same place as you a couple of years ago, I didn't start getting into skin care until I had a job, because my mom wouldn't buy things like that for me! But I would still do a lot of DIYs with stuff I would find at home, because I couldn't afford anything else /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Hey Josie,

I'm glad you came here! I'm a makeup artist, and I'm totally happy to help you with a lot of stuff. I'm going to answer everything in order.

"The thing is I wanted to start on makeup but I don't know what shades or skin type I am. I have no idea! "

If you could post a picture with some information about your ethnicity, we can help you get a match on some stuff. If you're not really looking to wear a hardcore foundation, tinted moisturizers typically come in general shades, like light, medium, and dark. Those are pretty self explanatory and there's not much guess work if you go that route.

As far as your skin type goes, there are four basic skin types - normal, dry, oily, and combination. 
Normal skin means your skin isn't dry, and it doesn't feel oily. Pretty simple.
Dry skin would mean that your skin feels rough or under moisturized in most spots, sometimes making your pores look bigger. You may also get flakes on your skin.
Oily skin means your skin gets a very slick feel to it throughout the day. You may also have acne if you have oily skin, as the two are notorious for going together.
Combination means that your skin is not pretty much the same across the board. You could have dry spots and oily spots, or normal spots and oily spots. 

"Anyways the other day my roommate was telling me that if I don't start having a skincare routine, I will age faster. I never wash my face with anything except water. Should I invest in skin care products even if I don't wear makeup? Do they really help?"

That's not true. You won't age faster if you don't have a skincare routine. You'll age at a normal pace. Free radicals age people, and some of the ways we age are genetic. Skincare products, when used the right way, can help retard the aging process, but don't believe the claims that most of skincare products make. A lot of 'em are really full of it.

The sun ages us the fastest. It does a lot of good, but man, that is one evil giant star when it comes to the effect it has on our skin. Anything with a broad spectrum SPF 30 or above works great. Anything else is not enough for most months. In winter, you can use an SPF 15-20.  You can get SPF on its own, in sunscreen, or in another product. A lot of facial moisturizers contain SPF, and some foundations and tinted moisturizers do, too. You just have to make sure the number is high enough and that the SPF is broad spectrum. It usually says on the packaging.

Washing your face with water isn't bad for you, but it's not helping you either. As far as your concerns with irritants in skincare goes, there's a lot of stuff specifically for sensitive skin. At the drug store, you'll see the 'YES TO" lines, Yes To Cucumbers, Yes To Tomatoes, Yes to Carrots, and Yes to Blueberries. These skincare lines are actually quite good, reasonably priced for what they are, and better for you and more realistic in their claims. I would suggest Yes to Cucumbers, which is specifically for sensitive skin. Even if you don't have sensitive skin, those products are always better to use. Things without artificial fragrances and colorants are also great. 

Using a cleanser on your face is important, because dirt and grime can build up inside your pores, and you may not even be able to see it. This will cause your pores to appear larger as you age. A normal cleanser for sensitive skin when you wake up and before you go to bed is plenty. 

Exfoliating is good, but not too often. It's abrasive and can harm you more than help you if you do it too much. Once a week is fine for someone who doesn't have dry skin. Use a gentle exfoliant. Aveeno makes one that I really like.

If your skin isn't prone to reacting, wearing makeup in normal amounts usually won't make it start. If it is reactive, try to use more natural products and things labelled hypoallergenic. 

If your hands aren't prone to getting dry, exfoliating them won't make that much of a difference. As long as when you wash your hands (which is something that we do often anyway) and make sure you scrub them well, you won't tend to get build up dead skin on the hands. A hand cream works well, but you can also use your body lotion on your hands if they aren't very "thirsty" - in need of a lot of moisture. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />