Skinvestment (n): The action or process of investing time, money and effort on your skincare routine for healthier, more youthful skin.

As a board-certified dermatologist practising in Manhattan, NY for the past 10 years and the founder of adm Skincare, I have experienced firsthand, the remarkable growth of the skincare industry in the last ten years. Social media is abuzz with pretty packages of successful skincare brands and the hashtag #skincare has 69.2 million posts as of January 2021.

Picking the right skincare products for your skinvestment from the the sheer number of existing skincare products can be overwhelming. More so, it is important to have a guide that will inform your skinvestment strategy.

I came up with 5 pro-tips for successful skinvestment to guide you

1. The sooner you start, the better

When it comes to skinvestment, the age that you start is the age that you stay! So, if you start at 20, you will look 20 for a long time. But don’t be discouraged if you are starting your skinvestment later in life, you will still benefit from the relaxing and rejuvenating effects of cultivating healthy skincare habits. Plus, you will be rewarded with more youthful, radiant skin for the rest of your life.

2. For successful skinvestment, think long-term

First, let me underscore the fact that while skincare products and ingredients tend to be trendy and can fall out of fashion in a matter of months, your skincare routine should be a long-term habit. It is the discipline and habit of cleansing, hydrating, rejuvenating, and basic but it is so true!

3. Resist the lure of cheap skincare

Invest in the best quality skincare products that you can afford today and resist the lure of cheap skincare! This tip will save you a lot of money down the line. It’s human nature to want to save by buying over-the-counter skincare products instead of investing in medical-grade or cosmeceutical skincare products, but in the end, you’ll be wasting money and precious time on products that yield a poor return on investment (ROI).

The skin is the largest organ and it reflects your health and absorbs what you apply to it. So be intentional about what you put on it just the same way that you are mindful about what you eat and wear.

4. Match your skinvestment to your skin goals

Know your skin goals and match your skinvestment accordingly. For instance, if your skin goal is to prevent skin wrinkles, invest in the best quality skincare products to help you achieve that goal. If your goal is to prevent or treat skin discoloration, match your skincare products to achieve that goal. Don’t expect to prevent skin discoloration if you have invested in wrinkle-preventing skincare products. Matching your skincare goals with the right investment may require the input of a skin expert such as a board-certified dermatologist.

5. Keep it simple

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. While it may be tempting to adopt the latest 15-step skincare routine craze on social media, I recommend the 5-step skincare routine that I updated for 2021 as a simple yet effective regimen. It’s as follows: Cleanse, Medicate, Rejuvenate, Hydrate, and protect with sunscreen.