CTMP: Why Experts Are Loving This New Approach To Skincare
For years on end we’ve heard the importance of CTM aka cleanse, tone, moisturise, as being the holy grail of any skincare routine. This three-step process was the answer to your skincare woes and was deemed as the foundation to healthy, happy, and glowing skin. And although it got a makeover a couple of times (remember the 10 and 12 steps K-Beauty routines that promised glass skin? The basics always remained the same. The latest trend to hit us is CTMP –– cleanse, tone, moisturise, and protect –– which takes the fundamentals of its original version, and gives it a much needed upgraded.
What is CTMP and why is it necessary?
CTM has and will always be the basic foundation of any skincare routine. Each of the steps play an integral role in the way it treats your skin –– keeping woes like clogged pores, acne, dryness, wrinkles, all at bay. So, if the CTM routine was good enough, why did it get an upgrade? Well, thanks to pollution and free radical damage, just a basic routine is now not enough to prevent damage. Step in ‘protection’, an umbrella term used to describe target treatments that reverse damage and of course, protect the skin from further disruption, and most importantly, protect it from sun damage.
Step 1 – CLEANSE
Cleansing is quite self-explanatory. It involves cleansing your skin with a gentle face wash to remove any dirt, debris, bacteria, and excess oil that sits on the surface or hides within your pores. More often than not, this bacteria combined with excess oil gets trapped in your pores, which results in blackheads, whiteheads, and breakouts. You should only cleanse your skin twice a day –– AM to remove excess sebum that collects through the night and PM to get rid of the dirt and debris your skin collects all through the day. Ensure you double cleanse with an oil-based cleanser followed up by a water-based cleanser if you wear sunscreen.
For oily skin: Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam
Why: Oily skin tends to trap a lot of dirt into your skin, which results in breakouts. This cleanser gently removes all traces of debris and excess oil, while clarifying your skin. It helps refresh and brighten dull skin, leaving it absolutely cleansed and prepped for the rest of your skincare products. Thanks to its signature Japanese ingredients of yomogi extract, white clay, and micro white powder, you’re left with radiant and glowing skin that looks and feels clean.
For dry skin: Sisley Lyslait Cleansing Milk With White Lily
Why: Dry skin requires a little extra nourishment to keep hydration levels balanced. This cleansing milk effectively dissolves and removes makeup, dirt, and debris, while maintaining a balance in dry and sensitive skin. Formulated with white lily and woodmallow that hydrates and softens, sunflower oil that nourishes, softens, and revitalises, and vitamin E acetate that fights free radicals, this all-in-one cleanser cleans and freshens up your skin instantly.
Step 2 – TONE
This step is rather misunderstood. However, alcohol-free toners can be rather beneficial to your skin. Toning your skin helps remove any traces of dirt or impurities your cleanser missed taking out. It also aids in tightening your skin and reducing the appearance of large pores. If you have dry skin, a toner is also a great way to add another layer of hydration to your routine.
For combination oily skin: Sisley Grapefruit Toning Lotion
Why: A refreshing alcohol-free toner, the grapefruit extracts gently tones and hydrates the skin, while removing makeup too. The formula also leaves your skin soft, shine-free, and refined. It minimises the appearance of pores, mattifies the skin, and preps it for the rest of your skincare routine. This face toner leaves you refreshed, clear, and oh-so healthy.
For normal to dry skin: Sisley Floral Toning Lotion
Why: This alcohol-free toner is formulated with hydrolats of rose, cornflower, and witch hazel, that soothe and soften the skin. Your skin feels refreshed and soft, while being thoroughly nourished and hydrated. The unique formula also helps balance tone the skin, and also aids in removing every trace of makeup, dirt, and debris.
Step 3 – MOISTURISE
This step is key, no matter what your skin type. Moisturisers ensure that your skin’s moisture levels are balanced out –– it prevents your skin from drying out, or from overproducing too much oil. Either way, it keeps your skincare woes at bay. Dry skin calls for rich and nourishing moisturisers, while oily acne prone skin calls for lighter, non-comedogenic moisturisers.
Now here’s the catch, that makes moisturising in this routine a little different from the basic. When opting for moisturisers, try and find a formula that will treat your skin too. By this we mean, find a moisturiser that targets your concerns –– for example, an anti-ageing moisturiser will include retinols or a brightening moisturiser will have vitamin C. You can either find this present in your moisturiser, or can use a face serum with active ingredients prior to moisturising.
For ageing skin: Minus 417 Time Control Advanced Regenerating Firming Cream
Why: A concentrated skin firming cream that helps promote collagen and elastin and boosts skin cell rejuvenation. One of the key ingredients in this cream is pomegranate, a powerful antioxidant that aids in fighting free radical damage and prevents the appearance of wrinkles or fine lines. Other than smoothing out your skin’s texture, this powerful firming creaming also maintains your skin’s natural moisture levels, leaving it smooth, soft, and plump. This moisturiser targets fine lines and helps smoothen the premature signs of ageing, while hydrating it thoroughly.
For oily skin: Shiseido Waso Quick Matte Moisturizer Oil Free
Why: When you’re dealing with oily skin, you need to look for an oil-free moisturiser that will moisturise but not leave your skin shiny. This lightweight moisturiser uses pure ingredients to help control sebum breakdown and balance out skin’s oil levels. The glycylglycine prevents and improves visible pores, while the moisturiser’s PhytoResist System+ infuses skin with moisture for a healthy and hydrated look.
For dry skin: Sisley Moisturizer With Cucumber
Why: Looking for soft, supple, and well hydrated skin? This moisturiser will do the trick for you! With a fine, silky, and non-greasy texture, the moisturiser refreshes your skin without feeling extremely heavy. Formulated with cucumber, the amino acids and mineral acids present in this superfood help revitalise the skin, keeping it hydrated and refreshed all day long.
Step 4 – PROTECT
Your skincare routine means nothing if you do not protect your skin! Sunscreen is one of the most important steps in your routine, especially if you’re stepping out. The sun has a detrimental effect on your skin which can lead to several woes including premature ageing and even skin cancer. Sunscreen creates a shield that keeps the UV rays away from getting anywhere near your skin, and penetrating through it. Ensure you’re using enough sunscreen to cover your skin and reapply it every 2 hours.
Shiseido Future Solution LX Universal Defence E Spf 50+ PA ++++
Why: No anti-ageing routine is complete without SPF. Formulated with a proprietary anti-ageing ingredient, this sunscreen slows down the appearance of visible signs of ageing, while keeping the UV rays away from the skin. It deeply hydrates and nourishes the skin and leaves it looking brighter and plump.
Valmont Restoring Perfection SPF 50
Why: This high-protection UVA/UVB cream contains SPF 50 and doubles-up as an anti-ageing veil for your skin. Formulated with protective active ingredients, it helps divert UV energy and boost collagen within the layers of your skin, giving it a youthful, luminous, and evened out texture, while protecting it.
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