The best thing that you could ever do for your skin care routine seems like the simplest answer! 

It's to understand your skin.

When you understand your skin type, why your skin is struggling to achieve that beautiful glow, and how you can work to address those concerns, then you can feel confident in choosing skin care products that work for you.

Here at JOËLLE MARTINE, we've developed our line with every skin type and every skin concern in mind.

That being said, understanding your skin and what works (and doesn't work) can seem like a monumental task. 

We've created this guide to make your skin care journey just a little bit easier.

If you’re brand-new to the idea of a skin care routine, it helps to start at the very beginning, where we answer your most basic questions about skin care—even the ones you may be too embarrassed to ask all your skin-care-savvy friends. 

If you’ve dabbled in skin care and just really want to know what products might be right for you, we’ve got you. Scroll down to learn more about the actual elements in a skin care routine and an overview of our key ingredients that work best for certain skin conditions. 

We also have specific sections for skin of color, what to do if you’re pregnant, and what to keep in mind if you have a diagnosed condition that affects your skin. 

Keep in mind that, if anything in this article piques your interest, you’ll find even more information in all of our blog entries. We are always adding new blogs to keep you as up to date and informed as possible!

And last, don’t forget to check out our glossary of popular skin care terms, which can help clear up any lingering confusion you may have when encountering skin care lingo.

Let's get started!

Skin type is broken down into four main categories, followed by different skin conditions that you may or may not have in addition to your usual skin type.

Dry skin can be caused by your genes, aging, hormonal changes, the weather (such as wind, sun, or cold), UV radiation from tanning beds, excessive indoor heating, long hot baths/showers, certain medications, or the ingredients in your current soaps/cosmetics/cleansers or toners that strip your skin.

Some ways that you can combat this is to: take shorter showers/baths and make sure they are not scalding hot, don't over scrub your skin, use mild soaps or cleansers, apply a moisturizer daily and reapply as needed throughout the day.

Oily skin can change depending on the time of the year or the weather. Things that can make it worse include puberty, hormonal imbalances, stress, heat, or too much humidity. Sometimes, oily skin can even be dry skin in disguise! 

Oil is caused by a build up sebum from your sebaceous glands and is made up of fats. It isn't all bad! Oil keeps your skin and hair moisturized and healthy, but an over abundance of it leaves you feeling icky and clogs your pores.

You can combat this by: washing your skin twice a day and after sweating a lot, using a gentle cleanser and not over-scrubbing your skin, not picking at pimples or blackheads, using products that are "noncomedogenic" - which is just a fancy word meaning that they do not clog your pores.

After determining your Skin Type, you will want to decide which skin conditions or concerns you want to address. Some of these conditions are medical and we cannot diagnose them for you. If you feel like you have a serious skin condition, please seek advice from a medical professional or a board-certified dermatologist. Some conditions can be managed with proper products and care, but others may require medications. 

These are the most common skin conditions you may have:

We think that skin care should be simple, but effective. 

Below, we are going to discuss skin care routines, what each product actually is and why you may or may not need it, and what JOËLLE MARTINE product should be used in each step.

There are 3 major steps to every skin care routine. 

Everything after that is an add on to address a specific concern or to lock in the three steps that come before it.

If you wear heavy makeup or sunscreen during the day, you may want to look into a makeup-remover that is designed to cut through water-proof/oil-proof eyeliners and foundations, but you can also wash with your cleanser twice.

You should cleanse every morning and every night.

Your cleanser should leave your skin feeling clean, but not stripped.

Hydration and Moisturizing are not the same, although they are related. Hydrators increase the water content of the layers of your skin, which makes your skin plump and bouncy. It sinks deep into the skin and is usually very lightweight.

Moisturizers trap and seal in moisture to build up the skin's protective barrier, prevent water loss, and keep the skin soft and smooth. they tend to be your thicker serums.

You need both for the perfect complexion. 

The final step to your basic routine should be moisturizing. 

You want to lock in all that goodness you just put into your skin.

Your moisturizer should leave your skin feeling smooth and soft, but not oily.

When used regularly, this can cause dull skin to be brighter and tighter. It reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles and can clear acne and blackheads. Mini-peels can also address hyperpigmentation, so it works for those with sun spots and other unwanted dark spots.

These products can vary in strength and should always be used according to their directions to avoid over-drying the skin or causing burns.

Typically, these are your "nighttime" products as they work best if used when your body is naturally turning over cells.

BHAs, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, ect. So, a lot of our products work to clear away dead skin, while still being gentle enough to not cause distress to your skin.

When used regularly, this can cause dull skin to be brighter and tighter. It reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles and can clear acne and blackheads. Mini-peels can also address hyperpigmentation, so it works for those with sun spots and other unwanted dark spots.

These products can vary in strength and should always be used according to their directions to avoid over-drying the skin or causing burns.

Typically, these are your "nighttime" products as they work best if used when your body is naturally turning over cells.

Anything with a cocktail of acids in it works as a peel on some level- that could be AHAs, BHAs, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, ect. So, a lot of our products work to clear away dead skin, while still being gentle enough to not cause distress to your skin.

When used regularly, this can cause dull skin to be brighter and tighter. It reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles and can clear acne and blackheads. Mini-peels can also address hyperpigmentation, so it works for those with sun spots and other unwanted dark spots.

These products can vary in strength and should always be used according to their directions to avoid over-drying the skin or causing burns.

Typically, these are your "nighttime" products as they work best if used when your body is naturally turning over cells.

They target acne, fine lines/wrinkles, brightening, tightening, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, sensitive skin, inflammation, hydration, and are made with lactic acid so you get a mini-peel at the same time. Once they are mixed, they have a 3 day shelf life - just pop them in the fridge.

Your masque should be used after you Cleanse, but before you Moisturize.

They target acne, fine lines/wrinkles, brightening, tightening, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, sensitive skin, inflammation, hydration, and are made with lactic acid so you get a mini-peel at the same time. Once they are mixed, they have a 3 day shelf life - just pop them in the fridge.

Your masque should be used after you Cleanse, but before you Moisturize.

are receiving the freshest organic ingredients without the preservatives. This means that they have a long shelf-life as well!

Our masques can be used daily or a few times a week, whenever you have at least 15 minutes to put one on and relax - but they can also be worn for a whole hour of goodness!

They target acne, fine lines/wrinkles, brightening, tightening, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, sensitive skin, inflammation, hydration, and are made with lactic acid so you get a mini-peel at the same time. Once they are mixed, they have a 3 day shelf life - just pop them in the fridge.

Your masque should be used after you Cleanse, but before you Moisturize.

Our oils have been infused with organic essential oils for their various properties in healing your skin concerns, but also for their aromatherapy benefits as well. 

You should apply our 1oz oils as a pea-sized amount, morning and night, before your moisturizer.

If you do find that you feel too slick, you should apply your oil once a day and skip the moisturizer at that time (you pick morning or night depending on the serum you are using).

We also offer a targeted oil, Girl's BFF, made for acne spot treatment and for PMS symptoms.

Our Gentleman's Beard Oil is brand new for nourishing men's luscious facial hair!

as it heals your skin and causes other products to penetrate at the deepest layer. Its molecules are so small that it doesn't get stuck in the epidermis, or even in the dermis. It can penetrate clear to the bone and is good, not only for your skin, but for your health as well. We love it so much, it's our Point of Difference. It's in almost all of our products!

Our oils have been infused with organic essential oils for their various properties in healing your skin concerns, but also for their aromatherapy benefits as well. 

You should apply our 1oz oils as a pea-sized amount, morning and night, before your moisturizer.

If you do find that you feel too slick, you should apply your oil once a day and skip the moisturizer at that time (you pick morning or night depending on the serum you are using).

We also offer a targeted oil, Girl's BFF, made for acne spot treatment and for PMS symptoms.

Our Gentleman's Beard Oil is brand new for nourishing men's luscious facial hair!

Put simply, it means we've scoured the world to bring you the highest quality Emu Nectar out there. It's thick and creamy, smooth and nourishing.

Emu Nectar has been used by aboriginal tribes for centuries and it is now being studied again as it heals your skin and causes other products to penetrate at the deepest layer. Its molecules are so small that it doesn't get stuck in the epidermis, or even in the dermis. It penetrates clear to the bone and is good, not only for your skin, but for your health as well. We love it so much, it's our Point of Difference. It's in almost all of our products!

Our oils have been infused with organic essential oils for their various properties in healing your skin concerns, but also for their aromatherapy benefits as well. 

You should apply our 1oz oils as a pea-sized amount, morning and night, before your moisturizer.

If you do find that you feel too slick, you should apply your oil once a day and skip the moisturizer at that time (you pick morning or night depending on the serum you are using).

We also offer a targeted oil, Girl's BFF, made for acne spot treatment and for PMS symptoms.

Our Gentleman's Beard Oil is brand new for nourishing men's luscious facial hair!

Alright, now that you know what each type of product is and you have your Basic Routine, what do you do with all of those other products?

Let's say you have one of each and go from there.

If you do not have the product, simply leave that Step out.

Good question! 

What you are looking for in your product is the "active ingredients".

Exactly what it sounds like, these are the ingredients that are active on your skin. They are not binders, thickeners, or fragrances.  Most active ingredients will be on a product label, but, in general the FDA doesn't test skin care products before they are released so new studies are being done constantly!

JOËLLE MARTINE will never hide our ingredients from you.

We do the heavy-lifting and research each ingredient in depth before agreeing to put it into our products so that we know it's good for your skin and for your health.

We do not use parabens, SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), dyes, or fragrances. Instead, we rely on our natural ingredients to product beautiful color and smells. And we never, ever test on our animal friends!

There are many ingredients in our products that have benefits that span multiple concerns. 

Let's break down our favorite ingredients and tell you why they're top of our list:

People of color are more susceptible to hyperpigmentation. You may be more likely to develop melasma or post-acne dark spots, or scarring after inflammatory skin issues such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema.

This can be especially frustrating when looking at treatments that are recommended for women with lighter skin - like laser treatments. It might make you wary to try certain brightening skin care products. 

But skin care has come a long way for skin of color in recent years! 

Vitamin-C is perfectly safe for treating any pesky dark spots you may have. 

JOËLLE MARTINE serves women from all over the world and we are happy to say that our skin care line was designed with everyone in mind. 

We're here to help you achieve your perfect glow.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us so that we can help answer them.