I got my first pimple in freshman year. At the time, I ignored it, thinking it would go away after a week like most of my other problems. Lo and behold, a week later, the pimple had a friend. Soon enough, the acne on my forehead was multiplying faster than the exponential functions I was studying in math class. 

Now, although I still get occasional acne here and there, I take much better care of my skin now and my forehead thanks me for it. Of course, along my skincare journey I’ve also learned a lot, and I’ve seen hundreds of product recommendations. Before I start ranting about the importance of sunscreen or throwing out recommendations left and right, I want to focus on getting us on the same page about why skincare gets overlooked and why that should change.

Let’s take a moment to consider why more people don’t give their skin a second thought. I’ll admit, even before I had a skincare routine in high school, I used to think time was the answer to my skin concerns. The problem with that thinking is that it’s highly unrealistic unless you’re the part of the 1% of the general population that’s been blessed with good genes and “normal skin” (as opposed to “oily” or “dry” or “combination”). For most people, it’ll take at least a little bit of effort to get that pimple to poof. 

Now for other people, it might seem like an embarrassment if you’re the only one who gives a care. Perhaps it’s because people naturally associate makeup and skincare together, or because there’s a slight gender imbalance toward the interest/coverage on it, but I have known very few males who care for their skin. Above all, some people might see it as too expensive to invest in a full-blown routine with creams, serums, essences, masks, etc..

Whatever the concern may be, they are all valid to some extent. But laziness and lack of concern for your health will do nothing but hurt yourself in the end. Your skin is the largest organ of your entire body, and ignoring the signals that it tries to send you won’t get you anywhere. 

Oftentimes, maintaining good skin condition helps people boost their confidence while helping them build healthier habits in general. Not to mention, starting skincare at a younger age can also help with premature aging and other skin damage that could evolve into serious problems down the road.

So if you haven’t been listening to your skin yet, here’s a sign that it’s time to start getting “skintimate” with yourself.