Skin Care vs. Skin Prep: Why You Need Both

This post was revised on April 11, 2024. 

Let’s start with an analogy (because who doesn’t love a good one?): Skin care is to a healthy lifestyle as skin prep is to shapewear. One builds the foundation, the other smooths things out for a flawless finish.

There’s a lot of confusion out there about what skin care actually is and who it’s really for. Some people think it’s only for makeup wearers. Others think it’s a “women’s thing.” And some assume it’s too late to start if they already have wrinkles. These misconceptions are common, but they can hold people back from taking care of their skin in a way that truly supports their health and confidence.

So let’s clear the air — and your pores — and break down three of the most common myths I hear when it comes to skin care.

“But I don’t wear makeup!”

Just because you don’t wear makeup doesn’t mean you get a free pass to skip the skin care! If you wear makeup — whether sparingly or regularly — having a strong skin care game is essential for a beautiful makeup application. So is skin prep, but I’ll get to that in a second. But if you DON’T wear makeup, skin care is probably even more important because you’re not getting any kind of physical barrier between your skin and the environment.

Think about it: makeup can actually serve as a light shield against pollution, wind, and UV rays (especially if it contains SPF). Without that added layer, your skin is exposed to everything the day throws at it. That’s why consistent skin care — including cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection — is so important. It helps you protect your skin from free radicals, dehydration, and sun damage, all of which can accelerate aging and cause inflammation over time.

“But I don’t identify as a woman!”

Skin care has become hyper-feminized (at least in the United States), but I know there are a lot of men out there wondering why they look so old starting in their 30’s or early 40’s. Taking care of your skin is not a gendered activity — it’s a basic form of self-care. It’s like brushing your teeth or washing your hair. No one questions whether that’s a “manly” thing to do, right? The truth is, many of the skin concerns that men face — from early aging to acne to dryness — can be improved dramatically with a simple skin care routine. It doesn’t need to be complicated or involve 10 different steps. You just need products that work for your skin type and a little consistency.

I can’t tell you how many men have approached me, as if on a covert mission to ask me in a faint whisper what types of products they need to take care of their face. I tell them the same thing I tell anyone. You have to take care of your skin if you want to age well. If you are a human with skin on your face, you have to take care of it. I don’t care if your favorite skin care products are packaged in a pink bottle or gray one, if it works, use it.

“But I already have wrinkles!”

Skin care is not just about preventing wrinkles. Yes, a really great routine can slow down the appearance of wrinkles—especially if you’re wearing SPF every single day (seriously, don’t skip this step!). But there’s more to it than that. A well-rounded skin care routine also works to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by deeply hydrating the skin, improving its elasticity, and boosting that healthy, radiant glow. When your skin is properly moisturized and cared for, mature skin can naturally look more plump, smooth, and youthful.

Wrinkles are still going to happen — it’s part of being a living, breathing human being — but the timeline and intensity of those wrinkles can shift dramatically depending on how well you take care of your skin now. They might show up years later, or they might just be a little softer, less defined, and more graceful when they do. And if you’re still in your 20s or 30s, you may not notice the effects of your routine right away. But fast forward a few decades to when you’re in your 60s and everyone thinks you’re still in your 40s. That’s the moment your skin care routine becomes your secret superpower.

Whether you wear makeup or not, skin care is non-negotiable. It’s not just for certain genders, ages, or races; it’s for every person who wants to keep their skin healthy and resilient. From environmental stressors like sun and pollution to the everyday wear and tear of life, your skin is constantly under pressure. So treat it with the care it deserves. Your future self will thank you.

So, What is Skin Care?

Okay so now we have talked about why skin care is important and some of the common misconceptions around skin care. But what exactly *is* skin care?

Skin care, in a nutshell, includes things like:

• Cleansing and moisturizing your face in the morning and evening
• Protecting your face from the sun with SPF
• Drinking lots of water
• Eating healthy for healthy skin

It might also include other optional things like:

• Getting regular facials (quarterly is great, but do what you can). I like to compare it to getting your teeth cleaned. You go in and have a professional help you with that, and you can do the same thing with your skin. If it’s been a while since you’ve had one — or if you’ve never had one — I highly recommend scheduling one soon! Your skin will love it.
• Botox. Retinoids. Prescription-strength anti-aging stuff. If you have extra money to spend and you want to go the medical aesthetics route, go for it. Just remember that Botox is best when done before you have wrinkles. So are retinoids. Don’t wait until it’s too late, because these expensive treatments won’t be as effective.

A Note About Buying Skin Products

I talk about this a lot, but there is so much noise and misinformation in the beauty aisles. I would say it’s even worse in the skin care aisles than in the makeup aisles. There are so many promises and marketing that can make your head spin. It might also make you spend way more on skin products than you ever intended to.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

There’s no such thing as a “miracle” cream that will prevent your skin from aging or reverse the effects of time. It’s just not possible. If it was, we would all know about it and we would all be using it. Look at the ingredients list (especially the active ingredients) and choose products that are focused on skin health.

As we age, our skin changes. Our skin can also “get used” to certain products. This means that you may have to change up your skin care game here and there. Pay attention to what’s working, what’s not, and any skin problems that appear over time that you may want to treat differently.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, skin care doesn’t work if you don’t care for your specific skin type. If you “think” you have dry skin but you actually have oily skin, you aren’t going to be doing yourself any favors and you’ll waste a lot of money on products.

Your first step should be to determine your skin type, which you can do right now with my free Skin Type Guide!

Now, Let’s Talk About Skin Prep

Now that skin care is pretty well hammered into your soul, let’s talk skin prep, shall we? Skin prep is short for skin preparation aka preparing your skin for something. In this context, I’m talking about preparing your skin for a makeup application. Yep, before you put makeup on, you have to get your skin ready for the makeup.

Depending on what kind of makeup I’ll be wearing or how long I’ll need my makeup to last or if I’ll be photographed, I may use different products so that my makeup will do what I need it to do.

Skin prep, when applied correctly, will hydrate in the right place, brighten (temporarily), reduce puffiness (temporarily), or lift (temporarily)… you can kind of see where I’m going with this.

Using a face mask once before you apply makeup will not change your skin in the long term. It will change it for the next few hours (as long as it’s a great quality and high-performing mask designed to do that). Using that mask on a continued and consistent basis (skin care) will keep your skin looking and feeling healthy for much longer.

Note: if I’m just running errands all day but not wearing makeup, I’ll apply my normal toner and a light, SPF moisturizer — maybe an eye cream. But that’s about it. If I’m not wearing makeup, I usually stick with a really thoughtful skin care routine and skip the skin prep altogether.

What Do I Recommend for Skin Prep?

Personally, I love the entire line from Sonia Roselli for skin prep. Her line is beloved and used for makeup skin prep by sooo many professionals, and there’s good reason! Her line was formulated and made by a makeup artist who couldn’t find any other products on the market that could do what she needed her products to do — prepare the skin for makeup. The products are made in Japan with the best ingredients, including water (which is a central ingredient to her line). Water is an ingredient that works well for all skin types and when you are a working makeup artist, it’s awesome when you can use one product on a variety of skin types.

I think the following will work best for most skin types:

• Quartz roller
• Toner
• Time (1 minute)
• Moisturizer (the type may be different from day to day)
• Time (1 minute)
• Primer (if needed)
• Time (1 minute)

Read more: Makeup for Beginners: My Easy 4-Step Application

It is SO important to allow a little bit of time between each product to allow the skin prep to “soak in” to your skin. This is something I see people neglect all. the. time.

Do you have any questions about skin care or skin prep? I would love to answer them for you!

The best place to ask your questions is here. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does! Your questions may be featured in an upcoming blog post or on my social media feeds!