When it comes to your skin, you have to take care of it to avoid acne, aging signs, and other undesirable skin conditions. There are many terms you will come across when you want to protect and enhance your skin appearance. Skincare and skin care are some of the common terms you will come across. This terms are different but are closely related, and many people use them interchangeably. Read on to learn which words to use either skincare or skin care, depending on the context.
What is skincare?
Skincare is a noun that means all products used to cleanse and take care of the skin. These products include lotions, soaps, creams, and even makeup. Most of the products come with natural ingredients that your skin needs to stay firm, hydrated and healthy. Most of the products have ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, among others. However, some people will use the word as a doing word, which is wrong.
The Collins English Dictionary considers skincare and Skin care as one word that can be used interchangeably. The dictionary defines skincare or skin care as the act of cleaning and attending to the needs of your skin to keep it healthy, clean, moisturized, firm and attractive. Besides, the Cambridge Dictionary has the meaning of skincare, which they have defined as the things one uses to keep their skin healthy and attractive. The dictionary has no entry for the two-word form.
What is skin care?
Skin care is the act of keeping your skin healthy and attractive. This includes cleaning, exfoliating and moisturizing your skin. Skin care involves getting rid of excess oil, dead skin cells and keeping pathogens at bay that may cause harm to your beautiful skin. After cleansing, you will need to apply moisturizers to keep your skin hydrated and firm. However, you need to know your skin type and identify your skin needs to know the products you’ll use for skin care.
People have different skin care needs. For instance, a person with acne prone skin, requires special care to treat or manage the condition. Acne prone skin requires a unique skin care routine that includes washing the face twice a day, exfoliate using mild exfoliators, drink a lot of water, use moisturizers, treat using acne-fighting agents, and protect your skin using sunscreen. Besides, you have to choose safe products based on your skin type and acne condition. As such, skin care routines vary, and for the best results, you have to use the right skincare.
Points to note
In academics, skin care is common in most journals and research papers. However, the two words are used interchangeably, generally pointing to the act of taking care of the skin. When it comes to the commerce sector, most companies are using the two-word form on their products and adverts. However, some companies still use the one-word form. You don’t have to get confused because these words are closely related. Besides, there is no grammar rule that clearly distinguishes the two words. But is advisable to use the words correctly as advised by English language experts.
Final Words
With the above information, you now know which word to use either skincare or skin care depending on the context. If you are talking about products such as lotions, soap, moisturizers, and more, you can talk of skincare. However, if you are talking about the act of taking care of the skin to enhance its appearance and health, you can talk of skin care. Never use them interchangeably or confuse the words again.