Amidst countless tips and tricks, creating a skincare routine that works for you can seem daunting to say the least. You may find yourself with intimidating amounts of products and “miracle hacks” thrown at you from friends, bloggers, and social media. It is important to remember that everybody is unique. Our skin has different needs depending on genetics, lifestyle, skin sensitivity, and more.
Organization in your skincare routine allows the products you carefully selected to be the most effective and beneficial. Generally, products should be applied in order from thinnest to thickest consistency. To help you craft an effective and sustainable skincare routine, we laid out steps that can be adapted to meet your needs.
Step 1: Makeup Removal
As preached by beauty bloggers everywhere, removing your makeup before bedtime is crucial for healthy, clean skin. If makeup is a part of your day to day, Micellar water is a great option. It removes makeup while cleansing. This type of product is widely used, including by beauty blogger Lara Eurolidian of “Pretty Connected.”
Step 2: Cleanser
The cleanser is the foundation of an effective skincare routine. It removes all of the dirt, oils, and anything else that your skin interacts with during the day. You may need to test a variety of products to find what your skin reacts best to, but as the infamous “Skincare by Hyram” preaches, steering away from scents and harsh chemical ingredients should lead you in the right direction. When it comes to a morning routine specifically, some beauty bloggers like Jamie Stone of “Honestly Jamie” and Christine Bibbo Herr, choose to skip the cleanser and splash some water on their face before applying moisturizers, sunscreen, etc. It’s all about what works for you.
Step 3: Toner
Toners provide benefits that vary based on what your skin needs. This is a great way to even out skin tone and reduce redness. Tina Craig of “The U Beauty” recommends a toner that contains Vitamin C to address redness and discoloration.
Step 4: Serums and Oils
Serums and oils contain a plethora of nutrients that hydrate and rejuvenate the skin. Similar to toners, these products vary in what they accomplish, therefore research is necessary to find what your skin needs and reacts best to. These products are nutrient-dense, applying at this early stage will allow them to be most effective.
Step 5: Eye Cream
Eye cream helps care for the sensitive skin under our eyes, reduce under-eye discoloration, and serve as a preventative treatment for wrinkles or any irritation that may occur. These creams are best applied after your serums and oils because they are thicker.
Step 6: Moisturize
Moisturizing is an imperative part of skincare as it hydrates, softens, and brings a youthful look to the skin. Moisturizer, like eye cream, is thick and dense so it is most effective at the end of your routine. If your moisturizer is doing what it is supposed to by locking in moisture, it will not allow most other products to penetrate the skin after application.
Step 7: Spot Treatment
Spot treatment is a helpful tool to attack specific problem areas on the skin, like pimples, if needed. Skincare blogger Natasha St. Micheal of “The Clear Skin Essentials,” recommends performing this step during your nighttime routine only, and after all other products have been applied. This is to avoid movement of the treatment to other areas of the skin.
Step 8: Sunscreen
Last but certainly not least is sunscreen. Sunscreen is one of the most widely agreed upon products essential for healthy skin. It protects from harsh UV Rays and reduces wrinkles. An easy way to incorporate sunscreen into your routine is to purchase a moisturizer containing SPF (of at least 30), that you can apply in the mornings. This also helps solve the tricky question of whether to apply moisturizer or sunscreen first, as they both tend to prevent other products from penetrating the skin.
Lastly, exfoliation is a component of skincare worth noting. Exfoliation isn’t a part of a daily routine, it’s only necessary when you see fit. Several skincare bloggers including Tina Craig of “The U Beauty,” recommend using exfoliants no more than three times a week if at all, as they can cause irritation and inflammation. After cleansing or in the early steps are the best moments to exfoliate.
Following these general steps will allow your products to work to the best of their ability and get you closer to healthy, clean skin. Remember to take the time to enjoy your skincare routine as a moment of self-care and a positive contribution to your daily routine. Ultimately, skincare is about more than products and a strict regimen, it’s about staying hydrated, exercising, managing stress, and living a healthy lifestyle all around.