Having a proper skin care routine that really works is not an easy task.
First, with hundreds of new products flooding the market every day, one can get easily confused.
Second, each skincare routine is an individual experience. What works for you, might not work for me.
However, skin experts and dermatologists insist that there are six key steps we ALL must follow, regardless of the skin type we have.
Without further ado, these are the main six skincare routine steps you have to follow, for healthy, glowing, and beautiful skin.
1. Know Your Skin Type
Knowing your type of skin is critical before deciding what type of skincare products are best for you.
There are five major skin types:
- dry
- oily
- normal
- combination
- sensitive
If your skin feels dry, tight, and you can notice peeling, especially during dry months, it’s probably the first type.
A shiny appearance characterizes oily skin, and blemishes that appear often.
Normal skin is not too dry and not too oily.
Combination skin means that yours shows characteristics of two different types in different areas of the face.
The sensitive skin type is often reactive and can get easily irritated by different products.
2. Choose The Right Skin Cleanser
Cleansing is an essential step in your skincare routine.
Even if you are staying home and not wearing makeup, cleansing is critical.
Cleansing will help you remove dirt, makeup, sunscreens, skin oils, dead skin cells, bacteria, environmental pollutants, refreshing and preventing the formation of clogged pores.
Most dermatologists recommend that you cleanse twice, once in the morning and once before going to bed.
However, if you have dry or sensitive skin, try to cleanse only once a day.
If you’re like me and need a two-times-a-day skin care routine, choose a product that contains gentle ingredients that don’t damage your skin.
In this sense, look for fragrance-free formulas that contain ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and organic glycerin, known to be gentle to your skin.
3. Use A Toner
Using a toner is not critical for your skincare routine.
However, using a toner helps a lot if you have dry skin and clogged pores.
Back in the day, toners were used to balance out the skin’s pH or to cleanse further.
Nowadays, a good toner is designed to deliver vital nutrients to your skin.
If you decide to use a toner, look for these ingredients in particular: hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, BHAs, AHAs, licorice root extract, and tea tree oil.
Now, how do include toner in your skin care routine?
Most of us are used to cotton pads to apply toner on our skin.
But, this approach leads to product waste as the toner absorbs into the pads.
Moreover, you’re creating environmental waste by utilizing single-use cotton pads.
The best way is to apply toner on your face directly; pour it on your hands and dab it on your face.
If necessary, use a cotton cloth to wipe off any excess toner and oils.
You can use this product both in the morning and evening, right after cleansing your face and before other steps.
4. Use Serums With Ingredients
Serums are a trendy part of the skin care routine right now.
Nowadays we have toners tweaked to deliver active ingredients.
But, before toners, we had serums as the best way to nourish and protect our skins.
Skincare serums come in many shapes, sizes and with a wide range of beneficial ingredients.
However, the most important thing to keep in mind – when choosing a serum – is what you want to achieve.
Some of the best serums contain:
- Hyaluronic Acid – excellent at sealing hydration in your face skin cells.
- Niacinamide – to fight skin inflammation and redness.
- Vitamin C – to fight dull and uneven skin tones and counter any dark spots.
- Retinol – to fight wrinkles and improve overall skin appearance.
- Salicylic Acid – used in chemical exfoliation, it also helps with clogged pores, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Ideally, you apply the serum only after cleansing your face with a good toner.
Also, try to match the ingredients on both products, to avoid any potential allergic reactions.
5. Moisturizer
Moisturizer is an essential part of your regimen that will leave your skin hydrated, prevent water loss, and help keep your skin barrier healthy.
Just like with all the skincare routine products described above, choosing a moisturizer according to your skin type is critical.
However, choosing the moisturizer according to the weather conditions is equally important.
For example, cold weather will dry your skin outside your house.
At the same time, in the winter you’ll face (no pun intended) extra dryness from the heaters at home.
Therefore, it is wise to use denser creams during cold days and switch to lighter moisturizers during warm weather.
Rich, heavy moisturizers are based on emollients and humectants that will lock in the moisture in your skin, leaving it nourished.
On the other hand, lighter moisturizers with a lightweight formula that doesn’t clog pores and absorbs very quickly into the skin are ideal for humid air days.
Ideally, you apply moisturizer twice a day; after toner and serum but right before the SPF.
6. Apply Sunscreen
Regardless of the time of the year, sunscreens are one of the most important parts of your daily skincare routine.
Whenever you go outdoors, regardless if it is cloudy, rainy, or sunny, make sure you always apply sunscreen!
Sun rays are incredibly damaging to the skin by causing premature aging, fine lines, wrinkles, spots, discoloration, and so on.
You only have to apply the sunscreen in the morning, after the moisturizer.
Important:
If you don’t use sunscreen to complete your skincare routine, the entire regimen will be less effective.
Ideally, choose a cruelty-free and vegan sunscreen for a better skin and planet!
Further Skincare Routine Steps
Aside from these six steps, there are additional skincare protocols that you can try once you’ve nailed the basic routine.
These are not essential steps but can make a difference in how your skin feels and looks.
Some extra steps and tools worth mentioning here are the eye creams, face masks, oils, and of course, esthetician appointments.
Finally, I highly recommend you using a skincare fridge!
It’ll make your life easier while keeping your cosmetics fresher and lasting longer.
Conclusion
Remember, running a daily skin care routine is a very personal experience; what works for others might not work for you.
Follow the six steps listed above, and once you feel confident enough, you can add additional steps to achieve the best skincare routine.
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