Do you have good skincare products? If you do, that’s great and if you don’t, that’s where you need to start. However, having great skin care products is usually not enough: most especially when you don’t know the correct order to apply them to get the most out of your skin products. 

When creating the perfect skincare routine for your skin, what you should consider is your skin type, the formulation, and ingredients of your skincare products, as well as the time of day.

When creating a skincare routine, a good rule of thumb is to apply your skin care products in the order of texture, from thinnest to thickest. The reason for this is simple, thinner products will have a harder time penetrating thicker ones which means that they may end up not having contact with your skin.

Do you want to create a skincare routine for yourself but don’t know where to start? Follow our guide to learn how to create a good skincare routine.

What’s the ideal skincare routine?

The ideal skincare routine is made up of three main steps:

• Cleansing — this has to do with washing the face
• Toning — this has to do with balancing the skin
• Moisturizing — this has to do with hydrating and softening the skin

If you are just starting out, then creating a simple routine is a good way to start. You can start by using the three main steps outlined above—remember to add a chemical- or mineral-based product of at least SPF 30 in the daytime.

However, if you want to add more products to your routine, then you’ll have to add more steps to your routine. Below, you’ll find the steps for a great skincare routine:

Step 1: Cleansing (Morning and Night)

Wash your hands, rinse your face with water and rub a small amount of gentle cleanser between your palms. Use your palms to rub it all over your face, massaging it using gentle pressure. Rinse your hands and wash your face to remove the cleanser and grime. Use a soft towel to gently clean your face.

If you wear makeup then you might have to cleanse twice at night. You can remove the make using cleansing oil or micellar water. It’s usually better to leave dedicated eye-makeup removers on for a couple of minutes since it makes it easier for the makeup to come off and refrain from rubbing your eyes. Once you are done, you can now follow through with the full-face gentle cleanse.

Step 2: Apply toner

If you use a toner, then you can apply your toner immediately after cleansing your face. To apply the toner, pour a few drops of the toner into your cotton pad or palms and gently swipe it on your face.

If you use an exfoliating toner, then apply only at night. On the other hand, hydrating formulas can be used two times a day. Avoid using exfoliating toners and retinoids or with other exfoliators at the same time.

Step 3: Apply serum

Using a serum with antioxidants is better during the day because it’ll protect your skin from the free radicals you’ll come in contact with throughout the day.

At night, it’s better to use a moisturizing serum with hyaluronic acid because it prevents your skin from drying out, especially if you use acne or anti-aging treatments that can dry out the skin.

When using serums, always remember that oil-based serums should be applied after a moisturizer while water-based serums should be applied before or underneath the moisturizer. 

Step 4: Apply eye cream

If you don’t have an eye cream, you can apply your regular moisturizer to your under-eye area, but if you have an eye cream, then you should layer it underneath your moisturizer. The reason for this is that eye creams are usually thinner than face moisturizers.

For eye creams, it’s better to use one with a metal roller-ball applicator. Store your eye cream in a fridge to prevent puffiness in the morning. Hydrating eye creams, when used at night can result in fluid retention which makes the eyes look puffy in the morning. 

Step 5: Use a spot treatment 

It’s better to use acne spot treatments at night because, at nighttime, the body is in repair mode. Avoid layering acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acids or benzoyl peroxide with retinol as they have been known to irritate.

Step 6: Apply a moisturizer

A moisturizer doesn’t only hydrate the skin, it also locks in all the other layers of products you have applied. In the morning, use a lightweight lotion—one with SPF 30 or higher. In the evening, you can opt for a thicker night cream. If you have dry skin, then it’ll be better to use the thicker cream in the morning and at night.

Step 7: Apply retinoid

Retinoids (including retinol) can reduce breakouts, dark spots, and fine lines by increasing skin-cell turnover. However, retinoids can sometimes be irritating, especially for people with sensitive skin types.

Since retinoids break down in the daytime, it’s better to use them at night. They also increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, which makes applying sunscreen a must.

Step 8: Apply face oil

If you use a face oil, then you can apply it after you have applied all your other skin care products since no other product will be able to penetrate the oil.

Step 9: Apply sunscreen

This seems like the last step but it’s the most important step in any skincare routine. Why? Because protecting your skin from UV rays not only prevents signs of aging but also prevents skin cancer.

If your moisturizer doesn’t contain SPF, then you’ll have to wear sunscreen. For chemical sunscreens, after applying it, wait for about 20 minutes before stepping outside for the sunscreen to be effective.

When shopping for sunscreens, look for a broad-spectrum SPF—that’s a sunscreen that’ll be able to protect you from both UVB and UVA radiations.