How to Create the Perfect Skincare Routine

Published by Claudia Giunta.

From your time spent scrolling on social media in the last few days, the odds you came across a product review from an influencer are pretty high. Even if we replicate our favorite celebrity’s skincare routine that insists it’s the end all be all to achieving perfect skin, we rarely get flawless results. This is because caring for our skin is a personal matter. The endless skincare products available today can be overwhelming. We’re here to help you learn how to treat your skin with the right products and resources depending on your skin type.

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Getting Started: Determine Your Skin Type

A reason your favorite influencer’s skincare routine isn’t working for you may be because you have a different skin type. Knowing your skin type is step one to creating your skincare routine. Not all skin types are the same and using the wrong products can do more harm than good for your skin.  

If you are unsure what your skin type is, you can perform a bare-faced test to determine whether your skin is normal, oily, dry, combination, or sensitive. Start by washing your face with a gentle cleanser and use a soft towel to pat your skin dry. Do not apply any other products. After waiting 30 minutes, examine your skin or blot it with a blotting paper to see how it appears. 

• Normal skin won’t show any oiliness, dryness, or red patches.
• Dry skin will feel tight when you make any facial expressions, may flake, and look dehydrated. 
• Oily skin will appear shiny, partially in the T-zone (forehead and nose).
• Combination skin will appear both dry and oily.
• Sensitive skin will appear red and inflamed.

Address Your Skin’s Concerns 

Once you have determined your skin type, it’s important to set some goals for your skin based on its concerns. Here are a few goals you can set depending on your needs:

• Reduce signs of age: While aging is unavoidable, you can prevent premature signs with anti-aging ingredients. Look for products with retinol, Vitamin C and E, and peptides, all of which help to replenish and preserve your skin. 
• Brighten and reduce hyperpigmentation: To help eliminate redness or dark spots, you’ll want to add products targeted towards reducing hyperpigmentation into your routine. Ingredients such as Vitamin C and kojic acid will help you achieve this goal. 
• Eliminate acne: Say goodbye to unwelcome zits and acne scarring with products that contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or alpha hydroxy acid. You’ll want to understand your acne type and severity before targeting it. 

Once you’ve recognized your skin’s concerns, you can narrow down products and ingredients that address your skin’s issues. 

Build Your Skincare Routine

There are three main steps to a skincare routine: cleansing, toning, and moisturizing (with sunscreen). The goal of any skincare routine is to boost your complexion so that your skin is functioning at its best while also targeting any areas you want to work on. 

Remember to be patient with reaping the benefits of your skincare routine. To determine if your skincare routine is effective, it’s best to give it approximately 6-8 weeks. Results are also only seen with consistency. Aim to use your product for 6-8 weeks at least once or twice a day for best results.

Cleanse

Washing your face of all the debris, dirt, bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells is crucial to your routine. Wash your face twice a day, morning and night, to avoid clogged pores, dullness, and acne. It’s important to start your skin with a clean face as a good base for your other products, as well as remove any sweat or oils from your time spent sleeping. At the end of the day, you’ll want to wash off any bad pollutants and other factors from your day. 

You’ll want to use a cleanser that accounts for your skin type. For example, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may want to use a foam cleanser. If you have dry skin you’ll want to use a cream or lotion cleanser, and if you have sensitive skin, aim to use an oil-based cleanser.

Here’s how to properly wash your face:

1. Rinse your face with warm water to bring moisture to your skin. Apply your cleanser type to the palms of your hands and rub your hands together to emulsify the liquid.
2. Massage the cleanser gently into your skin and add more warm water to lather the cleanser. 
3. Work the cleanser all over your face. Begin with the nose and cheekbones and move outward to the bridge of your nose, around your nostrils, and your eyes. Next, work outward towards your forehead, around the arms, the sides of your face, down your jawline, and end with cleansing your neck. 
4. Rinse your hands of the cleanser in warm water.
5. Either rinse the cleanser off your face with warm water or soak a gentle cloth in water to wipe off the cleanser. 
6. Pat your skin dry with a soft towel. You can also use a hydrating facial mist cleanser. 

Tone 

Think of toners as supplements for your skin. Toners provide your skin with an extra boost of nutrients and help the other products in your routine absorb. It can be a productive way to add specific ingredients to your skincare regime that target your needs. Apply toner after cleansing, but before adding any other products to your skin. Some helpful ingredients to look out for include:

• Alpha and beta hydroxy acid: removes dead skin cells that clog pores, improves sun-damaged skin, and reduces dullness.
• Hyaluronic acid: boosts hydration
• Rose water and green tea: reduce redness with an anti-inflammatory effect.
• Vitamin E and C: fights free radicals that can age your skin prematurely. 

To avoid wasting a lot of product, apply a small amount of toner onto the pads of your fingers and gently apply it to your face.

Treat with Serums

Similar to toners, serums are an additional way to add active ingredients to your routine. If you have multiple concerns, you can add multiple serums into your daily routine. Look for products with the following ingredients based on your target concerns:

• Hyaluronic acid: boosts hydration and strengthens the skin’s barrier to prevent moisture loss.
• Vitamin C: brightens skin and reduces dark spots
• Retinol, Vitamin B3, and peptides: boost collagen and elastin production preventing premature signs of aging.
• Colloidal sulfur and niacinamide: reduces inflammation that helps improve skin irritation and redness, and helps eliminate acne issues. 

Moisturize

Your skin becomes less elastic and more thin as you age, meaning it’s easier to tear and lose moisture. In addition to aging, we also lose moisture and natural hydration through our daily activities, including face cleansing. Moisturizers assist in preventing any water loss by protecting and hydrating the outer layers of the skin. 

Like the other steps in your routine, it’s essential to use a moisturizer texture that is best for your skin type. Here's what kind of moisturizer to use based on your skin type:

• Oily skin: gel moisturizer.
• Normal/Combination skin: lotion
• Dry skin: cream
• Sensitive skin: balm 

Protect with Sunscreen

Sunscreen is arguably the most important step in your skincare routine, helping to protect your skin from the sun and prevent fine lines and wrinkles. While the sun has a lot of benefits to your overall health, too much sun exposure can speed up the aging process and also increase your risk of sun cancer. 

Aim to use a daily sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and apply it at least 15 minutes before sun exposure. For more information about which sunscreen to use and other ways to protect your skin from the sun, read our article on Sun Safety and Dehydration Protection. 

Final Thoughts

To keep your skin looking healthy, clear, and youthful, following a consistent skincare routine for your skin type is key. Being proactive is the first step in achieving the skin you’ve always wanted. Once you’ve understood your skin type and what your skin needs, you can add specific products and treatments to your routine. And we’re here to help!