Skin care routine steps

Virtually everyone is talking about starting a skincare routine. While some people are taking cues from their friends or their favorite celebrities, others are getting creative and trying out a DIY skincare routine at home. Regardless of whether you are sticking with a basic skincare routine or following your faves regimen, every skincare routine has an order of skincare methods and products.

Having mentioned skin care routine steps, basic skincare routines are categorized into three broad steps — cleansing, moisturizing, and using sunscreen. Your choice of sunscreen should offer broad-spectrum protection with a minimum SPF rating of 30. While you are at it, always remember to wash or cleanse your skin and moisturize every morning and night. And don’t forget to apply your sunscreen before stepping out of your home.

About moisturizers, some moisturizers double as sunscreens with a minimum of 30 SPF protection. While the sunscreen in them will do just fine, you can always use separate sunscreens with your moisturizers at night. Unless you plan on wearing makeup to bed, you will find that thicker moisturizers are best suited for nighttime because you don’t have to worry about wearing makeup over it. Plus, the sun would be gone and SPF will no longer be an issue.

Why should I care about a basic skincare routine?

There is an endless list of reasons why you should take your skincare routine seriously. You may not realize it, but paying keen attention to what goes on your skin and how you take care of it offers a lot of medical and cosmetic benefits. For example, following an effective skincare routine can fine-tune your skin and fight wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, and sun damage.

Another benefit of following the right skin care routine order is that it helps you manage skin issues such as oiliness and dryness. While some people may decide not to take up skincare routines, other people with skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne, rosacea, and eczema have little to no room to drag their feet about starting a skincare routine.

However, starting a skincare routine (especially when one has specific skin conditions) is not something to dabble into. Adequate thought must be put into it and it’s always best to consult with your doctor because your skin may be sensitive to certain ingredients and products/brands. As such, one cannot overemphasize the need to find a skincare routine that works for you and the role it plays in treating or managing your skin condition.

Top tips on how to build a perfect skincare routine

Before we dive into the skin care routine steps, it will help a lot if we take a second to show you how to build the perfect skincare routine. The first and most important step is knowing your skin type. Skin types are usually classified into dry skin, oily skin, and combination. Another classification of skin is done based on how the skin reacts to the environment and products – sensitive skin and normal skin.

Dry skin is known to be flaky or scaly – and some people even describe it as rough. On the other hand, oily skin is greasy and shiny and usually has big pores. Then there is the combination skin. The combination skin is somewhere between dry and oily. Some parts of the skin like the cheeks may be dry while other parts like the forehead, nose, and chin may be oily.

One is said to have sensitive skin if your skin stings, burns, or itch after using certain makeup or skin products. Folks with normal skin, have clear and faultless skin. Not to mention that their skin is not sensitive to skin products – it simply takes whatever is thrown at it and all is good.

What is the best skin care routine order to follow?

Having mentioned tips on how to build your skincare routine, how about we double-back and let you in on the best skincare routine steps you should try out? Before we get started, you should have it in mind that having lavish skincare products doesn’t guarantee perfect skin. It all boils down to your ability to choose the right products and using them in the right order.

Recall the result from any skincare routine is dependent on the formulation of the products, the time of day you use them, and of course, your skin type. While you are at it, a rule of thumb for applying skincare products is to apply them in order of their texture; from the thickest to the thinnest. The idea is that the thin products won’t penetrate the thicker ones.

The best skin care routine steps

Step 1: wash your face

The first place to start your skincare routine is to keep your face clean at all times; morning and night. How do you do that? Rinse your face with warm water and a gentle cleanser between your palm. While you are it, massage your face gently and until you have removed all the grime and cleanser. Gently tap your face afterward and dry with a soft towel.

Step 2: Apply your toner

After removing your makeup and drying (after washing with your cleanser), pour few drops of the toner into your palm and swipe gently onto your face (you can use a cotton pad to apply the toner). However, if the toner exfoliates, it’s best to use it only at night. While you can use hydrating formulas up to two times a day, it’s not advised to use exfoliating toners and retinoid or any other exfoliator at the same time.

Step 3: Apply serum

It will be best to add a serum to your skin care regimen and the best time to apply them is in the morning. You can use serums with antioxidants to protect your skin from free radicals – and one such serum is vitamin C serum (which is a brightening serum by the way).

At night, you can apply a moisturizing serum to prevent your skin from drying out at night. This is especially important for people who are using anti-aging or acne treatment which tends to dry out and irritate the skin. Whatever serum you decide to go with, remember; water-based moisturizers go underneath the moisturizers while oil-based serums go on top moisturizers.

Conclusion

There you have it, basic skincare routine steps you should add to your regimen. After applying your serum, you can proceed to apply your eye cream, use a spot treatment, moisturize, apply retinoid ( to reduce dark spots), and apply your sunscreen.