The truth is you DO NOT NEED an eight-step skincare routine. Most faces do far better with fewer products, so keep it simple: cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen. That’s it. Three products. Got dry skin? Maybe throw in a face oil or hydrating serum. Dealing with breakouts? Add on a retinoid or an acne toner. Join EGO as we give you all the information you need to create the best skincare routine order for you.
Table of Contents
Step One: Cleanse
If you do nothing else, remove your makeup and wash your face. This is essential before slathering on your expensive products. Skip the makeup wipes (they leave behind a layer of gunky residue that can break you out and irritate your face) and opt for a cleansing oil, which dissolves all makeup without stripping your skin. Then follow up with a gentle, creamy cleanser (especially if you have acne-prone skin). Double cleansing should be standard, no buts! There can be some variation when it comes to selecting the correct order of skin care steps, but cleansing is not one of them!
Step Two: Tone
Good toners are filled with either gentle, hydrating ingredients to coddle dry skin or with chemical exfoliants to treat acne and bumps. Ideally, have both types in your routine and swap between them both according to your skin’s needs. It’s not a good idea to exfoliate every day, unless you’ve built up tolerance over a long time period. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to exfoliating!
Step Three: Serum
Serums are essentially just shots of extremely concentrated nutrients, hydrators, and antioxidants that really amp up your skin health as soon as you apply them. For this step, be mindful of the active ingredients in your toner or any retinol you may be using, and don’t go overboard.
Step Four: Eye Cream (optional)
Eye creams tend to be lighter and thinner than face moisturisers, so make sure to apply them before you slather on your creams and oils. Eye creams are a bit of a luxury within a skin care routine. They aren’t without their benefits, but a gentle and simple facial moisturiser will also work if you’re on a budget.
Step Five: Treatments
Ideally, you’d apply your spot treatments whether they’re for zits, scars, or dark spots at night because that’s when your body is working hardest to repair itself. Top tip: pimple patches are your best hope for taking the inflammation out of a nasty spot overnight!
Step Six: Moisturise
Look for a light, gentle hyaluronic-based moisturiser for the morning, which will keep skin hydrated without feeling heavy or greasy. Your night moisturiser should be filled with all the things your body naturally produces and can use more of, like hyaluronic acid, lipids, and proteins.
Step Seven: Retinol (evening only!)
Retinoids—the general term for all vitamin A derivatives, including retinol—sink into your skin to speed up cell turnover. Good things take time, though, so remember that retinoids take four to six months of consistent use to give you results. Because retinol makes your skin more exposed to the sun, it’s best to apply it in the evening and to ALWAYS apply SPF the morning after.
Step Eight: Facial Oils (optional)
On their own, oils don’t actually moisturise your skin that well, but when you layer them over products, they help increase your routine’s efficacy while also leaving skin soft and smooth. If your skin is on the greasier side or particularly sensitive, you may choose to skip this step. But don’t write it off before you try it!
Step Nine: SPF (definitely not optional)
The absolute bare minimum SPF you need on your face is SPF 30. Unless, you know, you’re cool with premature ageing, worsened acne scars, and an increased cancer risk. Obviously, this step isn’t necessary at night, but make it an integral part of your routine every single morning!
Selecting your skincare routine order
Like we said initially, the three integral steps of your skincare routine should be cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen. Start from here and you won’t go far wrong. If you’d like a few extra steps to target blemishes, redness or dry skin, add them in gradually so your skin has an opportunity to adapt. The most important thing (after SPF, of course!) is that you pick a skincare routine that you enjoy! A good skincare routine is one that you keep to, after all.
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