Taking care of your skin is essential if you want to keep looking fresh, healthy and youthful, but with so many products, it can be difficult to know where to start. Cultivating a good routine for the morning and evening is a must to keep your skincare regimen consistent and effective.
We’ve put together a handy guide to help keep you straight, with some recommendations on what skincare products you should be using, when and in what order.
Morning Regimen
A good morning skincare regime will help you to start the day off fresh, while removing any imperfections your skin has picked up during sleep.
1. Cleanser
The first step is to make sure that your skin is clean of all oil, sebum, dirt and makeup. A good, gentle cleanser is essential for this, so make sure you are using a product which is suited to your skin type and not too harsh.
If you’re removing makeup as well, it may also be beneficial to use an oil-based cleanser first, before then using a gentle water-based product.
2. Toner
No matter how gentle your cleanser is, it will also strip away some of the natural nourishment that your skin needs. Toner helps to replenish your skin and undo any damage done by cleansing, while protecting your skin for the day ahead.
There are a variety of different toners to choose from, including everyday vegan toners from site’s like Skinsider and high-power hydrating toners for particularly damaged skin.
3. Serum
Applying cleanser and toner primes your face for the next steps which provide your skin with additional ingredients and attributes to benefit your appearance. This is where serum comes in.
Serum covers a wide range of different products which can provide your skin with nourishment like vitamin C or help to reduce redness. You should try to use different serums in the morning and at night, since your skin will be exposed to rather different stresses.
The fun of serum is that you can really mix and match, so look for some products that will benefit your skin type and get experimenting.
4. Moisturiser
Moisturiser doesn’t just provide your skin with hydration, it also helps to seal the moisture in for the day ahead. While some people have a phobia of applying moisturiser in the morning, since it can seem oily, it actually helps to prevent your skin from overcompensating and becoming greasy as the day progresses.
For comfort, it may be preferable to use a lightweight moisturiser in the morning, especially if you are often in a rush to get out the house.
5. Sunscreen
A step which is all too often forgotten: applying sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from the effects of UV and free radicals – even if you’re not exactly planning a day out at the beach.
Your skin is still exposed to UV whenever you are in sunlight, even through windows, so sunscreen will help to prevent any of the ageing effects that it may have on your skin.
Night-time Regimen
It can be tempting to apply the same products in the evening as you used in your morning skincare routine, especially when you remember their price, but it’s important to use the right products for the job.
1. Cleanser
It’s unavoidable that your skin will pick up all sorts over the course of the day, so it is essential that you are cleansing your skin properly before heading to bed. This applies, even if you haven’t been wearing makeup, but doubly so in that case, as makeup can be particularly hard going on your skin.
Cleanser is one of the few products that can be used for both your morning and evening regime, without variation. So, once you’ve found a product that suits your skin type, stick with it!
2. Toner
As with in the morning, it’s important to rejuvenate your skin with a toner after applying your cleaner. However, as you may be applying more varied skin treatments before bed, it can be advisable to use a lighter toner both before and after your treatments.
3. Skin Treatments
Prevention is the best step to keeping your skin glowing, so applying the right skin treatments for any imperfections you have is a must. At night you’ll most likely be resting your face on bedding for hours at a time, which can create a perfect environment for budding acne or reddened skin. This step can include the application of any serums, topical medication or eye creams.
As these products can often be very focused in their purpose and can sometimes do some incidental damage to the surrounding skin, it is important that you really measure the pros and cons of their application and look at balancing out their impact.
For example, if you’ve found a treatment that is really helping keep your acne under control but is severely drying out your skin in the process, either find a product to help hydrate your skin, or experiment with another acne treatment. It may take a bit of back and forth, but eventually, you will find a product that works for you.
4. Moisturiser
The final step of all skincare regimens and routines will always be to moisturise and night-time is no different. Moisturiser provides a protective layer for your skin throughout the night and prevents your skin from dehydrating while you sleep.
Since you’ll be asleep, it’s also a great time to use a heavier duty moisturiser, or lotion, as you won’t have to worry about going about your day while wearing it.
While there are a lot of moisturisers out there that claim to be exclusively for night-time use, these are often just a little heavier, so it’s more important to find a product that really matches your skin.
No matter what we may think, there is no such thing as a universal skincare regime – we’re all different after all.
However, this regimen should get you started in the right direction but be sure to mix any additional steps or products in as you see fit – just try to stick to the basic process of clean, treat and moisturise.
Have fun experimenting with your own routine and good luck on your skincare adventure!
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