Your skincare routine steps will be somewhat unique to you because of the environment you live in, the foods you eat, the exercise you do, and of course, the products you use. With that being said, there are some steps that make sense to include for everyone, and an order of skincare routine steps that will be the most effective. Your most radiant skin is just around the corner, and unless there is a specific issue that you will need the advice and care of a dermatologist to treat, you’ll be well on your way to perfecting your skincare routine steps with this article!
This pre-step is for the evenings, obviously. It’s important to remove your makeup because your skin, eyelashes, eyebrows, etc. need to relax after a long day, just like you. Leaving my mascara on overnight tends to lead to me losing eyelashes. Similarly, leaving foundation, eyeliner, blush, concealer, eyeshadow, and any number of other products on overnight can cause your skin to become irritated or cause build up, which can lead to breakouts.
There are two important factors when removing makeup: be gentle and use a gentle product. If you pull and stretch your skin every single day for the rest of your life when removing your makeup, what do you think will happen? Your skin will become stretched out and you will have more lines and wrinkles. For heavy makeup days, I understand that you may want to use a really tough makeup remover. Everything is fine in moderation. That being said, oils like almond, coconut, and olive have never failed me.
It’s important to keep in mind that your skincare routine steps should be strategic. In the morning, you need a cleanser that will wash away any build-up of sebum and sweat from the night before, but for this, you really only need a gentle soap. If you totally strip your skin of its oils, your skin will be dry, even if you immediately apply moisturizer. The key is to balance the give and take so that you don’t overwhelm your skin.
On the other hand, after removing your makeup in the evening, you might need something that will remove more oil than in the morning, especially if you just took off your makeup with a bunch of coconut oil. If you leave the makeup removing oil there, your face may have too much oil, and that oil may trap some bacteria from your day. These things can lead to breakouts. Consider when you will be using a cleanser and for what purpose when purchasing.
This step is ONLY for once or maybe twice a week. Some people say three times, but I have sensitive skin so three is too much for me. I cannot emphasize how important noticing your unique skincare needs is!
Masks are amazing- we all love them. They make you feel relaxed and even more beautiful after removing them, but that doesn’t mean that using them every day will give you the same results every time. In fact, overusing masks can inhibit the ability of your skin to care for itself, the results of which will vary depending on the mask you’re using. This is something you should always keep in mind during your skincare routine steps, and naturally, something you should avoid!
These products are meant to prep you skin and are to be applied before moisturizer. Toners are for restoring your skin’s pH after cleansing and can reduce the size of pores without clogging them overtime, whereas tonics are generally for targeted problems like dry skin or acne. For me, I use a toner only when I feel I need it to help with redness and irritation. However, since some more traditional toners are meant to restore the skin’s pH, you can use toner every time you wash your face, especially after using any harsh cleansers. You might also have slightly different needs for night and daytime rituals, as well as after using different cleansers. After some masks, using toner could be redundant.
There are lots of products out there that are targeted for specific skin problems, but the key is to use them selectively. Layering products on your face isn’t going to make your skin better; doing so will probably just confuse your skin’s natural biome and lead to more problems. Moderation is key. If you have great results after one or a few uses, try having a rest period in between. This will also make your product last longer and save you money.
Serums are also targeted treatments, but usually for things like fine lines, wrinkles, radiance, or texture. Sometimes, you won’t need serums and tonics and toners, so you can choose any/all here to use at any one time. Serums help to lock in moisture and deliver high concentrations of specific active ingredients to your skin, which generally absorb very quickly. I love serums for my dry skin because that is something I struggle with, and I find serums really help. Sometimes serums can feel like lotion, but if you don’t follow with a moisturizer, your skin will feel dried out and wide open to the elements.
After feeding your skin all those goodies, you should make sure to seal your pores up and lock the vitamins in with a nice coat of moisture. Plus, this will prevent you from getting dry skin. Remember that you may have different needs in the morning than you have at night. In the morning, you might need something a little lighter, but that will hold up well through the day. In the evening, you should focus on providing moisture to your skin and allowing it to soak in overnight.
Many skincare brands sell different lotions and moisturizers for day and for night, and people who have these different needs are the reason why. You might not need something that different, but the key here is to determine for yourself what the exact use is. Sometimes, I use my evening lotion in the morning if my skin is especially dry or if I’m inside all day. Another thing to keep in mind is how well your chosen moisturizer will allow you to apply makeup!
Facial rollers are said to help with lymph drainage, reducing wrinkles, and absorption of moisturizer and lotions. Even if these things haven’t been studied or proven, it’s very relaxing to give yourself a facial massage. I find that it helps with reducing eye puffiness in the morning (especially if you store it in the fridge!) and with relaxing facial tension, especially in the neck and jaw. Plus, it can give you a beautiful, rosy glow! Ultimately, the self-care you give yourself here is most important, so don’t be afraid to gently massage with clean hands rather than a fancy tool.
It is recommended that you roll once or twice a day with upward and outward strokes. Go over each part of your face three times, and don’t use back and forth motions. Instead, pick up the roller after one stroke to apply it again at the starting point. This is how you get the ‘lift’ aspect of the ritual. Using a facial roller after an oil, serum, or moisturizer will help to prevent any pulling of the skin, instead allowing the roller to glide over your face!
Now that your skin is ready, you can apply your makeup! As always, I recommend products that are natural because they will be more gentle on your skin. Remember, too, that what you do to your skin every day will affect your skin later on. If you stretch your eyelids to apply eyeliner every single day, they will eventually stretch out. I’ve met many an older woman with this problem. That being said, if these things don’t bother you then DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. Keep doing you. Just because society doesn’t like wrinkles doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing representations of all you’ve gone through in your life. Food for thought.
Your skincare routine steps and products may need to change with the seasons, the weather, the foods you eat, definitely with the amount of water you drink, and so on to adapt to your skin’s needs. Always try to notice what your skin and your body are trying to tell you, and adjust your routine to meet your own needs. Noticing and adjusting are the most important steps in your entire skincare routine, as in life. Things will change all the time, and this does not need to cause panic or upset. Instead, notice that you have some acne sprouting, remember you ate a lot of refined sugar and pizza last night, and adjust. Important life skills here, people!
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