How to build a daily skincare routine: The Ultimate Guide

The main goal in a daily skincare regime is to keep the skin looking and feeling its best, prevent sun and environmental damage, repair existing damage and minimize irritation.

We asked our skin experts the ultimate skincare routine and how to apply products to receive the ultimate benefits.

How to Layer Your Skin Care Products: A Step-by-Step Guide

The order of application is really important to ensure key ingredients can penetrate the skin. If you don’t apply your products in the correct order, you will not see the best results from your skin care regimen.

So which product goes on top of what, you ask? In general apply your products from thinnest consistency, such as serums, to thickest, such as emollients and humectants in moisturizers.

Your Morning Routine

Your morning routine should focus on protecting against the sun, pollution and the elements. Leave your treatment products, like exfoliating acids and retinol, for the night-time.

Step one: cleansing

Cleansing is the first and possibly most important step to any routine. Cleansing removes oil, bacteria and products that have built up over night on the skin. It is essential to use a cleanser rather than simply water to wash your face in the morning. This ensures products you use after cleansing can absorb efficiently and work to their full potential.

Not sure which cleanser is best for your skin type? Check out our ultimate guide to cleansers

Step two: Toner

Toners are generally formulated to provide an additional layer of hydration, unclog the pores, calm the skin and smooth the skins texture. Toners are great boosters to use, and while they are not essential for everyone, anyone can use them. Those with oily and acne prone skin may benefit the most from incorporating a toner into their daily routine as they are formulated to remove sebum, oil and dirt from the pores.

Step three: Serum

Serums are the ultimate product for targeting specific skin concerns due to their ability to penetrate deeper into the skins layers. Serums deliver powerful ingredients to target a variety of skin concerns. There are various serums available on the market today, but for daytime, Beautology recommends antioxidant serums, which provide a variety of benefits – mainly to protect against free radical damage, UV rays and environmental pollutants.

Step three: Moisturizer

Moisturisers provide protection against the harsh environmental conditions and lock in skin hydration throughout the day. Everybody needs a moisturiser, even if you have oily skin. Our skin experts recommend to apply a moisturiser when the skin is slightly damp, this allows you to lock in extra hydration!

Step four: Sunscreen

The final step to a well-ordered morning routine is always sunscreen. It is the ultimate product for preventing hyperpigmentation and premature ageing. Beautology recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum of SPF30.

Your Nighttime Routine

Step one: Double cleanser

Double cleansing is essential to remove makeup, oils and debris that have built up throughout the day. We recommend gently removing makeup with a pre-cleanser, such as an oil cleanser or cleansing balm. The second cleanse should target your skin type and concerns. Double cleansing leaves your skin fresh and perfectly prepped to allow following products to be absorbed.

Step two: Boosters

Booster products include essences, mists, hydrating serums and toners. These are lightweight formulations that are infused with different active ingredients to add extra hydration and nourishment to the skin. If using multiple boosters, the same rules apply: apply from thinnest to thickest.

Step three: Treatment serum

Targeted serums are best used at night – as the skin repairs, restores and regenerates while we sleep. Retinol, exfoliating acids and peptides are common ingredients found in treatment serums. Avoid layering all of your treatment serums and creams and choose your nighttime serum based on what your skin needs that night. To avoid irritation choose between exfoliating acids (AHA and BHA products) and retinol products and only use these exfoliative treatments one to three times a week.

Step four: Eye cream

Eye creams are formulated to treat and protect the delicate eye area. They can help brighten, hydrate, firm and provide much needed antioxidants to the eye area. If you have visible lines, wrinkles, dark circles or puffiness under your eyes, an eye cream is essential.

Step five: Night cream

Night creams are generally heavier and thicker as they are designed to be absorbed slowly over the course of several hours. Night creams provide deeper hydration and nourishment to the skin as they lock in hydration while you sleep.