I read over and over again how choosing a skincare routine is so overwhelming! I'll break some of it down for you, and I hopes it helps. Please understand that you can't mix and match just any product because of the chemical composition. It may end up making your problems worse or causing major irritation. See my blog about Purging
Face wash- Removes makeup, dirt, oil and prepares your skin to absorb the next step.
Toner- Balances your pH, Brightens your skin, minimizes pores and boosts hydration. Toners can be skipped but it is an extra boost from doing the face wash removing anything face wash missed.
Serum- This one hydrates. Sometimes having glycolic acid or hyaluronic acid is useful for acne, dryness, clogged pores, dullness, dark spots and more. They are lightweight but deeply penetrate the skins layers to deliver antioxidants, vitamins and peptides.
Moisturizer- This one moisturizes too however, it only takes care of the surface of the skin. They are thicker and work as a barrier to lock hydration in.
Eye cream- helps the delicate skin around the eye. This can mean fine lines and wrinkles, bags under the eye, dark circles etc
Exfoliation- Of course this one lightly scrubs the dead skin off of the face but there's more. It can help get your blood flow more effectively, and remove excess dirt, makeup, or environmental stressors to allow the other products to work better. Depending on the product and your sensitivity you'll do this 1 a week or 2-3 times a week. Depends on you.
Masks-If you're going to use a once a week mask (or 2-3times depending on sensitivity) always do it after toner is applied. Masks can hydrate, cleanse, exfoliate, brighten, etc depending on the mask. It's a booster.
Now outside of these simple steps are tons of other thinks you can do: face oils, scrubs, retinol, Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, glycolic acid and the list goes on. Always start with your lightest and end with your heaviest.
So starting with a first time routine 👉face wash, toner, serum, moisturizer and eye cream and in that order.. the rest are add-ins and combinations. Start with the basics first.
