Do you have a skincare routine but are not sure what order to apply your products in for the ultimate skin health? For those of you who are relatively new to looking after your skin, encountering a detailed skincare routine filled with various steps and products can often seem perplexing and rather daunting….but worry not, dear reader: I, Bev, your skincare fairy, am here to lead you with ease through this experience and eliminate that confusion. So, let’s dive in!
Firstly, I always say there are three absolute essentials for your skincare routine;
- Cleanse your skin twice a day, morning and evening, with a facial cleanser designed specifically for your skin condition, to remove pollution, excess oil, dirt, and to enhance the penetration of your skincare products. This is paramount to skin health.
- Use a good quality SPF all year round.
- Skin supplements – I guess you wouldn’t think that professional food supplements would be the key to the quickest results for your skin. They are!
As a general rule of thumb, if you want a really great skincare routine, one that will improve your skin health, reduce signs of ageing, keep your skin hydrated, and overall keep your skin looking and feeling its best, then there can be quite a few steps to follow. This may sound like a chore, but honestly, ten minutes a day in the morning and again in the evening (or less) is all you need. It is important to note that not every stage may be necessary for everyone and I will highlight this when discussing certain stages.
Products should be used in the order written below.
Step 1. Cleanser
The first step to your skincare routine must be cleansing. Cleansing your face removes dirt, excess oil, and any make-up you may be wearing. If you have had a day of heavier than normal make up, then you may want to consider double cleansing with two types of cleanser. Firstly, an oil-based pre-cleanser, followed by a water-soluble cleanser designed for your skin condition. Want to learn more about double cleansing? Check out my previous blog. Is double cleansing important?
A couple of my favourite ‘all round ‘ cleaners suitable for all skin conditions are;
- Environ® Youth EssentiA Hydra-Intense Cleansing Lotion – helps maintain the natural waterproofing barrier of the skin, improves hydration and leaves the skin feeling soft and supple, calming and healing to reduce redness and is suitable for all skin conditions.
- Sente Daily Soothing Face Cleanser – a gentle daily cleanser ideal for sensitive skin prone to acne, eczema, and rosacea/redness. It is designed to promote, calm, heal, and repair the skin’s barrier function while reducing redness and soothing and calming skin associated with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and redness caused by the effects of rosacea and chronic skin conditions.
Step 2. Toner
The second step of your skincare routine would be to use a toner; however, this can be a personal preference, and many professional skincare brand products do not have toners in their ranges these days. Generally speaking, this stage in your skincare regime helps to balance out your skin’s pH level and preps it to allow your skin to better absorb the products you use in the next stages.
Two of my favourite toners are;
- Environ® Youth EssentiA Vita Peptide Toner – a penetrant enhancer to increase penetration of serums and moisturisers in the Environ skincare ranges, enhances healthy collagen production and promotes cell renewal.
- DÉCAAR pH Balancing Lotion – helps to maintain the skin’s optimal pH levels and supports and restores its natural defences. This makes the skin more resilient, less sensitive and better able to carry out its vital function of self-defence.
Step 3. Eye Cream/Gel
The third stage in your skincare routine should consist of applying an eye gel or cream designed specifically for your concerns, this could be dark circles, puffiness, or ageing, to name but a few. There is always some controversy surrounding eye products, the most common question being ‘Are they really necessary?’ In my professional opinion, ABSOLUTELY. The skin around the eyes is five times thinner than the skin on the rest of your face, and eye creams/gels are formulated slightly differently from ‘moisturising creams’ so they can penetrate the delicate eye area successfully.
My two favourite eye creams are;
- Environ Youth EssentiA Vita-Peptide Eye Gel – Light-weight, quick-absorbing, contains a highly effective, active system of powerhouse ingredients to fight the visible signs of ageing.
- Revision Skincare C+ Brightening Eye Complex – Delivering a powerful and comprehensive new solution for brighter eyes that helps reduce dark circles and under-eye puffiness.
Step 4. Serums
The fourth stage in your skincare routine (which not all of you may do, but if you can, I’d recommend it) is applying any serums. There are lots of different serums from professional skincare brands that have active and concentrated ingredients to target specific skin concerns. For example, there are serums to help improve signs of ageing and pigmentation, ones that work on increasing hydration and plumpness, and others that work to smooth out imperfections and improve the appearance of the skin. You can use multiple serums at the same time and layer them; make sure you know the active ingredients and how to use them. (ask if you need some help here!).
A couple of my recommended serums (depending on your skin concern) are;
- Skinbetter Science® Alto Defense Serum™ – Combines Vitamins C, E and 17 other additional antioxidants designed to provide a new level of comprehensive and dynamic defence against free radicals and slowing the signs of ageing.
- Environ® Focus Care Youth+® 3DSynergé™ Filler Crème – a powerful powerhouse booster that stimulates the skin’s natural synthesis of hyaluronic acid to smooth the appearance of lines and restore adipose volume, resulting in a hydrated and plumped skin with more radiance, and a visually rejuvenated appearance.
Step 5. Moisturiser
Step five is essential for everyone: applying a professional moisturiser. By regularly moisturising your skin, you are not only keeping your skin hydrated, it will help to smooth and repair your skin and keep it healthy. Moisturisers in the world of professional skincare are not barrier creams to keep serums in, so to speak, they are designed to penetrate into the skin and repair your skin conditions and keep your skin working at its optimum. I would recommend using a different night moisturiser to what you would use during the day (depending on the brand of skincare as some brands such as Environ as you use the same moisturiser day and night) as often the ones used at night have added ingredients such as retinol which is the cornerstone of slowing the signs of ageing.
Two of my favourite moisturisers that should be considered in your skincare routine are;
- Skinbetter Science TRIO Luxe Moisture Treatment – formulated to support and repair the skin’s barrier function and increase hydration levels, restoring the skin to a visibly healthier complexion and providing a refined, smoother skin texture, a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, added plumpness, and reduced skin redness.
- Skinbetter Science® Alpharet® Overnight Cream (for evening use) – the latest innovation in retinoid renewal, delivering remarkable results, with little-to-no irritation often experienced with retinol and other retinoid products.
Step 6. SPF
Applying a good quality SPF daily is a fundamental and essential part of any skincare regime and skin health, and if you aren’t doing it, take this skin fairy’s advice and start doing it now. SPF will protect your skin from UV rays. Not only will it protect your skin from harmful rays, it will protect against skin cancer, pollution and free radicals and help fight the premature ageing of your skin from sun damage.
I have a huge range of SPF’s available, but my favourites are:
Let’s look at skin supplements – these are my ‘go to’ for skin health….
Taking food supplements specific to your skin conditions will most certainly enhance your results. Skin feeds internally and supplements will feed the whole of your skin over the whole of your body, not just in an area you are applying topical skincare products to. Supplements can assist with acne, rosacea, dehydration, pigmentation, ageing and many more conditions besides.
These are my favourites for specific skin conditions, but not limited to:
Acne: Skin Accumax™
Increasing moisture: Skin Moisture IQ
Gut health and ageing: Skin Youth Biome
Pigmentation: Skin Even IQ
Now that I’ve talked about the different steps in a skincare routine and I’ve explained which steps, in my professional opinion, are a must and which ones may not be necessary for everyone, you may now be a little more in the know, which is great. However, you now may be thinking, how do I know what steps I need to include and what about finding the right products to match my skin’s needs?
The best piece of advice I can give to find out more about your skin, about what it needs, how to target your skin concerns and have the best overall skin health, is to book a skin consultation with me.
Ready to start your skin journey? Book your consultation.