Skin Care Routine Steps | Your One Stop Guide

skin care routine steps

Skin Care Routine Steps

Skin care routine steps can seem intimidating and confusing. Do you use a serum before a moisturizer? Do you really need all the step? Here we’ll break it down to make sense. There’s no reason to break the bank or spend excessive amounts of time on a good skin care routine.

Our eye cream is an excellent choice for morning and/or evening use, and is loaded with nutrients and active ingredients your eyes need.

 

skin care routine steps

 

Skin Care Routine Steps to Consider

ONE: Cleanse. Cleansing is the first step of the skin care routine steps we’re outlining and it’s universally good for everyone to cleanse morning and night. If you’re worried about drying your skin, be sure to use a cleanser that does not contain sulfates, which have been proven to strip the skin and make it feel very dry.

TWO: Toner. Using a toner in process of your skin care routine steps is optional but can be a great way to incorporate some desirable ingredients that you might not otherwise get. There are some really fantastic plant based extracts in toners that your skin will benefit from.

THREE: Serum. Using a serum is highly recommended for morning and for night, but if it’s a step you don’t want to partake in, you can skip it. Serums are in fact a great way to infuse your skin with some active ingredients that can help transform your skin. Regardless of your skin type, there is a serum out there for you.

FOUR: Eye Cream or Treatment. And eye cream or eye treatment is one of the most important skin care routine steps. Our eye skin is more delicate than on the rest of our face and it does need some extra love and care. Eye products contain ingredients that can be specifically geared towards keeping your eye skin supple and healthy, so be sure to find one that feels like the right fit for your needs.

FIVE: Spot Treatment. A spot treatment is a skin care routine step that everyone can participate if they’d like to. Whether you suffer from breakouts, or aging skin, or discoloration – there is a spot treatment for you.

SIX: Moisturizer. Moisturizers are a very important skin care routine step for morning as well as for evening. Even if you suffer from acne, you can use a light layer to help keep your skin hydrated and rejuvenated.

SEVEN: Face Oil (AM) or Retinol (PM). Step seven in the skin care routine outline is different for morning and for evening. If you participate in this step, we recommend considering a facial oil for day to help combat dryness and give your skin a great foundation for cosmetic application. If you add step seven for nighttime, this is then a great time to add a retinol product, preferably a plant based retinol product, to your nighttime skin care routine.

EIGHT: Sunscreen (AM) or Face Oil (PM). As with step seven, step eight is going to be different for daytime versus nighttime. Daytime it’s essential to wear a sunscreen, even if you work in an office or indoors most of the day. There will be times you step out to your car or to lunch, and even just a few minutes a day of unprotected sun exposure can add up over the months and years. If it’s nighttime, then step seven is a great time to add a facial oil with the ingredients in it that your skin needs for this particular season in your life.

Our eye cream is an excellent choice for morning and/or evening use, and is loaded with nutrients and active ingredients your eyes need.

Ingredients to Try for Daytime

Vitamin C / Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate. One of the most important skin ingredients available, it is an antioxidant and transforms into vitamin c when applied topically. It is known for wound healing, collagen production, corrects pigmentation issues, and improves elasticity.

Jojoba Oil. Jojoba oil is loaded with antioxidants, such as vitamins A and E, and omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential components of the skin’s barrier. It also acts as a humectant, meaning it works to retain moisture in the skin. This protective layer, combined with the anti-inflammatory effects of the vitamin E, gives skin the breather necessary to focus on the healing process. This can be especially beneficial to those with eczema and psoriasis. You can learn more about it here.

Peptides. Peptides benefits are mainly anti-aging. If you’re looking for a skin care products that promote firm, smooth skin, then try out peptides in your skin care routine. Here are some of the many benefits of peptides. You can learn more about peptides here.

DMAE. Is naturally derived and an analog of vitamin B. It's been proven to help firm sagging skin. Not only are it’s effects immediate – but also cumulative, and it’s benefits accrue over time.

GABA. A naturally derived amino acid that is well known for relaxing the skin, as a topical tranquilizer.

Hyaluronic Acid. Has the incredible ability to hydration in skin and repair skin. Just like collagen, cell turnover, and elastin, the amount of naturally occurring hyaluronic acid in our bodies decreases as we get older. As these things slow down, replenishing them topically is a great way to keep your skin looking younger and feeling hydrated and supple. This blog post can provide more extensive information.

Ingredients to Try for Nighttime

Alpha Hydroxy Acids. There are a few variations of acids to help you achieve your skin care goals, and different strengths, as well as variations in products to use them. They can be in your cleanser, or your moisturizer, or your treatment. However you decide to try them, one thing is most certain: they benefit pretty much everyone. From acne suffers to those concerned about the signs of aging, alpha hydroxy acids are wonderful for helping fix those issues.

Plant Based Retinol. There are prescription strength retinoids that are harsh and expensive, and then there are optimal plant derived retinol that is the best choice and virtually beneficial to every skin type. Plant based retinoids are much better for your skin and can be found in a variety of ingredients like sea buckthorn berry oil, carrot seed oil, and rosehip seed oil.

Niacinamide. Niacinamide can most certainly be used in the daytime OR nighttime. Either way you’ll reap great benefits from this active ingredient superstar. The suggestion though to use it at night as a purpose: Niacinamide plays nice with some finicky ingredients at are typically used at night, like retinol, exfoliating acids, or vitamin c.

Neem. Neem oil has been used for centuries by a variety of cultures to promote skin rejuvenation and wound healing, as well as reducing inflammation and acne. Why do we recommend using it at night? Well it doesn’t smell delicious and flowery. It has an earthy smell that most people do not mind, so don’t be shy, but sometimes we don’t want to smell that way during the day.

Peptides. Another ingredient that can be used during the day OR night, but we’re putting it on the nighttime list because the daytime routine list (as we mentioned) can be short and sometimes done in a rush, so taking a moment to include peptides at night is a highly beneficial move.

Resveratrol. Once again, another ingredient that can be used in the daytime as well as at nighttime, but here’s a key point in including it in your nighttime skin care routine: Your body is already going to be in repair mode at night. Adding resveratrol, an antioxidant, at night will help maximize that process.

Our eye cream is an excellent choice for morning and/or evening use, and is loaded with nutrients and active ingredients your eyes need:

Conclusion

Skin care routine steps can be as involved or as simplified as you prefer. There are no hard or fast rules. The most important point is to pay attention to what your skin needs and keeping and eye out for changes so that you can address those issues or concerns.

Jeanette @ Claribelskincare.com

I'm a formulator and skin care expert, wife, parent, and fur baby mom. I specialize in active ingredient research and studies, and share that information with you via our blog and products. Please reach out anytime you have questions!

Back to blog