Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, one great new habit to get into is a new skincare routine. And if you’re a beginner, fear not: we can help.
I’ve been obsessed with skincare since I was a teenager, although my practices weren’t always the best. Let’s just say I’ve come a long way from rubbing Noxzema all over my face, or using the St. Ives apricot scrub until my face was red. (If it’s burning, that means it’s working, right?)
Good skincare can be somewhat time-consuming, in the sense that it will be an adjustment from doing nothing, or just doing a quick rinse before bed. But after a little while, it will become something that you’re used to, and it won’t feel like a chore. But if you don’t know where to start, have no fear — we’ve got all you need to know to start from the beginning and build a skincare routine perfect for you!
READ: My New Year’s Resolution: Learning to Love Myself
Step One: Cleanser
The first thing you will need to do, twice a day, is wash your face. Seems obvious, right? But not all cleansers are the same, and you need to make sure you’re getting the right kind for your skin. So take a minute to figure out your skin type.
First, wash your face with your usual cleanser. After you’ve dried off your face, wait 30 minutes, and then check yourself out. Is your skin shiny all over? Then you have oily skin. If it’s tight or flaky, then you have dry skin. If your skin is shiny around your forehead, nose, and chin, but dry around your cheeks, then it’s combination. And if your skin doesn’t look dry or oily, then you likely have normal skin. Once you’ve figured that out, it’s time to find your cleanser — and here are some recommendations.
- For oily skin: Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser, Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, CosRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
- For dry skin: Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser, MISSHA Super Aqua Ultra Hyalron Cleansing Cream, Andalou Naturals Probiotic Cleansing Milk
- For combination skin: Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser, Cetaphil Gentle Foaming Cleanser, Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser
- For normal skin: Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser
Step two: Toner
If you’re like me, and you’re remembering the skincare of the 90s, the thought of toner may terrify you. But those alcohol-heavy toners are a thing of the past. Today’s toners are an integral part of keeping your skin healthy, without all the stinging and burning and drying.
- For oily skin: Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner, Pixi Glow Tonic, Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner
- For dry skin: Garnier Aloe Hydrating Facial Mist, Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner, Forest Essentials Pure Rose Water Facial Toner
- For combination skin: Mario Badescu Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion for Combination and Oily Skin, Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner, e.l.f. Pure Skin Toner
- For normal skin: THAYERS Alcohol-Free Unscented Witch Hazel Facial Toner, Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum, Lumene Glow Lumenessence Brightening Beauty Face Lotion
Step three: Actives and Serums
For skincare newbies, this may be the most confusing part of the process. But don’t be intimidated by how much is available; all you need to know is what they do.
“Actives” refers to the active ingredients in a skincare product, and are scientifically proven to benefit your skin in different ways. Serums are highly concentrated formulas with actives in them to address issues like redness, aging, dullness, or acne. Actives are applied after cleansing, but before hydrating, which is why it comes third in the cleansing process.
Each kind of active addresses different concerns, and it’s important to space them out as you add them in. So when you add one active into your skincare routine, wait a few weeks to see how your skin reacts before adding another one in also.
- Vitamin C: This is an antioxidant that can help even out blotchiness and brighten your skin tone. It also can help protect your skin from things like sun damage, and decrease redness. Vitamin C needs to come first in your routine, before other serums or actives. Some options: The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, La Roche Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Serum, Ilia C Beyond Triple Serum
- Niacinamide: Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3, and is one of the best products to use for enlarged pores. It can also help prevent moisture loss and dehydration, brighten skin, and help uneven skin tone. Some options: Paula’s Choice BOOST 10% Niacinamide Booster, Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum, Olay Regenerist Niacinamide + Peptide 24
- Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA): Have you seen “glycolic acid” or “lactic acid” in your skincare ingredients? Those are AHAs, and they are chemical exfoliants. They help remove the dead skin cells faster, allowing newer, more balanced skin cells to take their place. They help with hyperpigmentation, large pores, wrinkles, and dullness. They can increase photosensitivity — meaning they make it easier to burn — so personally, I use them in my evening routine. If you use them in the morning, then you must wear sunscreen. Some options: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, L’Oreal Paris Skincare 10% Pure Glycolic Acid Serum, Malin + Goetz 10% Glycolic Acid Pads
- Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA): BHAs are also chemical skin exfoliants, but go deeper into your skin than AHAs do. Salicylic acid is the most common BHA, and they typically help with acne and sun damage. These do not increase photosensitivity, but they can be drying, so make sure not to skip your moisturizer. Some options: Stridex Alcohol-Free Maximum Strength Pads, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Naturium BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2%
- Retinoids: Retinoids are derived from Vitamin A, and increase cell turnover, as well as reduce wrinkles and increase collagen. Essentially, it’s a great anti-aging tool. The difference between the two is that retinoids are available over-the-counter, stronger and more effective concentrations, like tretinoin, can only be obtained with a prescription. However, it’s not recommended to use retinoids and BHAs/AHAs together, so use one in the morning and one in the evening, or on alternate days. Some options: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Retinol Face Serum, The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane, Differin Gel
Step Four: Moisturizer
Everyone needs moisturizer — even if your skin is oily! It’s all a matter how finding the right moisturizer for you. And moisturizer does so much more than just… well, moisturize your skin. It helps keep your skin balanced, reduces dullness, lessens redness, and so much more. Just pick the one that is best for your skin type, and apply it every morning and night.
Step Five: Sunscreen
Hang in there — you’re almost done! The last step in your skincare routine is sunscreen, and believe it or not, it’s probably the most important. And here’s the thing… step away from those products that claim it already has sunscreen included, letting you think you don’t need more. (Here’s a great video explaining why.)
Not only is it an issue of health, but it will also help prevent premature aging. You’ll keep your skin looking young for much longer than you would without it! And regardless of whether or not you’ll be outside, you should be wearing sunscreen, always. The sun’s rays will find you, through every window you walk past. (Here is a great example of how much sun damage you can get without ever going outside.) So, the lesson? Every single day… wear your sunscreen! And there’s one sunscreen you’ll notice comes up quite often — and that’s because it is the best sunscreen ever.
- For oily skin: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, Dr. Dennis Gross All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen
- For dry skin: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen, Fixderma Shadow Sunscreen
- For combination skin: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Weightless Sunscreen Face Lotion
- For normal skin: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt In Milk Body & Face Sunscreen, Supergoop! Mattescreen
What are your favorite skincare tips and tricks?
