The Do’s and Duh’s of Your Skincare Regimen

Though it may seem obvious to some, there are a lot of nuisances of a well-crafted skincare regimen that can easily get missed. And when investing in good products, it’s essential to use them right. So while these are “duh’s” to us, they might just be the “do’s” to you – and doing them will turn that time you’re spending on your morning and evening skincare routine into an even more productive session.

Step 1 (The cleanse)

Do: Wash your face. Even if you are tired, wash your face. And if you don’t have time in the morning, make the time. The ideal skincare routine includes a morning and evening cleanse because to really get your serums to work and meet your skin goals, you can’t miss any opportunities to cleanse. Get the full story on cleansing here.

Duh:

Don’t use hot water; this will irritate skin, age skin, and worsen skin conditions like melasma, rosacea, eczema, and more.

Don’t use makeup wipes; they just move all the grime around and leave harsh detergents on the skin. Makeup removers and wipes are made with irritating chemicals that take you further from your skin goals. Micellar water is the exception and is gentle and acts as a magnet to pick up dirt, oil, and makeup.

Don’t use drugstore cleansers and then professional serums. You might think drugstore cleansers are “basic” or “gentle,” but they are made from cheap ingredients that do nothing for your skin. If you don’t want to invest in your skin, then they are fine (and better than not cleansing), but when using professional serums, don’t skimp on a good cleanser to start you off right! 

Step 2 (The tone) 

Do: Tone your skin. Toner is the bridge between your cleanse and your serum. It is the glue or secret sauce of the regimen. Is it mandatory, you ask? Is any of this mandatory? Only if you want the best skin.

Duh:

Dry skin should use a hydrating, soothing, and/or nourishing toner.

Normal skin should have both the above-mentioned and something with some actives.

Oily or acne-prone skin should use a toner with AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) and/or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids).

Toning pads are the best way to apply toners. Don’t use cotton balls; they waste product and offer no physical benefit to your skin as pads. Hydrating toners in a spray bottle can be sprayed directly on skin or hands and then applied.

Step 3 (The serums) 

Do: Please use serums; they are the workhorses of your regimen and bring the results. The ideal regimen is at least one AM/PM serum, but the true skincare lover layers 2-4 serums morning and night.

Duh:

You often hear, “Layer your serums thinnest to thickest,” but sometimes they feel the same weight. Then you want to use your more active concentrations first. Ask your esthetician or read your product labels carefully to learn what your serums do.

Give your serums a couple of minutes to soak in before moving on to the next.

Don’t touch serum droppers on your skin; this can contaminate your serum and lessen the quality of the serum.

If you are struggling with breakouts, look for serums with mandelic acid, vitamin A, and benzoyl peroxide before moving to hydrating, vitamin C, or other serums. 

Step 4 (Eye products) 

Do: Use eye cream 

Duh:

Don’t rub your eyes; the skin under our eyes is SO delicate, be gentle!

Eye creams do work; they nourish and hydrate the skin under your eyes and are best to start on before you see the visible need for one!

Usually, eye creams are labeled with what they will do (i.e., hydrating, dark circles, puffy eyes, crow’s feet), so align the eye product to your specific needs.

We recommend using an AM-specific eye product and a PM-specific eye product because the needs of what you want your eye product to do in the morning and night can be completely different.

Step 5 (Moisturizer and SPF) 

Do: No regimen is complete unless it’s finished with moisturizer and SPF (in the daytime). Please never skip this step; moisturizer and SPF are about as mandatory as they come!

Duh:

Even oily skin needs a hydrating moisturizer to keep our skin barrier strong and replenish what cleansing strips from your skin.

If you have acne-prone skin, do not use a pore-clogging moisturizer. Only a skincare professional can truly recommend a product that won’t clog pores. 
Active skincare and sun do not mix. Exfoliating your skin will leave your skin more susceptible to sunburn and damage, which will then counteract why you are using your skincare.