Look online and a skincare routine can seem to have no end. Ten steps, twelve steps, a different product for every quarter of an hour.
At its core, though, a routine is a short sequence. Each step has one job, and each one sits in a particular place for a reason. Once you understand the job and the order, you can build a routine that fits your skin, whether that’s three products or seven.
This is how I’ve always taught it: foundation steps first, treatment steps on top, and a few optional extras that earn their place for some people and not others.
The foundation steps
These are the everyday basics. You choose them based on your skin type, and they do most of the work.
Cleanse. A cleanser’s job is to remove makeup, sunscreen, oil and the day, without stripping or irritating your skin. Everything else it promises is secondary. If you wear makeup or a heavier sunscreen, double cleansing at night can help: an oil or balm cleanser first to break everything down, then your usual cleanser to clean the skin itself.
Moisturise. A moisturiser supports your skin’s barrier and keeps it comfortable. Its texture should suit your skin type: lighter for oily skin, richer for dry. How well the formula suits you matters far more than any claim on the front.
Protect. Sunscreen, every morning, as the final step. It’s the single most effective thing you can do to protect your skin long term, and it’s what allows every other step to do its job properly, particularly if you’re using exfoliants or vitamin A.
The treatment steps
These sit on top of your foundation, and they’re where you address your skin’s condition. Because conditions change, these steps can change too.
Serums. Lightweight formulas designed to deliver a concentrated dose of a particular ingredient. This is where you match the ingredient to the condition:
Dehydration: hyaluronic acid.
Pigmentation: niacinamide or exfoliating acids.
Signs of ageing: vitamin A.
Brightening and prevention: vitamin C.
Sensitivity: soothing and barrier-supporting ingredients.
Exfoliants. These remove the build-up of dead skin cells on the surface, helping with texture, dullness and congestion. Chemical exfoliants, which use acids or enzymes, tend to be more targeted and gentler than physical scrubs. They’re not an everyday step for most people, and more exfoliation doesn’t mean better skin. Once or twice a week is a good place to start.
Targeted treatments. Anything designed for a specific area or concern, like a spot treatment or a prescription product. These are usually applied after serums and before moisturiser.
The optional extras
Some steps are genuinely useful for some skin and unnecessary for others.
Toner. Traditional toners were designed to remove the last traces of cleanser and rebalance the skin. Most modern cleansers don’t leave anything behind, so a toner is now optional. A hydrating or gently exfoliating toner can earn its place, but it’s not essential.
Eye cream. The skin around the eyes is thinner and often drier, so a dedicated product can be helpful. For many people, though, a gentle moisturiser does the same job.
Masks and facial oils. Lovely additions, and genuinely beneficial for some skin types, particularly dry or dehydrated skin. They’re a bonus rather than a foundation.
The order of things
The general rule for layering is simple: lightest texture first, heaviest last. Thinner, water-based products go on first so they can absorb, followed by richer creams, then oils, which sit on top.
In the morning, the focus is protection:
Cleanse, then serum (vitamin C or hyaluronic acid work well here), then moisturiser, then sunscreen.
In the evening, the focus is on removing the day and treating the skin:
Cleanse (double cleanse if needed), then exfoliant on the nights you use one, then serum or treatment (this is where vitamin A belongs), then moisturiser, and a facial oil last if you use one.
Very broadly, vitamin C is usually a morning step, because it works alongside your sunscreen to help protect the skin. Vitamin A is usually an evening step, because it can make skin more sensitive to the sun. Hyaluronic acid works at any time of day.
Building your own
Start with your foundation. A cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen that genuinely suit your skin type will do more for it than any number of serums layered over the wrong basics.
Then add treatments one at a time. This way, you’ll know what’s working, and what isn’t if your skin reacts. Patch test anything new, and give each product time: most take several weeks to show real results, and vitamin A often takes longer.
Be careful not to combine too many strong ingredients at first. Using vitamin A and an exfoliating acid on the same night, for example, can easily leave skin sensitised. Alternate them on different nights instead.
A good routine isn’t the longest one. It’s the one where every step has a reason to be there.
The short version:
Foundation steps first, treatment steps on top, lightest to heaviest, sunscreen last.
Ask yourself:
What is each step in my routine actually for? Is there anything I’m using without knowing why?
Worth knowing:
Vitamin C in the morning, vitamin A at night, hyaluronic acid whenever you like.
