To achieve beautiful, healthy skin, the first step is to establish a basic but effective skincare routine to fit into your busy day. Follow these steps to cleanse, tone, apply serum, moisturize, and exfoliate.
Every step, excluding exfoliation, should be done twice a day, morning and night. Always ensure your face is clean, toned, and moisturized before you apply your makeup or go to bed.
1. Cleanse
You should clean your face twice a day. In the morning, you need a clean face so you'll feel fully awake, and to wash off the oils that have accumulated during your sleep. At night you need a careful cleansing, to wash off the makeup and impurities you have collected during the day.
Pick a nonalcoholic cream cleanser to match your skin type, to prevent skin problems by using an incorrect type. Apply with light circular motions, so you don't stretch your skin downwards to cause premature wrinkles. Using lukewarm water, rinse your face carefully so no residue remains to block your pores. Never use hot water, as it will dry your skin. Then pat your face dry with a clean towel.
2. Tone
The next step is to apply toner to ensure all oil and dirt is removed, and to close the pores to stop impurities entering. Concentrate on the area around your nose and forehead, where blocked pores are usually most prevalent. The toner can be applied either with a spray or facial toning wipes.
3. Apply Serum
What is serum? This is a skin product containing a high concentration of antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients. It is usually of a lighter consistency than moisturizer, which allows it to penetrate your skin easier.
Serum doesn't moisturize, but instead helps to brighten and smooth your face, increase cell turnover, improve firmness, and encourage the growth of new cells. After cleansing, wait for about three minutes before applying your serum.
If you are still young, you might be tempted to think you don't need to use serum. The reality is, the sooner you start the better. Why wait until you already have wrinkles, when it is easier to prevent them developing in the first place?
Be careful if you suffer from eczema, rosacea, or other chronic skin conditions, as serum may aggravate your skin. Start off by doing a patch test on a small area of your face.
4. Moisturize
A good-quality moisturizer will help prevent dryness, reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles, and help to promote the goodness of the serum. Use a light moisturizer during the day, and a more concentrated one at night. As with all facial products, apply with a light touch, in order to not stretch your skin. Start using moisturizer while you are young, well before your skin begins showing signs of aging.
5. Exfoliate
Exfoliation removes the dead skin cells that build up on your skin surface, and allows new cells to grow. An exfoliation cream will penetrate deeper than a regular cleanser to result in a younger and fresher-looking complexion. It is important to use a gentle, natural exfoliant that won't damage your skin. Scrub your face in gentle circular movements that only remove the dead cells; you don't want to scrub your face until it's raw. For the best results, do this a couple of times a week.
If you follow these five easy steps daily, you will be well on the way to achieving or maintaining healthy, beautiful skin to ensure you always look your best.
Last Updated : October 19th, 2022
Debby Lee is the founder and main author of Mylighterskin.com
She is a full time website manager and freelance writer, with over nine years experience. She is an expert writer in the areas of health and beauty, with a special interest in skin care.
