How to develop a skincare routine that works for you.

As you may have guessed already, from this blog's very title, this is an incredibly personal topic with various personal answers. 

First and foremost you must ask yourself what sort of skin you've been blessed with. Is your skin dry or normal? Is it sensitive? Then you must ask yourself would you feel more comfortable with a normal or science-based product range? How much money did you want to spend?

Are you going to go with a product at the more expensive end? Or rely more heavily on one of the products recommended by one of your friends? 

Then you must ask yourself how often you want to apply this routine. Once a day? Twice a day? Once a week? 

Are you going to try and find a product that does more than just one job? i.e. a product that is a balm, moisturiser and shave cream all wrapped in one? 

Ultimately, it's a question for YOU and it's functionality. As the experts say, "When you're on a good thing, stick to it". 

"Nearly everyone has some form of skincare routine. What makes yours unique is whether that routine is one step or 10, simple or intricate, dermatologist-approved or TikTok-influenced. But the best skincare routines aren’t flashy or time-consuming—they’re simply functional.

“Overall, a consistent skincare routine will make your skin look its best,” says Corey L. Hartman, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama. Consistency—as you may have guessed—is key. But there’s more to it than simply applying your products every day.

“While a skincare routine doesn’t have to be overly extensive, it is important that it’s consistent, and involves steps that feel easy and accessible for you to follow on a regular basis,” says Julia Schwartz, a board-certified dermatologist and dermatology advisor for the direct-to-patient healthcare company Ro. “The number of steps involved in your skincare routine matters less than what the steps are accomplishing for your skincare goals and if you’re able to keep up with them.”

As a starting point, she says, “I recommend that every skincare routine include a cleanser, a moisturizer, and, if it’s right for you, a product containing a retinoid.” Seems simple enough, right? Below, we’re breaking down all the ins and outs of building a skincare routine—for both morning and nighttime—with expert advice from both Hartman and Schwartz.

Do you need to have a skincare routine?

Well, you don’t need to do anything—but yes, having a skincare routine is recommended by experts. Again: “Consistency in a skincare routine is essential for maintaining skin health, preventing issues, and reaping the full benefits of the products you use,” says Schwartz.

But an important thing to note is that “routine” simply means the basics: cleansing, moisturizing, using sunscreen. Everything else is added value.

“From a functional perspective, regularly washing your skin removes dirt, oil, and bacteria from your skin, which is important from a health perspective,” says Hartman. “As we age, our skin also loses some of its natural radiance and moisturizer, so by incorporating a few skincare products into your daily routine, you can help restore moisture and other key ingredients to make skin look its best.”

The next step is figuring out what products are best for you and your skin, which can be determined with the help of a dermatologist or licensed aesthetician. “It’s important to choose products that suit your skin type and concerns and to follow a routine that works for you,” Schwartz says. “Consulting with a trained healthcare provider can help you create a personalized skincare plan—you can even see providers virtually through a service like Ro.”

As for specific products and ingredients, Hartman recommends focusing on what he calls the “holy trinity of skincare”: antioxidants, retinol, and sunscreen. “Applying the right mix of the holy trinity will not only slow signs of premature aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots, but can also help reverse some of the damage already done,” says the derm.

Once you have your regular skincare routine set, you can make adjustments, whether you’re skin cycling or calibrating it according to the season. “The essence of skin cycling is doing a regular cycle of products,” explains Hartman. “The viral [concept of] skin cycling as of late had consumers doing one night with a focus on exfoliation products, another night with a focus on retinol, and then two nights without using any kind of retinol or exfoliating product and just moisturizers. That might work well for you, or you can choose a different cycle in terms of products or how often you use them.”

The benefit of this type of routine is that it lets you incorporate various active ingredients without being too harsh on skin. “Skin cycling can be beneficial for patients with sensitive skin, or who are new to using retinol products, as giving your skin more time in between use can reduce the risk of irritation,” Hartman says.

The best order to apply skincare products

The first step is always washing your face. After that, “Skincare should be applied from the thinnest product to the thickest,” says Hartman. Your morning routine and evening routines will have some crossover, but they also have key differences. “In the morning, the order would be: cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen,” he explains. “The evening would be: makeup remover, cleanser, retinol, [and] moisturizer or night cream.”

Targeted treatments get added in strategically, he notes: “Apply a spot treatment right after your serum. Apply your eye cream when you apply moisturizer to the skin.”

Finally, there are skincare treatments like microcurrent and gua sha. Check the directions for specifics, but, Hartman says, “You should incorporate tools into your routine always with clean skin, and depending on the tool, you can use it during or just after your serum or moisturizer step.” https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/skin-care/a45868355/best-skincare-routine-order/

Graceful Lilly prefers to follow the following steps for skin care. 

1. Morning - Wash your face with an approved gentle moisturiser. If you can find a gentle scrub with a gentle soap, then you've killed 2 birds with 1 stone. 
2. After washing, use a gentle scrub. At Graceful Lilly we recommend using the Coffee scrub no more than 3 times per week. The chocolate one can be used as many times as you like. 
3. Use a moisturiser/Body Butter. One with a built-in SPF is perfect. 
4. Apply a preferred SPF cream. 

If this routine is followed rigorously, then within 2 weeks you should notice a marked improvement in your skin.