Facial Skin Care Routine: The Order of Steps for Your Skin Type

Bottles are piling up by the sink, and you no longer know what order to apply them in, or which ones you really need. Yet a simple facial skin care routine is built on three steps: cleansing, moisturizing and protecting the skin from the sun. A treatment or targeted product is added only if it meets a need. A longer routine is not a better one; using several different products can even irritate the skin.

You care for your face at home every day; this is not the same as a facial treatment session at a clinic.

In the morning, the routine has three steps:

In the evening, keep the same basic routine without sunscreen, following the timing set for your treatment:

Cleansing comes first, because products are applied to clean skin. Treatment comes next, right after cleansing and before moisturizer. If moisturizer and sunscreen are two separate products, follow the directions for each. Sunscreen protects exposed skin during the day. In the evening, follow the same basic routine without sunscreen; for any treatment, follow the instructions you have been given.

If a doctor has prescribed a skin treatment for you, its instructions take priority over this general order. Do not move it to a different step, stop using it or change how you apply it to fit it into a routine. The routine adapts to the treatment, not the other way around.

Cleanser removes dirt, sebum and residue, and it helps prevent clogged pores and pimples. Choose one that is gentle, non-abrasive and alcohol-free. Wet your face with lukewarm water and apply the cleanser with your fingertips. A washcloth, a mesh sponge or any other tool can irritate the skin. Rinse with lukewarm water, then pat dry with a soft towel. Limit yourself to washing twice a day, plus once after sweating; even shiny skin does not need more than that.

Moisturizer holds water in the skin, even when the skin is oily. It can combine three kinds of ingredients. Humectants, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, draw water to the surface layer of the skin. Occlusives, often oil-based, form a barrier on the surface that limits water loss. Emollients, made mainly of lipids, soften and smooth the surface. These ingredients complement each other. The water drawn in by humectants can evaporate, which is why they are often combined with occlusives.

On skin that is still damp, a regular moisturizer retains water better. If a product's directions call for dry skin, follow them. In fact, with rosacea, a moisturizer applied to dry skin is less likely to sting or burn.

A serum is not a required step. It is added if it meets a need, and where it goes in the routine depends on what it does. Nor does it replace sunscreen, because sun protection has its own criteria.

Sun protection is a separate function that moisturizer alone does not fulfil. On all skin not covered by clothing, apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. It complements shade and protective clothing. Outdoors, reapply it every two hours, and after swimming or sweating, also following the product's directions.

A moisturizer that contains sunscreen can fulfil both functions: choose one that is broad-spectrum, water-resistant and has an SPF of 30 or higher, and apply it according to the product's directions. It is then reapplied like a sunscreen: every two hours outdoors, and after swimming or sweating. Shade and protective clothing are still necessary. If your moisturizer does not have SPF, sunscreen remains a separate product.

Your skin type does not change the three basic steps. The textures of the products you choose and what your skin tolerates depend on your skin type, because no product is right for everyone.

The best anti-aging routine is not a list of products to buy: what is right for one person's skin is not necessarily right for another's. Its foundation is the same as for any routine: gentle cleansing, a moisturizer that holds water in the skin and sun protection every day. A targeted product is added only if it meets a need you have identified and if your skin tolerates it after a test. Layering products can even work against you. Piling them on can irritate the skin and make signs of aging more visible.

Anti-aging products give modest results, and a cream does not give the results of a facelift. A routine works on the surface, by helping the skin retain water and by protecting it from the sun. If a wrinkle remains visible or your skin is sagging, an assessment is an opportunity to discuss options for facial rejuvenation.

Before buying a new product, ask yourself what it will be for: cleansing, moisturizing, protecting from the sun or targeting a specific problem. If it does the same thing as a product you already have, you risk adding more products without meeting a new need, and your skin may become irritated. Following a routine does not require buying a complete product line.

Introduce one new product at a time, so it is easier to identify which product might be causing your skin to react. Before applying it to your whole face, test it for seven to ten days. Apply it twice a day to a small area, the size of a 25-cent coin, in a spot where it will not be rubbed or washed off, such as the inside of the arm or the crease of the elbow. Use the usual amount and leave it on as long as usual; a rinse-off product, such as a cleanser, stays on the skin for five minutes, or for the time indicated in the directions.

This test helps you spot a reaction before exposing your whole face. It does not guarantee that your skin will always tolerate the product, and it is not an allergy test. If your skin turns red, itches or swells, during the test or later, gently wash off the product as soon as possible and stop using it. If you cannot find which ingredient is causing your skin to react, a doctor can help, in particular with skin tests known as patch tests, which can sometimes identify the cause.

Exfoliation removes dead cells from the outer layer of the skin. It is not right for everyone, and a routine can work perfectly well without it. It can be mechanical, using a brush, pad, sponge or scrub that physically removes dead cells, or chemical, using alpha hydroxy acids or beta hydroxy acids that dissolve them.

No single schedule applies to everyone. How often you exfoliate depends on your skin type and the method, and the stronger the exfoliation, the less often it is done. Never exfoliate a wound, an open cut or sunburned skin. If it is too aggressive, exfoliation can also leave darker spots, especially on dark skin.

Some treatments and products already make the skin more sensitive or cause it to peel, such as a prescribed skin treatment or a non-prescription product containing retinol or benzoyl peroxide. Exfoliating at the same time can make dryness worse or even cause breakouts.

An exfoliant bought for home use is not a chemical peel, which is done at a clinic and is not part of a routine.

If you are using a prescribed skin treatment, talk to the person who prescribed it before adding an exfoliant or a new product: combining them can dry out or irritate the skin.

If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, tell your doctors about all the medications and prescribed skin treatments you use. Your treatment plan may need to change during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some ingredients need to be avoided during pregnancy, including retinoids, among them the retinol found in some non-prescription skin care products. If you are breastfeeding, also have the products you use checked before changing your routine.

If your skin stings or burns after using your products, simplify rather than adding more. Choose gentle products labelled “fragrance-free”. The label “unscented” is not enough, because many of these products contain a masking fragrance that can still irritate the skin. If the sensation persists, seek medical advice rather than switching products again.

If you shave, bumps, razor burn and ingrown hairs can come from your shaving technique. Using a razor with one or two blades, without pulling the skin taut while shaving, is something to try first, before adding a product. A facial treatment for men also takes the beard and shaving into account.

A routine cares for the skin; it does not treat a skin disease, even though it can support treatment.

Large, painful pimples deep in the skin, or acne that leaves scars as it heals, require medical treatment for acne, and products bought in stores or online are unlikely to clear them up.

If rosacea has been diagnosed, a suitable routine can make the skin more comfortable, reduce flare-ups and improve treatment results, without taking the place of treatment. You and a doctor decide on the treatment for rosacea.

If brown spots concern you, do not exfoliate harder to fade them. Aggressive exfoliation can in fact leave darker spots. Brown spots on the face are assessed and treated separately.