Skincare routine is more than just about washing your face and slapping on a thick moisturizer at the end of a long day in front of a screen. It’s also not about hoarding millions of products and never really understanding what is working for your skin. It’s about tailoring the perfect approach that actually works for your budget, lifestyle and most importantly your skin type. My love for skincare developed quite late. I was 22 and just about to get married when I decided to take things a little more seriously. In came potent serums and masking like crazy. It was transformative from the university days where washing my face with a deep cleansing face wash felt triumphant.
Six Steps for Building a Custom Skincare Routine
There are six main steps that should be incorporated in building a skincare routine:
Step 1: Cleansing and Exfoliating
Let’s start with the absolute basics. Washing our face. I know we have all heard this a million times, but still…never EVER go to bed without washing off your makeup. There is all kinds of gross stuff from pollutants to dirt which causes breakouts, blackheads and much much more all as a result of clogged pores.
The first step will be to find a cleanser that works specifically for you and your skin type. Here is a little breakdown:
| Skincare Type | Cleanser Type | Why do I need this? |
| Dry | Cream and Lotion Cleansers | Designed to be thick and creamy |
| Oily/Combination | Clay and Gel Based Cleansers | Designed for diving deep into the pores, working on unclogging pores and remove congestion |
| Sensitive | Oil and Balm Cleansers | Designed to not strip your skin of all it’s essential oils but gently cleanse |
Once you figure out what type of cleanser you want, it’s important to look out for specific characteristics which will target whatever specific issue you are looking to remedy. For example, if you’re looking to fix breakouts and blackheads, you would want to look out for a cleanser with Salicylic Acid etc.
Exfoliating is also a part of your cleansing ritual and again, I always love to emphasize the importance of exfoliation (see blog post on this here). Though a word of caution, while exfoliating is absolutely key, you cannot aim to do this every single day. Doing it every few days is quite enough, and again, tailor it to your particular routine to see the true wonders.
Step 2: Toners
Toners essentially act as a final impurity cleansing method just before you start layering products on. Since many toners contain active ingredients, they are excellent to swipe over your skin especially after having cleansed your skin. Personally, I love using exfoliating toners at night, think: AHAs, BHAs and Glycolic Acids. For daytime, I switch things up with more moisturizing toners, think: Hyaluronic Acid, Rosewater, Salicylic Acid etc.
Step 3: Serum Treatments
This is one of the most powerful steps in your skincare routine process. This is where you should be dropping most of your $$$ because even though serums are tiny in the amount they are applied, they are the mightiest component of your skincare arsenal. This is the part where you address your main concerns in the form of ingredients. Here are some of my favourite ingredients and products.
| Skincare Ingredient | Serum Ingredient Purpose | My Product Picks |
| Hyularonic Acid | Hydration, Anti Ageing | The Ordinary Hyaluronic 2% |
| Vitamin C | Brightening dull skin, even complexion, dark spot correction, anti ageing | Ole Henriksen Vitamin C, Drunk Elephant Vitamin C |
| Niacinamide | Redness, inflammation and even complexion | The Ordinary Niacinamide 2% |
| Salicylic Acid | Tackling breakouts, blackheads and clogged pores | The Ordinary Salicliyc Acid, Caudalie Vinopure Serum |
| Retinol | Anti-ageing and skin elasticity | Sunday Riley Luna Oil |
Step 4: Moisturizing
Ah, the step we all know and love. Moisturizing. Funnily enough, this is just as important to get absolutely right. There is a HUGE wealth of products out there and even though they all claim to hydrate, the consistency is what truly matters for your specific skin type. I learned this in a difficult way when I used to pile on a thick creamy moisturizer on oily skin never realizing it was actually contributing to my skin congestion. So make sure no matter which one you pick, you get one that suits your skin type or you wont be doing your skin any favours.
MOISTURIZER TEXTURE SHOT
| Skin Type | Moisturizer Type |
| Dry | Cream |
| Oily | Gel Based |
| Normal | Lotion |
Step 5: Eye Cream
Believe it or not, eye creams and serums are not just for when you’re older and in need of anti ageing care. You can benefit from this in the form of hydration, spot correction and still, of course, prevention of fine lines and wrinkles (whenever that devastating day arrives). If you’re getting started on this now, just pick a good hydration packed one and go with it!
Step 6: Sunscreen (to add in the morning)
Protecting your skin from the sun is an absolute must no matter what you’re doing. This is one of the products that should be absolutely non negotiable. You’ll thank yourself later.
