Simple Skincare Routine Explained

With so many products and tips floating around, it’s easy to get confused about what your skin actually needs.

Do you need 18 different products to keep your skin healthy?

Do you need to drop half your monthly paycheck to get quality products?

How can you take excellent care of your skin without spending all your time and money on elaborate routines?

Good news! Skin care doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. Your skin is an amazing organ that does a lot of the work on its own.

The key is to understand WHY you’re using each product or performing each step in your routine.

It’s not enough to just buy a bunch of products and use them because someone told you to. If you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, you can decide what’s right for your skin.

I’m going to explain each step in the perfect skin care routine so you know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing. That way, you can decide how much you need to emphasize that particular step.

AM: Cleanse, tone, moisturize, apply sunscreen

PM: Cleanse, tone, moisturize

A few times a week: Exfoliate. Maybe do a steam facial.

Working on special concerns? Targeted serum before moisturizing is key.

Pretty simple, right? Our goal here is to keep the skin clean and moisturized and minimize sun damage, which can age you faster than anything else.

The first step to any skin care routine is to clean your face. You want to remove dirt, makeup, and excess bacteria to keep your skin healthy and blemish free.

Pretty obvious, right?

The trick is that we want to clean your face without over-exfoliating or drying out your skin.

If you don’t wear makeup on your skin, you might be able to get away with just using a targeted toner on a cotton ball as a cleanser. However, the process of using warm water to cleanse the pores can help soften the pores and add radiance to the skin.

If you have very oily skin or if you wear foundation or powder, use a gentle cleanser morning and night. You want to make sure that your skin is clean before you apply makeup and that you’re getting it all off at night.

My favorite cleanser for our more dry or sensitive clients is our Flower Child Cleanser which contains chamomile and arnica to calm and soothe the skin while also providing a gentle sudzy fun!

If there’s one product that you could stand to use more, it’s probably toner. Most people have no idea what toner actually does!

Basically, toner balances your skin’s PH level. What does that mean? Fewer breakouts, wrinkles, and dryness. Well balanced skin = clear, smooth, and soft skin.

Moisturizing is KEY, even if you have oily skin. I can’t emphasize this step enough!

When your skin is moisturized, it doesn’t need to produce excess levels of sebum (oil) to stay soft and supple. After cleansing in the morning and evening, use a gentle, water-based moisturizer to keep your oil levels balanced, slow the effects of aging, and soften your skin.

Our best seller for moisturizer is our Hella Hydration cream.

This doesn’t have to be complicated or abrasive. You can get plenty of exfoliation when you wash your face by using a soft washcloth or choosing a cleanser with a gentle exfoliant. If you go for an exfoliating cleanser, avoid anything with plastic beads! Go for plant-based beads instead.

My favorite gentle physical exfoliant is our Rosehip Resurfacing exfoliant which contains a mild lactic acid and jojoba beads that will help to reduce texture buildup and improve the function of the capillaries.

Don’t exfoliate more than three times per week, or even less if you have very dry or sensitive skin.

I don’t have to tell you this right? This is one of those things that we all know about, but we often neglect.

Sunscreen is non-negotiable. Nothing ages your skin faster than sun damage, so make sure to apply and reapply sunscreen daily! You can also wear a cute hat that shades your face, avoid the sun during peak times (10am – 2pm), and wear polarized sunglasses so you aren’t squinting all day. (Hello crow’s feet!)

One of my favorite affordable skin care tricks is a weekly steam facial.

After cleansing your skin, place a small towel on your coffee table and then place a big metal bowl on top. If you want to get extra fancy, put a few drops of essential oil and dried herbs (such as rose petals, lavender, or spruce) in the bowl.

Heat up a tea kettle of water. Gently pour the water into the bowl, but don’t touch the bowl. If it’s metal then it will be HOT!

Place a larger towel over your head and hover over the bowl, fully enclosing yourself in the sweet scents and heat to soften your pores. Finish with toner and moisture cream.

Again, these products aren’t all required for healthy skin! Each element of this skin care routine serves a different purpose, so pick and choose what you need based on your unique skin.

If you’re looking for a basic night and day routine that will leave your skin balanced and your budget intact, let our Beauty Oracle help you find your perfect cult classics skincare routine!