One of the most common questions I get from clients, family members, and friends is: "How should I apply skincare products?" I would love for the answer to be a pat, one-size-fits-all solution, but the truth is that skincare routines have to be adjusted depending on skin type, results, time of day, and a number of other factors. Even your local climate can influence your skincare regimen.
I prepared this article to guide our readers on how and when to use skincare products for maximum effectiveness. Read on to give yourself the gift of healthy, glowing, smooth skin.
Understanding Your Skin's Needs
If you want to have a successful skincare regimen, it's essential to understand the specific needs of your skin. This is a much more detailed and individualistic approach to skincare than pulling staple products like moisturizer and sunscreen from the shelf and applying them to your skin.
While there is some measure of truth in the statement that (in most cases) some effort is better than none, if you don't take time to learn about your skin, your results will be suboptimal. Let's break skin types into five categories.
- Normal Skin – This means your skin finds the middle ground between oily and dry. If you touch your skin, you will not come away with an oily residue but feel moist and elastic.
- Oily Skin – If you touch your face and feel a greasy residue, you may have oily skin. Oily skin tends to be shinier, but oil can trap dirt and clog pores. Oily skin is often even more apparent in the T-zone.
- Dry Skin – If your skin has a dull, rough, or even flaky appearance to it, it's probably dry. This may even be more apparent after you wash your face.
- Combination Skin – This means that you have some combination of oily, dry, and normal skin regions. Typically, the T-zone is more oily, with it becoming progressively drier as you move down to the eyes, cheeks, and jaw.
- Sensitive Skin – In addition to being sensitive to the touch, this skin is also prone to irritation from products. The skin may have a blotchy appearance as it frequently reacts to touch and other triggers.
It's important that you're clear on two things. One – Even if your skin looks great on a normal basis, you should engage in a tailored skin routine. Two – There is a skincare regimen for you no matter what type of skin you have. Many Serious Skincare products are designed for specific skin types.
Morning Glory: Energizing Your Skin for the Day Ahead
While your body sleeps, your skin is still working. In addition to regenerating cells and producing collagen, the sebaceous glands also produce oil. This is particularly pronounced if you have oily skin. In addition, your skin absorbs materials from its immediate environment. For this reason, it is the time when you need to ready your skin for the day. This is an example of an effective morning skin ritual:
- Cleanser – Begin with a gentle cleanser that is designed for your skin type — especially if you have dry or sensitive skin. Make certain that you rinse the skin thoroughly to avoid leaving a residue.
- Exfoliator – Most of us don't need to do this on a daily basis, but if you are exfoliating, do this step after cleansing, before your serum.
- Serums – Serums contain ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and glycolic acid. It's designed to absorb rapidly and can help protect your skin from environmental damage. Additionally, some serums are designed to boost collagen production while hydrating the skin.
- Eye Cream – The skin around the eyes is the most delicate. That's why eye creams are mild and designed to be easily absorbed. Sometimes, the blood vessels under your eyes can become darker after a poor night's sleep. The right eye cream can micro-circulate and hydrate, helping to reduce dark circles.
- Moisturizer – Moisturizer tends to be thicker than serums and eye creams, so it goes on after. If you have oily skin, you'll still need hydration, but choose one with lighter viscosity and an oil-free base. If you have dry skin, opt for a heavier cream.
- Face Oil – If you have dry skin, apply facial oil at this step. If you apply it before your eye cream, serum, or moisturizer, they will not be able to penetrate into your skin.
- Sunscreen – The mission of sunscreen is to shield your face from harmful UV rays. Apply a sunscreen that's SPF 30 or higher at the end of your skincare regimen.
Nighttime Rituals: Nourishing Your Skin for the Day Ahead
Your nighttime skincare routine is going to be a little different than your daily morning habit. Just as you've cleansed and prepared your face for the day, it's important you do the same for bed. A sound nighttime skin routine should look something like this:
- Makeup Remover – Use a makeup remover or cleansing oil designed for your skin type. Try to avoid ever wearing makeup to bed, even if you aren't able to complete your entire routine.
- Cleanser – You will accumulate imperceptible amounts of dirt and oil throughout the day. They can clog your pores and cause acne. Use a gentle cleanser to remove the oil.
- Serum – hydrate your skin with a rapidly absorbing serum.
- Eye Cream – Before you go to bed is a great time to give this sensitive skin another eye cream treatment. Apply gently and allow the cream to absorb into the skin. Our night eye cream is specifically formulated to support your skin's natural sleeping recovery process. I highly recommend it for people with all types of skin.
- Moisturizer – Some opt for a night cream for additional hydration. You can typically use a thicker cream at night since you'll have more time for it to absorb into the skin.
- Facial Oil – For dry skin, you can apply an outer layer of skincare oil to lock in the skin's moisture.
Product Selection and Ingredient Insights
It's easy to get lost in the universe of skincare products. At Serious Skincare, we understand the science behind the ingredients we use in our products, and just as importantly, we know why it works. If you're looking for skincare products, use the following criteria:
Make Sure the Product is Meant for Your Skin Type
If you have oily skin, the last thing you want to use is an oil-based product designed for dry skin. Conversely, if you have dry skin, you will want to choose moisturizing facial cleansers and face washes. Most products will specifically say what type of skin they're designed for.
Look at the Ingredients
At Serious Skincare, our products have all key ingredients listed separately and a full ingredients list. The key ingredients all benefit the skin in different ways. If you have allergies, check the full ingredients list before applying it to your skin.
Has it Been Market Tested?
We have run many product tests on consumers just like you. Consider our Eyetality Morning brightening eye cream, for instance. Not only does it contain coffee bean extract, 3D microspheres, antioxidant-rich fruit extracts, and vitamins C and K, but it has also been clinically tested.
After two weeks, more than half of the participants who used Eyetality Morning along with Eyetality Evening at night said they noticed an improvement in their fine lines and wrinkles, that their skin felt more hydrated, and that they had glossier eyelashes. While that's impressive, after four weeks, 100 percent of the participants claimed improvements. Every person who used this product benefited from it after four weeks!
Read the Reviews
Customers love to talk about products that work and don't work. Take any individual review with a grain of salt, but if you see a lot of people talking about a specific feature they love, it might be worth giving the product a try.
Serums, Moisturizers, and More: Layering Products for Maximum Impact
Some people have a whole medicine cabinet or counter filled with skincare products, but they don't know how to use them. If you have a lot of products that you like, but aren't sure how to get the most out of them, remember that once you clean your face, the products tend to get thicker:
- Cleanser
- Serum
- Eye Cream
- Moisturizing Cream
Seal it with a light layer of skin oil (if you use it) and SPF protection (during the day). If you have a tough time remembering, try numbering the product containers with a Sharpie or store them in order of usage.
For more skincare tips, return to my blog here at Serious Skincare. And for the best skincare products on the market, try Serious Skincare.