Complete guide to daily skin routine; For all skin types + table

Many people think that having beautiful skin is related to our genetics. Fortunately, this notion is largely incorrect. What guarantees the beauty and health of the skin is its daily care, which we call the daily skin routine. In this article, we want to talk about the skin routine, the products we should use and the order of their application.

The three main steps of daily skin care

The daily skin routine has three main stages, which are:

• clean: It means washing the facial skin and cleaning it.
• Toning: It means balancing the skin.
• MMoistening: It means to hydrate the skin and soften it.

The important thing here is that the skin needs time to change. There is no one-time miracle product. You have to do these things every day and always to see the change. Any skin care product you use should be applied to your skin once or twice a day for at least six weeks to see a difference.

tip: There is almost no difference between the daily skin routine of men and women. Only each group should use their own products.

9 skin care products

There are nine products that you must use in a specific order to complete the three steps of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. Some of these products are common, like sunscreen, and everyone with any skin type should use them. Others are used to treat a specific skin problem and not everyone is supposed to use them. For example, if your skin is normal and healthy, you will not need treatment products.

These 9 products are:

• Detergent;
• toner;
• my head;
• Eye Cream;
• local treatments;
• Humidifier;
• retinol;
• oils;
• Sunscreen.

The order of using the products in the skin routine

One of the most important things in the skin routine is the order of using them, which you must follow to get results. The general rule is that those with a thinner, lighter texture should be applied before products with a thicker, heavier texture. Also, always the first product is cleanser and the last product before makeup is sunscreen.

1. Detergent; To remove impurities and cosmetics

In any skin routine, washing and cleaning the face is the most basic and necessary step. All skin care products should be applied on a clean face without any makeup or pollution. The skin is in contact with environmental pollutants, pollution and other factors every day. These factors cause clogged skin pores, dark skin and acne. You should gently wipe them off your face.

When should I use it?

Twice a day, morning and night.

Which cleanser is right for me?

You should find the cleanser according to your skin type. It is the right cleanser that cleans your skin without removing its natural oil. For this purpose, use gentle exfoliating scrubs once a week. Avoid scrubs that contain abrasives or sharp particles such as crushed walnut shells.

The link to buy all kinds of cleansers for different skins

2. toner; To supply the nutrients needed by the skin

In the past, toner was an alcohol-containing product that was used to dry oily skin and remove residual impurities from the face after washing and cleaning it. Today, the toner formula has evolved and is considered a kind of supplement for skin care products. Toner is a thin liquid that supplies the skin with the nutrients it needs, helps absorb other skin care products, and most importantly keeps the skin balanced. Most experts consider toner an optional product, meaning it is not a necessary step in a skin routine.

Toner should be used after cleansing the skin and before applying any other product. Usually, in the old days, they used cotton dipped in toner, but with this, the toner is wasted. The best way is to apply the toner on the skin with your hands. Put a few drops of toner in your palm and then apply it on your face.

Some of the ingredients in toners include:

• Alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid gently exfoliate dead skin cells that clog pores, repair sun-damaged skin, and minimize dullness.
• Hyaluronic acid, which is a kind of hydrator, treats the fine lines that have fallen on the skin.
• Rose water and green tea have anti-inflammatory effect and are useful for reducing skin irritation and redness.
• Vitamins E and C fight free radicals that cause skin aging.

See the best-selling types of skin toners

When should I use it?

Day and/or night.

You can use toners twice a day, but if they contain exfoliating acids, apply them only at night or every other day.

3. serums; Both strengthening and healing

Serums are simply a powerful friend of the skin. If your skin is fine, you should use a normal antioxidant serum in the morning to protect your skin from daily pollution. Serums that have a high dose of different active ingredients in them can reduce some skin problems from dark spots to wrinkles.

It is better if the serum has these ingredients:

• Hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and strengthen the function of the upper layer of the skin so that moisture is not lost.
• Vitamin C to help brighten dull skin and reduce dark spots.
• Retinol, vitamin B3 and peptides to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, proteins that help prevent lines and wrinkles on the face.
• Colloidal sulfur and niacinamide, which reduce inflammation and can be effective in reducing redness and skin irritation. These compounds also have antimicrobial effects, so they help to heal acne.

If your skin has several types of problems, you may have to use several different formulas. In this case, use any serum locally in the same area of ​​the skin that has a problem.

For example, suppose your skin has hyperpigmentation and the doctor has prescribed a serum for you. First, use the vitamin C serum on the whole face, then apply the hyperpigmentation serum on the problem areas.

Important note: Never mix the serum with the moisturizer you need to use in the next steps to save time. This reduces the effective absorption of the serum. Use the products separately.

When should I use it?

Day and/or night.

Like toner, some serums should be used during the day and others at night. For example, it is better to apply antioxidant serum in the morning because you leave the house during the day and usually many of you do not use enough sunscreen.

If your serum contains retinol, it's best to leave it on at night because it's not stable against the sun. Don't worry about these things, they put instructions on each product.

The most popular skin serums in Digikala

4. eye creams; For sensitive skin around the eyes

Eye cream is also optional. However, the skin around the eyes is thin and delicate and reacts more to irritants than other areas of the face. Therefore, it is better to use eye creams to remove dryness or puffiness or to treat hyperpigmentation. The eye cream contains active ingredients with a lower concentration, because the skin around the eyes is sensitive.

Caffeine, peptides, and hyaluronic acid can be soothing for under-eye bags and inflammation. The darkness of this area is due to visible veins or skin discoloration. Lightening agents such as vitamin C, kojic acid and niacinamide can help.

Important note: Do not use strong retinols around the eyes as they may irritate the eye and cause irritation and redness.

When should I use it?

day and night.

Digikala's most popular eye creams

5. local treatments; To solve skin problems

If your skin has no problems, you can skip this. It is a topical treatment for people who have dark spots, acne, pimples or other skin problems and should include these in their skin routine. For example, hydroquinone, which is a skin brightener, is useful for dark spots and darkening of the skin (it is not suitable for sensitive skin because it irritates it), and niacinamide, which is the same as vitamin B3, can be effective in treating scars. Maybe you have pimples and acne and your doctor has prescribed benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. In any case, don't forget that you should use these products before moisturizer so that they are well absorbed by the skin.

When should I use it?

day or night

It is usually better to apply topical treatments to your skin at night, whether it is for pimples, scars, or even dark spots, because this is when the body does its best to repair itself. If you must use an anti-acne toner or retinol at night, leave these creams for the day. Taking all of these together will irritate your skin.

6. Humidifier; To hydrate the skin

Daily activities, including washing, can remove the skin's natural moisturizing agents from its surface. Because of this, your skin becomes dry. The job of moisturizer is to hydrate the skin and help it to be soft. It also helps prevent water loss from the outer layer of the skin. Moisturizers can complement natural oils and other building blocks found in the skin, including ceramides.

Which moisturizer is right for me?

Everyone should use moisturizer on their skin. Of course, every skin should use a moisturizer whose texture is compatible with its skin. For example, oily skin should not use heavy and thick moisturizers in their oily skin routine. In the same way, you should not include gel or lotion moisturizers in your dry skin routine, because they will not respond to dry skin. See the table below:

When should I use it?

day and night.

You can use a moisturizer with sunscreen during the day and a moisturizer with retinol is great at night.

Check out the most popular moisturizers

7. retinol; To reduce wrinkles and produce fresh skin

Retinoids is a general term for all vitamin A derivatives including retinol. This substance penetrates your skin to increase the rate of cell formation, causing fresh, smooth, and less wrinkled skin to replace dead skin over time. Remember that you need to use retinoids continuously for four to six months to get results.

Of course, much sooner than this time, you will see how your skin's collagen production has increased and dark spots and scars have improved. Retinoids unclog pores.

However, if you use night cream, you should no longer use retinol. If your skin is sensitive, apply a moisturizing layer 10 minutes before and after using it to reduce the possibility of irritation.

When should I use it?

the night.

Retinol should only be used at night. This material is not stable in sunlight and is not well absorbed by your face.

See the most popular creams containing retinol

8. Oil; To maintain moisture and softness of the skin

The oil helps to keep the moisture from the moisturizer from evaporating. The oils keep your skin soft and smooth. Oils aren't just for dry skin. Oils like castor oil and jojoba can reduce excess oil on acne-prone skin, and oils like marula oil and aloe vera can soothe sensitive, easily irritated skin.

When should I use it?

Day and/or night.

Oils can easily penetrate any substance, including moisturizers, serums, etc., but no substance can penetrate oil. So oil is always the last step, of course before sunscreen.

9. Sunscreen; The most important product among skin care products

All dermatologists, without exception, agree on one thing, and that is that sunscreen is the most important skin care product. Daily and continuous use of sunscreen helps prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and the appearance of pores over time. Most importantly, sunscreen can help prevent some types of skin cancer. If you can't use both moisturizer and sunscreen, use a moisturizer with SPF 30 that is both moisturizing and sunscreen.

There are two types of important compounds in the sunscreen formula:

• Chemical compounds such as oxybenzene and octinoxate, which are used to neutralize the damage of ultraviolet rays that are absorbed by the skin;
• Physical compounds such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sit on the highest level of the skin and reflect ultraviolet rays, meaning they prevent it from entering the skin.

Advantages and disadvantages of chemical and physical sunscreen compounds

The best sunscreen is a combination of both categories above. These sunscreens protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays.

The correct way to use sunscreens

To use sunscreen, consider this rule:

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out in the sun and reapply every two hours. Sunscreens with chemical compounds should be applied directly to clean skin (i.e. the second step), while sunscreens with physical blockers should be used in the last step of the skin routine and before applying makeup. If you have a combined sunscreen, it is better to use it in the last step.

When should I use it?

Day.

last word

A daily skin routine is an opportunity to help you observe the changes that occur in your skin over time. Just as your skin undergoes changes as you age, so must your skin care products. If you make daily skin care a habit, you will have fresh, beautiful and healthy skin.

Do you have a daily skin care routine? Please tell us in the comments what products you include in your daily skin routine.