Daily: Cleanser – No matter how much you skimp on your skin care routine, you should always wash your face at least once a day. Those with oily or combination skin may benefit from twice daily washes (morning and night) while drier skin may be fine with just a nightly wash.
Rachel Nazarian, a Manhattan dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group. “Results are only seen through consistent use,” she explains. Generally, aim to use a product over at least six weeks, once or twice daily, to notice a difference.
NEVER Skip Sun Protection
By now it's clear that skipping out on your skincare routine is okay sometimes. When moisturizer or eye cream is occasionally missed, your skin won't be harmed in the long term (you just might miss out on the benefits or have to deal with flaky skin).
According to Baxt, if your skin is flakey, itchy, or developing a rash you should stop using your products immediately and reassess before you do some permanent damage. A rash could be the first sign of an allergic reaction to a product, which can cause permanent skin damage over time.
Allowing your skin to breathe will help you to feel more fresh and radiant, while also helping to keep any unwanted skin problems at bay. Make sure that you are following a proper skin care routine including cleansing and exfoliation to give your skin the tools it needs to breathe and rejuvenate.
"But you can absolutely overdo it. Too much of a good thing – like over-exfoliating your skin with multiple acids and/or mechanical beads – can result in redness, irritation, dryness, and worsened breakouts.
If your skin gets oily quickly, you may be tempted to wash your face multiple times a day. However, this will do more harm than good. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should only wash your face twice a day (and after sweating heavily).
Cleanse your skin: just wash your face regularly with a mild cleanser which won't leave your skin rough and dry. Toning: Apply toner after cleansing and without applying anything else. Just take a few drops and apply it all over your face. Moisturising: Keep your face moisturise regularly.
While nighttime skincare is incredibly important, morning skincare is just as crucial. Between pollution, sweat, and sun exposure, our skin goes through a lot each day—and it's important to take the time to prep and protect it for what's ahead.
You can use a toner at any time of the day – morning, evening or night, but the most important thing to keep in mind is to always and only use a toner right after you have cleansed your face. It's also equally important to finish your skincare routine right after you have applied your toner.
“Overwashing and overscrubbing may leave you with a squeaky-clean feeling, but this actually is damaging,” says Zeichner. This refers to damaging your skin barrier, the network of skin cells and fats in the outer skin layer that protects your skin from the environment, he explains.
It protects your skin's natural barrier
Your skin works hard all night building its own natural barrier against the world (a layer of helpful oils keeps skin soft), so why strip it all away as soon as you wake up with a face wash? “Washing your face in the morning can strip your natural defense barrier,” says Carlen.
Limit to Two Serums Per Routine
We recommend you use no more than two face serums per routine. Again, alternating skin care items is a strategy here. If you have many serums that you like, use one or two in your morning routine and two different serums in the evening.
While there is no limit to how many serums you can add to your regimen, esthetician Enrique Ramirez, founder of Face to Face NYC, suggests stopping at three. Piling on more products than that is not only time-consuming, it also reduces the chances of each ingredient getting properly absorbed by your skin.
You can use face serum twice a day—before your moisturizer—but reserve products with retinol for nighttime. “Generally, most people should be using a treatment serum twice day,” says Hirsch.
Have no fear – we've done our share of research, and the answer is clear: post-shower is definitely the way to go. Sure, washing your face in the shower saves time but it can also do more harm than good – like, clogging pores with other products (gross) or drying out skin with hot water (ouch).
“Warm water is always best as hot can strip the skin of its natural oils and cold does not allow the pores to open to remove dirt,” says Dr.
It's still advisable to wash twice a day and use a gentle formula “that removes impurities, deep cleans pores, helps remove makeup, and leaves the skin feeling refreshed, clean, and hydrated,” says Tim. Also, don't overlook foaming cleansers. These can remove oil and aren't too harsh on dry patches.
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
If your skin has a "tight and dry feeling," you know you've gone overboard, says Hewett. "It can also feel sensitive or shows signs of sensitivity with reddish, dry patches." Typically, this isn't so much about how frequently you're washing your face, but which cleanser you're using.