The Best Skincare Routine for Glowing, Healthy Skin

Achieving glowing, healthy skin doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. All you need to do is follow the right skincare routine—and once you find one that works, stick with it! Following the right skincare routine every morning and night can provide your skin with essential nutrients and prevent it from drying out, which can help keep wrinkles and fine lines at bay, too. Here are some tips on how to find the best skincare routine for your face type and to make sure you’re taking care of yourself properly each day.

Morning Routine

Starting your day with skin care is an essential practice to keep your skin glowing.  3 products every woman needs in her skincare arsenal: AHA/BHA exfoliant: While many people skip over exfoliants because they think they will leave their skin feeling dry and tight, many women are actually surprised by how refreshingly soft their skin feels after using one. The glycolic acid in AHAs and salicylic acid in BHAs gently slough away dead cells to reveal new, radiant skin underneath.

Here’s a rundown of how to prepare your skin before you go out into daylight.

First, wash off any last traces of the night before with a gentle face wash, then follow up with a toner or astringent that can help remove any lingering dirt or oil. Next, apply a hydrating serum—this helps add moisture back into your skin and preps it for sunscreen. Finally, top it all off with SPF-packed moisturizer (with at least SPF 30).

My morning routine includes:

• Wash:
  • Green People’s facial foaming wash
• Moisture:
  • Avene moisturising cream
• Serum: (rotating between / sometimes combining)
  • Bielenda’s super power Mezo serum
  • The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid +B5
  • The Ordinary’s Lactic acid + HA
• Anti-aging treatment:
  • Medik8 Retinao 3TR
  • Medik8 C-tetra eye
  • Medik8 Advanced eye protect

If you are over 40 and dealing with fine lines or other problems such as dull skin or discoloration, then don’t be afraid to add products in that can help tackle your aging concerns.  Over-the-counter retinols can smooth out wrinkles and even out discoloration while also reducing pore size. These prescription-strength versions of vitamin A have been shown to reduce wrinkles by up to 25 percent within six months of use (and keep them at bay for years). Over time, retinols actually increase collagen production which is essential for keeping your skin firm. Hyaluronic acid, another great ingredient for anti-aging skincare, works a bit differently than retinols but it’s just as effective. Hyaluronic acid draws water into your skin from its surroundings and helps retain moisture so that you stay hydrated longer—even when conditions aren’t ideal. The result? It plumps up your skin, so it looks smoother and firmer.

Night-time routine

I like to use very sensitive and gentle cleansing routine to remove any dirt and make up at the end of the day. So that I can treat any problem areas, fine lines or patches in need of rehydration more effectively.  I personally opt for Simple’s eye makeup remover, followed by Green peoples’ foaming face wash with Clary Sage and end with Beauty pie’s Japan Fusion transforming cleanser wash.    Once I have washed my face, I can treat any problem areas with my choice of face toner. In particular I am using Medik8’s pore minimising tonic on my nose and chin and Medik8’s intelligent retinol eye TR just around the under eye and brow bones.

I then moisturise my face with a layer of Avene’s recovery cream and use oil on my neck and chest sometimes topping up any dry areas with the leftover oil on my hands.

Moisturising your face with oil

If you have oily skin, it can feel like moisturisers leave your face looking shiny. But using an oil-based product to lock in moisture is actually a good idea if you have oily skin! Try massaging a very small amount of jojoba or rosehip oil into your face before applying lotion. The oil will help balance out your sebum and create an ideal foundation for makeup application.

Cleansing in the right order

Cleanse your skin every morning and every night with a mild cleanser. The morning cleanser should be designed to rid your skin of impurities that can clog pores while you sleep—the A.M. hours are when you’re most likely to break out thanks to hormones raging (plus oil production skyrockets). If you have oily or acne-prone skin, opt for a creamy formula with salicylic acid; it’ll penetrate pores and dissolve dead cells better than water alone. If you have dry skin, look for a gentle gel formula that won’t strip away moisture. And if you wear makeup, don’t forget to remove it first! Your evening cleanse is all about making sure your face is clear of any last traces of dirt or makeup before bedtime so that nothing interferes with restorative sleep.

Putting on sunscreen properly

Sunscreen is an important part of any skincare routine because sun damage is one of the leading causes of premature aging. When you’re out in direct sunlight, your skin is exposed to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from both UVA and UVB rays. These high-energy waves penetrate deep into skin cells, causing damage that can lead to wrinkles, age spots, sagging skin and even cancerous tumours over time. Sunscreen provides some protection against these damaging rays by absorbing or reflecting them. There are two types of sunscreens: physical and chemical. Physical sunscreens contain minerals such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which physically block light from reaching your skin. Chemical sunscreens use ingredients like oxybenzone to absorb light before it reaches your skin.  Although makeup with SPF sounds like a great idea, be aware that most makeup doesn’t provide enough coverage or broad-spectrum protection to make up for not wearing sunscreen. For example, many foundations only have SPF 15 or less; at best, they might protect against UVB rays but do nothing to shield your skin from UVA damage. If you wear makeup on a regular basis, apply a daily moisturizer with SPF first. Then add foundation if desired. The moisturizer will help create an even base so your foundation will go on smoothly and evenly—and it will offer much more sun protection than just using foundation alone. Be sure to choose a moisturizer with broad-spectrum coverage that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

How to keep your skin clear without products

The number one rule to follow is to avoid your triggers. This sounds much easier than it actually is. If you have eczema, psoriasis or acne it’s important to identify what your triggers are so that you can try and prevent flare ups from occurring. Some examples of common skin triggers include stress or anxiety, extreme weather changes and too much sun exposure. Drinking water is a great way to keep your skin clear and glowing. Water helps flush out toxins from our bodies, which in turn helps our skins appearance.

Overall, a skincare routine extends beyond your morning and night-time routine and into the way in which you face the day and take care of yourself.  Self-care and skincare go hand in hand.