If you’re anything like me, your skincare collection continues to grow, and it just may leave you wondering how to use everything! Now that you have determined your skin type, gone through the Custom Skin Quiz, and committed to a regimen, you might be unsure what is the best order to apply your products in. Applying your products in the correct order, and at the correct time of day is crucial to getting the most out of its formulas and benefits. In addition, the amount of product you use can be just as important. This skincare guide is here to help you through your skincare journey!

Function Of Each Skincare Step

Let’s start with the basics. If you’d like to start incorporating more than your essential 3-step cleanse, tone, and moisturize, you may be wondering why you should and how you would even add to your regimen. Are you going to add each step? Not necessarily, but if you are a skincare junkie like me, here are the basic functions and order of each step:

STEP 1: Cleanse
This step meets the skin’s basic need to be free of excess oil, dirt, and pollutants. If these impurities are not removed, you may experience dull, sallow skin; clogged, inflamed pores that can discolor and scar; or free radical oxidation that can damage cells, affect healthy cell renewal, irritate the skin, and initiate hyperpigmentation. To avoid these negative effects, cleansing should be performed twice daily.

STEP 2: Exfoliate
When environmental stressors and intrinsic aging begin to interfere with healthy cell renewal, the exfoliate step becomes important. Exfoliation helps remove dead cell buildup for smoother, more youthful-looking skin and can stimulate the cell renewal process. It’s important to exfoliate skin 1-2 times a week to remove dead skin cells that can clog pores.

STEP 3: Tone
Toning fulfills a basic daily need by preparing the skin to receive the benefits from other products and should be performed twice daily, after cleansing. Toning works in several ways. It calms and soothes the skin; toning also minimizes the appearance of pores and balances the skin’s pH. Tone to remove any excess oil while also balancing and calming skin, morning and evening.

STEP 4: Mask
The mask step meets an essential advanced need of the skin when the skin requires a concentrated application of key ingredients for an extended period of time. Plus, they feel AMAZING!

STEP 5: Target
Manage or target specific skin concerns by incorporating serums into your regimen. The order of products is dependent on the texture of the serum — apply the lightest serums first and end with the heaviest. Be sure to allow each product to absorb completely before moving on to the next. Skin needs will change with weather, season, and diet. It’s important to customize what serums you use based on your skin needs at the moment.

STEP 6: Treat
Like serums, treatments help to target manage or target specific skin concerns but are usually a bit thicker in texture. They usually will feel like a very heavy serum or extremely light cream. Be sure to allow each product to absorb completely before moving on to the next.

STEP 7: Eye Cream
The eye area is the most delicate of skin, so it’s important to use an eye cream in order to help prevent and fight the signs of aging.

STEP 8: Protect
Whether found in morning moisturizer or applied in addition to, SPF is essential in guarding your skin against harmful UV rays and environmental stressors. Sun damage degrades the moisture barrier and structural proteins and promotes discoloration—all signs of premature skin aging.

STEP 9: Moisturize
Moisturizing morning and evening is imperative in keeping balanced, hydrated skin. It also protects your skin from becoming too oily or too dry which can bring on other unwanted skin issues.

Morning vs. Evening Regimen

You may be looking at your products wondering how many times a day you should use them. Putting on your skincare products seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how important applying the right product at the right time can be. It’s recommended that you have an AM and PM regimen especially because not all products are meant to be used both day and night. You can use these as a quick reference.

Skincare Pyramid

Now that we covered what is recommended daily, you can use this infographic to help guide you on when to add in masks and more to amp up your regimen!

How Much Product Should You Apply?

You may be wondering how much of each product is sufficient. A little goes a long way! Many people tend to use too much skincare. 

Use this as a reference as to how much you should be using, just until you get the hang of it.

When layering your skincare, just make sure to let each product fully absorb in before you use the next one.

Regimen Guides

I have also put together regimen guides for each of the “All Things Beauty” skincare brands that I offer. The intention of these regimen guides is to do just that! Guide you, step by step, in your own journey to loving the skin you’re in! I encourage you to mix, match and layer your targeted and treatment products depending on (your mood!) or even the day or the season. Your journey will be different than another’s, so have fun custom curating your own! I hope this guide empowers you to make a commitment to being consistent in your skincare routine, thus achieving the results you deserve and desire!

Please note, all of my skincare brands can be intermixed to customize your regimen even more, so you don’t have to stick with one line! These guides are to showcase each line separately. Click on each guide to download your own copy.

Be sure to share your skincare journey with me! If you need help with a customized regimen, be sure to take my Custom Skin Quiz and I will reach out to set up an in-person or virtual consultation to help you.