The order in which you apply your facial skincare products is important!

A good facial skincare routine is essential, since the skin on our faces is very sensitive and it is also exposed to aggressive external agents such as the cold, heat, dust and wind all year round. Overeating, drinking and smoking and lack of sleep are all noticeable in our skin.

Furthermore, our face is our “calling card” for the rest of the world, and we should make sure we give it the care it deserves for a healthy look, and to stave off the effects of ageing as much as we can.

The importance of keeping to a daily facial skincare routine

Adopting and keeping to a daily skin cleansing routine at home will help us get rid of dead skin cells and will give our skin more vitality, releasing any impurities and preventing premature ageing.

There are many benefits to good facial skincare:

• It eliminates dead skin cells and pollution: our skin builds up dirt and impurities during the day and it is important to get rid of them because they can block our pores.
• It oxygenates our skin because it activates our natural defences thereby allowing our skin to breathe better.
• It delays wrinkling and ageing in general, providing that we use the right cosmetics with anti-ageing active ingredients.
• Daily facial cleansing for people with acne reduces the oily feeling and gets rid of blackheads.
• It reduces the signs of fatigue, since if we don’t clean our faces properly every day our skin goes dull, sallow and lacks lustre.
• Since a facial skincare routine includes deep moisturising, our skin is more supple, healthy and looks younger.
• It improves the effects of makeup, because if our skin is clean, the cosmetics penetrate better, are enhanced and last longer.

Indispensables in a good skincare routine

Skincare is how we care for our skin to keep it healthy.  It is associated with the routines that we follow and the products we use for fresh, healthy skin. It involves using skincare products on our faces in the morning and at night, to achieve a healthy texture. The most important thing is perseverance, doing it every day without exception, even if you are tired or in a rush.

A good skincare routine should include the following steps: cleansing, nourishing and protecting, so that we can see the benefits of our routine.

The first thing we need to know is what type of skin we have so that we can find the right skincare routine. When we know what type of skin we have, we can then move on to our step by step facial skincare routine.

Skincare step by step: order to apply your products for the best results

Step 1: facial cleansing

This is perhaps the most important step to start our routine. Specialists recommend cleansing our faces in the morning and at night, although night cleansing is considered to be more important. It doesn’t matter whether you are wearing makeup or not, there is dust and pollution in the atmosphere which sticks to our faces and if we don’t clean it off properly, it can cause spots and blemishes. We should clean our faces with neutral face soap or special gel using circular movements, first with lukewarm water and then with cold water afterwards to help close the pores. If you are wearing makeup, you should first clean it off with a cotton makeup remover disc and micellar water for your eyes and the rest of your face. Keep a towel to use just for your face. Do not rub your face dry, dab it gently with the towel. If you prefer other cleansers, such as micellar water or cleansing milk, you should apply plenty of it to you face so that your skin does not absorb it quickly thus allowing it to cleanse your skin and get rid of makeup and impurities.

Step 2: exfoliation

For more complete hygiene we should exfoliate the skin on our faces either fortnightly or monthly, depending on our skin type. If your skin does not tolerate physical exfoliation like scrubs, you can use milder products that exfoliate your skin, such as tonic with glycolic acid (preferably in a low concentration), which helps to get rid of dead skin cells and will give shine to our skin and reduce blemishes.

Step 3: tone

Toning hydrates and refreshes our faces and reduces the pores. It restores the pH balance to our skin and adds a protective layer against environmental impurities and pollutants. It is best to use an alcohol-free toner. Toners that contain alcohol are recommended for skin with acne. It reduces inflammation of the affected area, controls sebum production and keeps our skin clean. It can be used for oily skin too, but with a lower alcohol concentration. One of the most common mistakes people make is using toner to clean their faces, because we usually apply it with a cotton disc. Toner only eliminates any remains left over after previous cleaning, and it therefore only works if our face is clean. 

Step 4: serum

If you are under 30 years old, you will not need any serum. Serum has a high concentration of active ingredients which are absorbed very quickly and penetrate deep down. It is used to treat specific skin problems and acts directly on the features of our skin, which could be shine, firmness, hydration, excessive sebum, etc. It is a way to nourish our skin through the use of a concentrated cosmetic product.

Step 5: eye cream

This is often a product that we tend to ignore and it is fundamental to treat the more sensitive parts where our skin is more delicate, meaning that it will age earlier. Furthermore, it helps fight off bags under our eyes and confers brightness to our eyes. We should apply it by gently dabbing it on using our ring finger, since this is the weakest finger on our hands. We should apply an amount similar to a grain of rice. There are some metal gadgets to apply eye cream to this area which will help us to apply the product and to absorb it better.

Step 6: hydration

Now is the time to apply moisturising or anti-ageing cream, which we use on our face and neck to prevent the skin from drying out, to protect it from early ageing and for a fresher, healthier, brighter look. It doesn’t matter what type of skin you have. This is one of the most important steps in our skincare routine, since it stimulates our skin to help prevent wrinkles or expression lines from appearing. By applying moisturising cream to our faces we nourish our skin. Choosing a cream that is suitable for your skin type and age is fundamental, depending on whether you have dry, sensitive, normal, mixed or oily skin.

Step 7: sun protection

To end our day routine, we just need to apply some sun cream, in winter and in summer, even on cloudy days. Basically, every day of the year. This cream protects our skin from UVA and UVB rays, avoiding blemishes from appearing caused by the sun and radiation on our skin, and it will also prevent early ageing.