How to Create a Skin Care Routine for Beginners

When I started getting into skin care, I had no idea what my routine should look like. I pretty much just bought any product I could recognize from ads, unaware of what my skin really needed. The truth is, skin care is so incredibly personal to each individual person. While I write about a ton of different skin care products on this blog, what works for me may not work for you, and what’s disastrous for me might be your new holy grail. Let’s go over how to create a skin care routine, the basic products you need to get started, and which ones will work for your skin type.

How to Create a Skin Care Routine for Beginners | Basic Skin Care Routines | Slashed Beauty

The first step to curating the perfect skin care routine for you is identifying your skin type.

Skin Types:

Normal: Having “normal” skin means, for the most part, your skin looks and feels balanced. You might feel some oil on your face, but not enough to disturb your makeup. You don’t deal with dry or flaky areas.

Oily: Oily skin tends to look shiny or feel greasy throughout the day.

Dry: If your skin often feels flaky and tight, or looks dull without a natural glow, you probably have dry skin.

Combination: Combination (or “combo”) skin is a mix of normal, oily and/or dry spots on the face. Most commonly, oilier areas include the T-Zone (forehead, nose, chin) while cheeks and under-eyes feel normal or dry.

Any of these skin types can also be considered sensitive, which means that your skin may react easily with rashes, itchiness, or redness to certain products. Or, you may have acne-prone skin, and you experience breakouts somewhat regularly.

A Basic Skin Care Routine for Beginners: Cleanser, Toner, SPF, Night Moisturizer | How to Create a Skin Care Routine for Beginners | Slashed Beauty
Basic Skin Care Routine for Beginners: Cleanser, Toner, SPF, Night Moisturizer

Luckily, many brands have made it easy in labelling their skin care products for the type of skin they’re meant for. Depending on your skin type and concerns, some people may need more steps in their routine than others, but you’ll want to start out with the basic steps. According to estheticians, adding too many steps to a routine too soon can spell disaster in the form of excessive breakouts or purging because it’s a shock to your skin. Let’s start simple.

Basic Skin Care Routine:

  1. Cleanser: Use both morning and night to remove dirt, oil, and product residue.
  2. Toner: This product helps rebalance skin after cleansing. Many offer extra skin benefits like exfoliation or a hydration boost.
  3. Sunscreen and/or Moisturizer: Always wear an SPF moisturizer during the day to protect your skin from the sun. At night, opt for a nourishing cream to help replenish your skin.

If you have skin concerns such as acne, dark spots, excessive oil, or wrinkles, you may consider adding a serum to your routine. Serums target specific skin care needs with concentrated ingredients, and are applied after toner and before moisturizer. For example, benefits of Vitamin C serum include a smoother texture, brightening the skin, and fading dark spots. Another personal favorite is Glycolic Acid, which works as an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells, minimizes and unclogs pores, and reduces the appearance of fine lines.

Don’t forget makeup remover, which should start off your routine before your cleanser. Using both makeup remover and cleanser is called double cleansing, and ensures your face is free of any product and residue. While makeup wipes are popular and convenient, a cleansing balm is usually more effective at dissolving heavier makeup products.

Product Recommendations:

Here are a few highly rated skin care products for all skin types to get you started on creating your skin care routine from scratch.

Normal Skin:
Look for gentle face washes, nourishing toners, and a moisturizer that doesn’t feel too heavy.

Oily Skin:
Balancing toners and lightweight moisturizers will be the backbone of your routine.

Dry Skin:
Hydrating cleansers, calming toners and rich moisturizers will keep your skin feeling more comfortable and bring back a glow.

Combo Skin:
Finding your goldilocks moisturizer will be the most challenging part of your routine, and may change with the season. Use gentle cleansers and balancing toners to achieve more even skin.

Acne Prone Skin:
Exfoliating toners, and those with active ingredients that target acne, will help with clogged pores and clear blemishes. Look for fragrance-free options when possible. Optional: consider using serums for acne-prone skin.

 
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and you’re still not happy with your skin, it’s always a good idea to seek input from a dermatologist. I used Curology from 2014-2019, which gave me access to dermatologist consultations and prescription acne treatment without insurance. It was super helpful, but now I’m finally at a point where I can manage my skin on my own with a solid routine. It’s been a lot of trial and error, but it feels so good when you get it right!

What does your daily skin care routine look like?

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8 Comments

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  2. This is a really helpful article and provides useful and accessible skin care tips. Love that sunscreen is a must on any basic daily skin care routine. Sun protection is so important as UV rays from the sun are a leading cause of skin damage and premature skin aging. Thanks for calling it out.

      1. Glad to hear! It seems like more and more folks are feeling that way. SPF is really a fundamental element of a skin care routine. Love how your article gets the word out!

  3. First off the break down was amazing, and where was this post when I was a teen !!! I will be recommending this post to my friends that are stilly struggling with their skin types and such, also when you hit your mid 20’s you oddly change and than you have to start all over again. Also another great scrub for comb is any from Neutrogena or Garnier. This was amazing post thank you !!

    Katie | https://ktmcgworld.blogspot.ca

    1. That is a great point– my skin has changed a LOT over the years and also changes with the season!

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