Skin Care Routine Steps in Order

Ahh, the art of layering and timing of skin care products for maximum benefit. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the avalanche of products and systems out there. But it really doesn’t need to be complicated at all.
Here are the fundamentals of skin care routine steps in order — all you really need — with a progressive and holistic twist.
Start here. And stay here. Consistency matters.

Skin Care Routine Steps in Order:

Morning Skin Care Routine

Prepare skin with warm water. Splash face over sink or in shower.
Omit using a cleanser, as over-cleansing is disadvantageous in every way.
Pat your skin dry and immediately use a hydrating mist, while your pores are softened, absorbent, warmed and most available to receive ingredients. Omit toners and astringents; they just dry out your face. Instead, use spring water or better yet, real rose hydrosol (Devote) mixed with spring water. Doing this immediately is important, as there’s a short window when our skin has the capacity to absorb the most water.
Immediately apply a hydrating serum (Balance, Fortify, or Feast) that does NOT contain sun-sensitizing ingredients (traditional retinols, vitamin C). Learn about “holistic actives,” like Dermal Nutrients that can be used safely for incredible glow without the risk of inflammation and sun sensitivity that leads to accelerating aging.
Before this slippery serum evaporates, apply an oil-rich moisturizer on top. This prevents the hydration from evaporating; it traps it in your skin, so you can reap the benefits all day. This also supports your natural skin barrier function, which is fundamental to skin health. Every single skin issue — yes, all of them — (acne, congestion, clogged pores, patchiness, sun damage, hypersensitivity and aging skin) benefit from an oil-rich moisturizer. Barrier restoration is a universal requirement for all skin types and symptoms.
Two Phase Moisturizing Butter Application: Stamp generously onto wet serumed skin using entire palms. It will look glumpy and uneven. Wait 1-3 minutes before massaging and smoothing into skin.
Wear sunscreen. There are many clean, lightweight sunscreens on the market these days so no need to use chemically SPFs any longer. All sunscreens must be reapplied every two to three hours to maintain protection. Ask me about the medical grade UV blocking serum I sell.

Morning and evening routines should be the same except a cleanser, exfoliation and “active” serums are incorporated into the evening routine. And of course, sunscreen is added for the mornings as the final layer and omitted from the evening routine.

Night Skin Care Routine

Prepare skin with warm water, steam and an optional gentle wash cloth. Use gentle cleansers only if you must, and experiment with using a bit of coconut oil instead. Only use a gentle cleanser if you have a lot of nonnatural makeup and/or stubborn sunscreen. Often, even gentle cleansers are not necessary and will only contribute to drying out your skin unnecessarily. You will be surprised to see that warm water cleansing will be perfectly sufficient.
Exfoliate your skin, but only one to two times a month- and never in the morning. Daily and weekly exfoliation is too often and will only exasperate all long-term problems. Enzymes are the best way to exfoliate. Glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids are all too harsh, so avoid these common, conventional “anti-aging and acne” ingredients. Discover Dermal Nutrients as the holistic and nutritive upgrade to constant over-exfoliation. Inspire new skin cells with topical nutrients instead of giving your skin another burden to bear.
Pat your skin dry and immediately use a hydrating mist. Again, omit toners and astringents; instead, choose spring water or real rose hydrosol (Devote). This is identical to the morning.
Immediately apply a hydrating serum that does contain active ingredients. Learn about holistic actives, like Dermal Nutrients, which inspire cell turnover without the inflammation associated with traditional actives like traditional retinols and acids. A vitamin C serum is best applied in an evening routine.
Before the serum evaporates, apply an oil-rich moisturizer on top, using the two phase application described in the AM instructions, in order to prevent this hydration from evaporating. This is the same step as the morning routine, but consider using extra. Time this routine sooner rather than later in your evening, so by the time your cheek hits the pillow, your skin has had 30 to 60 minutes to absorb all this.

Keep learning about what the new paradigm shift means for your skin…practically.
Harm to heal is OUT and Nourish to Heal is IN.
Real healing is a beautiful process.
Check out my other skin related blog entries:

About the author

I took many wrong turns when I started learning about skin at 19. The more I spent on skincare, equipment, and training, the further I felt from actually helping skin. I was frustrated with only being able to oﬀer temporary and superficial solutions at best. What emerged from the disappointment and turmoil, I now call, The Regenerative Skin Process. Skin Harmonics is a dedicated medical fusion holistic skincare clinic that provides a root cause approach delivering lifetime skin health through medical grade skin care products, new learning, and Deep Pore Cleansing Facials.