The Simplest Skincare Routine

Caring for your skin in just 3 steps

I wanted to create the simplest skincare routine to make it easy to care for your skin in just 3 steps. This routine is super easy to do even when super busy with everything going on in your life.

Before we begin, the most important step in a skincare routine is starting! The next is doing it again tomorrow. A consistent skincare routine is the key to softer, healthier looking skin. Given the importance of habit building we have created a blog with several habit building techniques here.

The 3 most important skincare treatments are a cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen. These address three of the most common challenges with the skin: dirt/oil build-up, skin dryness and sun damage.

If you are unsure on how to use a product or how much product to use, please look at the “How to Use” section on our product pages. I have done my best to make it as easy to follow as possible, even for beginners.

Cleanser

Make-up, oil, dirt and bacteria build up on our skin throughout the day which can cause oily skin, breakouts or red patches. A cleanser cleans the build-up while being softer than normal soaps. A cleanser also allows for your skin to absorb other skincare products better since the build-up can act as a barrier to other treatments.

Some cleansers like the popular COSRX Calming Foam Cleanser also include Salicylic Acid which can help with acne and breakouts.

We had to include a cleanser in our routine because a clean face is critical to avoid break-outs and an oily appearance.

Moisturiser

Moisturisers help prevent dry skin. Dry skin is the cause of a lot of the symptoms we associate with ageing like hard wrinkles and dry texture. When you have dry skin it can feel itchy or irritated, it is more sensitive to the sun, wrinkles and lines look harder and is less elastic.

Your skin will feel much softer after you use a moisturiser. I notice that my wrinkles are less prominent and my skin bounces back better after smiling or frowning when I am regularly moisturising. A facial moisturiser absorbs easier and feels better on your skin than generic moisturisers which is what we recommend. For the rest of your body we recommend an affordable moisturiser from a chemist like the various Aveeno Moisturising Lotions.

Moisturisers may contain additional ingredients to further improve your skin, but for a basic routine we recommend a simple moisturiser suitable for daily use.

We included a moisturiser for the simple reason that dry skin looks unhealthy.

Sunscreen

Harmful UV rays from the sun damage our skin. The more we are exposed the more our skin is damaged. Sun burn is the acute version of this, but over our lifetime the damage can build up. You can use a sunscreen daily to help minimise the damage, but most sunscreens are tacky and heavy which clogs your skin and causes break-outs.

We had to include a daily facial sunscreen in our routine because they are lighter than traditional sunscreens while still protecting against harmful UV rays. It is a lot easier to use a daily facial sunscreen when you don’t have to deal with the tacky feeling or breakouts. See the end of our article for some examples.

When you are expecting to be in the sun for extended periods and are sweating or you are swimming at the beach/pool we recommend you use a more heavy-duty sunscreen. Facial sunscreens are generally lighter and wear out sooner, so we recommend reapplying these regularly (every 2 hours when outside).

The Routine

The basic routine I follow is a morning routine and an evening routine.

Morning Routine:

In the morning after brushing my teeth, I start with a cleanser. If I’m short on time in the morning, I use a warm wet cloth to gently wipe my face.
Next, I pat my face with tissue paper to remove the bulk of water without fully drying my skin.
While my skin is still damp, I apply a facial moisturiser. If I am applying make-up, I will usually wait a few minutes for the moisturiser to absorb before applying.
Before leaving the house, I apply my daily sunscreen.

Evening Routine:

In the evening I use the cleanser while in the shower.
Immediately after the shower I pat my face with tissue paper to remove the bulk of water without fully drying my skin.
While my skin is still damp, I apply a facial moisturiser.

Recommendations:

We recommend trying out a few cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreens to figure out what you like and don’t like. We have listed a few options below broken down by price range. All of them are good, but if you’re still unsure, my personal recommendations for each category are the COSRX Calming Foam Cleanser, the Pyunkang Yul Moisture Cream and the iUNIK Centella Daily Sunscreen.

Cleanser: