The Best Skincare Routine Order For Healthy, Glowing Skin

Follow these steps for radiant, flawless skin.

By Lindsey Matthews — Written on Sep 22, 2020

Photo: Getty

Working super hard to brighten up a dull complexion but still don’t know the best skincare routine order for healthy, glowing skin? You’ve come to the right place!

Many of us have been upping our skincare game during quarantine and paying extra close attention to our complexions. Even though we’re putting in our best effort, it can be confusing to know where to start or what products to buy.

It’s no secret that there has been a serious increase in the number of different skincare routines we see online as well as how many options there are in terms of products. The skincare industry generates a global revenue of roughly 17 billion a year. It is one of the fastest-growing industries due to the fact that it is purchased by, well, everyone. Every person in your household — from your 80-year-old grandmother to your middle-aged dad all the way down to your 12-year-old sister — is using some form of skincare.

Long gone are the days of going to the drugstore and buying whatever product looked the cutest.

With the extra pressure to look flawless on social media and real life, we’re more interested than ever in achieving our skin goals as fast as possible. Skincare companies and beauty bloggers have taken notice of this, and sometimes it can seem like everywhere you look a product or routine is being shoved in your face.

So, let’s cut through all the red tape and figure out what products you should actually be using for your skin type as well as what order to layer them in.

Best Skincare Routine Order

When it comes to layering, a good rule of thumb to stick to is the thinnest to thickest rule.

You’re not going to put a thin liquid serum on top of an ultra-thick moisturizer. When in doubt, think about layering in order of product consistency. Confusing, I know. Don’t worry, all the information you need for the best skincare routine order for healthy, glowing skin is put together into an organized routine below.

Step One: Cleanse

This is the first and most obvious step to getting the radiant skin of your dreams. While it may seem like a no brainer, it’s actually very common that people use the wrong cleanser. Not all face wash is created equally and it’s important to pick one that’s best for your skin type.

Pro tip: Avoid products with ingredients like microbeads and harsh chemicals.

Best Cleanser For Oily Skin: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser For Oily Skin

Best Cleanser For Dry/Sensitive Skin: CereVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Best Cleanser For Combo Skin: Combination Skin Flawless Facial Cleanser With Green Tea And Acai Berry

Best Cleanser For Aging Skin: Insta-Natural Vitamin C Facial Cleanser

Step Two: Tone

While your cleanser should be doing most of the dirty work, a toner will help to wipe away any extra dirt or dead skin cells left behind.

In my opinion, this is one of the most important steps in a healthy skincare routine. You will be surprised how much gunk is left behind even after you wash your face. Apply toner to a cotton round and gently wipe your face until the cotton round comes off clean.

Best Toner For Oily Skin: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner

Best Toner For Dry/Sensitive Skin: Andalou Natural Clementine + C Illuminating Toner

Best Toner For Combo Skin: RAYA Glycolic Facial Toner

Best Toner For Aging Skin: Simplified Skin Glycolic Acid Toner

Step Three: Serum

Serums are an important step to fight against aging and to help even your skin tone. Using the right serum for your skin type will help replenish your skin with vitamins to give it an extra boost.

Pump a little more than a dime-sized amount into your hands and apply it to your face, neck, and chest.

Best Serum For Oily Skin: SKINFOOD Peach Sake Pore Serum

Best Serum For Dry/Sensitive Skin: Breylee Hydrating Rose Face Serum

Best Serum For Combo Skin: Mylansea Hydrating Face Serum

Best Serum For Aging Skin: Kale And Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum

Step Four: Eye Cream

A good eye cream has the power to make it look like you've been drinking plenty of water and getting a full eight hours of sleep a night. If you're like me you haven't done either of those things since maybe 2010 and your under-eye bags are giving you away. The correct eye cream will make you look rested and ready to tackle your day, even if you're not.

Eye cream is also designed to fight off crow's feet and creping skin. Apply a pea-sized amount with your ring finger, dabbing gently around the delicate eye area.

Best Eye Cream For Oily Skin: Pure Biology Premium Total Eye Cream

Best Eye Cream For Dry/Sensitive Skin: Burt's Bees Eye Cream For Sensitive Skin

Best Eye Cream For Combo Skin: Eminence Bearberry Eye Repair Cream

Best Eye Cream For Aging Skin: Caffeine Infused Coffee Eye Lift Cream

Step Five: Spot Treatments

Not everyone will be incorporating this step into their skincare routine. Spot treatments are a good option for acne-prone skin and should be used only on the affected area.

Because spot treatments are super concentrated to reduce the size of a pimple, it should only be applied in small amounts. To apply, put a pea-sized amount on your finger and apply it to each pimple or break out.

Spot Treatment For Oily Skin: Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment For Oily Skin

Spot Treatment For Dry/Sensitive Skin: Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Spot Treatment

Spot Treatment For Combo Skin: ACURE Incredibly Clear Acne Spot Treatment

Spot Treatment For Aging Skin: Glo Skin Clear Skin Spot Treatment

Step Six: Moisturizer

Moisturizer will help to lock in all of the products you have applied and keep your skin hydrated. Ensuring that your skin has enough hydration will help you age gracefully and defend against pesky wrinkles.

Step Seven: Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the most important step to include in your routine. If you don't use any of the above, please at least use sunscreen. Sunscreen should be worn every day of every season, rain or shine. It will protect your skin from skin cancer, dark spots, and wrinkles caused by the sun's harmful UV rays.

Try to use SPF 30 or above, but generally the higher the SPF, the better.

Sunscreen For Oily Skin: Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy, Oil-Free Face and Body Sunscreen. SPF 50

Sunscreen For Dry/Sensitive Skin: COOLA Organic Classic Daily Face Sunscreen

Sunscreen For Combo Skin: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen

Sunscreen For Aging Skin: REN Clean Screen Mineral Mattifying Face Sunscreen

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