Why “simple” and “less is more” should be your guiding principles for a skincare routine order.
Your skin doesn’t need an endless array of products to look its best. The key is to focus on fewer steps with high-quality, multi-functional products. This not only saves time (and money) but also lets your skin thrive without irritation. Let’s look into the easy principles of a simple and effective skincare routine order for all skin types, where each step has a purpose and your beauty shines naturally.
Step 1: Gentle Cleansing
Start with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, excess oil, and impurities without stripping your skin. For a natural option, try chickpea flour mixed with water. It cleanses effectively while offering a mild exfoliating massage. This single step refreshes your skin and preps it for the next phases. Perfect for all skin types.
If your skin isn’t prone to acne or is not oily, consider this step only a nighttime skincare routine necessity after a day of being active and/or wearing makeup. Skip this step in the morning to allow your natural sebum and your own microbiome to do their job in keeping your skin resilient.
Step 2: Toning with Purpose
A face toner restores balance and supports your skin’s protective barrier. Simply put, a facial toner creates a hostile environment for the bad bacteria that cause irritation and inflammation and at the same time, creates a supportive environment for the good bacteria, protecting our skin. See our detailed Face Toner post to learn of the best face toner ingredients. A simple DIY toner made with water and a few drops of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice is effective and affordable. Sweep it across your skin with a cotton pad to hydrate and prepare it for nourishment.
Step 3: Nourish with Pure Facial Oil, Essence, Serum
Depending on your skin type or your skin conditions, this step is for targeted nourishment with face serums or essences.
If your essence or serum includes a facial oil, make sure it is of the highest purity, purification makes any face oil non comedigenic and healing. For a universal option, try rice bran oil or squalane. They are non comedogenic oils that suit all skin types, helping to reduce redness, enhance radiance, and lock in moisture. Use just 3-4 drops on damp skin and massage gently for optimal absorption.
Step 4: Lock in Hydration with Moisturizer
A moisturizer complements the benefits of facial oil by sealing in hydration and forming a protective barrier. Choose a lightweight, non-irritating moisturizer that aligns with your skin type. Apply a small amount after your facial oil/essence/serum to keep your skin supple and smooth throughout the day or night.
Step 5: Rejuvenate with Gua Sha
Learn a gua sha routine to turn your skincare routine into time for self care. Almost everybody can work with a gua sha stone right from the very beginning. Gua Sha tools can be made out of stone, semi-precious stones (like Pari Satiss Gua Sha Stone) or metal. Leran more about gua sha tools here. Even a quick gua sha routine improves circulation, reduces puffiness, releases muscle tension, and helps with detoxification and skin rejuvenation. If you are new to gua sha, start with our 5-minute Follow Aling Gua Sha Ritual for Beginners.
Embrace Skinimalism
By simplifying your routine, you reduce the risk of overloading your skin with unnecessary products that can irritate or overwhelm it. With a gentle cleanser, face toner, a pure facial oil/serum/essence, a nourishing moisturizer, and a gua sha routine, you’ll achieve vibrant, supple and bouncy skin while enjoying the simplicity of a simple skincare routine. Celebrate your natural beauty with less effort and more impact.
