Skincare for beginners: How to layer your skincare products
If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the middle of the Priceline with four different products in your hand and a vague ringing in your ears, you are not alone. Trying to establish any kind of beginner skincare routine can be tricky; with a plethora of products now on the market, it’s hard to keep track of what you need and when you need it.
So if you’re new to skincare, it’s best to keep your products minimal and follow the thinnest to thickest rule. This rule-of-thumb may have been floating around for as long as anyone can remember – who’s to say Cleopatra wasn’t whispering ‘thinnest-to-thickest!’ after her milk baths – but when it comes to skincare 101 for beginners, it’s an important one to keep in mind.
Why the thinnest-to-thickest rule is a thing
Generally speaking, thicker products are occlusive meaning they are moisturising agents that form a protective layer on the surface of the skin to help lock in hydration.
Applying those thicker products first can actually prevent the thinner products from penetrating through that layer, rendering them redundant.
If you go thinner to thicker, though, you can be confident that your products with active ingredients will be absorbed into your skin, and then locked in with the richer products.
Skincare 101 for beginners: 4 simple steps
Photo credit: Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels
Step 1: Cleanse
Keeping all of that in mind, the first step in any beginner skincare routine is always going to be cleanse. And that doesn’t matter whether it’s morning or evening, or whether you’re wearing makeup or not.
Yes, cleansing your face at night removes any dirt, oil, bacteria and pollutants that have built up during the day. But even if you’ve just woken up, your skin needs to be clean to allow your other products to do what they do best. So, before you start any other layering: Cleanse.
Enter our Cleanse + Glow Micellar Water, which doesn’t just cleanse. Oh no; it also exfoliates, tones, hydrates and removes make-up. It truly does take all the trickiness out of skincare for beginners. Winning!
Step 2: Treat
This is the step that is going to be slightly different for every beginner skincare routine, depending on your skin type and skin concerns.
Exfoliation can be incorporated at this stage; aim for two to three times a week.
Next up is any serums or active ingredients (make sure you give your serums a couple of minutes to really be absorbed into the skin before moving on to any other targeted products you may use) followed by masking, about once a week.
Our clever Sleep + Glow Overnight Mask both exfoliates and hydrates - and all while you sleep!
Photo credit: Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels
Step 3: Moisturise
And then comes that luscious hydration. If you choose to incorporate an eye cream into your skincare routine, gently tap your chosen product into the under eye area with your ring finger.
Press your moisturiser into your face and smooth in. Or, if you like your moisturiser with a side of convenience, try our Spray + Glow Daily Moisturiser which can also double as a primer. Divine.
Step 4: Sunscreen OR facial oil
The final step in your beginner skincare routine really does depend on whether you’re about to head out for the day, or you’re about to head to bed. If it’s the former, it’s time for sunscreen. But if it’s the latter and you’re about to pay a well-deserved visit to the Land of Nod - that’s good night for you!
And that is skincare 101 for beginners. Remember, layering skincare doesn’t have to be complicated, if you keep the ‘thinnest-to-thickest’ rule in the back of your mind. And, to even further simplify proceedings, why not check out our skincare sets? We’ve done all the heavy lifting for you; now, it’s as easy as 1, 2.
Title image photo credit: Photo by KoolShooters from Pexels