Whether you're interested in taking better care of your skin or you have no idea about skincare, skin hygiene should be practiced by everyone. It's very important to protect your skin barrier to prevent sun damage, wrinkles and fast aging.
First thing is, you will need to know your skin type. Finding the right products for your skin starts with knowing the skin type you have. There are mainly three different skin types that people have: oily skin, combination skin and dry skin. Once you know your skin type, it is much easier to identify problem areas of your skin and determine which products you should use. The type of skincare routine of one's skin depends on the individual and what problem areas they want to improve on.
The first step to a skincare routine would be using a cleanser to wash your face. Ideally, one should use a cleanser twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. If you wear make-up, it is essential to use an oil-based cleanser and then a foam cleanser to ensure all the make-up products are washed off. In this case, you should use an oil-based cleanser on a round cotton pad to dissolve your eye make-up first. Then slather a dime-sized amount of foam cleanser, rinse and pat dry with a towel. If you don't wear make-up, you should just follow the latter.
The next step would be to use a toner. This step is often said by skincare experts as the most important step as it lowers the pH of your skin. It also helps absorb all the other products into your skin, especially moisturizer and serums. After toner is applied, moisturizer and serums should be applied immediately so that the products are effectively absorbed into the skin.
The last step to your routine depends on whether it's day or night time. If during the day, some products from your night routine may be swapped for something else and vice versa. Applying sunscreen on your face is the most essential part of the last step for morning skin routines, and night creams or sleeping masks are optional/occasional for night routines.