How to Build the Perfect Skin Care Routine for Your Skin Type (2025)

A basic skincare routine includes cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen in the morning, and cleanser and moisturizer at night. Products vary by skin type, and extra steps can be added as needed.

Jump to Key Takeaways.

How to Order Your Skin Care

Below is the recommended order for skin care products; however, please note that many of these steps are optional, especially if you have sensitive skin. The more products you add to your routine, the higher the risk of skin irritation.

Be sure to layer products in the correct order to get the full benefit. For example, applying a thick occlusive (barrier-forming) moisturizer before a serum might make the serum less likely to penetrate the skin.

Consider Your Skin Type

It's important to alter your skin care routine to best suit your skin type. Tailoring your skin care routine is essential for these skin types:

• Oily: You may use salicylic acid toners and avoid oil cleansers.
• Dry: You may focus on moisturizers, hydrating serums, and ingredients that lock in moisture.
• Sensitive: You may want to avoid retinoids or using too many products.

Consider:

• Your skin type can change through the years, or even with the seasons. Dermatologists recommend making your skin care routine adjustable, consistent, and tailored (ACT).
• Adjust your routine, such as adding in thicker moisturizer in the winter or using an exfoliating toner less frequently when your skin feels dry.
• Aim to be consistent with your routine, performing it every day and night, and testing products for 30 days to see if they're working.

Morning Skin Care Routine

Your morning skin care routine prepares your skin for the day ahead, protecting it from pollution and ultraviolet (UV) rays:

• It will likely include cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen at a minimum.
• You can add steps in the following order as needed.
• Be cautious of irritation caused by using too many products.

Step 1: Cleanser

Dermatologists recommend cleansing your skin twice a day, in the morning and at night, and after activities that cause sweating:

• Opt for a mild, noncomedogenic (meaning it doesn't clog pores) cleanser, especially if you have acne.
• Gently wash your skin with your fingertips in a circular motion, rather than scrubbing with an abrasive washcloth.
• Afterward, wash the cleanser off with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Some people with sensitive skin find that cleansing with water in the morning is sufficient, and over-cleansing with products can irritate their skin.

Step 2: Toner

Toner is a lightweight liquid that further removes dirt, oil, and impurities and balances the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of your skin. You can apply it with a cotton pad or spritz it onto your face, depending on the specific product.

Toner is an optional step that can vary greatly depending on which type of toner you choose to use (if any). Some older toners are astringent (meaning they shrink or contract tissues) and alcohol-based. As a result, they will likely irritate and dry out your skin, and you should avoid them.

Newer toners can be hydrating or exfoliating, depending on what you choose for your skin type. You should use exfoliating toners only a couple of times a week.

Step 3: Spot Treatments

Most skin care products are applied evenly over the entire face, but spot treatments are applied directly to acne, hyperpigmentation (dark spots or areas), scars, or other specific skin concerns.

Spot treatments containing salicylic acid, azelaic acid, tea tree oil, or benzoyl peroxide are used for acne or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (the discolored spots some people develop after acne breakouts).

Step 4: Serums

Serums are lightweight water- or oil-based liquids that often come in a dropper bottle. They are spread across your face and contain high concentrations of ingredients that target concerns like aging, hydration, skin dullness, and more.

For your morning skin care routine, dermatologists often recommend a vitamin C serum because it can protect your skin from UV rays throughout the day, especially when combined with vitamin E and ferulic acid.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can prevent and reduce dark spots, reverse sun damage, stimulate new collagen (a structural protein in the skin), and more. However, vitamin C serums are strong and can be irritating to some skin types, so keep this in mind if you have sensitive skin.

Step 5: Eye Cream

The under-eye area is delicate and susceptible to damage from UV rays and other factors, so it can show early signs of aging. Eye creams can help hydrate your sensitive under-eye area in the morning or at night.

Morning eye creams often contain sunscreen ingredients and vitamin C to protect your skin from the sun's rays, or caffeine to brighten the skin. Dermatologists recommend applying eye cream with your ring finger, which is your weakest finger and will not pull at your skin as much.

Step 6: Moisturizer

Moisturizer is one of the dermatologist-recommended steps for every basic skin care routine (even if you have oily or acne-prone skin). It comes in gel, cream, or ointment form. It helps add moisture to your skin, prevents water from leaving your skin, and maintains your skin barrier.

To reduce steps in your skin care routine, some people opt for morning moisturizers that also contain sunscreen.

Step 7: Sunscreen

Applying sunscreen in the morning is an essential part of everyone's skin care routine, no matter the color of your skin, the weather, or the time of year. Make sure you apply sunscreen every day before you go outside, even if it's a cloudy day. Sunscreen can prevent sunburn, skin cancer, and signs of aging.

The American Academy of Dermatology advises applying sunscreen that is:

• Sun protection factor (SPF) 30 or greater
• Broad spectrum (blocks both UVA and UVB rays)
• Water-resistant

You can opt for a chemical or mineral sunscreen, tinted sunscreen, gel or cream sunscreen, or whatever feels best. People with sensitive skin may prefer mineral sunscreen, which is less irritating, while those with oily skin may prefer the lighter consistency of gel sunscreen.

Step 8: Makeup

Makeup isn't part of a skin care routine, per se, but many people opt for it. If you choose to wear makeup, apply it after completing your skin care routine (including applying sunscreen).

Evening Skin Care Routine

Your evening skin care routine helps remove debris that accumulates over the course of the day and prepares your skin for a restorative night of sleep.

A few skin care routine steps, such as retinoids, are more suitable for nighttime because they can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Again, you don't need to use every product or step below, but this is the correct order of use.

Step 1: Cleanser

Cleansing is an important part of every skin care routine, especially at night. Your skin collects dirt, oil, pollution, dead skin cells, and more throughout the day. Cleaning it off can keep your skin healthy.

It's trendy to double cleanse, first with an oil-based cleanser and then with a water-based cleanser, but this isn't strictly necessary:

• Research has shown that both water- and oil-based cleansers can effectively remove non-waterproof sunscreen. However, only oil-based cleanser is effective at removing waterproof sunscreen.
• The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends a water-resistant sunscreen; therefore, you may consider using an oil-based cleanser, such as micellar water, as a first step when removing sunscreen and makeup.
• The second step of double cleansing is a water-based cleanser. This removes any excess oil from your first cleanser as well as any remaining dirt and sweat on your skin.

For some people, double cleansing may be too irritating. You can experiment with your skin care routine to find what works best for you. Doing a single cleanse is completely acceptable if that's what works for you.

Step 2: Toner

Toner can balance your skin's pH, remove dirt and oil, hydrate, or exfoliate, depending on the product you choose. This step is completely optional.

Step 3: Spot Treatments

You can apply spot treatments directly to blemishes or other areas of concern morning or night. One increasingly popular type of spot treatment is skin patches. You can apply these morning or night, but many people prefer to use them during their nighttime routine to avoid wearing them in public.

Skin patches can contain active ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. They are placed directly over an acne lesion and left overnight, allowing the ingredients to penetrate deeply into the skin. They are often made of absorbent material that soaks up pus or sebum (oil) from an open acne lesion.

Applying skin patches at this point in your skin care routine is ideal because they may be less likely to stick to your skin or effectively deliver ingredients after you add serums and moisturizers.

Step 4: Serums

You can use serums morning or night, but you'll likely opt for different nighttime serums than morning ones, if you're using one at all.

Whereas vitamin C is often recommended for your morning routine, evening serum ingredients may include:

• Kojic acid
• Glycolic acid
• Vitamin E
• Niacinamide
• Ceramides
• Hyaluronic acid
• Collagen peptides
• Tea polyphenols
• Resveratrol

If you choose to use a serum, try to tailor it to your overall skin care routine. For example, avoid using a retinol serum if you also apply a topical retinoid medication, which could be irritating.

Step 5: Retinoid

Some people, particularly those over 30, may choose to incorporate a retinoid into their skin care routine. This is a pure vitamin A ingredient that increases cell turnover, which can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lead to an anti-aging effect.

Retinoids usually refer to prescription medications available through a healthcare provider. Retinoids, such as Retin-A (tretinoin) or Differin (adapalene), are concentrated and can be very effective, but they also have side effects, including skin dryness, irritation, or burning.

Retinol is a type of retinoid with a less potent concentration. Retinol products are available over the counter and have fewer side effects, but may be less effective.

Retinoids should only be applied at night because they increase your skin's risk of sunburn while wearing them. If you're new to using a retinoid or retinol or have sensitive skin, you may want to apply this after your moisturizer to create a barrier between your skin and the product, thereby reducing potential irritation.

Step 6: Eye Cream

Eye cream is a popular step in evening skin care routines. Evening eye cream is applied for hydration, reducing fine lines, repairing skin damage, reducing hyperpigmentation, improving elasticity, and more.

Ingredients in evening eye creams often include retinoids, peptides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides.

Step 7: Moisturizer

Moisturizer is the final step of your evening skin care routine, and one of the most essential ones. Your skin can get dried out throughout the day as it's exposed to pollutants, air conditioning, wind, and more. A good moisturizer helps lock in moisture to your skin, keeping it hydrated and healthy with an optimally functioning skin barrier.

Key Takeaways

• In the morning, use a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen before applying makeup.
• In the evening, use a cleanser and moisturizer.
• If you use any treatments, apply them after the cleanser and before the moisturizer.