Getting together a morning and evening skincare routine can take a while as you try new products, find out what works best for your skin type and research which ingredients are best to avoid and include – but this doesn’t have to be hard work.
Our beauty fanatics at The Shortlyst know a thing or two about skincare, and we wanted to share our perfect list of products that could inspire your new skincare journey!
Cleanser
For your skincare routine, there are three products you MUST have – cleanse, moisturise and an SPF. Even if you do nothing more, cleansing, moisturising and protecting your skin are essential in keeping your face glowing and healthy.
There are two main types of cleanser – which is essentially a face wash – either water-based or oil-based.
Each type targets a different type of dirt and skin pollution which we all accumulate during the day and even overnight. Some people swear by double cleansing (using one of each type) during their evening routine, but only use a water-based product in the morning to avoid over-washing which can cause tightness and irritation.
If you’re using an oil-based cleaner at night, use that first to take the bulk of your make up or products off. Using a warm and wet face cloth will also help open all your pores making the second cleanse target deep within your pores.
Toner
Your toner will go in and remove the finer traces of dirt or grime stuck in your skin and will show major differences the longer you use it for! Some toners also include chemical exfoliants, such as glycolic acid, an AHA chemical exfoliant that will remove the dead skin from your face leaving it feeling silky smooth.
Toner is also a great way of closing up your pores after your cleansing stage.
TIP: Look at your ingredients list for a toner without alcohol, an ingredient which can lead to skin drying out.
Serums and Oils
Serums and oils are the treatment stage of your routine. They are high-concentrated and target different areas like redness, dryness, wrinkles and early signs of ageing.
Serums and face oils can be quite thin, but we promise, you need no more than a pea sized amount once a day.
Depending on your skin type, you can swap and change a number of different serums or oils. In fact, we have a small range of different treatments at home depending on how our skin feels. For instance, products containing vitamin C, salicylic acid or retinol help combat inflamed skin and are great for skin prone to break outs of acne.
Ferulic acid can help your skin look brighter and smoother.
Vitamin E, hyaluronic or glycolic acid are great at boosting hydration and can plump dehydrated skin.
Niacinamide and Zinc are the perfect duo for combatting skin blemishes and larger pores.
TIP: Avoid using essential oils directly, these are fragrances and very likely to cause irritation, reactions and breakouts
Moisturiser and SPF
Undoubtedly the most important, and our favourite, part of your skincare routine is your moisturiser and SPF. Keeping your skin moisturised and plump helps to fight blemishes and wrinkles.
SPF only needs to be used in your morning routine to protect your skin from UV damage during the day. SPF is often the forgotten step, but you ask any celeb over 40 with enviable 20-something looking skin what the secret is, and we bet they thank SPF as their saviour. If you take only remember one thing from this blog, please remember to use SPF daily!
Some moisturisers contain SPF, so no need for extra products, but it can also be purchased separately if your favourite moisturiser doesn’t contain.
And those are the basics to creating your daily skincare routine. With the addition of face or lip masks, skincare tools, or facial scrubs, use this list as your starter guide to making your skin as healthy and glowy as possible!
Got any other tips for skincare? Head to our socials and share them with our wider community, they’ll thank you for it!