Well, the answer is with the essentials. If you’ve read my past posts, there’s 3 things I always stress: 1) Proper cleansing 2) Moisturizing and 3) Sun Care. These things are essential to skin health! I’d say work on the first two first, and then proceed to the last.

1. Proper Cleansing

Two products that you need for this step are an oil cleanser and a second cleanser. The oil cleanser cleanses deep to remove oil-based impurities while the second cleanser comes through and washes everything away.

I’d recommend to start:

Drugstore Brands:

Oil Cleanser: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, Simple Skincare Hydrating Cleansing Oil, Pixi By Petra + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse (has both 1st and 2nd cleanse)

Second Cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, La Roche-Posay Toleraine Hydrating Gentle Cleanser, Pacifica Kale Detox Deep Cleansing Face Wash

High End: 

Oil Cleanser: Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Eve Lom Cleanser

Second Cleanser: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser, Tatcha The Deep Cleanse

Asian Beauty Brands: 

Oil Cleanser: Heimish All Clean Balm, DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Blossom Jeju Camellia Soombi Cleansing Oil

Second Cleanser: Cosrx Good Morning Low pH Gel Cleanser, Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam, J.One Jelly Cleanser

2. Moisturizer

Everyone needs to moisturize. I don’t care if you’re oilier than fried chicken, you need a moisturizer. This is a basic step in adding back the moisture that you lose from proper cleansing.

Drugstore Brands: 

CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Facial Moisturizer, Physicians Formula Oil Elixir

High End:

Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Cream, Sunday Riley Juno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil, Herbivore Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Crème

Asian Beauty Brands:

Cosrx Oil‑Free Ultra‑Moisturizing Lotion, Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream, Belif The True Cream Moisturizing/Aqua Bomb

3. Sunscreen

Protecting your skin from the sun is essential to good skin health. It prevents signs of aging, helps to fade hyperpigmentation, and reduces risk for skin cancer. It may be difficult for you to find a sunscreen that works well for you, so I suggest trying to incorporate this after the above 3 products. In this category, Asian sunscreens can’t be beat as far as price:quality goes.

Drugstore Brands: 

Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral 50 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid with Zinc Oxide SPF 50, Differin Oil Control Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30

High End:

Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte™ Physical Daily Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30, Murad Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 PA+++, Coola Full Spectrum 360° Sun Silk Drops SPF 30

Asian Beauty Brands:

Make P:rem UV Defense Me Capsule Sun Gel SPF 50/ PA+++, Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF 50+/ PA+++, Innisfree Aqua UV Protection Cream Water Drop SPF 50+/PA++++

Always patch test products and introduce them one at a time! None of these products should cause “purging”, so if you break out from them, discontinue use. Be patient!

TL;DR: To start your skin care routine, you need 2-step cleansing, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Focus on incorporating these products into your routine first before continuing on in your 10 step adventure.

Let’s get this out of the way. Astringent toners are the kind you used to use in middle school. It should evoke memories of strong alcohol scents and burning. Not good. Anything that’s meant to strip your skin of its natural oils is not something you want to use. Your skin will thank you for throwing that Clean & Clear toner you could get drunk off of in the trash.

Now you may be thinking, “But Haley, I’m oilier than a fresh fried donut and astringent toners make me feel clean!” No, shhh, there’s a hydrating toner for all skin types. Don’t confuse hydrating (water) with moisturizing (oil).

Hydrating Toners: 

This step is what gets a lot of people into a multi-step routine. Many suffer from dehydrated skin and a good hydrating toner gives your skin that much needed drink of water. Dry, oily, acne-prone, sensitive, aging, etc. This toner moistens your skin so that it better absorbs any steps that come after it. Also, toners can be tailored to treat other skin issues, like redness or dullness.

Recommendations:

Oily: Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner or Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner or Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

Dry: Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion Moist or Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner

Normal: Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater or Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing Lotion or Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner

Aging: Caudalie Grape Water or Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins™ Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion

Exfoliating Toners:

These toners provide pH balance and chemical exfoliation; two important things! Exfoliation is vital to keeping your skin clear, bright, and smooth. Look for acid ingredients such as lactic acid or glycolic acid.

Recommendations:

Budget-Friendly: Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner or Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic

Mid-Range: First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads or Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment

High-End: Biologique Recherché P50 Lotion or Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid Toner

General Guidelines:

Use toner immediately after cleansing, preferably while the skin is still damp. If you use both toners, use exfoliating first then follow with hydrating. You can use either toner morning and night, but be careful not to over-exfoliate.

As far as application goes, it depends on your skin needs. Have sensitive skin or too cheap to waste any product? Pat the toner in with your hands. Like a little physical exfoliation and need to be sure your makeup is removed? Use a cotton pad. Like to keep things quick and hand-free? Mist on your toner.

For you DIYers: Don’t use lemon juice on your face. Please, just don’t. You’re begging for acid burns, increased sun sensitivity, and other skin damage. Also, apple cider vinegar is ok for toning, but be sure to dilute it. (I wouldn’t recommend ACV for the face at all, but it’s a free country and I know how y’all love your ACV and coconut oil.)

Tl;dr: Toning is super important because it rehydrates the skin after cleansing, maintains appropriate skin pH, and preps your skin for the rest of your routine. Ditch your alcohol heavy toners. Get on that acid toner game.

The most important thing with second cleansers is that they be acidic/low pH. Shoot for a range of about 3-5.5 on the pH scale. This most closely matches the natural pH of your skin. When your skin’s pH is happy, you’re happy.

Make sure you’re using a water-based cleanser in the morning and double-cleansing at night.

There are many different types of second cleansers. I’ll generally categorize them below, but keep in mind that you don’t need to strictly stay within your skin type’s recommendations. There’s no rule saying that oily skinned people can’t like a cleansing cream, or that dry skinned people don’t like a foaming cleanser, etc.

For oily skin, I would recommend a foaming, non-foaming gel, or powder type cleanser. These will help to provide a deeper clean and/or some gentle exfoliation.

Oily Recommendations: 

Budget-Friendly: Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser or Acure Organics Facial Cleansing Gel or CeraVe Foaming Cleanser

Mid-Range: Jordan Samuel The Matinee Gel Cleanser

High-End: Sulwhasoo Snowise Ex Cleansing Foam or Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser or Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser

For dry skin, go with a non-foaming gel, milk, or cream formulation. Your skin will be clean, but still maintain oil that will keep you from feeling stripped.

Dry Recommendations:

Budget-Friendly: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser or Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk

Mid-Range: REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk or Jordan Samuel The After Show Treatment Cleanser

High-End: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser or Kate Somerville Cold Cream Moisturizing Cleanser + Makeup Remover

Normal-Combination types can really play the field here. I recommend you try to find what direction, whether oily or dry, your skin leans in and pick products for that skin type. Overall, you should be safe with most low pH cleansers.

Normal/Combination Recommendations:

Budget-Friendly: Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Foaming Wash

Mid-Range: Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick or Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

High-End: Youth to the People Age Prevention Superfood Cleanser or Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

If you’re sensitive, make sure to stay away from chemically or physically exfoliating cleansers. Extra exfoliation that you don’t account for can cause your skin to flare up into an irritated mess. I would recommend something like the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser.

Aging skin should look for gentle cleansers with chemical exfoliating properties (if they can tolerate it). The AHAs and BHAs (exfoliating acids) will help to minimize the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles. A perfect example would be the Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Gel Cleanser. If using an exfoliating cleanser every day is too harsh for your skin, try switching on and off with one of the dry skin cleansers recommended above.

Now go forth and have clean skin!