Recently, I’ve been spending a lot of time in Boots attempting to form some sort of skincare routine that will hydrate my skin and abolish any blemishes. The longer I stood in the aisles though, the more I realised I have absolutely no idea what most of the products are and in which order they should be used. I couldn’t for the life of my figure out what toner actually does, and how does cleanser benefit your skin more than washing your face? Does piling all of these products on your face actually do more harm than good? Should you exfoliate before cleansing and toning or the other way around? After many Google searches, I think I’ve worked out all the answers, so here are the whys, whats, and hows of your daily skincare routine.

Step One: Cleanser

Cleanser should always be used first as it removes debris, oil and make-up more thoroughly than water. When you face is thoroughly cleansed it allows other products to work better, resulting in healthier, smoother skin.

 

1 Manuka Doctor ApiNourish Hydrating Facial Cleanser - £13.33 2 Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser - £20.50 3 Simple Kind To Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion - £3.29 4 Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser For Dry Combonation To Normal Skin Types - £17 5 Olay Gentle Cleanser Conditioning Milk - £2.99 6 Nivea Visage Cleansing Wipes Dry/Sensitive - £2.99

Step Two: Toner

A good toner should smooth, soften and calm your skin as it works to remove anything left behind by your cleanser, including the oils in the cleanser itself. Many toners include ingredients that help your skin heal so you’re less susceptible to dust, pollution and other impurities. Your skin should feel replenished and hydrated, whilst redness and the size of pores should also be reduced.

1 L’Oreal Skin Perfection Velvety-Soft Toner - £3.99 2 Nivea Purifying Toner - £3.59 3 Simple Kind To Skin Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser - £2.45 4 Garnier Simply Essentials Toner - £1.99 5 Burt’s Bees Radiance Toner - £9.99 6 Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner - £3.99

Step Three: Exfoliate

I recently started using exfoliating skin care products in an attempt to reduce the sporadic appearance of spots, and I’ve seen a vast improvement. Exfoliating removes old, built-up dead skin cells, which are most commonly caused by sun damage, and is further complicated if you have acne or oily skin. Exfoliating removes this build-up and unclogs pores, improves uneven skin tone, reduces breakouts and overall makes your skin smoother and more radiant.

1 Botanics All Bright Purifying Face Scrub - £3.99 2 Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Exfoliating Pads - £4.99 3 Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads - £12.99 4 St Ives Timeless Skin Daily Microdermabrasion Face Scrub - £4.99 5 Sanctuary Spa Active Reverse Facial Leave-On Exfoliating Cream - £14 6 No.7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Face Exfoliator - £11

Step Four: Topical Treatments

‘Topical treatments’ refers to medication used on the skin to combat acne, scarring and other such ailments that can’t be combated with every day skincare products. You should always apply topical treatments after cleansing, toning and exfoliating, as this is when your skin is cleanest and the medication will be able to work it’s way right into the skin. Here are a couple of common topical treatments and how they work:

Acne Treatment

Acne treatments contain ingredients that kill the nasty bacteria causing your breakouts. Research suggests that acne treatments that contain benzoyl peroxide are most effective, and when used consistently will lead to fewer spots and blemishes.

Skin Lightening Treatments

Skin lightening treatments doesn’t refer to bleaching, which is what I thought it was, it’s actually used to reduce the appearance of brown spots and discolorations caused by the over production of melanin. To take effect, skin lightening treatments should be used daily for long periods of time.

Step Five: Moisturise

When we wash our faces we remove the crucial oil sebum from our skin, which makes us far more susceptible to various allergens and antigens. Moisturisers fill in the tiny cracks where the sebum has been washed away, ensuring our skin remains protected, hydrated and healthy.

Moisturisers come in two forms: humectants and emollients. Humectants draw water from the middle layer of skin into the outer layer, as well as the environment around you. Meanwhile, emollients seal in the existing moisture in your skin leaving your face feeling soft and smooth. Most moisturisers available are emollients, which contain humectants such as glycerin, so you get the best of both worlds.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t moisturise regularly if you don’t wash your face often, as this thickens the oils on your skin and mingles with dead skin cells and dirt. This leads to blocked pores and acne.

1 A-Derma Skin Care Cream - £12.99 2 Nivea Visage Light Daily Moisturising Crème - £3.99 3 L’Oreal Revitalift 10 Repair MultiActive Day Moisturiser - £7.45 4 Clean and Clear Dual Action Oil-Free Moisturiser - £3.20 5 Garnier Skin Moisture Match Goodbye Dry - £3.99 6 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Pro Vital-Aging Moisturising Day Cream - £9.99

Step Six: SPF

Dermatologists have been telling us for years to use sun protection, and it’s about time we listened. Applying sunscreen protects us from sun damage, which can cause burning, increased skin aging and cancer.

1 Solait Lotion Mini SPF30 - £2.49 2 Ambre Solaire Clear Spray SPF50+ - £6.99 3 Ambre Solaire Milk Mini SPF 50 - £3.49 4 Piz Buin Allergy Face Cream SPF 50+ Very High - £5.99 5 Ambre Solaire BB Cream Sun Face Protection SPF 50 - £7.99 6 Malibu Spray SPF15 - £3.49

What About Everything Else?

These days there are so many different serums and lotions out there that it’s hard to fit every single one in. If you’re unsure at which stage you should be applying certain products, stick to this rule: the thinnest formulas go first. They contain smaller molecules and so will penetrate skin more effectively when applied before their thicker counterparts.