What should your skin regime be

Rogers, so leave your peel pads and treatment products, like retinol, for night. In the morning, start by splashing your face with warm water or, if you must, wash with a gentle face cleanser designed for your skin type. However, if you have lived all your life without using a toner and your skin looks healthy, Dr.

Rogers says there is no need to start using one. There are various serums available on the market today, but for daytime, Dr. Improving the skin quality in this area early on ensures that the eyelid skin does not easily lose laxity and its smooth appearance later on.

For best results, consistency is key. Remember: Nothing is magic. Chiu adds. Chiu also advises people to remember to wear sunglasses when outside to protect against UV-light damage and lines that can creep up around the corners of your eyes from squinting.

Diane De Fiori, a dermatologist at Rosacea Treatment Clinic, prescription medications and acne spot treatments need to be applied as close to the skin as possible to maximize their benefits.

As acne spot treatments differ in active ingredients, check your product packaging or consult your dermatologist for the best way to apply it. Prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide, a common acne spot-treatment ingredient, has a one-to-three-hour working time, according to esthetician and acne specialist Ashley Wiley. Remember that acne spot treatments can dry out your skin, so always apply only on spots where you need it.

Yes, everyone needs a moisturizer, even if you have oily skin. We also know that practicing skin care can provide benefits not entirely related to your skin. Many people find that sticking to a skin-care regimen gives them a routine and sense of control.

Others find that going through their routine or even applying the occasional mask relaxes them and helps them focus their attention on themselves maybe for the only time in their day.

That said, some skin-care companies make a lot of big claims about what their products can do without necessarily having the evidence to back them up. At SELF, our aim is to help you make the most informed decision before buying or trying a product and to guide you toward the treatment options we know the most about. To figure out your skin type, think about how your skin acts without any makeup or products on it a few hours after taking a shower.

If it gets a little greasy or shiny, you probably have oily skin. If it feels dry or flaky, you have dry skin. If you have dry skin in some places and oily skin in others usually on the T-zone , you have combination skin. Knowing your skin type will help steer you toward products that will manage dryness and oiliness while effectively taking care of any other skin concerns you have. Here are some great articles that can help you before you begin a skin-care routine:.

The three basic steps of a skin-care routine are cleansing , moisturizing , and applying sunscreen at least SPF 30 and broad spectrum. You should cleanse then moisturize every morning and night. You should also apply sunscreen every morning, but you can use a moisturizer that has at least 30 SPF and broad-spectrum protection to combine those two steps. In that case, you might benefit from double cleansing , a process in which you wash first with an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser or micellar water on a cotton pad to remove anything left behind.

But double cleansing is not a requirement. Serums, toners, exfoliants , and prescription treatments should be applied after cleansing but before moisturizing. Active ingredients are chemicals or compounds in a product that are actually treating your skin for the concern the product is supposed to treat it for.

For example, if you buy a product to help treat your acne, the active ingredient is the ingredient doing most of the work to clear up your acne. The use of most actives is based on some research though, so we have at least a theory about what they can do and how well they do it. Here are a few of the most common issues:.

Some common signs of aging include photodamage dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Retinoids : These compounds—retinol, retinal or retinaldehyde , retinoic acid, and synthetic retinoids like Adapalene and Tazerac—are one of only two proven ways to prevent the signs of aging.

The other is sunscreen! Retinoids, which are forms of vitamin A, work by stimulating the skin-cell-shedding process from below, leading to smoother skin and a reduction in both signs of aging and acne. But did you know that U. And that damage can cause dark spots, wrinkles, and other signs of aging?

Preventing that—and skin cancer, of course—is a major reason to use sunscreen every single day. But instead of focusing on pimples when they pop up, Magovern advises you to keep up with your skincare routine as a preventative measure.

You're getting breakouts because oil is building up in your skin. So you have to keep the pores clean on your whole face. Moisturizing is really important at night, as it creates a barrier that seals in active ingredients and hydration.

This way, when you wake up, your skin is glowy and plump —and ready to start the day. Face oils are a great way to lock in moisture while you sleep. Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. The Rise of the Cleanfluencer. Getty Images. Related Story. Best for Anti-Aging. Mary Kay marykay. Best for Oily Skin.

Cetaphil amazon. Best for Dry Skin. Garnier amazon. Best for Sensitive Skin. Fresh sephora. Honest Beauty amazon. When it comes to her own skin-care routine, board-certified dermatologist Michelle Henry , M.

She kicks off her day off by cleansing with PCA's Pigment Bar , which contains a blend of kojic acid, vitamin C , and azelaic acid to brighten skin. Next, Dr. For serum, her staple is SkinMedica's Lytetra , which is formulated with tranexamic acid — one of her favorite ingredients for fading discoloration. SkinBetter Science's Trio Rebalancing Treatment is her go-to moisturizer because it's lightweight and smooths the skin.

Henry, who follows this step with sunscreen. She then tones again with P50 before applying Alastin's Renewal Retinol. Finally, before hopping into bed, she slathers on SkinCeuticals' Triple Lipid Restore , a thick moisturizer that she says helps to repair and restore her skin while she sleeps.

To keep the skin on her body feeling soft and hydrated, Dr. Henry uses a drugstore classic: CeraVe's Moisturizing Cream , as it's packed with ceramides that retain moisture in the skin. It also contains hyaluronic acid for added hydration. Before she starts inspecting her patients' skin, board-certified dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, M. Nussbaum tells Allure. For her face, Dr. Nussbaum reaches for the ever-reliable La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser , which she favors because it's infused with prebiotic thermal water, ceramides, and niacinamide.

After doing a thorough cleanse, Dr. Another reason she's a fan is that it's oil-free, which makes it more suitable for her acne-prone skin. Once she's patted her serum in, Dr. Nussbaum slathers on CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion as it keeps her complexion hydrated all day long — without clogging her pores. Next up, she's on to eye cream. Eye Complex for Dark Circles , which has a balmy formula with optical diffusers that reflect light away to illuminate the eye area, and Skin Better Science Interfuse Treatment Cream , which "boosts collagen and elastin while fighting dark circles and smoothing fine lines," she says.

Before her final step — sunscreen, naturally — Dr. Nussbaum applies a dime-size dollop of Neostrata's Triple Firming Neck Cream , which she says contains pro amino acid and neocitran to target collagen production. After a long day, Dr. Nussbaum comes home and starts off her skin-care routine with Drunk Elephant's editor-favorite Beste No. When she wants an extra-deep clean, she exfoliates with glycolic pads, which she says help her skin look more polished. For moisturizer, Dr. After repeating the same eye and neck routine from the morning, Dr.

Nussbaum applies a nourishing body treatment to keep her limbs silky soft. In terms of the extras, Dr. Additionally, when traveling a lot, she'll add a moisturizing mask to her routine for added hydration. Lastly, Dr.

Nusbaum says she never leaves home without her beloved EOS lip balm. Lindbaek Svend. After diagnosing and treating countless patients' skin on a daily basis, board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner , M. For Dr. Zeichner, this means using the same multipurpose cleanser for his face and body in the shower.

Right now, he's reaching for Dove Deep Moisture Shower Foam , as he says it cleanses without drying or stripping the skin of necessary oils. Fresh out of the shower, he relies on a vitamin C serum when he remembers , which he says he uses in the morning to prevent free-radical damage during the day.

After serum, Dr. Zeichner skips a standalone moisturizer and instead goes straight in with a hydrating sunscreen.

If you can believe it, Dr. Zeichner keeps his p. The only changes he makes are swapping out serum and sunscreen for a prescription-strength retinoid his collagen-builder of choice is tretinoin and moisturizer.

As he's gotten older, Dr. Zeichner says he's noticed his skin gets much drier during the winter months, which occasionally requires him to use an ultrarich moisturizer at night to combat the adverse effects of the weather.

Shari Marchbein , M. She's also one of the countless dermatologists who struggle with both acne and eczema. Before these two steps, however, Dr. Marchbein cleanses her skin with a super-gentle face wash, which right now is Simple Waterboost Micellar Gel Wash. For free-radical protection, she relies on the SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF , a vitamin-packed serum that protects the skin from environmental stressors. She then follows up with a moisturizer that contains sunscreen, just like Dr.

As far as her nighttime routine goes, Dr. Marchbein likes to add in a prescription retinoid as well as an ultra-hydrating moisturizer, followed by an occlusive product in certain areas that require extra TLC. Marchbein also never forgets to give her body some love. For this, she turns to Vaseline Clinical Care Extremely Dry Skin Repair Lotion or CeraVe Moisturizing Cream , both of which she says contain ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin to seal in hydration.

Two or three times a week, Dr. Marchbein likes to slough away dead skin cells using a physical exfoliant. Shereene Idriss , M. You also might remember her from our All About Eyes issue. Idriss says she bases her morning routine on what she feels her skin needs that day.

Come evening, Dr. Idriss likes to address whatever "issues" may have surfaced on her skin during the day. Regardless, though, she always starts her routine by removing her makeup with Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and follows with a sulfate-free gentle cleanser, as she says they tend to be less irritating.

Post-cleanse, it's time for exfoliation.