How to Build a Skincare Routine for Beginners

Start with cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF in the morning, cleanser and moisturizer at night.

Most people try to fix everything at once and end up with irritated skin and a bathroom full of half-used bottles.

1. Start with the basics. You need three products: a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer for your skin type, and broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher. Everything else is extra until you master these three.
2. Morning routine. Cleanse, moisturize, then SPF. Apply SPF last and let each layer absorb before adding the next. This takes two minutes once you know what you're doing.
3. Evening routine. Cleanse thoroughly to remove the day, then moisturize. Your skin repairs itself overnight, so this is when your moisturizer does its best work.
4. Give it time. Use the same routine for 4-6 weeks before changing anything. Your skin needs time to adjust, and you need time to see what's actually working.