The 3-step routine that actually matters
Morning: cleanse, moisturise, sunscreen. Night: cleanse, moisturise. That's the whole thing. If you never add another product, you're still doing the parts that genuinely protect and maintain your skin. Everything below is just refinement on top.
Protect
The morning routine is about defending your skin for the day. Keep it light, and finish with SPF.
Cleanse, gently
A mild cleanser, or just lukewarm water.
Overnight your skin mostly needs a reset, not a deep strip. A harsh foaming wash first thing can rough up your barrier before the day's even started.
Antioxidant serum Optional
Usually vitamin C.
Antioxidants mop up the daily damage from UV and pollution. Morning is when they earn their place, working alongside your sunscreen.
Eye cream Optional
A pea-size dot, patted around the bone.
Optional, and mostly about hydration and a smooth base for concealer. Keep your hopes about erasing dark circles realistic.
Moisturiser
Light for oily skin, richer for dry.
Locks in everything underneath and keeps the barrier comfortable through the day.
Sunscreen
Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, a generous quarter-teaspoon for the face.
The one you don't skip, and it always goes last. It's the most effective anti-ageing step there is, and it sits on top of everything else.
Repair
The night routine is about taking the day off and letting active ingredients work while you sleep.
Take the day off
An oil cleanser or micellar water if you wore makeup or sunscreen.
Makeup and SPF need dissolving, not just rinsing. This is the first half of a double cleanse.
Cleanse
Your regular gentle cleanser.
The second cleanse actually cleans the skin underneath. On a bare-faced day you can skip straight to this one.
Treatment Optional
A retinoid or an exfoliating acid, but not both the same night.
Night is when actives do their best work, with no sun to undo them. Alternate them across the week. Stacking them is how you wreck your barrier.
Serum, or hydrate
Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, or something soothing.
Puts water back and calms anything the treatment stirred up. Apply hydrating serums to slightly damp skin.
Moisturiser, maybe sealed
A richer night cream, and an occlusive layer (slugging) if you're very dry.
Your skin repairs itself overnight. This keeps it from drying out while it does.
The one rule that beats everything
Consistency beats complexity. A simple routine you actually keep up every day will out-perform an elaborate one you give up on in a fortnight. Add new actives one at a time, give each a few weeks, and let sunscreen be the habit you never drop.