Layer Your Skincare Right, From AM to PM

Bought a pile of skincare products and don't know what to apply first? Or worried about choosing the wrong product and wanna be gentle on your lovely skin with minimum products? Well, we’ve got your back.

Let's be honest, we have all been in a state of doubt when we first started layering our skincare products (quite frankly, we still are). Most of us still don't know what to apply and when. Don't freak out as we have broken down the routine for you in steps for you to follow without hassle. 

But before jumping into our AM and PM skincare regime, let's get into the depth of why we need to follow the right sequence while applying skincare. 

Why do we need a skincare regime?

Your skin needs a shield to combat the heat, dirt, and pollution outside. To give it that protection, you need to follow a skincare routine during the day, right before you step out to protect your skin from damage. 

And it does not end there! You also need to follow a skincare regime at night too! This must be done to provide nourishment to skin that has been exposed to outside pollutants. And as you sleep, these products help your skin to absorb the nourishment and rejuvenate. All so you can wake up to fresh and gorgeous skin the next morning.

But is there a correct order to it?

There indeed is a correct order that you must follow! You will agree with us when we say that the modern lifestyle leaves very little time for self-care. In the rush, we want our products to show the best results even if we cannot spend hours following an elaborate routine. 

But to get the best results, you need to be applying all the products in the correct sequence for them to show their effect. For instance, a toner should be applied before the moisturizer & not after it!

So, wondering how to go about your skincare routine?

Fret not, as here we are today to break your daily skincare routine down into simple steps of separate AM and PM regimes to brush off all the confusion from your minds.

Rock your AM skincare routine! 

If you are one of those people who don't have time for a long skincare routine in the mornings, this four-step miraculous formula is made just for You! Cleanse, tone, moisturize and protect!

Cleanse

No, you do not have to skip it even if you feel fresh after a great night's skincare regime. Go on and wash your face with a good face wash and bid all the laziness or dead skin cells goodbye.

Make sure you’re using a good quality, sulphate-free face wash as they cleanse your skin without irritating it.

Tone

Never forget your toner. It maintains your skin's pH, hydrates, and also tightens your skin to make your pores less visible. So this is one step that you should never skip out on!

Toners that have alcohol in them often tend to irritate your skin & dry it up, making it counter-effective. So make sure you are using an alcohol-free toner.

Moisturize

Even if you think you have enough moisture on your skin, never skip your moisturizer. We repeat, never! Put on a gel-based moisturizer if you have greasy skin or suffer from breakouts.

The skin releases sebum to nourish the skin. When the skin releases more sebum than is needed, it leads to oily skin. Skipping on  moisturizer because your skin is oily is a totally wrong move! When you don’t moisturize, the skin releases excess sebum to balance it out. This leads to oiler skin, acne breakouts & even more.

Make sure you’re using a non-greasy, non-comedogenic face cream which will nourish your skin without making your skin feel oily or clogging your pores.

Protect

NEVER step out without your sun shield. And while it is advisable to carry an umbrella wherever you go, by sun shield, we mean “Sunscreen”. Wear it every day to protect yourself from damage due to harmful UV radiation. Remember, by skipping out on sunscreen, you are exposed to sun damage, such as sunburn, premature aging and even skin cancer!

Go for the one with an SPF 30 or higher like the Cica + Niacinamide Face Sunscreen SPF 50 PA+++ from Dot and Key, for ultimate sun care!

Never skip out on your PM routine!

Your skin goes through a lot, all through the day. And hence it is important that you pamper it with some much needed care. So when morning comes, your skin, like you, will be up & ready to take on the challenges of a new day!

Take off the makeup!

Getting rid of that makeup (no matter how minimal), is the first most important step in your PM skincare routine. So removing it with a makeup remover is the first step in letting your skin breathe. If you want your PM skincare products to absorb better, remove that makeup barrier.

Cleanse

Removing your makeup is not enough! You also need to clean the sweat, dirt & pollution that has accumulated on your skin. And a face wash will do the heavy-lifting for you here. You must remember that while cleansing your face is a good habit, overdoing it can be counterproductive.

Restrict yourself to cleansing your face only twice a day. In the meanwhile wash your face with cold water for a refreshed feel. Additionally, use a face mist for that extra burst of freshness.

Make sure you are using a gentle sulphate-free cleanser that deeply cleanses your face without robbing it off the essential nutrients.

Toner

Wait, do I need to use it again? Yes, you do. At night, a good toner will help hydrate your skin. One of the reasons that makes toner indispensable, is that it prepares your skin to better absorb the products that you’ll apply. It also strengthens your skin’s barrier & balances out its pH.

Use an alcohol-free toner infused with skin-friendly ingredients such as niacinamide, probiotics or rose water, to calm your skin & prepare it for the next steps.

Serum

Serums are a concentrate of specific active ingredients that provide targeted treatments for specific skin concerns. In other words, they are highly potent formulations that provide specific treatments for specific concerns.

Now, you might wonder why go for a serum when you can easily go for a moisturizer. Well, you see, the concentration of actives in a serum is significantly higher than what is present in a face cream. And if you’re wondering if you can do away with one or the other, you’re quite wrong.

You see, while both serums & face creams may feature similar ingredients, serums are more easily absorbed & work below the surface of the skin to treat it. So make sure you’re introducing a serum that addresses your skin concerns & start using it regularly.

Night cream

You may be wondering why you should go for a face cream when you’re using a serum. Well here’s why. While the serum & face cream might seem to be doing the same thing, they’re different from each other. The serum works below the surface of the skin & nourishes it. On the other hand, the face cream works on the surface to lock in the moisture & nourishment.

So make sure you are providing your skin with that extra dose of nourishment & locking it all in with a night cream. It works overnight to nourish your skin & heal it from the damage it suffers throughout the day.

Sleep masks

Fed up with the excess workload and want the easiest way to feel fresh and also help your skin rejuvenate? The simplest way is applying a sleep mask and resting carefree. Further, rinse your face off with water in the morning to feel the freshness in your skin. 

The sleep mask works its magic as you snooze. This lightweight formulation gets absorbed into your skin at night & gives your skin a boost of nutrition, so you wake up to beautiful & radiant skin in the morning.

Now, the sleep mask is not to be confused with your regular sheet masks. This is because the latter are meant to be kept on for a short duration while the former must be kept on overnight. Always remember to wash your face when you wake up in the morning.

The bottom line

The fear of using the wrong skincare products or following a wrong regime can be daunting. You may be choosing the right products but they might be all wrong for your regime. The first step in all of this is picking the correct products. Choose products that are gentle on your skin yet effective. Once that’s done, you need to fix a regime & stick with it.

When in doubt, always go for a regime that is simple and easy-to-follow. You will often find that a simpler regime will often be more effective for you than a complicated one. This is because you’ll be able to follow it more easily & stick with it too.

So, keep it simple but also don't forget to follow the daily skincare routine religiously for flawless & healthy skin.