Now that your makeup layer is gone, you can proceed with washing your face. "A cleanser gets rid of dead skin, pollutants, oils, dirt, and bacteria," says Rabach. Both she and Ciraldo recommend also doing this step when you first wake up in the morning, in order to prep your skin to absorb the active ingredients in your other products.

The best cleanser for you will depend on your skin type. "It's important to pay attention to what's in your cleanser and what's not in it," says Ciraldo. She recommends avoiding sulfates, which can have a harsh, stripping effect on your faceand looking for actives that suit your needs. "For normal or dry skin, I favor a hydrating cleanser with peptides," she says. "If you're oily or acne-prone, use a mild exfoliating cleanser with salicylic acid, which dislodges the dead cells that can clog pores."

Do This Step: Morning and Night

The first product to go on your face? Eye cream. The reason is simplebecause you'll probably forget to do it otherwise. Ciraldo recommends patting eye cream on gently with your ring finger (this way you'll tug less at the delicate skin there) all the way around your eyes, not just underneath them. If you're worried about eye cream causing your concealer or eye makeup to smear, choose a more lightweight option, like a hydrating gel that sinks in quickly and stays put.

For the best results, look for ingredients like peptideswhich help tighten your skin and de-puffas well as antioxidants. Rabach recommends formulas that contain hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening caffeine, and ceramides (these lock in moisture and help strengthen your skin barrier).

Do This Step: Morning and Night

Both toners and essences are meant to help further prime your skin to absorb active ingredients, but the one you choose will depend on your skin type. Old-school toners were meant to balance skin pH and counteract alkaline soaps, before soap-free cleansers became popular. Now, toner usually refers to liquid formulations geared toward oily skin that's in need of gentle exfoliation and resurfacing. Ciraldo says those with oily or acne-prone skin should look for toners with ingredients like glycolic or salicylic acid.

Essences, on the other hand, tend to be more hydrating. Rabach recommends looking for actives like hyaluronic acid, which will flood your skin with moisture that you can lock in during subsequent steps. To apply, soak a cotton pad in liquid and gently pat it over your face. Alternatively, you can use your hands to do the same thing.

Do This Step: Morning and Night

This is the step where you'll deliver the bulk of active ingredients to your toner/essence-primed face, and it's important to do it early on in your routine. "Serums are formulated with smaller molecular-weight actives so they penetrate into deeper skin layers," says Ciraldo. "If you apply your serum after a thicker formulation, the active ingredients may not penetrate as well."

While you should apply serum twice a day, you shouldn't be using the same formulation. "Serum actives differ for day and night," says Rabach. During the day, she likes to choose serums with antioxidants that protect skin from daytime stressors like free radicals (caused by UV rays), pollutants, and blue light. The most popular ingredient for this is vitamin C, which you will have no problem finding in serum form. (Just make sure to choose one that's properly stabilized for maximum effect.) At night, opt for a serum with peptides and growth factors to repair skin.

For both daytime and nighttime serums, Rabach also has a general list of ingredients she likes to look for across both formulations: Niacinamide to reduce redness, hyaluronic acid to pull moisture into your skin, and alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs), which help boost collagen and even out skin pigmentation. Ciraldo further splits up her preferred serum ingredients by skin type. "For acne-prone skin, look for stem cells, retinol, and green tea," she says. "For dehydrated skin, look for lipids, hyaluronic acid, and peptides. And for hyperpigmented skin, look for vitamin C."

Do This Step: At Night Only

Read more from the original source:
Best Skin Care Routine: Order of Products to Use Morning & Night - Glamour