As we give in to our skin care temptations and the collection of products on our bathroom counters grow, our routines can sometimes expand into complicated, time-consuming rituals. What started as a light cleanse and a dash of sunscreen can become a boggling flow chart of serums, creams and procedures that would bewilder a laboratory chemist. Here we’ll look at five steps for taming an unruly skin care routine—and ensuring it provides results.

1. Consistency is Key

Essential to the success of any skin routine is keeping up with it. While skin care products can deliver remarkable improvements, those effects may fade with inconsistent or discontinued use. Be realistic when considering the extent and complexity of your routine.

We live busy lives. Some mornings we need to rush; some nights we are exhausted. A long, bloated skin care routine may discourage regular use. Keeping your routine simple and time effective is an important factor in seeing and maintaining skin improvements. 

2. Keep it Simple 

Some of us are masters of discipline who have no trouble sticking with a complicated routine. But if your routine has grown into a time-consuming burden that is more frustrating than joyful, you may want to consider cutting back on the least important products. 

Products like Antioxidant Serum, Anti-Aging Cream and Ultimate Moisturizing Cream are generally worth keeping because they contain antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins that support your ongoing skin health. But you may want to take a second look at the toners and masks in your routine. If your skin routine is testing your patience, do you really need these extra steps consuming precious minutes of your day?

Don’t forget that your routine can flex by season and need. For those with acne prone skin, leaning deeper into cleansing and sebum control (with T-Zone Serum, for instance) can be helpful during warmer months. Similarly, aging or damaged skin may benefit from actives like Epidermal Growth Factor that promote cellular renewal.

Take a moment to reappraise your routine every so often. If the season has changed or the reason you began using a product no longer applies, consider taking a break in the interest of simplicity. You can always restore them later if the need arises.

3. Apply in the Right Order 

At Skin Actives, we’re skeptical of claims that there is a hard-and-fast “correct” way to apply products. Everyone’s skin is unique and may respond to products differently. That being said, these layering steps can be a good starting point for shaping your routine:

• Cleanse - Start off by cleansing to eliminate debris, unclog pores and provide gentle exfoliation. Repairing Cleanser is a good choice for effectively eliminating pollutants while supporting the underlying skin barrier moving forward.
• Water-base Serums - Apply water-based serums next to prevent oil-based serums from blocking them before they reach your skin. Water-based serums like Hyaluronic Acid Serum are easy on the skin and can play an important role in conveying nutrients and moisture. 
• Oil-based Serums - Lipids are crucial building blocks of the skin barrier, so apply oil-based serums next. Every Lipid Serum provides a veritable feast of lipids for the skin. 
• Creams - With the serums out of the way, now is the time to reach for their thicker cousins like Hydrating and Firming Age Defying Cream with ROS BioNet and Apocynin. Most creams are a mixture of water and oil, so exercise your personal discretion. If you’ve played around with your routine and found that a certain cream does better when applied before an oil-based serum, no one is going to stop you. Luckily there’s no such thing as the skin care police! 
• Sunscreen - This is one point we really urge our customers to observe. Topping off your routine with a 30 SPF sunscreen is central to preserving skin health and warding off signs of aging. You can try our Anti-Aging Day Cream with 30 SPF, which supplements sun protection with anti-aging actives, to streamline your routine even more. And don’t forget to reapply it every few hours—or more frequently with sweat and water exposure. 

4. Utilize the Trash Bin 

Some products make taming your routine easy because you can throw them out entirely. Steer clear of chemical peels that fight skin concerns by causing further damage. You don’t want to trade outright damage for cosmetic results. Additionally, keep an eye on the presence of fragrances in your products. You may get a momentary blast of endorphins from a pleasant scent, but the irritation or sensitivity it may cause will cancel it out. 

5. Separate Day from Night 

Our final tip is to observe the recommended timing for certain products. Some skin care users have reported sensitivity when using retinol products during the day, so you may want to play it safe and exclude them from your morning routine. Alternatively, our new Barrier Repair Cream works great at restoring the nutrients needed by skin, so we like to use it before bed to give it plenty of time to absorb. When appropriate, reserving products for your night routine has the added benefit of freeing up your frenzied rush hour! 

These five tips go a long way to ensuring the effectiveness of your routine and preventing skin care burnout. Now may be the time to take a good look at your routine, think about whether it’s promoting consistency and good results, and make the necessary tweaks to ensure that it will keep you—and your skin—happy and healthy for a long time to come.