Pre-Guide
In this guide, we have first set the steps and priority of using skin care products in 8 consecutive steps for you, and this cycle is based on your skin needs.
Then, we stated the best care routine in skin cycles for each skin type.
The best way to use this guide is to first refer to the skin cycle routine section based on your skin type and follow its instructions in the order of the steps and tips..
As you age, your skin needs more care, and this work requires patience and persistence. Skin Cycling Routine is skincare that people can do at home to have fresh, younger-looking skin.
Getting the correct result depends on doing the Skin Cycling Routine continuously.
Before starting your skincare routine, you need to determine your skin type and choose the right cleanser, toner, serum, and hydration cream based on that.
Normal skin is smooth and soft.
Everything is balanced and normal in natural skin. This type of skin is both too oily and too dry.
It is not overly sensitive and does not react to anything used on the skin.
The skin is oily shiny and oily and may have open pores.
Oily skin usually has large sebaceous glands, and therefore, the skin produces extra oil.
This type of skin is usually prone to acne, blackheads, and inflammation.
If your skin feels dry, stretched, and itchy after washing, your skin is dry.
Dry skin is rough and rough.
This skin is also prone to premature aging.
Combined, mixed, or T-shaped skin is normal or dry in some places (cheeks) and oily in others (forehead, nose, and chin).
Sensitive skin may experience irritation, burning, redness, burning, or itching after using cosmetics or other products (especially after exposure to sunlight).
You do not always need an eight-step skincare routine. Most people’s facial skin shows better results using fewer products.
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The correct order of steps in the Skin Cycling Routine can confuse many people.
The concept of skin care itself needs to be clarified. For example, if you ask different people what product you should use for skin care, you will get completely different answers, and interestingly, most of them need to be corrected!
Knowing what product and how you use it in your Skin Cycling Routine is essential. Not paying attention to the order of using skin care products or choosing products with inappropriate formulations for your skin type can destroy their effectiveness and, in some cases, seriously damage your skin.
Complete the Skin Cycling Routine, valuable products and ingredients for each step, and how to use them correctly.
This article will teach how to use skin care products, the steps you can eliminate, and the best products that suit your skin type.
The table below shows the skincare routine steps in general and separately for day and night. In the following, we will learn the correct method for each step and the right products for each.
Now let us learn what to do in each step of our Skin Cycling Routine:
First, your skin must be cleansed of any pollution.
Permanently remove your makeup and wash your face before using skin care products. To absorb the ingredients properly, your skin must be clean and completely free of oil and pollution.
Suppose you want to do the steps of your skin routine properly, using a facial cleansing oil to clean your face and removing all the facial makeup without stripping the skin of its natural oils. Then follow up with a gentle foam or cream cleanser (especially if you have acne-prone skin). Then wash your face.
In the set of facial cleansers, if it is scientifically formulated, micellar water is suitable for cleaning the skin’s pores from impurities and adjusting the skin’s pH.
This step is one of the essential steps in the Skin Cycling Routine. If you do this step correctly, other steps in your skincare routine will produce the expected results.
Of course, the importance of washing and cleansing the skin is not only due to the need to remove makeup. This stage is also critical in men’s skin cycling routine.
Related: “Top 10 Homemade Skin Cleansers“
In the second step, your skin should be ready to absorb other care products as well as possible.
In the past, toners were alcohol-based liquids that severely irritated the face and caused irritation. However, today’s toners are rich in gentle, hydrating ingredients to repair dry skin and chemical exfoliants to treat acne. Toner is not supposed to be a product that feels heavy on the skin after use. These products prepare your face for better absorption of other care products.
Look for a facial toner containing vitamin C, natural ingredients, and beta hydroxy acids like salicylic or alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic or lactic acid. Over time, these compounds unclog skin pores, prevent acne, and remove blackheads.
If you have dry skin, try toners containing alpha hydroxy acids, and if you have oily skin, toners containing beta hydroxy acids are ideal for your skin.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) are water-soluble acids obtained from sugary fruits. AHAs exfoliate the surface of your skin and help replace it with new, more even-toned skin. In contrast, beta hydroxy acids (BHA) are fat-soluble acids and can penetrate deeper layers of the skin than AHAs and remove dead cells and excess oil.
You can use a hydrating toner that helps the skin cells to replace the water lost when washing and drying the skin. After cleansing the skin, apply toner on your clean and dry skin every morning, every night or twice a day. Note that there is no such thing as over-moisturizing for any skin type. Moisture refreshes your face. So remember the toner to keep your face fresh!
After cleansing the face, apply toner every other night (or every other day if you plan to use retinol at night) on clean and dry skin. Then wait a full five minutes or at least until it dries. This time interval is necessary before using another product because if the following combination is used immediately after the toner, the acids of the toner will be neutralized and lose their maximum effectiveness. If your skin can tolerate the toner well and does not irritate or dry out, you can use it daily or at night.
In the third step, you should make your skin resistant to environmental pollutants.
Skin serums are products rich in nutrients, hydrating compounds, and high-concentration antioxidants that boost skin health as soon as they are used.
Although many people overlook face serums, serums are an upgrade to your skincare routine. It is important to remember that while serums are entirely optional, they are a significant first step in improving your skincare routine.
Many dermatologists believe that vitamin C serum can protect your skin from inflammation and damage caused by free radicals throughout the day while brightening the skin and removing dark spots. Serums are essential components of the skin cycling routine, but there are some points to remember:
Vitamin C is a powerful combination. So if your skin is sensitive, start with serums containing lower concentrations of vitamin C and use it every other day instead of every day until your skin adapts to the serum.
We emphasize morning as the best time to use because the antioxidants in the serum help protect against things like pollution and UV rays that you are usually exposed to throughout the day. However, note that low concentrations of vitamin C are suitable for use in the morning and during the day. In general, due to the exfoliating effects of vitamin C and the possibility of skin irritation caused by ultraviolet radiation, high concentrations of vitamin C (above 10%) should not be used during the day.
Serum containing vitamin C is unsuitable in sensitive areas around the eyes.
It is better to use serums containing hyaluronic acid at night. This combination draws moisture from the air into the skin and keeps the skin moist while sleeping. Using anti-acne products or anti-aging products can cause skin dryness and irritation. Therefore, it is better to moisturize your skin as much as possible before using these products.
Use the right products for thinner parts of the skin.
Compared to moisturizers, eye creams are lighter and thinner. Therefore, you should use them before using oils and creams.
The general rule of thumb is to use the “lightest product first, then the heaviest” when applying skin care products because thinner products cannot penetrate thicker products.
Although eye creams have anti-aging effects and are considered essential products in the skincare routine, their use is unnecessary for everyone. Rest assured, as long as you use the right moisturizer and sunscreen, the area around your eyes will receive adequate care.
Important note: Most people think their night eye cream should contain retinol to eliminate fine lines. However, the eye is a susceptible and delicate area constantly subject to skin irritation and rashes. Therefore, you should be gentler when taking care of this area. For this purpose, it is enough to use a hydrating cream around the eyes so that in addition to protecting the areas under the eyes, it also restores the skin’s protective barrier during the night.
Ideally, it is better to use unique products to treat skin spots (whether anti-acne products or products for healing wounds or dark spots) at night because, during the night, your body makes the most effort to repair.
Of course, if you are currently using an anti-acne toner or plan to use retinol to exfoliate your skin, it is better to use anti-blemish products in the morning instead of at night to do so not irritate your skin all at once.
Be sure to use anti-blemish products before moisturizing so that the product can penetrate the skin without having to cross another barrier and leave positive results.
An anti-blemish product containing niacinamide (Vitamin B3) can occasionally help lighten blemishes and pimples. Niacinamide can be used daily. Fortunately, most formulations of this group of care products do not irritate the skin.
In addition to topical use, oral niacinamide has many benefits for skin cycling. For example, this vitamin can improve DNA repair mechanisms and thereby help skin cells repair damage caused by ultraviolet rays that lead to skin cancer. Of course, the presence of this substance in the diet or skin products is never a substitute for sunscreen and other skin care methods against sunlight.
Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are two of the most commonly used compounds for acne treatment, but the simultaneous presence of both in anti-acne products can cause skin irritation.
Studies have shown that benzoyl peroxide kills acne-causing bacteria (use this blend to heal whiteheads), while salicylic acid reduces sebum and dead skin cells (use it for clogged pores and inflamed skin bumps).
How to use all anti-stain products is the same. Gently apply a thin layer of the anti-blemish cream to the blemish or pimple (remember that more does not mean better here). Then wait at least a minute for it to dry.
Next, apply your moisturizer around the spots to prevent the anti-spot product from moving to other facial areas. Once your face is completely covered in moisturizer, pat a layer of moisturizer directly onto the blemish so that it absorbs into the target area without rubbing it around.
It does not matter what skin type you have (normal, oily, acne-prone or dry); You should always use a moisturizer twice daily. Moisturizer is the only product that keeps the protective skin barrier responsible for the beauty and freshness of your face healthy. Also, the moisturizer not only hydrates the skin, but by entrapping other care products, it also helps them absorb and be more effective.
Look for a light, gentle moisturizer with a hyaluronic acid base that hydrates the skin without feeling heavy or greasy.
If you want to apply makeup, leave the moisturizer on the skin for at least 5 to 15 minutes before applying makeup.
Like most body organs, your skin goes into repair mode at night and works to fix damages and regenerate itself. Therefore, the night moisturizer should contain all the compounds the body naturally produces and can use better, such as hyaluronic acid, lipids, and proteins. You can also use an anti-wrinkle night cream that contains a “reduced” dose of retinoids in your nighttime skincare routine. This type of cream is milder and suitable for sensitive skin.
Retinoid is the general term for all Vitamin A derivatives, including retinol. Vitamin A derivatives penetrate deep into the skin, and by accelerating the replacement of dead skin cells with new cells, they cause your body to produce fresher, softer skin with fewer wrinkles over time, and it has more health and beauty.
Related: “Why Is My Skin Wrinkling At A Young Age?“
As all suitable compounds take time to become more effective, the effects of retinoids will also become apparent after four to six months of continuous use. However, the fact that retinoids can take up to 6 months to improve your wrinkles does not mean you will not see immediate results after using them.
Related: “How To Prevent Increasing Facial Wrinkles?“
According to scientific research, retinoids improve dark skin spots and scars and clear skin pores by stimulating collagen production and cell exfoliation. These compounds prevent the appearance of facial acne and brighten the skin. Because of their unique properties, vitamin A derivatives are a magic stick for dermatologists, providing health, beauty, and youth to the skin.
If you are using retinoids for the first time, to reduce side effects such as skin sensitivity and flaking, start with small amounts at long intervals and gradually increase. Use a pea-sized drop on the entire face first one night a week, then two nights a week, three nights a week in the third week, and finally, every other night continuously.
Suppose you currently use or plan to use a night cream containing retinoids. In that case, you can skip this step because doubling up on retinol-containing products will not increase its anti-aging effects and will only cause inflammation.
If you have sensitive skin, apply a moisturizer 10 minutes before and after using retinol to reduce skin irritation without diluting the retinoid cream.
Facial oils are occlusive, Which means they trap all the skincare and moisturizer you have used on your face to prevent them from evaporating too quickly. Oils do not moisturize your skin by themselves, but when you use them on top of other skin care products, they boost the effectiveness of your skincare routine while leaving skin soft and supple.
Always and always use face oil last. Oils can easily penetrate moisturizers, serums, and other skin treatments, but no product can penetrate oil. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that this product be used after other products.
Do not think that oil is only for dry skin. Some oils, such as rosehip and jojoba oil, can reduce excess oil in acne-prone skin. You can also use marula and aloe vera oils to soothe sensitive and irritated skin.
We said that the last step of the skin cycling routine belongs to skin oils, but technically, sunscreen is the last step. But why?
Oils, like other products, must penetrate deep into the skin to be effective. For this reason, they are considered the last stage of the skin cycling routine, but sunscreen does not penetrate the skin. Sunscreen is used to protect the skin and protects skin cells like a soldier from harmful UV rays and even visible light (in the case of tinted sunscreen).
Essentially, sunscreen does not add to your skin; it protects and can only protect it effectively when it is on the outermost layer of your skin.
The minimum SPF (sun protection factor) required to protect facial skin is SPF 30 in a broad-spectrum sunscreen (protection against UVA and UVB rays). If you do not use sunscreen, sooner or later, you may get involved with complications such as premature aging, worsening acne, and skin cancer, and the health and beauty of your skin will be at risk.
You have probably seen the words “skin types” or “suitable for normal skin” on many skin products. However, no one’s skin is completely normal. However, anyone who does not have relatively oily or dry skin or does not face problems such as wrinkles, acne, and sensitivity has balanced or normal skin. A regular skincare routine includes the following steps:
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Additional care: Use glycolic acid several times a week to keep skin healthy and normal. Glycolic acid is a favorite alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), and its very small molecular structure penetrates deep into the skin. This combination dissolves the dead cells of the skin surface and makes the complexion soft, shiny, and uniform.
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The best dry skin care program is one that keeps moisture in the skin. Briar (the surface layer that keeps the skin’s moisture) of dry skin is damaged. These skins have invisible cracks that pave the way for moisture to escape and allergens to enter. Dry skin care routine includes the following steps:
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Additional care: Dry skin responds well to (gentle) exfoliation. If your skin is dry, it means that dead cells accumulate on the surface of your skin. It makes no sense to moisturize dead cells. Dry skin contains invisible cracks, so you should not use grainy scrubs. Chemical peels make the skin clear and soft by breaking down dead cells without harming the skin.
If your skin is dry, use a nourishing facial oil instead of a night moisturizer.
Oily skin has larger sebaceous glands and large amounts of sebum. This is a genetic issue. Women with oily skin tend to have oil build-up on the skin, so the goal is to reduce sebum activity by keeping skin cells hydrated. Oily skin care products contain ingredients that prevent excess oil production. Oily skin care routine contains the following steps:
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Additional care: To complete your skin care program, you can use a variety of clay masks once a week. Do not let the mask dry completely on the face. This may dehydrate your skin.
Read more: Guide to Choosing the best sunscreen in simple language.
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The daily care program for mixed skin should be such that it can address a wide range of skin problems. Combination skin is skin where some parts are oily and other parts are dry. You don’t need to consider separate care for each part of the face; instead, implement a balanced program for the entire facial skin. Combination skin care routine includes the following steps:
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Extra care: Since combination skin is prone to oiliness only in the T-zone, it is better to focus only on these areas when using a clay mask.
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Important tips for caring for sensitive skin
In order to get the best results from sensitive skin care, pay attention to the following points:
In the routine of sensitive skin, instead of using a large number of products, use only a few products with simple ingredients. Because sensitive skin may react to certain substances and cause problems. A detergent, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen are enough.
Use products that do not contain essential oil and alcohol and do not cause skin irritation and acne.
Be sure to hydrate your sensitive skin every morning and night using a moisturizer. Moisturizer can save you from dryness.
Always use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 in your routine for sensitive skin and all skin types. In this case, the UV rays of the sun will not irritate the skin and cause sunburn.
Never use hot water to wash your face and body. Especially in the cold months of the year, using hot water causes severe skin irritation.
Having sensitive skin, every time you want to try a new product, first use it on another part of your skin except your face to make sure that the product does not cause sensitivity.
A basic skincare routine consists of three simple steps: cleansing the face, moisturizing the face and applying sunscreen. To have healthy skin, you should always take these steps. Other procedures mainly focus on treating or preventing specific skin problems, such as blemishes or wrinkles, and are optional. However, products such as face serums or retinoids have significant benefits that make it hard to give them up.
Of course, the importance of the skin routine, apart from doing and observing the order of the steps, is in the continuity of doing them. If you want healthy and fresh skin, take regular care of it seriously.
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Dr. Majid Zohrabi started treating his patients in Dubai in 2022 and continues his activities in private medical centers in the UAE.