We all like to look our best. If we had the ability to choose to have smooth, beautiful, glowing skin, we would. It’s a no-brainer. Choosing to have a solid skincare routine is certainly one of the ways to ensure that this can be achieved.

But what is a good skincare routine? Is there a one size fits all?… Unfortunately not. We all have different skin types and each skin type will need its own special loving care. So the question is, how do I know what is good for me?

Whether you have dry, oily, combination, sensitive, or acne-prone skin, we’ll try to give you a basic, easy-to-understand guide on how to start your journey into the sometimes overwhelming world of skincare.

Any good skincare routine should combine a cleanser followed by a toner, then a serum, and lastly a moisturizer.

The cleanser you choose should be one that matches your individual skin requirements. For oily/combination/acne-prone skin, a good place to start would be a gel cleanser or something like Elizabeth’s Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser for combination skin to ensure you don’t add too much oil. If you have dry skin, something like a cream cleanser would be best for you. StriVectin Comforting Cream Cleanser would be ideal for this.

Next, we would recommend some type of toner. There are three main categories for choosing a toner. Firstly, if you have dry skin, a toner with little or no alcohol would be best. Alcohol can dry out your skin, so stay away from it if you can. Lancôme Tonique Confort Hydrating Toner would be something we would suggest for this. If you have oily skin, you may want to choose a toner that also exfoliates. This is due to the increased chance of oil getting trapped in your pores and possibly causing breakouts. If you have combination skin, then it’s a bit of a judgment call, but you can go for any type of cleanser, but again, try to stay away from anything that includes alcohol, especially if it’s a high concentration.

Then comes the serum. People may ask if it is necessary to use a serum and a moisturizer…well if you want the best results then yes it is. A serum is designed to give your skin deeper benefits than a moisturizer. They penetrate the epidermis and provide a concentrated boost of essential nutrition for the skin. The various types of serums include brightening serums, exfoliating serums, anti-aging serums, hydrating serums, and firming serums. Depending on what you hope to achieve and what your skin needs will obviously dictate what you choose.

And finally, moisturizers. There are countless different moisturizers out there, but to keep things simple we have grouped them into 3 main categories. Moisturizers, Emollients and Occlusives. Simply put, moisturizers are primarily designed for people with dry skin and help seal in water to hydrate the epidermis (the top layers of your skin). They do this by drawing water from the surrounding air and drawing water from the dermis (the layer below the epidermis) to hydrate the surface layers of the skin. These are also great if you have oily skin but still want to moisturize as they will not add any excess oil to your skin. Emollients are great because they replicate the action of oils found naturally on the skin. It can also help reduce the amount of insensible fluid loss (we all lose an unknown amount of water each day, partly through the spaces between skin cells) by filling in the spaces between skin cells. Last on our list are occlusives. These are designed for extremely dry skin or for people with conditions like eczema. They create a physical barrier between the skin and the environment, sealing in moisture and protecting from further water loss. Understandably, these are very thick compared to other moisturizers.

Whatever your skincare needs, we hope you find what you’re looking for. Never be afraid to ask for help from experts who work in beauty departments, that’s what they’re for and I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you.