It's really easy to get restless with our skincare.

I get ants in my pants 2-3 times a year, and with all the exciting new developments and formulas I want to either add a hundred new products or throw out my whole regimen and start again.

I will tell you now, BOTH of those are terrible ideas lol

Adding a ton of new products at once can send your skin into a complete freak out, and buying a whole new regimen at once is not only expensive, but risky if you don't know 100% what works for your skin. 

Also, if your current regiment isn't working, make sure you've reviewed our Healthy Skin Basics (That Have Nothing To Do With Skincare) to make sure there aren't underlying issues at work.

Here are my suggestions for building, adding to or swapping out your regimen.

1. Replace products as they run out

UNLESS they are harming your skin. 

For example, if you're using a cleanser that makes your skin super tight and leaves it dry and irritated, go get yourself a new cleanser ASAP.

If you have a bad reaction to a product, stop using it. 

But if something is working ok for you, you just know you could do better, start looking into what you might want to replace it with. Maybe even get yourself a sample to try, so when it runs out you know EXACTLY what to buy. 

This is the most affordable option as you'll run out of different products at different times so the spending will stagger itself out. 

It also allows you to introduce one new product at a time so you have a clear idea of how this one new product impacts your skin (for better or for worse)

2. Adding on to an existing regimen

If you're a skincare beginner and you just have a cleanser and a moisturizer, but you're looking to kick it up a notch, I would suggest looking into the following products (in this order)

First, a good serum

Oh sweet, sweet serums. This power-packed-punch of active ingredients that gets carried into the deepest level of your skin will usually offer the most immediate results, as they are concentrated and highly effective.

It's also why they're the most expensive. But boy, are they worth it. 

They are targeted by skin concern, so grab one that treats a pesky issue you can't seem to beat with your other products (dullness, dryness, dark spots etc)

** NOTE** OILS ARE NOT SERUMS! I see them labelled that way sometimes and it makes me squirm. Serums should be WATER BASED! That's how they get so deep into the skin. Please read our blog on serums before you invest, and save yourself from buying the wrong thing and getting frustrated. **END RANT**

Second, an acid exfoliant/peel.

They are sometimes listed as "toners" but anything with a high concentration of AHA or BHA (alpha-hydroxy acids or beta-hydroxy acids) is designed to be chemically exfoliate your skin by eating off the top layer of dead skin that's clogging your pores and making your skin look dull.

Sounds gross, but SO effective. Next to serums, they will give you the most immediately noticeable change in your complexion. And you only have to use them 2-3 times a week.

(And no, you may not use a facial scrub instead. Those bad boys don't even come close) 

Once you've got a great serum and a great chemical exfoliant, you can start wandering down the other skincare avenues .

If you don't already have a day moisturizer AND a night moisturizer, that's a good place to go next. (Read our blog on moisturizers to figure out the difference)

Or grab yourself a beautiful face oil to use for facial massage or with your facial tools. You can also boost up your moisturizer with 2-3 drops of oil for an extra shot of hydration and nourishment. 

A konjac sponge is the perfect gentle exfoliation experience, and facial masks can be used weekly to treat different concerns or just give your skin a hearty boost.  

Lastly, masks and treatments are a great way to treat individual concerns on a weekly basis. Some people (myself included) will multi-mask and treat different areas of their faces with different types of masks. You can read more about that here in our posts on masks and treatments. 

3. Building a regimen from scratch

If you really are starting from ground zero and you really want to go guns blazing with a whole regimen, I can't stop you. But I can help you!

First stop, a good cleanser AND a good moisturizer. 

You CANNOT have a good regimen without these two foundational items. 

Skin must be clean, and it must be hydrated. 

What types of products you get will depend on your skin type (you can read all our blogs on the various products and skin types and how they all relate) but don't take these steps lightly.

If you wear makeup or sunscreen, you'll need an oil cleanser and a surfactant (gel or milk) cleanser in order to do a double cleanse (read about why you've just gotta double cleanse here)

Then the right moisturizer for your skin type. Preferably a day cream and a night cream, because your skin has different needs at different times of the day. Or at least a facial oil to add to your day cream at night for extra nourishment. 

Skin that is properly cleansed and hydrated will begin to show dramatic signs of health and improvement. Better elasticity, clarity and tone, breakouts should become less frequent and clear up faster. 

From there, refer to the above 2. Adding To An Existing Regimen to decide what to add and where to go from there. 

No matter what you choose to do, make sure to only introduce ONE product at a time. That way, if you have a bad reaction, you know exactly which product to blame. And if you see great improvement, you don't have to try and guess which product your skin is responding well to. 

Once you've been using something happily for 1-2 weeks, you can add in something else. 

Here are some examples of different regimens:

BASIC

1) Cleanser (Oil & Surfactant)

2) Moisturizer 

INTERMEDIATE

1) Cleanser (Oil & Surfactant)

2) Serum and/or Chemical Exfoliant

3) Moisturizer (Day Cream & Night Cream)

ADVANCED

1) Cleanser (Oil & Surfactant)

2) Chemical Exfoliant

3) Serum 

5) Moisturizer (Day Cream & Night Cream. Facial Oil optional)

6) Weekly Masking

PRO

1) Cleanser (Oil & Surfactant)

2) Chemical Exfoliant & Manual Exfoliant

3) Serum (at least 2 targeting different concerns)

4) Toner

5) Moisturizer (Day Cream & Night Cream. Facial Oil optional)

6) Weekly Masking

Did you purchase any of these but you're unsure when and how often to use them? Check out our post on Product Order and Frequency!

Cheers to your beautiful face!

Love,

- L xo