Skincare routines can be tricky. With all the products and videos available, it’s hard to know which are the right steps to care for your unique skin type. We’ve made it a little easier with this step-by-step guide for a healthy, radiant, and smooth complexion -- morning, noon and night!
morning routine
Step 1: Gentle Cleanser
Start the day with a gentle face wash to avoid stripping away your skin’s natural oil production. Our skin recovers overnight, leaving dead skin cells, excess sebum, sweat and dust. Just water isn’t enough to wash away the dirt and oil, but a harsh cleanser isn’t necessary either. Choose a gentle face wash that doesn’t leave your skin feeling tight after using. Keep in mind that cleansers that get overly soapy or foamy may be stripping away your natural oils. When that happens, your skin can get dehydrated, feel tight, and become prone to fine lines and wrinkles faster.
Use lukewarm water, a gentle cleanser, and then pat (don’t rub) your skin dry with a towel.
Step 2: Toner
Toners have a bad rap. Many believe they irritate the skin, which is why most people skip out on this process. That’s not the case anymore. Toners help moisturize your skin, rather than strip away your natural oil production. In fact, chemical free, Plant-Based Facial Toners can help restore and balance your skin’s pH level, without stripping away your natural oil production.
There are three good reasons to use a Facial Toner:
- It hydrates your skin. Toner is great for those who need a little hydration throughout the day without applying face lotion. Our Organic Plant-Based Facial Toner can be used over your make-up.
- Added cleansing. Facial toners remove traces of dirt and oil, but since most people cleanse their face in the evening, it can be used to replenish and nourish your skin instead.
- It acts as a primer for your moisturizer.
Sulina Shop’s Organic Plant-Based Facial Toner has a pH level of 4.3-5.5. It’s great for added cleansing, and to boost moisture back into your skin.
Step 3: Serums, Spot Treatments
After cleansing and using facial toner, apply serums or spot treatment. They balance skin tone, hydrate, and help to treat skin concerns. Acne spot treatments can dry out your skin, so only apply where it’s needed.
Dry Spot Treatment: Use a serum or Facial Oil to lock in moisture.
Dark Spot Treatment: Wear sunscreen every day. Wear serum and facial oils to lighten the spots.
Step 4: Moisturizer
Our body needs 70% water and 30% oil to keep our skin hydrated. It’s very important to moisturize daily to keep your skin healthy and radiant. Skin is exposed to elemental damage from the sun, air and outside toxins each day, so moisturizing helps to protect, repair and retain a youthful natural glow. Choose a moisturizer that is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and SPF for extra protection during the day.
Add a Facial Oil for extra protection and to lock in moisture. Facial Oils protect the skin from outside toxins, and stop dirt from entering the pores. Apply 2 to 3 drops (depending on your skin type) of plant or seed based facial oil to your moisturizer to keep skin hydrated. When adding Facial Oils with or over your moisturizer, it helps seal and prevent water loss from your skin. Plant Based Facial Oils are naturally anti-aging, and filled with vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants to help repair and protect skin’s barrier.
Step 5: Eye Cream or Gel
Using an eye cream or gel is an important step to your skincare routine. Daily moisturizers just won’t cut it! Eye Creams are thicker and contain more oils than your regular moisturizer. They are formulated specifically for the delicate skin around your eyes, which is prone to dryness, fatigue, and aging. Constant eye movement and squinting can lead to fine lines and wrinkles, plus our natural oil production starts to slow down when we hit our mid-twenties. For this reason, it’s important to start using eye creams or gels before signs of wrinkles or fine lines.
Apply your eye cream or gel over your moisturizer. Make-up can be worn once this final step is completed.
nighttime routine
During the night, your body and mind go into a regenerating mode. Your skin starts to repair daytime damage caused by UV exposure and environmental toxic elements, which is why a nighttime routine is a vital step to your skin’s health.
Step 1: Cleanse
Cleansing is an important part of your nighttime routine – washing away dirt, grime, make-up and toxins from daytime elements will help prevent acne, fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. Plus, environmental pollution can further damage your skin if it’s not properly washed away each night.
Step 2: Toner
Facial toners absorb quickly, and help remove residual dirt or oil left behind after cleansing. It’s also a great way to keep skin’s pH level balanced to control acne or dry spots. If you have dry skin, simply use a facial toner for hydration after cleansing. For acne-prone or oily skin, use a toner to remove excess dirt, oil, and dead skin cells. Toners work overtime to help correct and balance pH of the skin, and help control acne. Win-win!
Step 3: Serum or Spot Treatment
Night is the perfect time to use spot treatments on problematic areas. Our skin naturally starts to repair at night, but when you add active ingredients to acne-prone, dark spots or dry skin, you can help to boost your skin’s natural ability to balance and repair.
For Dry Skin Treatment: Use hyaluronic acid base lotion before applying moisturizer. This will add moisture back to dry areas. Gently exfoliate once or twice a week.
Acne Treatment: Using products that can unclog pores. Try our Neem Clay Powder Face Mask that naturally fights acne and draws out toxins.
Dark Spot Treatment: Include Glycolic Acid, Retinol, and Vitamin C, and avoid over-exfoliating. Too much rubbing can irritate the skin, causing more dark spots. Wear serum and facial oils to lighten the spots.
Step 4: Moisturizer/Facial Oil
Your skin’s cells are at their peak of activity at night - they repair themselves while you’re sleeping. Your nighttime moisturizer should be thicker, in order to create a nice coating on the skin to prevent water loss. Moisturizers such as Retinol Night Cream, Vitamin C and Facial Oils help lock in moisture and boost skin regeneration.
Step 5: Eye Cream
Eye creams can help reduce or erase the signs of aging, fine lines, and wrinkles by boosting cell turnover. At night, our body makes more collagen, which helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. Using eye creams with natural oils also helps to keep skin hydrated throughout the night, which leaves skin healthier and able to repair.
When using an eye cream, simply apply gently, massage in circles, and let it do its job.