It may very well be that by now you have a rich assortment of high-quality skincare products 'on the shelf'. Attracted by the positive effects that the various ingredients bring, you think you are keeping your facial skin in optimal condition. But: are you taking the right order into account? Timing is everything. But also knowing what you are applying. Are you not using too many products (at the same time) and are they not working against each other.
That's why we have devised a basic and an advanced routine for you. So you know exactly how to best take care of your facial skin and make it sparkle. If you are already a pro and have been using the basic skincare routine below for a while, you can skip straight to the Advanced Skin Routine, Easy does it!
Exactly the right steps and with which products you achieve the best results.
BASIC SKINCARE ROUTINE (With Grown Alchemist!)
Step 1: Facial Cleanser
The first step you take in the morning is to cleanse your face. That's an essential part of your skincare regime. With a good cleanser, you remove all sebum, dead skin cells, and dirt from your face. In the evening before you go to bed, you obviously do that too. Washing your face with just water is not enough. Water does not dissolve fat particles, resulting in clogged sebaceous glands. Additionally, the active ingredients in a toner or moisturizer can also penetrate better into a cleansed skin.
We therefore recommend investing in a good cleanser. One that perfectly suits your skin. It should at least be a mild cleanser that ensures the skin does not dry out or become irritated. With an excellent facial cleanser, you prevent clogged pores, a pale dull skin, and pimples.
Step 2: Toner
The second step to a healthy skin is a good toner. A good mild hydrating toner helps to calm and protect an irritated skin. Using a toner also strengthens the skin barrier and ensures a healthy moisture balance in your skin. Additionally, it also enhances the active ingredients of other skincare products, think of it as a liquid primer that prepares your skin for the rest of your skincare regime.
Step 3: Face Cream
The last step in a basic skincare regime is applying a face cream and/or face balm. Always apply a moisturizer (moisturizer) as soon as possible after using a toner. Many active ingredients in a cream penetrate more easily into a moist skin. By applying your face cream immediately after using a toner, you ensure that both moisture and the active ingredients of the toner are essentially locked into the skin.
In your skincare regime, always use a hydrating product first (in this case a toner) and then a moisturizer. Hydration provides moisture to your skin, and moisturizers lock it in.
Our advice is to choose a face cream with SPF, so you are protected against sun damage (the biggest cause of skin aging). Or even better, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher after your cream. Not only in summer, but also in winter, there is still enough UV radiation present.
Tip: If you have very oily skin, a day cream may be unnecessary. In that case, a toner is a great alternative to a cream. Be careful not to let your skin dry out, as oily skin tends to crack.
ADVANCED SKINCARE ROUTINE (With Medik8!)
Above, we have indicated the basic steps on how to get and keep your facial skin in great condition relatively quickly. Of course, you can go a few steps further. It can always go next level. If you are ready for that, we now give you 7 steps to get and keep the skin in excellent condition.
Step 1: Facial Cleanser
The first step you take in the morning is cleansing your face. That is an essential part of your skincare regime. With a good cleanser, you remove all sebum, dead skin cells, and schmutz from your face. In the evening before you go to bed, you obviously do that too. Washing your face with just water is not enough. Washing the face with water and soap, by the way, causes your skin to dry out. Water also does not dissolve fat particles, resulting in clogged sebaceous glands. Additionally, the active ingredients of the other products in your skincare routine can also penetrate better into a cleansed skin.
We therefore recommend investing in a good cleanser. One that perfectly suits your skin. It should at least be a mild cleanser that ensures the skin does not dry out or become irritated. With an excellent facial cleanser, you prevent clogged pores, a pale dull skin, and pimples.
Step 2: Scrub Exfoliator
A step further in cleaning your face is exfoliating or scrubbing the skin. After a cleanser has removed dirt from your skin, you can use an exfoliant to remove the top layer of your dead skin cells. This stimulates the skin cells to renew themselves faster, making your skin more even, softer, and more radiant. Scars and blemishes will also fade faster as a result. Do this no more than 1 to 2 times a week, unless the packaging indicates that it is so mild that it is suitable for daily use. You certainly want to prevent your skin from getting damaged.
What is actually the difference between scrubbing and exfoliating?
- Scrubbing is physical. With tangible granules, you abrasively remove the dead skin cells.
- Exfoliating is chemical. Instead of literally scrubbing off dead skin cells, you loosen them with ingredients like fruit acids, glycolic acid, or salicylic acid.
The result is the same, only the method differs. It just depends on what you prefer and what works best for your skin. Be careful when scrubbing, as scrubbing too roughly can damage the skin barrier.
Note: If you have used an exfoliator, it is not advisable to then use a serum containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. These acids are already in the chemical peel, causing the skin to undergo the same treatment twice in a row. You run a high risk of damaging your skin. Our advice is: “Work smarter, not harder.”
Step 3: Toner
After you have removed the dead skin cells from your skin, a toner is the next step towards healthy skin. A good mild moisturizing toner helps to calm and protect irritated skin. Using a toner also strengthens the skin barrier and ensures a healthy moisture balance in the skin. Additionally, it enhances the active ingredients of other skincare products, acting as a liquid primer that prepares your skin for the rest of your skincare regime.
Step 4: Serum
Consider applying a face serum as an extra tool you can use to address a specific skin issue. This could include combating skin aging, pigmentation spots, hydrating a dry skin, or treating impurities. It is therefore important to choose a serum that suits your specific skin problem.
- Skin aging, wrinkles, and fine lines: Vitamin A (retinol), vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, peptides
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Hyperpigmentation: Thiamidol, vitamin C, azelaic acid, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), alpha arbutin
Acne: Salicylic acid (BHA), vitamin B3 (niacinamide), glycolic acid (AHA), azelaic acid, vitamin A (retinol) - Dry skin: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides
- Dull skin: Vitamin C, vitamin A (retinol), glycolic acid (AHA)
- Sensitive skin: Vitamin B3, C and E, Salicylic acid (BHA), glycolic acid (AHA)
- Oily skin: Vitamin B3 (niacinamide), vitamin C, licorice root extract (glycyrrhizia glabra), hyaluronic acid
Step 5: Face Cream
A perfect next step after a serum is applying a high-quality face cream. The advantage of a high-quality face cream is that it maintains the skin's moisture balance. It nourishes and keeps the skin healthy.
Our advice is to choose a face cream with SPF, so you are protected against sun damage (the biggest cause of skin aging). Or even better, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher after your cream. Not only in summer, but also in winter there is still enough UV radiation present. Also consider whether you need an anti-wrinkle cream to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.
Tip: Especially for dry skin, it is advisable to use a nourishing and moisturizing night cream. This cream can then be absorbed all night and thus provide extra nourishment and hydration to your skin.
Step 6: Eye Cream
It is important not to forget the skin under the eyes. This fragile area is very sensitive. This is where the signs of skin aging first become noticeable. Therefore, we recommend applying a high-quality cream or gel here as well.
A good eye cream not only nourishes and hydrates, but also improves the skin's elasticity and combats fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness under the eyes. The sooner you start caring for the areas around your eyes, the smaller the chance of dark circles, puffy bags, and noticeable lines. For the best results, use a eye cream during the day and before going to sleep.
Note: When using a special serum or cream for under the eyes, make sure you have not first applied a face cream to this area. That is redundant and affects the nourishing effect.
Work Smarter. Not Harder
Make sure not to use products with the same ingredients redundantly, as it doesn't make much sense and can even be harmful to your skin. Always read what ingredients are present in which products. For example, do not use a serum with acids like glycolic or salicylic if you have just extensively scrubbed your face with an exfoliator containing exactly the same ingredients.
Avoid incorrect combinations as well. Especially with vitamin C, things often go wrong. Products with Vitamin C should preferably not be combined with vitamin A (retinol) and other acids (hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, is harmless). Therefore, we advise using products containing vitamin C in the morning and skincare products with other active ingredients in the evening before you go to bed.
It is generally better to use moisturizing products in the evening, as your skin then has the opportunity to really absorb a moisturizer well. Especially men with dry skin would do well to use a good night cream.
Do you see water burning when reading some of the difficult terms in this article? Then read our Big Skincare Dictionary. Here we explain all skincare terms (that you as a man should know) extensively for you. Should you still have questions based on this article, we would of course be happy to hear from you! We will gladly help you further with this.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men.