A.M. ROUTINE
Cleanse: Wash your face with a cleanser designed for your skin type. If you have oily skin, use a foaming face wash. If you have dry skin, use something creamy. Foolproof options for any skin type? Try mild formulas like Cetaphil and Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser.
Tone (or don't): This step is totally optional. There's talk of toner balancing the skin's pH, but that's baloney. A great option is Christine Chin toner because it hydrates skin and provides a good, quick wake-up. A toner that sprays in a fine mist feels refreshing and will perk you up instantly, especially if you keep it in the fridge.
Moisturize and protect: Your day lotion should offer hydration, anti-aging ingredients, and SPF protection. Look for a moisturizer that contains antioxidants (some common ones are green tea, pomegranate, and vitamins C and E) and make sure it has a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection. Try Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15.
Bonus tip: To even out skin with minimal coverage—and liberate yourself from concealer and foundation—mix a few pumps of tinted moisturizer into your morning moisturizer. Try Becca tinted moisturizer SPF 20.
Shortcut: In a mad rush? Cleanse skin and skip straight to tinted moisturizer with SPF.
P.M. ROUTINE
Cleanse: Same as in the morning.
Apply serum (or don't): This is an optional step for when you can spare an extra 20 seconds. Choose a serum that delivers active ingredients targeted for your skin, whether you want intense hydration (Chanel Hydramax) brighter skin (Kinerase), firmness (MD Skincare) or overall wrinkle zapping ( Dior Capture R60/80 XP).
Moisturize and treat: Make sure your night cream does more than just hydrate skin. Choose something with beta-hydroxy or alpha-hydroxy acids, which exfoliate to reveal fresher, newer skin, or retinol, a vitamin A derivative that smoothes skin, evens tone, and jump-starts collagen production. Try RoC Age Diminishing Night Cream.
Shortcut: Nodding off during Primetime Live? Skip the longer routine and wipe your face with a premoistened cleansing cloth and slather on moisturizer. Try Olay Regenerist Micro-Exfoliating Wet Cleansing Cloth.
ONCE A WEEK
If you have a minute: Do a scrub. In the shower, swap your regular cleanser for an exfoliating face scrub. Massage it into your face, neck, and chest. Try Burt's Bees Peach & Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub or Fresh Sugar Face Polish.
If you have 15 minutes: Do a mask. Choose one that will treat your most pressing skin issue, whether it's dryness ( Lancôme Hydra Intense or Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme mask), redness and irritation (Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel mask), or acne (Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating mask).
