The Simple Yet Effective Skincare Routine That You’ve Been Looking For

There are plenty of articles out there that take you through what feels like fifty skincare products that promise to lead you to perfect and flawless skin. Let’s face it, not all of us are looking for that type of skincare routine. Some of us just need a simple skincare routine that works.

There are products that I believe are nice to have in your routine, and there are also products that are non-negotiable. Let’s go through the absolute necessities to keep your skin healthy and happy without all the extra ~fluff~!

If you have a specific skin concern, you may want to consider adding with products that help to address that. This list will be a great place to start, and you can always add on from there!

If your skin concerns include having oily, acne-prone skin, check out my skincare posts that talk more about that specifically:

The Ordinary Skincare Routine For Acne

Mario Badescu Skincare For Oily, Acne-Prone Skin

Glossier Skincare Routine Guide For Oily Skin

OR, If you are a skincare newbie, check out this awesome introduction post that would be a great start!

How To Order Your Skincare Routine

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE TO YOU. OUR FULL DISCLOSURE IS REALLY BORING, BUT YOU CAN READ IT HERE)

Every easy skincare routine needs a few things that are absolutely non-negotiable. These are the bare minimum products you should keep no matter what:

1. Cleanser (AM + PM)
2. Exfoliator (AM + PM)
3. SPF Moisturizer (AM)
4. Retinol (PM)

Let’s get started!

Simple Skincare Step #1: Cleanser

A good cleanser is absolutely necessary to keep your skin happy and healthy. Not only will it clean your skin from dirt and bacteria, but it will also help keep oil production under control.

The Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming cleanser is my favorite, and I have been using it for over a year!

Simple Skincare Step #2: Exfoliator

A good, gentle exfoliator is key to the health of your skin! It will help exfoliate dirt, dry skin, and anything else keeping your skin from being its best. Additionally, regularly exfoliating will prevent clogged pores, acne breakouts, and excess oil production.

My favorite exfoliator of all time is the ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish. It is expensive, but it lasts a long time as you only need a little bit of product. It also comes in a more affordable travel size.

Zo Skin Health is medical grade skincare and actually targets healing your skin instead of temporarily fixing it like many other products do. If you only have a few products in your simple skincare routine, I would recommend making sure the ones that count are actually good products!

If you are in need of a more affordable exfoliator, I love the Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub.

Simple Skincare Step #3: SPF Moisturizer

I talk about the importance of wearing daily SPF in nearly every skincare post I have because that’s how important it is! Whether you are commuting to work, going to the gym, or spending your day mostly inside: you need daily SPF!

My favorite SPF moisturizer is by Elta MD and comes in tinted and nontinted. I love them both and have found they leave me less oily than my matte foundations. They don’t leave that typical sunscreen feel/grease on your face, and you won’t even be able to tell you’re wearing it!

I am currently loving the tinted SPF for summer as it evens out my tone will still looking like my own skin.

Simple Skincare Step #4: Retinol

Retinol is almost as important as the daily SPF, and if you don’t already have one- definitely get this ASAP!

Retinol reduces fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collating (aka what our skin needs to repair damage!). It also helps to reduce the appearance of acne scarring and dark spots.

Some things to know before you incorporate retinol into your skincare routine:

1. Only use at night
2. ALWAYS use SPF as retinol. Retinol makes your skin more sensitive to UVA/UVB rays and can lead to your skin being more damaged by the rays than before.
3. Start with a low percentage of Retinol (.025%) only two-three times a week andgradually increase to using every night as your skin tolerates it. After you finish that bottle, feel free to increase to .50% and then to .1%!

My favorite Retinol that has completely fixed my skin tone, fine lines, acne scars, and dark spots is by ZO Skin Health. Again, when you only have a few products in your routine- some need to be medical-grade!

Leave me a comment if you have any questions that weren’t answered in this post. I’d be happy to help!