Starting Your Skincare Routine From Scratch

When you don’t know where to start, building a skincare routine can feel overwhelming – especially if you’re targeted by 10-step rituals on TikTok, or trying to manage specific skin concerns. Since everyone’s skin is unique, it’s no surprise the process can seem complicated. But the good news? A healthy skincare habit doesn’t need to be complex.

In today’s journal entry, I’ll walk you through how to start a skincare routine from scratch, simple morning and evening skincare rituals, and answer the most common skincare questions I hear in my clinic.

How To Build A Skincare Routine

When building a skincare habit, my advice is: go slow and keep it simple.

A pared-back routine is not only easier to stick to, but it also gives your skin time to adjust to new products. This makes it easier to spot if something isn’t working for you.

Your very first skincare routine only needs three steps:

Cleanser: Choose one suited to your skin type. For dry skin, opt for a milky or creamy formula. For normal to oily skin, a gentle foaming cleanser works well.
Moisturiser: Again, match this to your skin type. Apply it right after cleansing to help lock in hydration.
Sunscreen (AM only): Always finish your morning routine with SPF – every day, no matter the weather.

Let this simple routine settle for 4–6 weeks before adding new products. If you want to target specific concerns, I would recommend introducing only one product at a time, and giving your skin 3–4 weeks to adjust before layering in more. Here are my recommendations for additional steps, depending on your concerns:

For Skin Protection: Add a morning antioxidant to defend against UV and pollution. Look for ingredients like vitamin C.
For Ageing Concerns: Retinol (used only at night) can help improve skin tone and reduce fine lines.
For Dull Skin: Try a chemical exfoliant like an AHA or BHA to encourage skin cell turnover.
For Extra Hydration: Add a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid to boost moisture retention.
For Oily Skin: Ingredients like salicylic acid help reduce excess oil and refine pores.

Morning Skincare Routine

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, a more complete morning routine might look like this:

1. Gently Cleanse: I love CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, Avene Cleansing Foam and Natura Bissé Oxygen Mousse.
2. Apply An Active: My top antioxidant picks are SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF, Medik8 Super C Ferulic and Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Daily Treatment.
3. Consider A Serum (Optional): For hydration, try La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum; or oily skin, SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF.
4. Maintain Moisture: I recommend Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream, Avene Hydrance Aqua-Gel or La Roche-Posay Effaclar.
5. SPF, Always: CeraVe AM Moisturising Lotion or Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Melan 130 Pigment Control my ultimate sun protection picks.

Night Time Skincare Routine

When it comes to your evening skincare ritual, you might want to swap out some of the morning steps for more nourishing, replenishing and resurfacing products. Here is my go-to bedtime beauty ritual:

1. Gently Cleanse (Again): I would recommend sticking with your morning cleanser.
2. Consider Retinol: Start slowly by layering in SkinCeuticals Retinol, Medik8 Crystal Retinal or Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum once a week, and slowly working up to applying every evening.
3. Select A Serum (Optional): If you want an extra moisture boost before bed, Tatcha The Dewy Serum is an ideal choice.
4. End On A Hydration High: Finally, deeply replenish your skin with a more intensive moisturiser. I believe cult product Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream lives up to its hype.

Skincare Routine 101

What is a good skincare routine for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin, I would stick to the basics. Both CeraVe and La Roche Posay have outstanding ranges for skin that is reactive. I would suggest solely cleansing, moisturising and applying an SPF each day.

Do I need to have a routine in order to have an aesthetic treatment?
It’s certainly not required, but I would highly recommend it. A consistent routine can enhance results, prolong the effects, and improve your skin’s ability to heal.

Your initial consultation with your dermatologist should include a tailored treatment plan and skincare recommendations that will help to deliver optimum results.

Do I need a personalised skincare routine?
Your skincare routine does need to be tailored to your skin’s needs – but you don’t necessarily need a bespoke, expert-created ritual if you have generally well-balanced skin. If you have more complex skin issues cystic acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, a personalised routine designed with a dermatologist is ideal.

What’s the best routine for anti-ageing?
Just to note: as a general rule, I do not buy into the “anti-ageing” narrative but instead choose to embrace a “pro-ageing” approach, celebrating our skin while caring for it thoughtfully as it evolves. If you are seeing the first signs of ageing, I would recommend starting with a simple, twice-daily routine of:

1. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
2. CeraVe Skin Renewing 10% Vitamin C Serum during the day, or SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 Face Cream at night
3. Augustinus Bader The Cream

As ever, always finish your morning routine with a broad spectrum SPF.