Caring for your skin doesn't have to take up a lot of time, especially if you stick to a customized skincare routine that is effective for your specific needs. Using specialized serums and creams in the proper order, in conjunction with basic hygienic habits, will help keep your skin looking fresh and healthy year in and year out. 

What Are the Key Steps of a Skincare Routine?

While everyone's skin is unique, there are some basic treatments and techniques for skin health that can benefit anyone, regardless of their skin type or condition. The order that you apply skin products is also critical to their efficacy; for example, products with a thinner consistency won't be able to penetrate thicker products, and should therefore be applied first, or closer to the skin. 

Whether you are constructing a complex skin care routine or seeking a bare-bones habit for better skin health, there is a core pattern to follow: cleanse, moisturize, protect.

Cleansing can be as simple as washing your face with soap and water, taking a shower, or applying a more abrasive cleanser to dig deep into pores, removing dead skin cells and debris. A chemical or physical exfoliator can be used for this deeper cleaning, though the former is generally recommended, as chemical exfoliators tend to cause less inflammation. Rinsing the face with warm water after this cleansing step, as opposed to cold water, will stimulate the pores to open, preparing the skin for the rest of your skincare ritual. 

The moisturizing step of your process is arguably the most important, as dry skin affects 6 in 10 Americans during seasonal transitions, and by the age of 60, the vast majority of people report chronically dry skin. The simple fact is that the older you get, the drier you get, so restoring and retaining moisture on your skin becomes incredibly important. Some people choose to moisturize twice per day, ensuring that their skin stays hydrated during the day, and can stay protected while they sleep. 

For those crafting a more intensive skincare routine, toners, serums, spot treatments and eye creams can also be added before or after your moisturizing step. Based on the penetrative power of your moisturizer and the thickness of these additional products, you can establish an ideal order for your needs. 

The final step of a skincare routine should be thought of as a protective layer for the moisturizer and other products you've just applied. Sunscreen or any SPF-containing compound is the most common choice for this sealant layer. During your morning skincare routine, if you use makeup, it should be applied last. 

Depending on which products you choose for your personalized skincare routine, some adjustment to your application order may be required. Generally, you should apply products from thinnest to thickest, ensuring that you aren't creating barriers to active ingredients that your skin needs to absorb.

Where to Fit NeuLuna in Your Skincare Regimen

For best results, NeuLuna Day and Night Cream should be applied after your cleansing step, or following a shower. It should be the first product on your freshly cleaned skin, allowing the hyaluronic acid to penetrate deeply into your dermal layers with its patented delivery and absorption system. While some experts recommend applying toners and serums before a moisturizer, NeuLuna's novel absorption system makes it an ideal base layer.

After applying the Day and Night cream to semi-dry skin, you can move on to other moisturizers for additional hydration. Thicker serums, tints and sunscreen should round out your skincare ritual, followed by any final cosmetic products. 

To learn more about NeuLuna's specialized skincare product, visit our website to start crafting a routine that gets real results.