30 skincare tips for a useful daily routine

Wash gently, not more aggressively

• Wash morning and evening, and after sweating. Morning cleansing removes dirt and bacteria that settle overnight. Evening cleansing removes makeup and the grime collected during the day. Sweating is a reason to wash, not a reason to scrub harder.
• Adjust washing if your skin is dry. Once daily can be enough for skin that tends to dryness; make that wash the evening one. Choose a gentle cleanser for sensitive skin rather than regular bar soap, which can strip moisture.
• Use warm water and your fingertips. Wet your face, gently work a mild cleanser over the skin in circular movements, then rinse completely. Gentle cleansing is the aim; pressure and friction do not make the wash more useful.
• Pat dry with a clean towel. Avoid scrubbing, including when your skin feels oily or you have breakouts. Scrubbing irritates skin and can worsen acne, so the urge to get everything exceptionally clean can work against you.
• Cleanse before applying skincare. A gentle cleanser removes dirt, oil and debris and helps prevent clogged pores. Limit washing to twice daily and after sweating rather than adding extra washes whenever you notice oil.

Make moisturizer work harder

• Apply moisturizer while skin is damp. Moisturizer traps water in the skin, so use the moisture left after washing rather than waiting until your face is completely dry. Remember your body and lips as well as your face.
• Do not automatically rule out moisturizer for oily skin. Oily skin still needs moisture. Choose products for your skin type, and look for labels saying "noncomedogenic" or "won't clog pores" when selecting your routine.
• Spend on usefulness, not prestige. Effective skincare does not have to be expensive, and a receipt is a poor substitute for a routine. A moisturizer with sunscreen can combine two jobs; choose broad spectrum protection with SPF 30 or higher.
• Include your neck when moisturizing. After washing, apply lotion or cream to your damp face and neck and massage until absorbed. Moisturizer helps restore the outer skin barrier, which keeps moisture in and outside substances out.
• Review heavy products when summer arrives. Heat and humidity can change what feels suitable. If you use a separate moisturizer in summer, choose a lighter one; a sunscreen that supplies enough moisture can make that extra layer unnecessary.

Use sunscreen properly

• Wear sunscreen every day before going outdoors. Choose broad spectrum protection, SPF 30 or higher, and water resistance. Daily sunscreen helps slow skin aging and prevent skin cancer; its job extends beyond avoiding an obvious sunburn.
• Cover all exposed skin. Include your face, neck and ears, plus an exposed scalp if you have thinning or no hair. For an adult's entire body, around 6 to 8 teaspoons is a guide; a thin application reduces protection.
• Reapply during outdoor exposure. Reapply every two hours and straight after swimming, sweating or towel drying. Water resistant sunscreen still needs reapplication after water exposure, so that wording is not permission to leave the bottle untouched all afternoon.
• Check the expiry information. Do not use sunscreen past its expiry date. An open jar symbol with a number and an M shows how many months it lasts after opening. Keeping a bottle does not keep its protection indefinitely.
• Choose a sunscreen with a texture you like. Pick a sunscreen you enjoy applying, because the bottle cannot do the wearing for you. Apply it after moisturizer, including around the eyes, across the neck and over the ears.

Protect skin beyond the bathroom

• Use shade and clothing as well as sunscreen. A wide brimmed hat helps shade the face, neck and ears. Check the UV index: at 3 or higher, consider sun protection. Sunscreen is not a reason to stay outside longer.
• Avoid sunbeds and deliberate sun tanning. There is no safe or healthy way to get a UV tan, and a tan does not protect against sun damage. Sunbeds expose skin to concentrated UV radiation and increase skin cancer risk.
• Use self tanner if you want a tanned appearance. Self tanner can provide that look without the risks of tanning outdoors or indoors. Continue protecting your skin from the sun while using it; the cosmetic colour does not replace sun protection.
• Find healthy ways to manage stress. Stress can trigger or worsen conditions including acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. Stress management belongs alongside skincare when those conditions flare, rather than treating every change as a reason to buy another product.
• Do not smoke. Smoking contributes to premature skin aging and delayed healing. It affects skin cells and narrows blood vessels supplying the skin, so preventing those effects involves more than choosing a cream for wrinkles.

Choose extra treatments for a specific purpose

• Consider a retinoid for aging skin. Retinoids are compounds derived from vitamin A. Regular use can improve wrinkles, sun spots and texture. Retinol is available without a prescription; stronger prescription retinoids are an option to discuss with your doctor.
• Start retinol slowly at bedtime. A starting approach is a pea sized amount across the face every three days. Watch for redness, significant peeling or irritation, and increase toward nightly use only as your skin builds tolerance.
• Consider an antioxidant for environmental exposure. Pollution can contribute to dullness and pigmentation. Topical antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid are options for that concern, rather than another compulsory step for every routine.
• Put an antioxidant serum after morning cleansing. Wash with a gentle cleanser, pat dry, then apply the serum. Keep sunscreen in the morning routine as well; adding an antioxidant does not remove the need for sun protection.
• Leave pimples alone. Squeezing can introduce infection, worsen inflammation and increase scarring. Washing more is not the answer to acne, which is largely driven by genetics or hormones rather than poor personal hygiene.

Know when to change course

• Prefer products without fragrance. Fragrance can contribute to allergies, irritation and dryness. Consider it in products used on the body as well as the face, and in laundry products that come into contact with your skin.
• Check your skin monthly. Look for a new or changing spot, uneven shape or colour, and an irregular border. A mole or other lesion that itches, bleeds or grows needs medical evaluation rather than a new skincare product.
• Avoid putting essential or carrier oils directly on your scalp. Oils such as tea tree or argan oil can worsen scalp problems. If you use hair oil, apply it to the ends rather than rubbing it into the scalp.
• Cut back if a skin condition flares. A gentle routine with fewer products can help you identify a troublesome item. If removing suspected products and trying simple measures does not help, seek assessment from a dermatologist.
• Get help for worsening or persistent problems. If your skin is not improving over time, or starts getting worse, see a dermatologist. Continuing to add products is not the next step when the routine is failing.

What are 30 natural skincare tips?

If "natural" means fewer products and more everyday habits, use the tips above for gentle washing, shade, clothing and avoiding smoking. If it means only plant based products, natural ingredients are not automatically safer or more effective. Plant extracts can cause skin reactions, and evidence for many botanical benefits is limited. Natural skincare still needs ordinary scrutiny, even if the packaging appears to have hired a small forest.27

Choose a product for the purpose and ingredients, not just the natural claim. Petroleum jelly is an effective moisturizer and is unlikely to cause skin reactions; being synthetic is not a reason to reject it. Watch for unusual reactions to botanical products just as you would with synthetic ones.7