Skincare Routine For Beginners
Skincare can feel overwhelming— What goes first? Do you need all the steps? Are certain products even right for your skin type? The good news: skincare doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to simplify things, this beginner-friendly routine is designed with you in mind—clear, intentional, and easy to follow. It’s a great way to get your skin to a healthy, balanced place.
If you're looking to target specific concerns like acne, pigmentation, or signs of aging, a few additional steps may be needed for more corrective results—but this is the perfect place to start.
Step-by-Step Beginner Skincare Routine
1. Cleanser (AM & PM)
Purpose: Removes dirt, oil, and impurities without stripping the skin.
Choose:
Gentle gel or cream cleanser for your skin type
Avoid foaming cleansers with sulfates if you're dry or sensitive
If you are overly dry or sensitive you could skip the cleanse step in the morning all together and do a cleansing mist like Hydrinity Hyacyn Active Mist. It is anti microbial so it will essentially cleanse the skin, just make sure to let it fully soak in before following with any other steps.
Recommend double cleansing at night to ensure skin is thoroughly cleansed especially if you wear a lot of makeup. I love doing an oil cleanser for the first step or a micellar water and then coming in with a more active cleanser or exfoliating cleanser for second step to really get in the pores and deeply cleanse the skin.
2. Antioxidants (AM)
Purpose: This is a protective step to protect your skin from environmental damage, brighten your skin, soothe inflammation, reduce redness and boost your sunscreen’s effectiveness.
Choose:
Vitamin C- brightens & protects
Green Tea- soothes & calms
Resveratrol- Strengthens & defends
Fulvic Acid - Anti inflammatory & Healing
Glutathione - Brightens, supports detoxification, strengthens skin barrier, calms inflammation
Often times you can find a serum that combines multiple antioxidants for multiple boosted benefits!
✨ Bonus Tip: Did you know the final step in a Skinfatuation Hydrafacial is an antioxidant infusion? It delivers a powerful blend of protective ingredients to help defend your skin from environmental stressors, brighten your glow, and lock in all the benefits of your treatment. Its a great way to boost your antioxidants in a treatment!
3. Moisturizer (AM & PM)
Purpose: Hydrates and supports the skin barrier.
Choose:
Lightweight gel for oily/acne-prone skin
Cream-based for dry/sensitive skin
Fragrance-free is best for beginners
4. SPF (AM only and Reapply As Needed Throughout Day)
Purpose: Protects against sun damage and premature aging.
Choose:
Broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher
Mineral-based if sensitive
Tinted options help even out tone
5. Add-Ons Later (After 4–6 Weeks of Consistency WIth Your Basic Routine if you want to go a step further):
Once the basics are working well, consider adding:
Gentle exfoliant (2–3x/week) – like lactic acid or mandelic acid.
Treatment serum – like niacinamide for pores, peptides for strengthening the skin and stimulating collagen, Alpha Arbutin for fading pigmentation just to name a few of the options.
Retinoid (PM only) – for acne or anti-aging (start 1–2x/week, some retinoids can be used daily but just depends on the product and your skin)
Hyaluronic acid serum - for boosted hydration
Facial oil- for boosted hydration and glow, great way to lock in moisture at night!
👩🔬 Beginner Tips:
Patch test new products to check for reactions.
Introduce one new product at a time—wait a week before adding another.
Stick to it! Most results start to show in 4–6 weeks but it can take 8-12 weeks sometimes even longer for a full result to show and some products and ingredients continue to work and build on results the longer you use them!
Take a photo of your face in natural light before you start your new routine. It can be so easy to forget where we start and since skincare results come in slowly over time and can be subtle at first we might not notice the amazing changes that are actually happening.
