How to Build a Simple Skincare Routine That Works
Overwhelmed by complicated skincare routines? Learn how to create a minimalist skincare routine that works for your skin’s needs, with inspiration from my own routine.
Let’s be honest, skincare has become a little exhausting. Between influencers pushing 10-step routines, new “miracle” ingredients popping up every day, and that nagging feeling of “Am I doing enough for my skin?” it’s no wonder so many of us feel pressured to add more and more steps to our routines. One of the main reasons I even started writing this blog was exactly because I wanted to help people who feel like they’re stuck in the loop of constantly being “influenced”.
Because, here’s the thing: A good skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, I’d take consistency over complexity every single day of the week, and the easiest way to stay consistent with your skincare is to simplify it. So, if you’re struggling to put together a skincare routine that you can consistently follow, let’s break down how to create a minimalist routine that saves time and money, and gives your skin exactly what it needs.
Start by Identifying What Your Skin Really Needs
The first step in building your skincare routine is understanding your skin's unique needs. With a skinimalist routine, you have the opportunity to customize your skincare approach based on your skin type, concerns, and goals. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, you can tailor your routine to address specific issues, by answering 2 easy questions:
What’s my skin type?
The good news is that this is a multiple choice question which generally has one of 4 possible answers—oily, dry, combination, or sensitive skin. The bad news is that factors like weather, pollution levels, hormones, and even age, can cause your skin type to change over time, so this may need to be periodically reassessed.
What are the skin concerns I want to address?
Acne, aging, hyperpigmentation, dehydration, damaged moisture barrier, sensitivity—identifying your skin’s primary concerns is the key to understanding what products you need in your routine. These too could, and often do change over time, but it’s important to focus on the top 2-3 areas which are impacting you the most right now and focus on them. For e.g. my top 2 skincare concerns at the moment are my hyperpigmentation and early signs of ageing.
Skincare Routine 101: The 3 Core Steps of Any Routine
Now that you’ve identified your skin’s needs, let’s move on to building your skinimalist routine. Contrary to what social media would have you believe, you don't need a multitude of products to achieve healthy, glowing skin. In reality, a simplified routine allows your skin to function optimally and maintain its protective barrier, which is crucial for overall skin health.
A skinimalist routine focuses on three essential steps: cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting. Anything else? Consider it optional.
1. Cleanser
Cleansing is where it all starts. A good cleanser removes dirt, oil, makeup and sunscreen without stripping your skin of its natural moisture. Choosing which cleanser to use, and how many times a day to cleanse, really comes down to the skin type you identified earlier.
If you have oily or combination skin, I recommend cleansing twice a day, preferably with a double cleanse at night (start with a micellar water or an oil-based cleanser first, then follow up with a water-based one)
For dry and sensitive skin types, make sure you’re using the gentlest possible cleanser, something that leaves your skin feeling clean, but not tight, flaky or dry. A nightly double cleanse is still recommended, especially if you wear makeup or slather on sunscreen religiously, but consider skipping the morning cleanse and opting for a generous splash of water instead.
My Personal Faves:
2. Moisturizer
A moisturizer isn’t life-savingly essential step (like I’d argue the others on this list are), but no matter your skin type—yes, even if you’re oily—a good moisturizer can help your skin lock in hydration, and support your overall skin barrier health. That’s why it’s considered an important step in any skincare routine. Just like with a cleanser, choosing the right moisturizer largely comes down to your skin type.
Oily or combo skin? Lightweight gel moisturizers, loaded with humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol, beta-glucan, etc., are your best friend. These help your skin retain moisture without making it look greasy.
Dry or sensitive skin? Your skin is likely not producing enough natural oils, so opt for thicker, more occlusive creams with fatty ingredients like ceramides or oils, like squalane.
My Personal Faves:
Purito Oat-in Calming Gel Cleanser (for oily skin)
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Peptide Cream (for dry skin)
Dr.G RED Blemish Clear Soothing Gel Cream (for all skin types)
3. Sunscreen (Every. Single. Morning.)
Sunscreen is the MVP of your routine. It’s your first line of defense against UV damage, which causes everything from premature wrinkles to hyperpigmentation. It’s important to find a sunscreen that you’ll apply every single day, rain or shine, so make sure you choose one that feels comfortable enough on your skin to apply (and reapply) often.
Do some research into the differences between chemical and mineral (or physical) sunscreens before picking the right one for your skin type. In short, chemical sunscreens tend to be more lightweight and cosmetically elegant, making them a good choice for those with oily skin. Mineral sunscreens (usually containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) are great for sensitive or acne-prone skin.
My Personal Faves:
SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum (chemical sunscreen)
Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46 (hybrid sunscreen)
Paula’s Choice Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid (hybrid sunscreen)
What You Can Add On (IF You Need It)
Once you’ve chosen your cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen—CONGRATULATIONS! You just built yourself a skincare routine. Even if you don’t add any more steps from hereon out, you’ve already got yourself a daily routine that’s tailored for your skin.
But, if you’re still not happy with the way your skin looks and feels, you may want to add some additional help:
Toners & Essences can be a good addition if your skin feels tight after cleansing, and needs a bit of extra hydration. Alternatively, an exfoliating toner could help prevent dead skin build up.
Serums can be helpful for targeting specific concerns like dark spots, fine lines or a damaged skin barrier. If you don’t have any major issues, you can skip them too.
Masks, Ampoules & Facial Oils, for me, are fun for a little self-care, but think of them as an occassional treat rather than a necessity.
The truth is, your skin is smarter than you think—it’ll let you know what it needs if you pay attention. Feeling tight or flaky? You might need more hydration. Getting shiny or breaking out? Go for lightweight, oil-free products. Irritated or red? Look for soothing, fragrance-free formulas.
If your skin looks and feels great with just cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreen, you’re already doing it right.
Identifying the Right Products for Your Skin
An easier way to think about this is to identify what ingredients your skin needs most, and then find a product that contains one or more of those ingredients. Whether that product comes in the form of a lightweight toner, a midweight serum or something more occlusive, like an ampoule or oil, comes down largely to the kind of texture and product consistency you prefer to layer on to your face.
I highly encourage you to do your own research to identify what your skin really needs, but to get you started, here’s a pretty basic cheat sheet of ingredients to look for based on some of the most popular skin concerns:
For hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and uneven, dull skin:
Antioxidants that brighten and protect from sun damage, like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Glutathione, Green Tea
Tyrosinase inhibitors that prevent melanin production at the source, try Alpha Arbutin, Azelaic Acid, Kojic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Licorice Root Extract
For acne-prone skin:
Ingredients that control sebum production, like Niacinamide
Exfoliating acids that help prevent the build-up of dead skin, including BHAs (like Salicylic Acid), AHAs (like Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid) and PHAs (like Gluconolactone)
Products that speed up skin turnover, like retinoids
For signs of aging:
Anything that speeds up cell turnover, like retinoids (considered the gold standard for anti-aging), and exfoliating acids
Ingredients that stimulate collagen production, like Vitamin C and peptides
For damaged, dehydrated skin:
Barrier restoring ingredients like ceramides, PDRN or squalane
Soothing ingredients like centella asiatica, colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera
Humectants that help the skin retain moisture, like hyaluronic acid, beta-glucan, panthenol, glycerin
While this list of ingredients is by no means exhaustive, I hope it begins to give you an idea of what to look for in your skincare products.
How to Build Your Routine
Now that you’ve identified your 3 core steps + 1-2 optional targeted treatments, it’s time to start building your routine. The rule of thumb in layering your skincare products is to go from the most lightweight and watery products to progressively adding on heavier and more occlusive products. Here’s what your skinimalist skincare routine might look like:
Morning:
Cleanse (optional): Wake your skin up with a gentle cleanser or alternatively, simply splash some water on it
Targeted treatments (optional): Personally, I prefer to use lightweight products, like hydrating toners or lightweight brightening serums in the day time. These go on straight after my cleanse from most watery to most viscous.
Moisturize: Lock it all in with a moisturizer of your choice. Mine are almost always lightweight, gel moisturizers, but choose what works for your skin.
Sunscreen: Finish with SPF—don’t skip it, even if it’s cloudy!
Evening:
Cleanse: Evening cleanses are not optional. Choose whatever cleanser is gently but effectively able to wash off the day, and preferably double cleanse if you’ve been wearing makeup or layers of sunscreen.
Targeted treatments (optional): Your evening routine could contain the same targeted treatment as your morning routine, but you could also add in heavier products or ingredients that can cause sun-sensitivity during the day time, like retinoids and exfoliants.
Moisturize: End your day with a soothing moisturizer (either the same one as the day time or a slightly heavier more occlusive one if you’re sleeping in an air-conditioned room all night)
That’s it. Keep it simple, stay consistent with it, and don’t get disheartened if you don’t see miraculous results overnight. Skincare is a long game.
Final Thoughts: Why Simpler May Be Better
At the end of the day, skincare should be a form of self care. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and focus on the basics. From there, you can add in extras if your skin needs them, but don’t feel pressured to use products just because they’re trendy or because everyone else is doing it.
Sometimes, less really is more. Overloading your routine with too many products can do more harm than good—leading to irritation, clogged pores, or just plain ol’ skin barrier damage (been there, done that). I used to think that more products would magically give me flawless skin, but it turns out, my skin just needed me to stop overthinking. Since switching to a skinimalist routine, I’ve noticed fewer breakouts, less irritation, and honestly, way more peace of mind.
The best part? My bathroom shelves are finally uncluttered, and I’ve saved so much time and money. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your skincare routine, maybe it’s time to give minimalism a try. Your skin—and your sanity—might just thank you.
About The Skinimalist
Hi, I’m Mal, a 30-something recovering skincare addict, and this is my blog. A space where I attempt to de-influence you from chasing trends and buying more skincare products you may not need.
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