Step by step to your perfect skincare routine
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Time to read 10 min
Toner, serum, AHA, BHA, retinol, vitamin C, sunscreen – you’re feeling buried under a pile of products? No wonder. As skincare turns into a trend and new “must‑haves” pop up on social media daily, it’s hard to keep track. What does your skin actually need, and what’s just hype? Don’t worry you’re not alone. In this guide, we’ll show you which products make sense in a thoughtful routine and how to understand your skin better, step by step.
In a nutshell:
A considered skincare routine revolves around a few essentials: cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
In the morning, the focus is protection from environmental stressors; at night, it’s actives that support regeneration.
Tailor your routine to your skin type - dry, oily, normal, or combination. The right actives are key.
The Korean routine is consistently multi‑step, with up to ten carefully coordinated stages.
For effective care, apply products in the right order: from light to rich.
Table of Contents
1. The Basics: These Skincare Products Belong in Your Routine 2. The Right Order for Your Skincare 3. Morning vs. Evening: What’s Different? 3.1 Morning Skincare Routine 3.2 Evening Skincare Routine 4. The Different Skin Types 4.1 Routine for Normal Skin 4.2 Routine for Dry Skin 4.3 Routine for Oily Skin 4.4 Routine for Combination Skin 5. Trends Come and Go – But Do These Skincare Trends Stick? 5.1 Korean Skin Care 5.2 Skincare-Layering 6. The Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Right Skincare Routine
1. The Basics: These Skincare Products Belong in Your Routine
Before we dive into different types of cleansers or toners, let’s clarify which products shouldn’t be missing from a solid routine. There are a few basics that simply belong.
You should have the following at home:
Makeup‑removing wipes, micellar water, or cleansing oil
2. The Right Order for Your Skincare
1. Something to remove makeup
It’s up to you how you take off your makeup in the evening - wipes, an appropriate oil, or a cleansing water. Choose what you prefer and what fits your skin type. The only rule: makeup has to come off before you start cleansing properly.
2. Cleanser
Next, cleanse your face thoroughly. Use a facial cleanser to create a clean base. Whether it’s cleansing milk, oil, foam, or gel - each texture has its perks and can be matched to your skin.
Our tip: double cleansing! We’re big fans of cleansing twice. First, an oil‑based cleanser to dissolve makeup and grime, then a lighter cleanser like a foam to clean deep into the pores. If you don’t wear makeup, a single cleanse is plenty. 😉
3. Exfoliant
hought we were done with deep cleaning? Not quite. An exfoliant removes dead skin cells and leaves your complexion fresher. You can choose between physical scrubs (e.g., sugar or apricot kernel powder) and chemical exfoliants with AHAs or BHAs. Important: don’t exfoliate daily and ease your skin in – this protects your barrier from irritation.
4. Face mask
The perfect time for a mask is right after cleansing. It delivers a concentrated dose of actives and gives your routine a boost. Leave it on for 15–20 minutes so your skin can drink it in.
5. Toner and facial water
After cleansing, toner and facial water refine and prep the skin. They help with hydration and add extra actives – ideal for a balanced complexion.
6. Serum
Serums are highly concentrated and target specific concerns. Especially post‑cleanse, they can shine.
Vitamin C for refinement, hyaluronic acid for hydration, retinol for regeneration, niacinamide for calming – you decide what your skin needs.
7. Eye care
The under‑eye area is especially delicate and deserves products made for it. Creams, serums, or masks help reduce dark circles and puffiness – especially after a short night.
Our tip: store eye patches in the fridge! The cooling effect de‑puffs and delivers a little morning wake‑up.
8. Moisturizer
The heart of every routine: moisturizer. Even if you skip other steps – don’t skip this one. Moisture is everything, whether your skin leans dry or oily.
9. Sunscreen
Hardly any skincare video skips it - and rightly so. Sunscreen is essential and belongs at the very end of your routine. UV rays may lift your mood, but they’re not your skin’s friend: they accelerate premature aging, fine lines, and pigmentation. Want to learn more about sunscreen? Check out our blog post on sun protection.
3. Morning vs. Evening: What’s Different?
One routine a day won’t cut it. Your skin needs different support morning and night – so it’s worth being strategic at both times.
Actives in the morning:
To start the day fresh, load up on protective actives that shield against environmental stressors. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, niacinamide, plus a reliable sunscreen, are key.
Actives at night:
After a long day, your skin needs time to regenerate. Choose actives that boost cell renewal and recovery. Retinol, fruit acids (AHA), and salicylic acid (BHA) are ideal. Because they’re not always gentle, introduce them slowly and step by step.
Actives for morning and night:
Some ingredients work around the clock. Hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides fit flexibly into your daily routine – depending on what your skin needs.
3.1 Morning Skincare Routine
Your morning routine doesn’t have to be as extensive as your evening one. There are a few basics you shouldn’t skip, plus optional products if your skin wants a little more. This routine is also great if you’re looking for a simple beginner‑friendly setup. If you’re short on time and your skin is mostly normal, you basically just need:
A gentle cleanser to remove overnight sweat and dead skin cells. (A light cleanser is plenty – no need to double cleanse in the morning.)
A moisturizer to rehydrate after cleansing and support the barrier against sun, wind, or dry air.
A sunscreen to protect against UV—yes, even when it’s cloudy; clouds don’t block UV.
If you’re breakout‑prone or very dry and have a few extra minutes, add a serum and/or toner. Not strictly necessary in the morning, though.
3.2 Evening Skincare Routine
At night, take a bit more time to do your face a favor. Some products are staples in an evening routine; others are great at least once a week to strengthen the barrier. As always: every skin is different – adjust to your type. These products are your evening non‑negotiables:
Cleanser
Toner
Serum
Eye cream
Moisturizer
Lip care
(Sunscreen is for daytime; you can skip it at night.)
Our tip: Use a face mask once or twice a week to deliver extra nutrients. If you’re on the drier side, hydrating masks can be used more often. Apply your mask after cleansing and before serum and cream.
4. The Different Skin Types
Normale skin
Normal skin is usually balanced: it doesn’t feel dry or oily and looks even. Pores tend to be fine; breakouts are rare. This type may lean slightly dry at times.
Dry skin
Dry skin often feels rough, flaky, or red. It can feel tight, itchy, or reactive. Cold weather, dry heating air, AC, stress, and hormones can all make it worse. The barrier is often weakened, which makes skin more vulnerable and signs of aging can show up sooner.
Oily skin
Oily skin is easy to spot by its shine – a thin film of oil across the face and forehead, with pores often enlarged or irritated. The cause is overactive sebum production: the skin is trying to shield itself. Upside: oily skin is usually well hydrated, so fine lines tend to appear later. Downside: blackheads, pimples, and acne are common.
Combination skin
Combination skin lives on contrast: the T‑zone (forehead, nose, chin) is oilier and more breakout‑prone, while the cheeks are often dry or sensitive. The complexion isn’t uniform and needs a nuanced approach. Environment, stress, and hormones play a role here, too.
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4.1 Routine for Normal Skin
Caring for normal skin is usually simpler than for oily or dry. You’ll mostly need the basics. For cleansing, choose gentle, balancing products. For follow‑up care, look for ceramides (to keep moisture balanced in the stratum corneum), jojoba oil (nourishes deeply), and vitamin C or E (antioxidants that protect).
4.2 Routine for Dry Skin
If you tend to have dry skin, you should start your routine with a mild cleanser that removes dirt and impurities without drying out the skin. To restore the pH balance after cleansing, we recommend using an alcohol-free toner. When choosing your moisturiser and serum, look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerine or urea. If you have very dry skin, you can also use a face mask twice a week to provide your skin with extra moisture. Ingredients such as urea (which binds water in the skin) or plant oils from almonds, aloe vera or olives are a useful addition to your skincare routine.
4.3 Routine for Oily Skin
Oily skin needs targeted care to help regulate sebum. Start with a gentle cleanser—ideally one that supports the acid mantle and pH. Follow with a moisturizer that’s low in lipids (oils and fats). Lightweight formulations are better here. Sometimes skin overproduces oil because it’s dehydrated—if that’s you, choose a light but intensely hydrating cream. Same logic for toner and serum: opt for formulas that hydrate without weighing you down. In general, go for sebum‑regulating actives like niacinamide, zinc, or BHA.
4.4 Routine for Combination Skin
Finding a routine for skin that’s both dry and oily sounds tricky – but it isn’t. Cleansing is similar to dry skin: use a gentle foam or gel to remove excess sebum and makeup. Then reach for an alcohol‑free toner. For moisturizer, choose products formulated for combination skin. Look for squalane (fights free radicals and irritation), hyaluronic acid (binds water), or argan oil (regulates sebum activity and improves hydration).
5. Trends Come and Go – But Do These Skincare Trends Stick?
Like any trend: a product or method gets hyped, everyone swears by it – and a few weeks later, silence. Hype over.
Two trends have had staying power: Korean skincare and so‑called skincare layering. The question: are they actually worth trying?
5.1 Korean Skin Care
orean skincare is about one thing above all: every product should be perfectly tailored to your skin type. And no, “less is more” doesn’t apply here. While many in Germany still stick to old habits – cleanse with water or soap, then a basic cream - Korea has moved on. A typical Korean routine often has 10 steps and products, with one main goal: protect the skin – it’s our largest organ, after all, and deserves care.
The 10 steps typically include:
Cleansing oil
Cleanser
Exfoliant
Toner
Essence (for hydration)
Serums, boosters, and ampoules
Face mask
Eye cream
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
Our verdict: Korean skincare isn’t just a trend – it’s an attitude toward your own skin. If you want to care intensively with the aim of glowing well into later years, you can’t go wrong borrowing tips and tricks from the Korean playbook. The nice bonus: many products are vegan and more sustainable; many East Asian brands place strong emphasis on environmental protection - and we love that.
5.2 Skincare-Layering
Skincare layering is all about applying products in the right order so ingredients can absorb optimally. You typically start with the thinnest textures and work your way up to the richest.
Why: light textures penetrate better if a heavier product isn’t blocking the way. Layering also lets ingredients complement each other – which can amplify results. We’ve already outlined the right order above – that’s skincare layering in action.
Our verdict: If you want a cohesive, well‑rounded routine, don’t skip layering. The order matters and shouldn’t be changed at random. Another case of: not a short‑lived hype, but something that lasts.
6. The most frequently asked questions about the right skincare routine
What is a toner and do I really need one?
A toner is a liquid skincare product applied after cleansing and before serum. It helps rebalance the skin’s pH, removes any remaining residue, and preps the skin for the next steps in your routine. Whether you “really need” one depends on your skin type and the rest of your regimen. For sensitive, dry, or blemish-prone skin, a well-formulated toner with soothing or hydrating ingredients can be especially beneficial.
How often should I exfoliate?
You should exfoliate one to three times a week at most. Chemical exfoliants should be used only once a week.
How long should I wait between steps?
It’s best to wait until each product has absorbed a little before moving on. This can range from a few seconds (toner, serum, moisturizer) to about two minutes (retinol, chemical exfoliants).
Is a minimalist routine still effective?
Yes, a minimalist routine can be perfectly sufficient – as long as the basics are in place. Any routine should include a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. Depending on your skin type, you can expand it with additional products like a toner and/or a serum.
What common mistakes do people make in their skincare routine?
Common mistakes include: using too many products at once, skipping sunscreen, choosing products that don’t match your skin type, applying them in the wrong order, or using an overly harsh exfoliant.
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