Hey, skincare enthusiast! Think glowing skin only comes from using fancy, expensive products? That is not true. The real secret lies in consistency and a well-thought-out skin care routine using the most simple skincare solutions.
With the right steps in place, you can give your skin the care it truly deserves. In this blog, we’ll walk you through a simple, effective, and comprehensive skincare routine that will help you achieve a radiant complexion.
So dive in!
Step-By-Step Morning Skin Care Routine
To start your day feeling and looking fresh, you can try to include the following into your routine:1
1. Cleanser
This is the first step for any skin care routine. The build-up of dust, sweat and germs overnight must be thoroughly cleansed before starting your day. Use lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser that’s specially formulated, keeping your skincare needs in mind.2
2. Toner
This is the next step after cleansing your face. A toner preps your skin better for what’s applied next to it. In addition, it promises to make your pores appear smaller and deliver hydration. But before picking a toner, remember to steer clear of alcohol-based formulations and opt for toxin-free brands, especially if you’re dealing with skin sensitivity.3
3. Scrub
You can also try exfoliating your face about 2-3 times a week to improve skin texture and appearance. You can try using a mechanical exfoliator such as a loofah or face scrub, or a chemical-based scrub (alpha and beta hydroxy acids or salicylic acid). However, you must remember that scrubbing can do more harm than good if your skin is sensitive. Always consult your dermatologist. 4
4. Mask
If you want to go that extra mile, you can also opt for facial masks to improve the appearance of your skin. Here are a few natural face masks you can try:5 6 7 8
- Chickpea Flour or Besan Mask: Known for its ability to purify your skin and absorb excess oil, it can work like a charm for those with oily skin types.
- Fuller’s Earth or Multani Mitti: It has an inherent capacity to remove impurities from the skin, which makes it another great choice for a facial mask.
- Honey Face Mask: A natural humectant with antibacterial properties that can be used as a face pack. It calms and softens your skin without making it greasy.
- Egg White Face Mask: Known for tightening pores and reducing oiliness, egg white masks can give your skin a firmer appearance.
5. Eye Cream
Your eyes are the most sensitive part of your face, as the skin around your eyes is relatively thinner and more fragile.9 Moreover, eyes are dead giveaways for all that you’ve been through—the fatigue, the sleepless nights and the emotional outbursts. But regular use of a good-quality eye cream or serum can not just improve your dark circles but also give you brighter, more youthful-looking eyes.
6. Face Serum
Face serums are lightweight, concentrated formulas packed with active ingredients that target specific skin concerns like dullness, dryness, and uneven tone. They’re designed to penetrate deeper than regular moisturisers, delivering nourishment where your skin needs it most.10 But no matter whether your goal is to brighten, rejuvenate or simply hydrate your skin, what’s most important is to pick a serum free from harsh chemicals and enriched with potent bioactives.
7. Moisturiser
Moisturisers help moisten the skin and keep it soft. Regular use of a moisturiser is the secret to more youthful-looking skin, as it provides a barrier against water loss, reduces fine lines, and smoothens and hydrates skin. Keeping your skin properly moisturised during pregnancy, growth spurts and weight loss can also help it stretch better and reduce the formation of stretch marks.11
8. Sunscreen
UV rays can lead to tanning, dark spots, and early ageing. That’s why sunscreen isn’t just for summer, but instead it’s a daily essential. While hats and sunglasses offer some help, nothing beats the protection of a good sunscreen. So look for one that’s gentle on skin but tough on UV rays in order to keep your skin safe.12
Step By Step Night-Time Skin Care Routine
During the nighttime, you can follow the same skincare routine with a few tweaks. So here’s the plan you can stick to before you go to bed:
1. Makeup Remover
Before going to bed, always ensure to remove any kind of makeup. Leaving makeup overnight can lead to clogged pores, invite germs and cause many kinds of skin issues such as acne. To do so, you can use baby oil or a mixture of natural oils such as castor oil, olive oil and Aloe vera.13
2. Cleanser
If you haven’t been wearing any makeup you can skip the first step and directly start with a cleanser. It’s a crucial step for healthy skin as your skin stays exposed to a variety of environmental pollutants, dust and germs during the entire day.2
3. Toner
Before applying a serum or a moisturiser, you can apply a water-based toner to help balance the pH and improve the hydration of your skin.3
4. Eye Serum
As your eyes prepare to relax for a good night's sleep, you can supercharge them with a gentle eye cream. This can help you wake up with more hydrated and brighter-looking eyes.9
5. Face Serum
Ending the day with a few drops of a good-quality serum made of natural ingredients can help you achieve an even skin tone and a radiant complexion.10
6. Moisturiser
If you want to wake up with plump-looking, dewy skin, then you must make it a habit to religiously apply a moisturiser before going to bed.11
How To Customise Your Skin Care Routine
To make your skin care routine more effective, you can customise it—depending on both your skin type and the type of skincare concerns affecting you. Let’s explore each one in detail below:
1. Based on your skin type:
You might have different skin types such as:
- Oily Skin: If your skin appears more shiny, especially around the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) then you most likely have oily skin. It’s characterised by enlarged pores and excess sebum production. Oily skin is more prone to blackheads, whiteheads and acne. Women with oily skin must practice double cleansing using a gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip your face of natural oils.14 15
- Dry Skin: Suffering from rough and flaky skin that feels tight? Then you might have a dry skin type. Such skin is also more prone to sensitivity and eczema. So you need to keep it properly moisturised using a heavy-duty moisturiser after regular intervals. Even better, use one that promises to deliver hydration for long hours.14
- Normal Skin: This is the best skin type in which the skin is neither too oily nor too dry. Those of you with normal skin have a smooth texture and good elasticity. They also face very few skin issues. But this doesn’t mean you should let go of your regular skincare practices.14
- Sensitive Skin: 7 out of 10 women have sensitive skin—one that easily reacts to the slightest triggers, for example, harsh weather, applied pressure, or chemicals.16 If you have this particular skin type, then finding the right skincare might become a challenge. But your best way out could be looking for skincare products formulated with natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Shea Butter and Calendula Extract. These botanicals don’t just improve the appearance of your skin, but also help calm it down. Therefore, they can be great for your sensitive skin.17 18 19
2. Based On Your Skincare Concern:
Here’s a list of skincare concerns that often bother women in their day-to-day life (and some them specially during pregnancy):
- Acne: The hormonal changes during pregnancy may cause your skin to break out more often. There could be blackheads, whiteheads or pimples here and there. But with the right skin care tips and by modifying your skincare routine accordingly, you can easily ace your way to clear skin. This is also where you can try to include a pregnancy-safe acne-clarifying serum to deal with the breakouts.20
- Sensitivity: Pregnancy makes your skin extra sensitive. This means it can easily get itchy, irritated or inflamed. And you have to be extremely careful about the products you use during this time. Not only can harsh, chemical-laden skincare products cause potential harm to your baby, but they can also irritate your skin further.21
- Large Pores: Women with oily skin frequently battle the condition where their skin pores appear enlarged on the face. And the hormonal changes during pregnancy exacerbate the condition. Large pores cause excess sebum production which may further lead to acne. So for those of you facing this problem, the best advice would be to look for products that are labeled oil-free and non-comedogenic. It’s also important to follow appropriate sun protection measures.22 23
- Hyperpigmentation: Dark spots are areas of hyperpigmentation that appear on your skin. And they can be quite common, especially in pregnant women. But what makes them worse is unprotected sun exposure and even poor skin care. Certain cleansers or harsh soaps can make these dark patches worse. So it’s important to be selective about what you want to apply on your face.24 You can opt for AreoVeda’s Skin Brightening Serum which is pregnancy-safe and especially formulated with Bakuchiol, CryoGold and other natural skin brightening ingredients.
- Sun Damage: As mentioned earlier, pregnancy makes your skin more sensitive. And that means it can get easily damaged with less than usual sun exposure. So the best practice here would be to cover up and use a pregnancy-safe sunscreen whenever stepping out. If you get a sunburn, you can treat it with some cold packs and moisturisers.25
- Stretch Marks: Stretch marks often form when your skin undergoes rapid shrinking or stretching, such as during pregnancy. And while you can’t completely prevent them, you can take steps to minimise their appearance. You can start with keeping your skin regularly moisturised, as that helps it stretch better.26 Additionally, you can opt for a plant-based stretch marks cream which not only hydrates but also effectively targets both old and new stretch marks at the cellular level.
Summing Up
Finding a skin care routine that suits your skin type can feel like a challenge at first. But once you discover what works and stick to it, the results make it all worthwhile.
That said, always opt for gentle skincare made with natural ingredients, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have sensitive skin. And this is where AreoVeda sets itself apart from the countless skincare brands out there.
At AreoVeda, we don’t just claim to be natural and toxin-free—we have the certifications to prove it. We are India’s first skincare brand to be EWG-verified, ECOCERT-certified, and cellularly proven.
To learn more about our skincare products, visit www.areoveda.in.
