It can be tricky to work out the best skincare routine for your skin. Especially if you’ve got a bathroom cabinet full of skincare treasures that you’re tempted to use every day.
But the secret to a routine that’s going to make your skin happy can often come down to a “less is more” approach. If you over-do it your skin will feel ho-hum, even if you’re using the greatest products in the world.
Here’s our guide to how often you should be doing all your skin things - from exfoliating to facials - to make your skin strong, clear and bright.
Cleansing - Twice Daily (+ after exercise)
You should cleanse your face and neck twice a day, but some people will have a different routine for morning and night.
Your night-time cleanse is the most important - this is when you clean off all the day’s perspiration, makeup, sunscreen and other grime, leaving your skin clean overnight to repair itself (beauty sleep IS a thing, but it doesn’t work if you’ve got gunk on your face).
In the morning some people - particularly those with oily or combination skin - will do a full cleanse again.
But others with normal to dry skin only need to freshen up in the morning to refresh your skin and prepare it for the delicious serums and moisturisers to come. If this is you, a quick morning routine might be just to use your Konjac Sponge and water, or a wipe with your favourite Happy tonic.
Don’t forget to cleanse your face after exercise too!
Toning - Twice Daily (but optional)
While tonics are a totally optional part of your skincare routine, we highly recommend them before moisturising as they provide a really wonderful vessel to help with your moisturiser application.
Whether you use the Raindrops on Roses Hydrating Tonic or Tickled Pink Perfecting Tonic, a spray before your moisturiser will give your skin extra nutrients and will make your moisturiser go the extra mile.
Serums - Once or Twice Daily (but optional)
Your serums are where you’re going to get the most active ingredients so you apply these before your moisturiser so they get maximum penetration.
If you’re treating a specific skin concern, you’ll want to use your serum twice a day but if your skin is looking great and you’re just maintaining your glow or if you’re on a budget and wanting to reduce the amount of product you’re using then once a day is perfect - you’ll still get results since our Fairy Godmother Serums are so effective.
Also, on a budget-friendly side note, some of our moisturisers (especially the Sunrise Over C Mattifying Facial Oil, Sweet Dreams Ultra Rich Beauty Cream, and Butterfly Kisses Probiotic Gel Cream) have a really high amount of active ingredients in them, so if you’re using one of these then you’re already getting a huge dollop of goodness.
Moisturising - Twice Daily
Whether you use a light cream, rich cream or facial oil, the key to happy skin is having moist skin, and the key to moist skin is a moisturiser. Use your moisturiser twice a day to maintain a healthy skin barrier and balance oil production.
If you’re cleansing more than twice because you’ve exercised, make sure you moisturise after each cleanse to avoid drying out your skin.
SPF - As Required
We recommend using a moisturiser with SPF or a sunscreen every day when the UV Index is 3 or above, or when you’re spending extended periods of time outdoors. Remember that your sunscreen does need to be reapplied every few hours for optimal protection from the sun's rays - applying once in the morning might not be enough for all day protection.
And just quietly, we’re working on a moisturiser with SPF at the moment, due to be released in 2021 :)
Masking - Once or Twice Weekly
How often you mask does depend on the type of mask you’re using. If you’re using a clay mask like our Pig In Mud MIneral Mask which draws out impurities, 1-2 times per week is perfect for most people, but if you’re experiencing a breakout you might use it 3 times in a week just to clear those blemishes.
If you are wanting to do more masking you can have a little play around with your products to create a moisturising mask (rather than a drawing mask). You can control how strong your Pig In Mud Mineral Mask is by diluting it with extra water, or for the adventurous we love applying Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm and then layering the Pig In Mud Mineral Mask over the top to make a lovely nourishing mask cocktail. Or just use Cloud 9 on its own for the ultimate moisture mask.
Exfoliating - Once or Twice Weekly
Just like your masking, exfoliating should only be 1-2 times per week. Sensitive skinned folk should avoid masking and exfoliating on the same day (unless you’re super, super-duper gentle), but many of us can safely exfoliate and mask in the same session. Please always remember - being gentle is so important.
Your skin is delicate and can get micro-tears quite easily so go easy especially when exfoliating. It should be nice and easy to do this with our Spoonful of Sugar Exfoliating Scrub as you can control how strong it is just by adding extra water to dilute it and dissolve the sugar crystals.
When you’re trying a new routine, the best thing is to try and be really mindful of how your skin feels before, immediately after, and the day after you mask and exfoliate and it will tell you how often is best for you.
Professional Facials - As often as you can😊
Getting a facial is a truly lovely thing you can do for yourself. Just like a cup of tea can taste so much better when someone else makes it for you, your skincare routine feels better too. The massage, atmosphere and extreme relaxation are so good for you on so many levels. Your beauty therapist is also probably a wealth of knowledge and is a great sounding board if you need some skincare advice too.
In case you don't already have a beauty therapist that you love to visit, we have an absolutely amazing community of beauty professionals who use Happy Skincare products in their treatments. To see if there's one near you head over to our Stockists page (we are mostly in regional areas and not large cities).
If you simply don’t have time for a professional facial, you can always book some time in with the Happy Skincare team for some free advice. We’re here to help you!
