Morning Skincare Routine

Written by Dr. Aislyn Nelson, MD, PhD

Morning Skincare Routine

There is a lot of information out there about how to take care of your skin.  It can be quite overwhelming and often confusing.  Do I need to double cleanse?  Should I be using Vitamin C?  When do I apply a retinol or retinoid?  In what order should I apply my products?

This blog will hopefully sort out many of these questions and give you a guide when you are applying your morning skin care products.

Morning 

A morning routine is an essential step in any skincare regimen. It helps our skin and our minds get ready for the day. Ideally the order of skincare steps is as follows:

1. Cleanse 🧼

2. Serums 💧

3. Moisturizer 🧴

4. Sunscreen 🌞

   
   

Step 1: Cleansing

Cleansing the face in the morning is our first key step in a morning routine.  It helps clean off any products we applied overnight and it also helps remove oils and dirts we accumulate over the PM hours.  There are many cleansers on the market - the one that is right for you depends on your skin sensitivity and the goal you are trying to achieve.  My personal favorite is an acne cleanser with benzoyl peroxide.  I use this as my face wash in my morning shower.  There are two reasons for this - one, I just think it is easier to wash my face in the shower than in the sink; two, benzoyl peroxide can bleach linens and clothing and thus using it in the shower helps reduce that unwanted tie-dye on clothing. ** Another pro of using benzoyl peroxide in the AM is that if you are using a retinoid, like tretinoin, at night, using benzoyl peroxide at the same time can inactive the tretinoin. 

If you have more sensitive skin, a glycerin based cleanser can be very helpful.  If you do have more acne-prone skin but benzoyl peroxide is too irritating, a salicylic acid or sulfur-based cleanser can be very effective.

Step 2: Serums

There are a million serums on the market today. It is hard to know which ones are truly worth their cost and also which ones are appropriate for the skin goals you currently are aiming for.  I am somewhat biased in that I like products that have clinical data, and I mean strong clinical data.  The top companies that I think put in the research and often have superior products are: Topix, Isdin, EltaMD, PCA, SkinMedica, Skinceuticals, La Roche Posay and Alastin.  These are not cheap products but your skin is an investment and in this scenario you often get what you pay for. 

Here are the many of essential ingredients in serums you want to look for and their function:

• Vitamin C: an antioxidant, helps increase collagen production, decreases reactive oxygen species from UV radiation, can help with skin brightening by impeding melanin production (reduces pigmentation)

• Niacinamide: derivative of Vit B3, precursor for numerous metabolic pathways, increases ceramides and free fatty acids in the skin (reinforcing the lipid barrier), reduces melanin transfer in the skin (reduces pigmentation)

• Hyaluronic acid: a glycosaminoglycan, capable of binding 1000x its weight in water making it a humectant (skin hydration)

• Lactic acid: an alpha hydroxy acid, speeds up the cell cycle, leading to cell turnover and exfoliation,  is a strong humectant = draws water into the skin

• Melatonin: a antioxidant hormone, acts as a free radical scavenger (decreases reactive oxygen species and DNA damage) with helps with anti-aging, protects skin from UV damage  

• Tranexamic acid: synthetic derivative of lysine, reduces skin pigmentation (esp melasma)

• Glycolic acid: an alpha hydroxy acid, increase collagen, exfoliates the skin which helps with radiance/pigmentation, is a strong humectant = draws water into the skin

There are many other active ingredients in serums but these are my favorites. You do not need all of these.  I recommend using 1-2 serums to start with.  Most experts recommend applying them either thinnest first or if there are colors, apply the clear first, working up to the darkest last.

Step 3: Moisturizer

Many of the serums mentioned above do have humectant properties which attract water to the skin.  For some people this may be enough especially with the addition of a sunscreen.  If that is the case for you and you do not feel like you need a moisturizer, you can skip this step. 

For many folks, myself included, the climate where you live may be too dry or your skin just needs more.  Moisturizers do not need to be super fancy and cost a lot of money, they just need to do their job.  Lipid or ceramide-based creams tend to be very effective at sealing in moisture so you are not losing it throughout the day.  Fragrances can smell very nice but be sure they do not irritate your skin.  Finally, if you feel like you have dry skin, a cream will be better than a lotion. 

Step 4: Sunscreen

This is my favorite step in my morning routine.  I think it provides the most benefit for my skin overall and my sunscreen is tinted so it acts like a BB cream to provide a uniform complexion. This is rain or shine, everyday of the year.

Key information for a good sunscreen:

• SPF 30 or greater - this will block at least 97% of the UV radiation

• Broad Spectrum - block both UVA and UVB rays

• Water resistant - you do not want the sunscreen to come off if you sweat, if it rains or if you are swimming

Sunscreens are labeled as either chemical (meaning the SPF is provided by chemical filters that absorb and neutralize UV rays) or mineral (the SPF is provided by an ingredient that physically blocks the UV rays from passing).  Both types of sunscreen are effective, however, some people can become allergic to certain chemicals.  Chemical sunscreens tend to be more clear when applied, whereas the mineral sunscreens can be rather white and pasty.  With the rising popularity of mineral sunscreen, many companies now make a tinted mineral sunscreen, which can have the look of a BB cream as I mentioned above. 

*The true genius behind the tinted mineral sunscreen is that the iron oxide which acts as the tinting agent also blocks visible light which we are learning can play a role in dyspigmentation and skin aging. 

If you have any questions or would like a personalized skincare routine, please call Aislyn Dermatology at 719-992-0127 or make an appointment online.