The Best Skincare Products For Your Daily Routine (Morning & Night!)

Your daily skincare routine will make or break your skin. A good routine will give your skin cells everything they need to flourish and become very healthy. You’ll look in the mirror and feel radiant, with clear skin, an even skin tone, and minimal signs of aging. The secret is understanding two things: 

1. How to structure your skincare routine
2. What products to use as part of your daily routine

At Cosmedica, we’re skincare experts with a range of products that’ll help you achieve your skincare goals. So, we’re going to outline the perfect daily skincare routine for morning and night - along with the best skincare products you need to buy. 

Read on to learn more! 

The Perfect Morning Skincare Routine

We’ll begin by showing you what the perfect morning routine looks like. You’ll see each step, along with our recommended products to help you put the whole routine together for healthy skin. 

Step 1: Cleanse

If you truly want radiant skin, you must start your routine with a facial cleanser. 

Overnight, your face can sweat and the pores can be clogged. So, cleansing is necessary to almost refresh your skin every morning. A good cleanser and warm water will help to clear away any dirt and debris from your pores without being overly harsh. This is why you should cleanse every day, but avoid exfoliating too often. Save the exfoliation for deeper cleansing once a week or so. 

Most importantly - and this will be a running theme with many skincare products - choose a cleanser that suits your skin type. If you don’t know what skin type you have, there’s a simple quiz here that’ll help you figure it out. 

Those of you with oily skin will benefit from using a gentle cleanser, like our Vitamin C Facial Cleanser. It cleans your pores while removing excess oil and giving you the added benefits of vitamin C for a more vibrant complexion. 

For dry skin, you want a facial cleanser that’s more oil-based to replenish the oils you’re naturally losing every day. 

A couple of times a week, add in something like our Glycolic Facial Cleanser for a deeper clean. This works like your very own chemical peel, only it’s less harsh and doesn’t take as long! 

So, the key points for step one are to cleanse daily, use a facial cleanser that suits your skin type, and add in a deeper cleanse every so often. 

Step 2: Toner

A lot of people forget or neglect toners, but they do a fantastic job of priming your face for what’s to come. Apply your toner after cleansing your face and letting it dry. This will lock in more of the moisture and give you a chance to add some more active ingredients to your skin. 

Effectively, it works to thoroughly clean your skin and ensure it’s ready for the next steps in your skincare routine. Our Vitamin C Prep & Tone Facial Toner is a brilliant option here, particularly if you couldn’t use a vitamin C cleanser before. It’ll help you remove any dirt or bacteria that wasn’t removed by your cleanser while giving your skin its daily dose of vitamin C. 

Alternatively, you could try our Hydrate & Tone Rosewater Witch Hazel Face Toner. We recommend this if you want/need some extra hydration, so it’s great for people with dry skin. The addition of Witch Hazel is extra beneficial for individuals with inflammatory skin conditions. It’s been shown to help treat things like psoriasis and eczema. 

Apply your toner after cleansing to enhance the effects of your cleanser and prime your face for the next product. 

Note: If you are running low on time, you can skip the toner. It’s not essential, but it does help your skin see more benefits. 

Step 3: Serums

Next, it’s time to apply your serums. These are highly-concentrated products containing active ingredients that help your skin in multiple ways. They can be used to give your face a bit of a boost while treating some of your biggest concerns. 

Choose a serum to suit your skincare goals! If you want to brighten your complexion and deal with hyperpigmentation, our Vitamin C Serum is your best bet. It contains three derivatives of vitamin C to reduce dark spots and add more vibrancy to your skin in the morning. This is perfect when you wake up feeling a bit dull and lifeless!

Or, if you’re desperate to fight the signs of aging, opt for our 2.5% Retinol Facial Serum. Retinol is a type of vitamin A that infuses into our skin cells and encourages collagen production. Therefore, your skin becomes tighter and more structured, preventing wrinkles and fine lines. 

Those of you with acne-prone skin will benefit from our 10% Niacinamide + Zinc Treatment Serum. Niacinamide works by targeting enlarged and congested bores and stopping your skin from producing too much sebum (oil). 

Of course, you can’t go wrong with our Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. This is a must-have serum for everyone as hyaluronic acid provides a wide range of versatile benefits. It adds extra hydration to your skin and prevents it from losing moisture while enhancing the effects of other serums and moisturizers. If you want to learn more about the benefits of hyaluronic acid as an active ingredient in skincare, click here. 

There are lots of different serums to try, so look for ones that target your specific problem areas or goals. We even do a few serum kits that combine products together that you can use at the same time. However, a vitamin C serum is always widely suggested for everyone. One of the benefits of this serum is that it’s safe for all skin types so anyone can use it. You get an added dose of antioxidants with vitamin C, allowing your skin to combat the free radicals created by UV rays. In essence, it’s an extra bit of protection against sun damage - while also combatting damage from other free radicals like smoke and pollution. 

Step 4: Eye Cream

It’s normal to confuse eye cream with moisturizer as the two seem similar. Some people think they can get away with using an anti-aging moisturizer under their eyes, but this won’t have the desired effect. 

For starters, the skin under your eyes is much thinner and more delicate than elsewhere on your face. Therefore, normal facial moisturizers aren’t designed for it. You run the risk of layering a heavy product under your eyes that causes more harm than good. 

Instead, choose products that are specifically designed for under-eye use. We recommend our Brightening Eye Treatment Gel as it is formulated to go under your eyes, reduce dark circles and provide some added brightness. It uses hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to hydrate the area and encourage collagen production to tighten and plump up the skin there. We also have a Total Restorative Eye Cream that offers deeper hydration and includes peptides to rejuvenate the skin in this area. 

Pro Tip: Apply your eye cream or gel using your little finger. It’s more delicate and will avoid putting extra pressure on your under-eyes. If you use your bigger fingers, you run the risk of damaging the skin and making the situation worse. 

Step 5: Moisturize

Some people begin their skincare routine at this step. If you moisturize without cleansing and using a toner or serum, you will not see as many benefits. For one, moisturizing without cleansing will just mean your pores get clogged up and pimples are likely to appear. The toner further prepares your skin for the moisturizer while a serum adds some more ingredients to your routine. 

What’s the purpose of a moisturizer? Well, the clue is in the name: it moisturizes your skin. It provides your skin cells with moisture and stops them from losing moisture during the day. Thus, you have nicely hydrated skin that’s healthy all day long. 

Once again, you should pick the right daily moisturizer for your skin type. If you have dry skin, opt for something that’s packed full of oils. Oily skin and combination skin benefit from a lighter moisturizer that’s more gel-based. Sensitive skin responds better to moisturizers that are free from perfumes and other chemicals/ingredients that may aggravate your skin. 

Our Super Nutrient Facial Balm is a brilliant moisturizer to add to your skincare routine as it’s suitable for both dry and oily skin. It’s light, yet still provides the hydration dry skin needs. Plus, you can combine it with hyaluronic acid to see even greater hydration if your skin is really dry and needs some serious help. 

We’d also like to turn your attention to our Vitamin C Facial Day Cream. We’ve spoken about the benefits of vitamin C many times already in this post, and this is another way to get more of this ingredient into your skin cells. However, it’s a fantastic moisturizer for people with sensitive skin. The safety profile of vitamin C is such that people rarely see any side effects at all. Your skin gets all the moisture and anti-aging benefits it needs without suffering from negative reactions. 

Pro Tip: Massage your skin when you moisturize. Make an effort to get the product deep into the skin so it’s not just settling on the surface. You’ll also get the added benefit of encouraging circulation throughout your face, which can aid blood flow in the area. This helps to improve your complexion while also encouraging collagen production and wound healing. 

Step 6: SPF

Do you currently own a moisturizer with added SPF? Perhaps it says SPF 25 or 30 on the packaging. Ditch this right away as it will not bring you the effect you’re hoping for! 

SPF (or sun protection factor) dictates a product's ability to protect you from UV rays. When you wear sunscreen, it will contain active ingredients that either absorb UV rays or reflect them. As such, your skin doesn’t feel the harsh effects of UV radiation, which can cause skin cancer amongst many other problems. 

So, why are SPF moisturizers bad? According to leading dermatologist Dr. Aleksandra Brown, most moisturizers with SPF contain avobenzone, which is a type of sunscreen that degrades within two hours. Essentially, it’s useless just a couple of hours after applying, meaning your skin is no longer protected from the sun. 

This means you face all the common issues associated with UV rays, such as a higher risk of developing deep lines and wrinkles and damaging your skin. Instead, you need a proper mineral sunscreen to apply after moisturizing. Pick one that’s formulated for your face as it tends to be lighter and less oily than actual sunscreen for your body. 

It’s advised to combine SPF with vitamin C for the ultimate sun protection duo. You’ve already seen some of our products, but you could add our Super C-Boost powder to your SPF to get more vitamin C on your skin. The active ingredients in your SPF product will protect you from UV rays while vitamin C fights against free radicals and adds further protection. 

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to apply SPF in the afternoon. This is a “morning” skincare routine, but it applies whenever you’re leaving the house during the day. Despite misinformation online, sun protection is still needed after 5 pm and on cloudy days!

And just like that, your morning skincare routine is complete. You’re ready to leave the house with nourished skin that’s well-protected and ready for what the day throws at you. But, your skincare tasks for the day don’t end here. What routine should you follow before going to bed?

The Best Nightly Skincare Routine

For the most part, your evening skincare routine will match your morning one. There will be a couple of changes here and there - as well as some different products based on your skin's needs.

Before we jump into things, why is a nighttime skincare routine needed? You’ve already given your skin everything it needs earlier in the day, so why bother adding to this at night - particularly if you’ll do it again in the morning? 

Two main reasons spring to mind: 

• Remove a day’s worth of dirt from your face
• Help your skin repair itself and feel rejuvenated overnight

Throughout the day, your skin will attract all sorts of bacteria and debris to it. You also might have makeup on, which clogs pores and can cause skin problems if left on. So, a nightly skincare routine gives you a chance to completely cleanse your face and remove everything from it. Plus, your skin recovers and replenishes overnight. This is when it absorbs nutrients more effectively, so applying skincare products helps your skin massively. 

With that in mind, here’s the ideal evening skincare routine: 

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleansing in the evening is arguably more important than cleansing in the morning. This is where you rid your skin of a whole day’s worth of dirt, grime, and bacteria. You can use the same cleanser as you did in the morning - and the evening is a better time to opt for a deeper cleanse every so often. 

One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need a makeup remover cleanser if you are wearing makeup. Ensure that you get rid of all traces of makeup before applying anything else to your skin. 

Step 2: Toner

Next, you follow cleansing with your toner. Again, you can use the same product you used earlier in the day as toners aren’t formulated for day/night use. 

Having said that, you might prefer to use a different toner in the evening. Perhaps you’d rather focus on hydration at night instead of opting for the extra brightening effects of vitamin C? It’s entirely up to you! 

Step 3: Serums

This is where things start to differ slightly from your morning skincare routine. Focus on serums that work better at night. Applying an anti-aging serum works best here as this is when your skin cells regenerate and repair. 

Opt for something like our 5% Lactic Acid Treatment + Hylasin. Lactic acid works to remove dead skin cells and rejuvenate your skin. This is exactly what you’re looking for when you’re sleeping and your body works overtime. 

Additionally, we strongly suggest using our Derma Roller System before applying the serum at night. This tool applies hundreds of microscopic and painless abrasions to your skin. As such, blood flow is increased, which induced collagen and elastin production, improving cell turnover and aiding the healing process. Plus, it allows your serum to be absorbed deeper into the skin cells, enhancing the effects.

Doing this at night is better because you have more time for everything to work while you sleep. Also, using a derma roller can leave some slight redness on your face, but you don’t notice this when sleeping and it’s fine when you wake up! 

Step 4: Eye Cream

Follow the serum with your eye cream of choice. Use whatever one you’re using in the morning, and be sure to apply it gently. With the added benefit of your derma roller, the cream should sink deeper into your under-eye skin and rejuvenate the area. 

Step 5: Pimple Treatments

This is a new step that you don’t see in your daily skincare routine. If you suffer from spots of pimples, now is the time to treat them. As mentioned before, our 10% Niacinamide + Zinc Treatment Serum is ideal for people with breakouts. It does an exceptional job of regulating sebum production to avoid clogged pores and stop breakouts from forming. 

Our experts also suggest using tea tree on any pimples you have. It helps to dry them out and encourages them to leave naturally. 

Pro Tip: Never pop your pimples! It can be very tempting to pop a juicy pimple and feel like you’ve gotten rid of it. In reality, you run the risk of damaging your skin and getting more bacteria on your face. So, while one pimple may leave, many others could spring up in the coming days. 

Step 6: Moisturize

The final step is to moisturize. Here, you need to get a moisturizer that’s made for nighttime use. They tend to be formulated for longer-lasting and deeper hydration, while including active ingredients that help soothe your skin overnight. 

Our Multi-Active Hydrating Night Cream is a highly popular product to consider. It hydrates your skin while you sleep and increased active ingredients to target the factors of aging. Constant use will help you wake up with brighter, younger-looking skin. 

Speaking of which, if you really want to battle wrinkles or keep them at bay, try our 2.5% Retinol Facial Night Cream. Retinol as the active ingredient directly induces collagen production in your skin cells. Using this at night increases the efficacy as this is when cell turnover happens, so you can produce even more collagen. 

That’s all there is to it; the best evening skincare routine and products you should use before going to bed. 

Before you leave, we will recap each routine and provide a couple of extra tips to enhance the benefits of your skincare routine. For example, make sure you wash your pillowcases or swap them out regularly. This prevents bacteria from building there and getting onto your face while you sleep. Also, consider getting and using face masks at least two times a month. Things like our Brightening Pumpkin Mask or Deep Detox Charcoal Mask work to deeply cleanse and exfoliate your skin. This can rid your skin of impurities but using them too often can be too harsh. 

So, to recap, here’s the best morning skincare routine to follow: 

1. Cleanse
2. Apply a toner
3. Add some serum
4. Put on your eye cream
5. Moisturize
6. Add some SPF

And here’s the best nightly skincare routine: 

1. Cleanse
2. Apply a toner
3. Add some serum
4. Put on your eye cream
5. Apply any spot treatments
6. Use a nighttime moisturizer

Follow these steps and use the products mentioned to take better care of your skin every single day!