How to build a skincare routine from scratch

A skincare routine starts with knowing your skin type, then three basic products chosen for it, then one new product at a time. This guide goes through that process step by step, using advice from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the FDA. It is part of the guide to starting a skincare routine.

If you have acne and want a routine built for you, Skinli's skincare routine builder asks a few questions about your pimples and gives a morning and night routine, with no photo or account needed.

Step 1: find your skin type

Every product choice after this depends on your skin type. The AAD says that understanding your skin type helps you choose skin care products that are right for you, and it names five types:

Skin type	What the AAD says it is like
Sensitive	May sting or burn after product use
Normal	Clear and not sensitive
Dry	Flaky, itchy or rough
Oily	Shiny and greasy
Combination	Dry in some areas and oily in others

If none of these fits clearly, Skinli's skin type quiz asks a few questions and suggests a type. The AAD's advice for anyone unsure is to talk with a board-certified dermatologist before starting any skin care routine.

Step 2: name your main concern

Next, write down the one thing about your skin that bothers you most, if anything does. It might be acne, dark spots, dryness or fine lines.

The AAD's advice on choosing products is to focus on one concern at a time, because no product can treat everything and because using several new products within a few days or weeks can irritate the skin. Wait to buy anything for it. This concern decides which product you add later, in step 8.

Step 3: choose a gentle cleanser

The cleanser is the first product in every routine. The AAD says a gentle cleanser removes dirt, oil and debris, and helps prevent clogged pores and breakouts. It advises choosing one that is gentle and non-abrasive and that does not contain alcohol.

Match it to your skin type. The AAD's page on skin care in your 20s says a mild cleanser that removes oil suits acne-prone skin, and a hydrating cleanser suits dry skin. For oily skin, the AAD suggests a gentle, foaming face wash and warns that a harsh one can irritate the skin and trigger more oil.

Step 4: choose a moisturizer

Moisturizer comes in four forms, which the AAD lists from lightest to heaviest: gel, lotion, cream and ointment. Choose by skin type:

• Oily skin: a gel, which one AAD dermatologist suggests as the lightest option.
• Normal skin: a lotion is enough for most younger people, one AAD dermatologist says. Another says perimenopausal people and everyone 50 and older should use a cream.
• Dry skin: a cream or ointment. An AAD dermatologist says someone with dry skin should start with one of these and skip lotions.
• Combination skin: moisturize the dry areas and skip the oily ones.
• Acne-prone skin: a moisturizer labeled oil free or non-comedogenic, the AAD says, because these do not clog pores.

Step 5: choose a sunscreen

The AAD's advice is to apply sunscreen every day before you go outdoors, and to choose one with broad spectrum protection, SPF 30 or higher and water resistance. Broad spectrum means it protects against both types of the sun's rays that harm the skin.

You can combine steps 4 and 5. The AAD says a moisturizer with sunscreen is fine, as long as it offers broad spectrum coverage and SPF 30 or higher.

Step 6: read the labels before you buy

Labels carry some useful words and some empty ones. Here is what the sources say about the common ones.

Useful words:

• Non-comedogenic, or "won't clog pores." The AAD advises looking for these words on products for acne-prone skin.
• Fragrance free. The AAD suggests fragrance free products for sensitive skin, because fragrance can leave skin irritated and dry.
• Active Ingredients. A box with this heading means the product is a drug under the law, such as a sunscreen or an acne treatment. The FDA says the drug ingredients are listed there, and the other ingredients follow.

Words that prove less than they seem to:

• Unscented. The AAD warns that many unscented products contain masking fragrances that can still irritate the skin.
• Hypoallergenic. The FDA says the term has no real meaning in the marketplace. It also says no cosmetic can be guaranteed never to cause an allergic reaction.
• Clinically proven. The AAD says this means the product was given to people to try. It does not mean the product went through clinical trials or was approved by the FDA.
• Cosmeceutical. The FDA says this word has no meaning under the law.

Cosmetics do not need FDA approval before they are sold, the FDA says, with the exception of color additives. The ingredient list is the most reliable part of the package.

Step 7: test each product, then start the basics

Test each new product before it goes on your whole face. The AAD's method is to apply it twice a day for seven to 10 days to a small spot, such as the inside of your elbow. If there is no redness, itching or swelling, you can use it. How to patch test a new skincare product explains the steps.

Then use the three basics every day: cleanser and moisturizer in the morning and at night, and sunscreen every morning. For where each one goes, see skincare routine order for every skin type.

Step 8: add one product for your concern

After a few weeks on the basics, look at your skin again. The AAD's advice on anti-aging products is to give sunscreen and moisturizer a few weeks to work, then see whether the concern you named in step 2 still bothers you. If it does, add one product that targets it.

Add only that one product, and test it first. An AAD dermatologist advises introducing one new product at a time to check that your skin can tolerate it. Also check that it does not repeat an active ingredient you already use. The AAD warns that doubling an active ingredient can irritate the skin.

If your concern is acne

If acne is your main concern, the product you add in step 8 is an acne treatment, and the rest of the routine stays the same. Skinli's plan starts with the same morning of face wash, light moisturizer and sunscreen, and adds acne gels at night, each one every other night for two weeks at first. How to start an acne routine with three products walks through a beginner version, and the skincare routine builder builds one from your answers.

A sample timeline

When	What to do
Week 0	Find your skin type, name your concern, test the three basics
Weeks 1 to 4	Use cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen every day
After a few weeks	If the concern remains, test and add one product for it
At least 30 days later	Judge that product before adding another

The AAD's page on skin care in your 20s says it takes at least 30 days to know whether a product is working, unless it irritates your skin. For anti-aging products, the AAD says most take at least six weeks and some up to three months.

Keep a record

Write down each product and the date you started it. If your skin reacts weeks later, the record shows what changed. Skinli's own lessons give the same advice: write down what you changed and when, because it is easy to forget.

Mistakes that slow a new routine down

Buying everything at once. The AAD warns that using too many products may irritate the skin, and that limiting the number of products also lowers the cost.

Switching products every week. What makes a good skincare routine explains why a routine needs to stay the same for weeks at a time. The AAD says that if you try new skin care products too often, you may not see any progress, only irritated skin.

Scrubbing. The AAD says scrubbing irritates the skin and can worsen any skin condition, including acne.

Paying for the price tag. The AAD says products don't need to be expensive to be effective. How many skincare products you need covers keeping a routine small and affordable.

When to see a doctor

See a board-certified dermatologist if your skin stings or burns after most products, if a product causes a reaction that does not clear, or if a concern does not improve after steady use. If you have acne that hurts, leaves scars, or has not improved after a few months, the complete acne skincare routine explains when a doctor's treatment is the next step.