How to build a skincare routine from scratch

Building a routine from scratch is mostly a set of buying decisions: which cleanser, which moisturizer, which sunscreen, and later, which one product to add. It uses advice from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the FDA. The three daily basics, testing, and what to expect in the first weeks are covered in how to start a skincare routine.

Decision 1: 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	What it changes when you shop
Sensitive	May sting or burn after product use	Fragrance free products, fewer active ingredients
Normal	Clear and not sensitive	A lotion is often enough
Dry	Flaky, itchy or rough	Hydrating cleanser, cream or ointment
Oily	Shiny and greasy	Gentle foaming wash, gel or no moisturizer
Combination	Dry in some areas and oily in others	Moisturizer on the dry areas only

If none of these fits clearly, the 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.

Decision 2: your one 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. Do not buy anything for the concern yet. It decides which product you add later, after the basics have had a few weeks.

Choosing a 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. On the shelf, look for a product that is gentle, non-abrasive and free of alcohol.

Match the cleanser to your skin type:

• Acne-prone skin: a mild cleanser that removes oil, the AAD's page on skin care in your 20s says.
• Dry skin: a hydrating cleanser.
• Oily skin: a gentle, foaming face wash. The AAD's page on oily skin warns that a wash that is too harsh can irritate the skin and trigger more oil, and says to avoid oil-based and alcohol-based cleansers.
• Sensitive skin: a mild, fragrance free cleanser.

Choosing a moisturizer

Moisturizer comes in four forms, which the AAD's moisturizer page lists from lightest to heaviest: gel, lotion, cream and ointment. Choose the form 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.

Then read the ingredients. For dry skin, the same AAD page names ceramides, waxy fats that help hydrate the skin, and hyaluronic acid as ingredients to look for. It also advises people with dry skin to avoid products with alcohol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and fragrance, so the skin keeps its natural oils.

Choosing a sunscreen

The AAD's advice is to choose a sunscreen 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. Check all three on the front of the bottle before you buy.

You can combine the moisturizer and sunscreen into one purchase. The AAD says a moisturizer with sunscreen is fine, as long as it offers broad spectrum coverage and SPF 30 or higher.

Reading the label

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. To go one step further, you can paste the ingredient list into the free comedogenic checker, which shows which ingredients have published pore-clogging ratings.
• Fragrance free. The AAD suggests fragrance free products for sensitive skin, because fragrance can leave skin irritated and dry.
• Broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, water resistant. The three sunscreen words the AAD asks for.
• Active Ingredients. A box with this heading means the product is a drug under the law, such as a sunscreen or an acne treatment. On a product that is both a drug and a cosmetic, such as a moisturizer with SPF, the FDA says the drug ingredients are listed first, in alphabetical order, as "Active Ingredients." The other ingredients follow as "Inactive Ingredients," largest amount first.

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.
• Natural. An AAD dermatologist says all natural in no way means hypoallergenic.

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, and the FDA says it is there so you can avoid ingredients that have caused you problems before.

Price and brand

The AAD says products don't need to be expensive to be effective. Your three products do not need to come from one brand or one line. What matters is that each one suits your skin type and that two products do not repeat an active ingredient. How many skincare products you need covers keeping a routine small and affordable.

The order to buy and add products

Buy in stages, so each product can be tested on its own and any reaction points to one product.

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

Test each product before it goes on your whole face, as how to start a skincare routine describes. 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 the order the products go on your face, see skincare routine order for every skin type.

When you choose the product for your concern, check its label against what you already own. The AAD's advice on face masks is to avoid ones with active ingredients you already use in other products, to avoid irritating your skin. The same check is worth making for any new product.

If your concern is acne

If acne is your main concern, the product you add is an acne treatment, and the three basics change in small ways. The cleanser should be mild and remove oil. The moisturizer and sunscreen should be labeled oil free or non-comedogenic. Cleanser for acne-prone skin, moisturizer for acne-prone skin and sunscreen for acne-prone skin cover each purchase.

For the treatment itself, read the Active Ingredients box: it names the drug ingredient, such as adapalene or benzoyl peroxide. Over-the-counter acne treatments compares the common ones. If you are weighing acne apps and services, how Skinli compares with other acne apps and services sets out price and who checks your skin.

Keep a record

Write down each product, what you paid, and the date you started it. If your skin reacts weeks later, the record shows what changed.

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.