How to start a skincare routine

A skincare routine is the set of products you use on your face in the same order each day. A good first routine is short: three products, chosen for your skin type, used morning and night. This guide shows how to start one, step by step, using advice from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the FDA and the NHS. The guides linked below go deeper into each step. It is general education and does not replace a doctor.

If you have acne, Skinli's skincare routine builder gives you a morning and night acne routine from a few questions, with no photo or account.

What a routine is for

A basic routine does three jobs. The AAD describes them as cleansing, moisturizing and protecting your skin, and calls this a simple, three-step approach that can lower costs while keeping your skin healthy.

Job	Product	What the AAD says it does
Cleanse	Gentle cleanser	Removes dirt, oil and debris; helps prevent clogged pores and breakouts
Moisturize	Moisturizer for your skin type	Traps water in the skin
Protect	Broad spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher	Helps prevent wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer

Everything else in the skincare aisle, from toners to serums to masks, is optional. Skincare steps explained goes through what each one does and who needs it.

Step 1: learn your skin type

Your skin type decides which cleanser and moisturizer to buy. The AAD says understanding your skin type helps you choose the skin care products that are right for you. It names five types:

• 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

Skinli's skin type quiz can help you decide. If you are still unsure, the AAD advises talking with a board-certified dermatologist before starting any skin care routine.

Step 2: choose three products

A gentle cleanser. The AAD advises a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol. For acne-prone skin, it suggests a mild cleanser that removes oil. For dry skin, a hydrating cleanser.

A moisturizer for your skin type. The AAD lists four forms from lightest to thickest: gel, lotion, cream and ointment. A gel suits oily skin. A cream or ointment suits dry skin. For acne-prone skin, look for "oil free" or "non-comedogenic," which means the product is made so it does not clog pores. For sensitive skin, choose "fragrance free." The AAD warns that "unscented" products can still contain fragrance that irritates.

A sunscreen. The AAD advises 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. A moisturizer with broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher can do two jobs in one step, the AAD says.

The AAD says products don't need to be expensive to be effective. Read the label rather than the price. The FDA says the word "hypoallergenic" has no real meaning in the marketplace, so the ingredient list tells you more. How to build a skincare routine from scratch covers choosing and label reading in detail.

Step 3: test each product first

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

Step 4: use the routine every day

Here is the starting routine:

Time	Order
Morning	Gentle cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen
Night	Remove makeup, gentle cleanser, moisturizer

The AAD's advice is to wash your face when you wake, before bed and after sweating, and to limit washing to twice a day plus after sweating. Use lukewarm water and your fingertips, and pat dry with a soft towel. The AAD says scrubbing irritates the skin.

Put moisturizer on while the skin is still damp. The AAD says moisturizer traps water in the skin, and that applying it to damp skin gets the most from it. Sunscreen goes on last in the morning. The AAD says to put it on after your other skin care products and under makeup.

At night, remove all makeup. The AAD says leaving makeup on while you sleep can cause breakouts.

For the full order, including optional steps, see skincare routine order for every skin type. For how the two routines differ, see morning vs night skincare.

What to expect in the first weeks

Some change, slowly. 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 products aimed at aging skin, the AAD says most take at least six weeks and some up to three months.

Possible breakouts from the wrong products. The AAD says some makeup, skin and hair care products contain oil or other ingredients that can cause breakouts, and that products labeled non-comedogenic or "won't clog pores" do not cause breakouts in most people. It also says trying new products too often can irritate the skin and cause breakouts.

Some stinging from active ingredients. The AAD says ingredients such as retinol and glycolic acid can irritate the skin, particularly sensitive skin, and that this is normal and temporary. Adapalene's drug label says acne may look worse in the first weeks of use before it improves. Skin purging vs a real breakout explains how to tell the two apart.

When to stop. The AAD's advice is to stop using a product that stings, burns or tingles, because those feelings mean it irritates your skin. The exception is a product your doctor prescribed: ask your doctor before stopping it, because some prescription products sting.

Adding a fourth product

After a few weeks with the three basics, look at your skin. If one concern still bothers you, such as acne, dark spots or dryness, add one product for it. The AAD's advice is to give sunscreen and moisturizer a few weeks to work, then focus on one concern, because that gives the best results.

Add that product alone and test it first. An AAD dermatologist advises introducing one new product at a time to make sure your skin can tolerate it. Then give it at least 30 days before adding anything else.

Some products have a set place or time. A retinoid goes on at night, because the AAD says retinoids make skin more sensitive to the sun. When to use retinol in your routine explains its place. Toners and exfoliants are optional, and the AAD advises people with acne-prone skin to avoid them. See when to use toner and when and how often to exfoliate.

For acne, Skinli's plan uses benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1% at night, each started every other night for two weeks, and gives the routine 8 to 12 weeks. The complete acne skincare routine explains that plan, and how to start an acne routine with three products gives a beginner version.

Keep it short

The research favors short routines. In a 2026 survey of 168 dermatologists and dermatology residents in the Netherlands, nearly all called daily sunscreen essential and 12.5% actively recommended multi-step routines. 88.1% said they regularly see skin problems related to skincare. A 2025 study in Pediatrics found that TikTok routines by creators aged 7 to 18 used an average of 6 products, cost an average of $168, and included sunscreen in 26.2% of videos.

The AAD's page on product order says using too many products may irritate the skin. How many skincare products you need goes through what you can leave out, and what makes a good skincare routine gives a checklist for your own routine.

Common mistakes when starting

Buying a full shelf at once. Start with three products and add one at a time.

Switching every week. The AAD says trying new products too often may leave you with no progress and only irritated skin.

Skipping sunscreen on cloudy days. The AAD says the sun's harmful rays reach your skin every time you go outside, even on cloudy days and in winter.

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

Sleeping in makeup. The AAD says to always remove makeup before bed.

Waiting too long between steps, or too little. Moisturizer goes on damp skin right away. A treatment goes on dry skin. How long to wait between skincare steps gives the timing.

Teens and tweens

Young skin needs the same three steps and fewer active ingredients. An AAD dermatologist recommends that tweens start with a gentle cleanser, a fragrance-free moisturizer and daily sunscreen, and advises tweens and teens to avoid retinol, vitamin C and exfoliating acids unless a dermatologist recommends one. A simple skincare routine for teens covers acne and when to see a dermatologist.

When to see a doctor

A routine is for everyday care. Some skin problems need a doctor instead:

• A spot that differs from the others, or one that changes, itches or bleeds. The AAD advises seeing a dermatologist.
• Acne with deep, painful spots, spots causing scars, or acne that has not improved after treating it yourself. The NHS advises seeing a doctor.
• Acne that affects your mental health, which the NHS also lists as a reason to see a doctor.
• A reaction to a product that does not clear after you stop using it.
• Any skin condition that affects your quality of life, such as eczema or rosacea, which the AAD says should be seen by a dermatologist.