How to Build a Skincare Routine

Take care of your skin and it will take care of you.

Embracing a holistic skincare routine is sound advice, but what does it really mean—especially when everyone’s skin is so different? Could there possibly be a plan that works for everyone?

Actually, there is. Even though we each have unique skin types and challenges, there are seven basic skincare building blocks that apply to virtually everyone. Just mix and match with the products that are right for you and say hello to your healthiest skin yet!

Steps 1 and 2: Do the Double Cleanse

Double cleansing allows you to cleanse beneath the surface without stripping skin of its natural oils. Just before bedtime, here’s what to do:

Step 1:
Start with a high quality cleansing oil to lift away makeup, grime, sunscreen, dirt, and all the other heavy stuff. Spread 1-3 pumps of cleansing oil over your face, massage in gently for a minute or two, and then wipe away with a warm, wet cloth.

Step 2:
While your face is still moist, work a small amount of a water-based cleanser like Valentia Cleansing Milk into a lather and massage with circular motions to wash away any remaining dead skin cells, sweat, and impurities from deep in your pores. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat your face dry with a soft towel.

Step 3: Tone

Your thoroughly clean skin is now ready to drink in a nourishing toner. Although this step is often overlooked, it’s really one of the all-around nicest things you can do for your face.

In short, you need a toner to help lock-in moisture from your cleansing routine and to enhance the ingredients in the products that follow. The quick absorption of the active ingredients in your toner means you don’t have to keep piling on products that just sit on top of your skin.

When it comes to finding the right toner for you, the goodness is in the details. Valentia Witch Hazel Toner (coming soon!) has some of the purest hydrating ingredients nature has to offer, to ensure your skin is refreshed from morning to night.

Step 4: Smooth on Serum

Serums are potent elixirs with a molecular structure small enough to penetrate the deepest layers of your epidermis—and their targeted formulas are designed to address specific skin goals. Choose a pure botanical serum that’s right for your unique skin (you’ve got so many amazing choices!) and apply it after toning, allowing a few minutes for it to absorb before moving on to the next step.

Our Vitamin C Serum combines kakadu plums, acerola cherries, green coffee, and soothing aloe with prebiotic peptides and other nourishing botanicals to revitalize, brighten, and balance your complexion. Or treat your face to Valentia Vitamin B3 Serum, which features niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and fruit extracts that provide vitamins and antioxidants for smooth skin texture and a natural glow.

If you need even more hydration to keep your skin supple and moisturized, Bakuchiol Serum might be your top pick. This powerful ingredient comes from the seeds and leaves of the Psoralea corylifolia plant and has long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to calm and soothe the skin.

Studies show that after twelve weeks of bakuchiol use, users experienced a reduction in the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation, along with firm, supple skin. ¹

Step 5: Hydrate

When your skin craves more intense hydration, our Hyaluronic Acid Serum teams the power of botanical Hyaluronic Acid with fruits and sea nutrients. 

Hyaluronic acid is naturally-occuring in the skin and helps to support collagen production, keeping your skin beautifully hydrated and glowing. Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum includes botanical HA and rejuvenating prebiotic peptides from micro-algae, along with plankton extract and sea kelp bioferment for protein, enzymes, and vitamin B5. Soothing tropical coconut extract and phytic acid offer gentle exfoliation and freshness.

By effectively binding to water molecules, HA serum both reinvigorates and refreshes your skin to keep it hydrated and supple all day long. Apply a thin layer to your nose, chin, cheeks, and forehead before moisturizing.

Step 6: Moisturize

Now you’re ready for the most widely practiced skincare step of all—a daily moisturizing cream. Skin just looks and feels so much better when it’s moisturized, and when you’ve taken all the previous steps, your skin is truly ready to reap the benefits of this skin-healthy practice. Our nourishing Vitamin C Cream blends exotic oils and hyaluronic acid with botanicals from the earth and sea to smooth the appearance of fine lines and bring out your skin’s natural vitality.

Step 7: Facial Oil Finish

You’ve done so many lovely things for your face in the first six steps. It would be a shame not to make the most of all that goodness. A luxurious facial oil completes your skincare routine, providing additional nourishment and locking in moisture. We especially love lightweight jojoba oil for this final step because it’s incredibly similar to your skin’s own natural oils. Jojoba oil provides pure hydration without ever feeling heavy or oily, and it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin.

So there you have it—skincare demystified. Stacking just seven simple building blocks allows you to create your optimal skincare routine. Feel free to tweak as necessary. And get ready for the complexion of a lifetime.

References:

1. Dhaliwal S, Rybak I, Ellis SR, Notay M, Trivedi M, Burney W, Vaughn AR, Nguyen M, Reiter P, Bosanac S, Yan H, Foolad N, Sivamani RK (2019). Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing. British Journal of Dermatology, 180(2), 289-296. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16918