Skincare regimen series: Normal skin

Routine with tips and product recommendations.

Photo by Good Skin Club on Unsplash

You’re blessed to say the least. Your skin isn’t dry as the Sahara Desert; your oil glands don’t pump too much oil; and the best part is that wrinkles haven’t shown up yet. So, does that mean you don’t need a skincare routine?

Well, no. Your skin is a living and breathing organ just like your body. Like you eat healthy food, exercise, and take care of the body so you don’t fall sick, a similar preventative approach is required for your skin. You need a gentle daily routine to help prevent sun damage and protect it from harsh weather and anything else that could wreak havoc on it.

Normal skin is like a well-oiled machine; it knows what it needs to do, including exfoliating on its own. So don’t go crazy with the latest fads and start adding products just because everyone’s using them. You just need a basic skincare routine that looks like this:

AM routine

1. Gentle hydrating cleanser — The golden rule is that your skin should not feel tight after washing the face. The cleanser needs to include skin hydrating and restoring ingredients, both of which hold moisture in the skin and protect the skin barrier.

My picks:

Cerave hydrating facial cleanser

Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser

2. Antioxidant serum — Antioxidants help prevent, fight, and neutralize free radicals and are a must have in your skincare routine.

Vitamin C is the most potent antioxidant and is a good one to include in your routine. Read my vitamin C guide to help you understand the various forms and tips to choose the right product.

My pick: The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%

3. Moisturizer — You can skip the moisturizer if your skin feels moisturized after applying the antioxidant serum. If you still need one look for a lightweight moisturizer (lotion like consistency and lighter than a cream) with multiple humectants to hold water, ceramides to repair the skin barrier, and light emollients to trap the moisture.

My pick: Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion

4. Sunscreen — Don’t even think of stepping out without your SPF. The sun is the biggest contributor to aging and depleting your skin’s protective barrier. So, make sure you invest in a good sunscreen.

My pick: LaRoche Posay anthelios SPF 50 gentle lotion mineral sunscreen

PM routine

1. Gentle hydrating cleanser — same as the AM routine above.
2. Retinol — (recommended to start in your late 20s/early 30s) — Retinol is a must have in your nighttime routine. However, as magical as this ingredient is, it does come with irritating side effects. Read my article on retinol to know how to use this ingredient, and retinol buying guide to find out the best one for you.

Remember when you have skin of color, any kind of irritation or stinging on the skin can lead to hyperpigmentation.

My pick: The Ordinary retinol 0.2% in squalane

3. Moisturizer — same as the AM routine above. But if your skin needs an extra dose of moisture especially during the winter months, invest in a thicker moisturizer.

The bottom line

Keep your skincare routine simple. Do watch out for any changes in your skin texture and tone over time and remember to tweak your daily regimen accordingly.