A good beauty routine is your way of ensuring that time doesn't claim one single pore on your face any sooner than is absolutely necessary. Most women are aware of the benefits of a good beauty routine (and we'll get to those momentarily), but they're turned off by the fact that maintaining great looking skin takes some work. 

But with this type of thing, you have to be diligent. If you don’t establish a beauty routine and just do it when impulse strikes, time will wind up dictating how your face looks—not you. So let’s look at some basic beauty routine checklist items and discuss their relative importance.

What are Beauty Routines and Their Benefits? 

A beauty routine is as much a health routine as anything else. Your skin, after all, is the largest organ in your body. And just as you strive to maintain good heart health, you should also strive to maintain good skin health. Here are just some of the benefits of maintaining a beauty routine checklist: 

• No waiting - A good skincare routine produces fast, quantifiable results.
• Anti-aging - Nothing can stop the passage of time, but a good beauty routine comes pretty close.
• Healthier skin - Your skin isn’t going to just look better, it will be better.
• Bolsters confidence - When you look and feel better, it's going to be reflected in the way you act.

Types of Beauty Routines Depending on These Factors 

The mechanics of the beauty routine don’t really change all that much over time. What has changed are the ingredients used and how it’s formulated according to a specific skin problem you may have. 

For instance, if you have oily skin, you'll want to use a clay face mask, but if you have dry skin, a gel mask is a better choice. So you'll still want to include a face mask in your routine, but the kind that would suit your skin. With that said, let's take a quick look at how the components change based on a few simple variables.

Skin Type 

• Normal - A beauty routine for normal skin will begin with a sulfate-free cleanser in the morning followed by a toner (preferably without alcohol) then a moisturizer with SPF 25+. In the evening, apply an antioxidant serum, an exfoliating mask, and a moisturizer again to call it a night. 
• Dry - For dry skin, start with a mild cleansing lotion in the morning followed by a toner to rebuild your skin’s pH levels. After that, apply an antioxidant serum and moisturizer with SPF 25+. In the evening, try a gel face mask, an eye serum with peptides, and a hydrating moisturizer to top things off. 
• Oily - For oily skin, try a cleansing gel in the morning followed by an alcohol-free toner, and an oil-free moisturizer. Before you head out, put on some zinc oxide sunscreen of at least SPF 30. At night, use an alpha-hydroxy serum. For once a week, apply a clay mask. 
• Combination - For combination skin, start with a cleansing lotion and follow up with toner. After that, apply a lightweight moisturizer and some 30+ zinc oxide sunscreen. At night, use a retinol serum. Apply a mask once a week such as a homemade cucumber and oatmeal face mask.

Age 

• 20’s - Unless you have some obvious skin condition that requires special attention, skincare in your 20s is about finding out what works best for you. 

At this point, you want to get ahead before the effects of aging on your skin starts. Make sure to incorporate some anti-aging products into your beauty routine for preventative purposes. Moisturizers and facial masks are also a must.

• 30’s - By the time you reach your 30’s, your beauty routine should be well established. What you should be doing at this time is adjusting it to meet new skincare needs. That means incorporating some products to address fine lines and wrinkles. 

It also means making sure you use some products that promote collagen and elastin production. Because if you let those things slide, the damage will be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. 

• 40’s to 60’s - There’s no way to completely avoid the effects of the passage of time. What you're trying to do is minimize them. 

As we age, our bodies produce progressively less collagen while hormonal changes can also take a toll on skin health. So what you want are products that promote ever more collagen production as well as skincare products that enhance tone and texture.

Time of Day

What’s a Good Morning Beauty Routine? 

A good morning beauty routine is the first part of an all-day routine that encompasses both morning and evening rituals. 

• Start by washing your face with a sulfate-free soap or cleansing gel. This will remove any residue from things you put on your face before going to sleep.
• Apply a toner next preferably alcohol-free) to nourish and hydrate the skin.
• After that, apply an antioxidant-rich serum to your face and neck.
• Finally, cover all skin that will be exposed to the sun with a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30.

What’s a Good Night Time Beauty Routine? 

A beauty routine should always have a daytime and a nighttime component. At the end of the day, your beauty routine should resemble something like this: 

• Wash your face thoroughly with a mild cleansing soap or lotion
• Apply an alcohol-free toner to clear away any toner residue and to nourish your skin cells
• Apply an anti-aging serum to your face and neck to help repair any damage
• Apply a moisturizer designed to work with your skin type to your face and neck
• At least once a week, you should use an exfoliating mask to clear away dirt, oil, bacteria, and more

“Depending on what your skin type is, there is most likely a mask out there that can give you an instant boost." - Dr. Marnie Nussbaum

Must-Have Products to Incorporate Into Your Beauty Routine 

• Cleanser - As we noted above, a thorough facial cleansing is key to your daily beauty routine. It removes excessive amounts of oil while also clearing away some dead skin cells and normal dirt and grime that collect on our face during the day. A good cleanser should never make your skin feel dry or tight. Also, make sure you don’t overuse your facial cleanser and that it’s not too harsh for your skin type.

For instance Claraprep cleanser lathers away dirt, oil, and other environmental pollutants to leave skin feeling clean and refreshed. Gently exfoliates the skin removing pore-clogging debris to reveal a clearer complexion. Restores a youthful glow and re-volumizes skin. Locks in moisture for a more hydrated and smoother skin appearance. But most importantly is Dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic!

Claraprep $26.99

• Toner - The toner plays a couple of important roles in your beauty routine. First, it removes the last remnants of your cleanser from your face. Second, it helps restore the proper pH balance to your skin. And third, it provides your skin with a smooth, supple look. Using a bit of toner both before and after a facial mask can enhance the effectiveness of the mask. 

• Serum - Contrary to popular belief, serums are not the same as moisturizers. They're actually lighter and more quickly absorbed by the skin. Serums are often infused with special ingredients that have anti-aging, antioxidant or brightening properties. 

For instance, claralips collagen infused lip serum by Dermaclara Beauty restores your lips to a younger, plumper state that’s soft and kissable and resistant to chapping. 

• Moisturizer - Applying a moisturizer to your face if you haven’t exfoliated in a month or more is like waxing a dirty car. So make sure you clean your face thoroughly every day and use a facial mask at least once a week to remove blackheads, excess oils, dirt, grime, and bacteria. 

Our favorite moisturizer is clarasome moisturizer from Dermaclara. It has been rigorously tested for efficacy and found to be an effective moisturizer for fighting fine lines and wrinkles as well as restoring hydration. 

•       Face masks - While there are literally dozens of different masks on the market today, we found the clarafuse Silicone Fusion patches to be particularly effective. These medical-grade silicone patches create a microclimate that opens pores, exfoliates contaminants, and reduces acne scars as well as blemishes in more than 90% of users. 
•       Exfoliators - Exfoliating is a vital part of any beauty or skincare routine. You need to clear away dead skin cells and clean out your pores on a regular basis—no buts. 

The bottom line is beautiful skin is healthy skin, and healthy skin needs to breathe. It can’t do that if it’s clogged with dirt, oil, and bacteria. We’d recommend using the clarafuse Complete Face System. It’s low impact and highly effective.

What’s a Good Skincare Routine for Dry Skin? 

A good skincare routine for dry skin starts with a mild cleanser, followed by a toner, an antioxidant serum, and a moisturizer with SPF 25+. In the evening, put an occasional gel face mask, eye serum, and a hydrating moisturizer. 

“Masks can deliver higher concentrations of active ingredients to plump, hydrate, and balance the skin." - Dr. Deirdre Hooper

Final Tips: Why Having a Beauty Routine is Important

A well-rounded beauty routine checklist shouldn’t be all about your skin appearance—it should take into account your skin’s health as well. The biggest reason a beauty routine is important is because it’s good for your health. 

Women who are diligent with their beauty routine and incorporate regular use of face masks in particular not only look good, they feel good. That’s because their skin isn’t carrying around a face full of grease, dirt, environmental pollutants, bacteria, blackheads, pimples, and more. 

So if you’re not one to engage in a proper beauty routine—maybe, it strikes you as being a bit vain, that’s fine. Just call it a “skin health routine” instead and get started today. Your skin will thank you for it!