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A skincare routine for beginners: three steps, done properly
Updated 12 October 2026
You do not need ten steps. A cleanser, a moisturiser and a sunscreen, used every day, do more for skin than any serum used now and then.
Start with these three for four weeks. Add one active ingredient only once the basics are a habit.
Morning
- Cleanse: a gentle face wash, or just water if your skin is dry.
- Moisturise: a gel if you are oily, a cream if you are dry.
- Sunscreen: SPF 30 to 50, two finger-lengths for face and neck.
Night
- Cleanse: wash off the sunscreen and the day.
- Moisturise: the same moisturiser, or a richer one if your skin feels tight.
What to add after a month
Pick one active for your main concern and give it eight weeks before you judge it.
- Oil and pimples: niacinamide or salicylic acid.
- Dull skin and marks: vitamin C in the morning.
- Fine lines and texture: retinol at night, two nights a week to start.
- Dry, tight skin: a ceramide moisturiser before anything else.
