What to do daily

1. Find the right cleanser for your skin type, and use it morning and night. Look for a cleanser that removes all traces of makeup and debris, without stripping the skin. When choosing a cleanser, take your skin type into consideration.

• Dry skin: Avoid foaming cleansers as they strip the skin of lipids and reduce its ability to maintain its natural balance. Instead, try a lotion or cream cleanser like Clarisonic Nourishing Care Cleanser.
• Oily skin: The key is to dry excess sebum without causing irritation. Good bets are foaming or gel cleansers, like MD Formulations Facial Cleansing Gel For Oily Skin.
• Combination skin: Find a cleanser that’ll balance oily and dry areas. An ideal cleanser will cleanse the pores thoroughly without clogging or causing acne. Try Pevonia Combination Skin Cleanser.

2. Protect skin from UV damage, every day.

• For the face, apply a light moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher that contains both UVA and UVB coverage. For normal to dry skin, try B. Kamins Day Cream with SPF 15. For oily skin, try DDF Mattifying Oil Control UV Moisturizer with SPF 15.
• Don’t forget the lips! Use a lip balm with sunscreen, such as MD Formulations Lip Balm with SPF 20. Not only will this prevent chapped lips and sunburn but it’ll prevent skin cancer on the lips.
• Other areas to protect on a daily basis include the neck, chest, ears, scalp, shoulders and anywhere else that’s uncovered while you’re out and about.

3. Create a replenishing nighttime routine. Make skincare a priority at bedtime, when your skin has the entire night to soak up creams, serums or other topical treatments. The best time to use your moisturizer is just after you wash your face, while your skin is slightly damp — this will ensure it’s absorbed. But apply 30 minutes before you hit the sheets so your products don’t rub off on your pillow.

• Dry or normal skin: Nighttime is a great time to apply a richer moisturizer than you’d use during the day, because your skin loses more water while you sleep than when you’re awake. SkinCeuticals Renew Overnight Normal to Dry Skin is a gently exfoliating formula that fights the signs of premature aging.
• Oily or combination skin: If your skin is on the oily side, opt for a lighter formula to clarify and rejuvenate. Kerstin Florian Clarifying Sorbier Crème is a balancing formula ideal for congested skin.

Using anti-aging formulas at night also has another advantage: Exposure to sunlight during the day can make the ingredients less effective. There’s also some evidence that sleep increases cellular turnover, repairs daily damage and leads to a healthy complexion.

And finally, make getting a good night’s sleep part of your nighttime routine.

4. Take advantage of potent topical formulas. Topical vitamins are instrumental in helping with common skin concerns, such as: preventing and repairing many signs of aging; soothing dry or sensitive skin; fighting acne and achieving a clear complexion; and protecting skin from daily environmental damage. Here are just a few potent ingredients you might consider adding to your daily regimen.

• If your skin is dry or sensitive, apply vitamin B3 in the morning and evening. Vitamin B3 can be found in lotions and creams such as La Roche Posay Rosaliac Anti-Redness Moisturizer. It’s often called niacinamide on labels. It increases ceramides and fatty acid production to keep moisture in and irritants out.
• Vitamin C is a great tool to fight aging. It can be found in moisturizers and helps stave off fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps fade brown spots and firm skin. Be sure to apply it before sunscreen.
• Look into vitamin A, known as retinol or retinoids. Retinol is available over the counter in lotions, creams and serums; retinoids require a prescription and are more potent. Like vitamin C, vitamin A is an effective anti-aging fighter. Vitamin A fades brown spots, smoothes skin and reduces wrinkles. But use it at night because sunlight deactivates it. Try RoC Multi-Correxion Night Treatment.
• To lighten under-eye circles, consider using vitamin K. Peter Thomas Roth Power K Eye Rescue combines vitamin K with antioxidants to both correct existing damage while preventing future damage. Vitamin K is also effective in reducing the appearance of spider veins and post-procedural bruising. Look into the Auriderm Post Procedural Relief Kit. Allow your skin to become accustomed to vitamin K by using it once or twice the first week and adding a night every week after.

What to do weekly

1. Exfoliate to speed up skin’s renewal process. Exfoliation improves product absorption, helps unclog pores and leaves skin smooth and glowing. Be sure to choose a formula based on your skin type, and don’t overdo it — using an exfoliant too often or choosing one that’s too harsh for your skin can do more harm than good, destroying the skin’s protective outside layer.

• Normal or dry skin: Look for a gentle scrub with fine, smooth granules that won’t damage or irritate the skin. Astara Daily Refining Scrub safely polishes the skin without stripping or over-drying.
• Thin or sensitive skin: Try a non-abrasive, soothing exfoliant like Avene Gentle Purifying Scrub, and use only as often as your skin will tolerate. You might also look into a non-abrasive chemical exfoliator like a low-strength retinol or glycolic acid serum. Topix Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 2X has a hydrating hyaluronic acid base that makes it ideal for more sensitive complexions.
• Oily or combination skin: Surprisingly, the last thing you want is a harsh scrub —stripping the skin too much will cause your skin to produce more oil, which can clog pores and leave skin greasy. Instead, use a clarifying scrub once or twice per week, such as Korres Pomegranate Scrub For Oily Combination Skin.

2. Move your body. Exercise benefits the skin by increasing delivery of nutrients to cells, optimizing the ability to produce collagen and helping to clear acne. Talk to a doctor before beginning any exercise routine. Learn more about the specific benefits that exercise has for your skin here.
3. Take a little “me time.” Relax with a manicure, pedicure or at-home facial. These small indulgences not only help you look more polished, but become a welcome luxury during a busy week.

• Instant manicure: Try a product designed specifically for women on the go. TALIKA Instant Manicure contains eight single-serving treatments that’ll brighten nails and soften cuticles.
• All-in-one essentials: Get your hands and feet in shape with a clever kit. H2O Plus Hand and Foot Therapy Collection contains all the essentials: a scrub, cream, buffer, exfoliating treatment and foot rub.
• Facial at home: Today’s at-home skincare treatments offer a variety of benefits for all skin types. For oily or acne-prone skin, take advantage of clarifying treatments like Bliss Steep Clean, which will unclog an oily T-zone in just 15 minutes. To achieve a glowing complexion, look for masks that combine multiple active ingredients. Hydropeptide Instant Peptide Miracle Mask contains a blend of peptides, enzymes and antioxidants.

4. Treat your hair to a deep conditioning treatment. This simple step takes only a few minutes each week, and will leave your strands in top condition. Just as a weekly at-home facial benefits your skin, a hair mask can do wonders for your hair. Frederic Fekkai Shea Butter Hair Mask is a reparative formula suitable for dry, unruly or color-treated hair.

What to do monthly

1. Get to know your skin better and do a monthly exam. If you see any new moles or spots or changes in moles, blemishes or birthmarks, see a dermatologist. To learn more about what is normal and what might be reason to seek professional advice, see our article on preventing melanoma here.
2. Skim through products that have sat on your shelf for a while. Just like food, your skincare products have an expiration date. In addition to checking for that date on the package, also watch for changes in smell, consistency or color. As a basic guideline, eye products like mascara and eyeliner should be tossed after three to six months; foundation and concealer last from six months to a year; and most skincare products last up to a year. For detailed information on when your products expire, see our comprehensive guide.

What to do yearly

1. Buy a new bottle of sunscreen. If used properly, one bottle of sunscreen shouldn’t last long. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one ounce of sunscreen is necessary to properly cover exposed skin, but most people skimp and don’t get enough protection. Whether you’re looking to buy a daily facial sunscreen, a broad-spectrum formula for the body or a protective lip balm, find out more on top-rated products here.
2. Visit the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening. Everyone needs to see the dermatologist for a skin screening once a year. However, if you have risk factors such as a personal or family history of skin cancer, are taking an oral or topical medication that increases sun sensitivity or have a skin condition that makes you more susceptible to UV damage, ask your doctor if you should schedule visits more frequently.
3. Also ask the dermatologist for a skin evaluation. Your dermatologist can offer expert advice tailored to your skin type, advise you on how to treat skin conditions and answer any questions about your skin. You can also talk about your daily regimen and get product recommendations.
4. Consider investing in sun-protective clothing or updating your sun-safe wardrobe. Major clothing and sports apparel manufacturers now offer lines of clothing that can protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays under the measuring system called UV Protection Factor (UPF). Try looking for clothing with a UPF of at least 50. A UPF of 50 can block 97 percent of ultraviolet rays.

Caring for your skin doesn’t have to be difficult. Get in the habit of creating a healthy regimen so you can have healthier skin for years to come.

See also:

Caring for Your Body

10 Healthy Skincare Habits You Might Be Forgetting