A skincare routine is a series of steps using specific products to care for your skin. While there are no hard and fast rules to building a skincare routine, we recommend following the 3-stage process outlined in our skincare regimen guide:

Step 1: Prep

This involves cleansing the skin and preparing it for treatment.

Step 2: Treat

This stage addresses specific skin concerns with targeted formulations.

Step 3: Seal

This involves locking in the formulations and supporting the skin barrier to protect against damage.

If a skincare regimen is the entire process of caring for your skin, then a skincare routine zeroes in on steps and details. Each step includes a few smaller parts where you apply different products in a sequence—a technique called “layering.”

At The Ordinary, our range of formulations can be layered and integrated into a comprehensive skincare routine.

First things first: let’s talk about products. Your skin is unique, and the formulations you choose from The Ordinary work best when tailored to your specific skin type and concerns. This personalized approach supports your skin’s overall condition, and makes sure each product in your routine addresses your specific concerns.

If you’re new to skincare or have sensitive skin, starting with a simpler routine might be a good idea. We also recommend doing a patch test before introducing new products to your routine.

If you’re a skincare enthusiast, you might prefer a complex, multi-layer routine addressing overall skin appearance.

Whatever the case, you can always adapt our recommended skincare routine to your needs.

The Prep stage involves removing impurities from the skin to help it receive the ingredients in the latter stages of the routine. A great skincare routine typically starts with a cleanser for both AM and PM routines.

What is a Cleanser?

A good cleanser is the first step in any skincare routine, clearing away dirt, sebum, and other impurities from your skin. Cleansing sets the stage for the rest of your routine by priming your skin to receive other formulations.

Look for a cleanser that can clean your skin without completely stripping off its natural moisture barrier. This helps keep away dryness that can lead to irritation and skin discomfort.

The Glucoside Foaming Cleanser avoids this problem by gently removing dirt and impurities while also helping maintain the skin’s moisture barrier.

Meanwhile, if you need to cleanse makeup or want additional hydration to maintain your skin’s moisture barrier, we recommend using our Squalane Cleanser. This formulation uses plant-derived squalane, a moisturizing agent, and helps remove impurities and hydrate the skin.

The Treat stage of your facial skincare routine will focus on treatments targeting specific skin issues. Depending on your needs, these problems can range from blemishes and uneven skin tone to dryness and photoaging (i.e., sun exposure-related aging).

At this point, you can personalize your routine to your needs and include formulations such as:

• Toners
• Skin serums
• Eye serums
• Face oils

Here’s a closer look at what each skincare solution does.

Toners

Using a skin toner helps to remove any remaining impurities after cleansing. These formulations can also feature additional components, such as:

• Exfoliating ingredients that remove dead skin cells
• Hydrating ingredients that lock in moisture

For example, our Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner gently exfoliates the skin and improves the look of uneven skin tone.

Quick Tip: When to Exfoliate for Best Results

You can integrate an exfoliant into your skincare routine after cleansing (in the Prep stage) and before applying serums (in the Treat stage). Proper exfoliation can support skin cell turnover—the continuous process of shedding dead skin cells and resurfacing new, younger cells. This helps keep your skin looking brighter, fresher, and more even.

Depending on your skin type and condition, you can choose between different exfoliating ingredients to achieve the best results. Read our Back to Basics Guide on Exfoliation for a deep dive into the subject.

Skin Serums

Serums are light-textured formulations with effective concentrations of ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) or niacinamide.

For instance, a serum like Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) uses hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to help address skin dryness.

Spot Treatments

If you have blemish-prone skin and frequently struggle with spots, blemishes, breakouts, or blackheads, consider adding spot treatments to your skincare routine.

Spot treatment formulations often contain active ingredients like salicylic acid (see our Salicylic Acid 2% Solution) to exfoliate the skin and decongest pores to clear up the appearance of spots.

Eye Serums

The delicate skin around the eyes is prone to some of the most common signs of aging: fine lines and wrinkles. This area can benefit from a specialized eye serum that helps reduce the visibility of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness.

Take our Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, for example, a water-based formula that addresses the signs of aging around the eyes, including crow’s feet, under-eye wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.

Face Oils

Face oils like our 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil provide a boost in hydration, supporting your skin barrier. This can be a great solution if you have dry skin or need additional support due to cold, windy, or low-humidity conditions.

As a rule of thumb, oils are best applied after water-based treatments to ensure optimal layering. Consider applying a face oil as the final step of your Treat stage or adding a few drops to your moisturizer in the Seal stage.

Finally, the Seal stage of your facial skincare routine locks in all the benefits of your treatments and supports the skin barrier. This step includes applying moisturizers and SPF (depending on the time of day) to protect and hydrate the skin.

Moisturizers and Creams

Moisturizing complements the earlier hydrating treatments in your skincare routine and reinforces your skin barrier. This step ensures your skin stays nourished throughout the day or while you sleep.

Choose a moisturizer that meets your skin's specific needs—whether it's oiliness, sensitivity, or dryness.

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA provides lasting hydration and strengthens the skin’s outer layer. Meanwhile, Natural Moisturizing Factors + PhytoCeramides offers an extra boost with 4x more emollients and 2x the humectants for deeper hydration and balance.

Use the steps within the structured approach of Prep, Treat, and Seal as a guide, but don’t feel bound to use every formulation we highlighted. Our recommended structure helps you address the most common skincare concerns, such as skin dryness, signs of aging, or uneven skin tone.

In other words, the structure is there to help you cover all your bases. But, the best skincare routine is one tailored to your unique skin type and concerns.

Still trying to figure out how to build a skincare regimen or routine? Try The Ordinary’s Regimen Builder for personalized recommendations for formulations matching your skincare needs.