Maintaining healthy skin is a lifelong journey. Nurturing a radiant, youthful complexion involves not only understanding your skin type and creating a personalized skincare routine accordingly, but also a daily reliance on three core steps.

Three basic steps for all skincare routines

While the optimal routine inevitably results from a firm knowledge of your particular concerns, all routines encompass three fundamental steps: cleanse, moisturize, protect. This trio of daily procedures is the basis of beautiful skin.

Cleansing clears the skin of impurities such as dirt, free radicals, sebum, and sweat—all of which accumulate each day. Similarly, make-up residue can clog pores, causing breakouts. Thus, cleansing is a critical first step in any skincare routine.

Moisturization brings nourishment and hydration to the skin, restoring natural oils while preventing dryness and irritation. Inhibiting the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, this step is paramount for maintaining a youthful glow.

Protecting your skin is the final component of the basic three-part routine. The sun’s harmful UV rays are a primary trigger for skin aging, pigmentation, and fine lines. Sunscreen of at least SPF 35 and calibrated to block the sun’s UVA and UVB rays will provide broad spectrum protection, shielding your skin from cell-damaging radiation.

It is important to determine the perfect skincare products for these essential steps. Find the formulas that are right for you and use them everyday.

Enhancing your basic skincare routine

Cleanse. Moisturize. Protect. But what about skin that requires more than the basic cycle?

Your skin type and skin concerns govern your particular needs and determine the steps you should take to enhance your routine on any given day. But remember, the sequence matters: All additional steps should be integrated after cleansing and before moisturization. Whether it’s an exfoliator to purge dead skin cells, a mask for a deep-cleansing facial, or a serum to brighten tired eyes, the benefits of targeted treatments are maximized when the skin is free of impurities and access to the deeper layers is unconstrained by the sealing properties of a moisturizer.

Should I follow the same routine in the morning and at night?

Multimasking is a targeted skincare technique that involves applying different types of masks to different parts of the face. The T-zone—the area of the face that spans the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, and chin—tends to be oilier than other areas of the face, as it contains more sebaceous glands and is more prone to developing impurities. When multitasking with a mud mask, it is common to apply the purifying treatment to your T-zone and a hydrating mask to your cheeks and under eye area. An ideal multitasking counterpart to Blue Lagoon Silica Mud Mask is Blue Lagoon Mineral Mask, which is infused with electrolyte-rich Blue Lagoon Seawater to deliver intense hydration and boost the skin's moisture levels. Used in tandem, these bioactive treatment masks unlock the door to healthy, radiant skin. 

In terms of the trio of core steps, you should habitually cleanse and moisturize twice a day. UV protection, however, is not needed at night—for obvious reasons. This is why your evening routine might be as brief as two steps: cleanse, moisturize.

The steps you take to enhance your core routine should be done in accordance with product usage recommendations. Some formulas are designed to work their powers overnight, while others are intended for daytime use.

Is it too late to start?

If you’ve never been vigilant about nurturing your skin, don’t worry. It’s never too late to start. You can begin with the basic routine and acclimate yourself to the daily cycle of cleansing, moisturization, and UV protection. The key to success is consistency. And with time, you can expand your routine to include the targeted formulas necessitated by your particular concerns.

A routine for lifelong skin health

The core steps of the optimal skincare routine are the catalysts for achieving a smooth, youthful glow. Optimizing this beautifying trifecta for your individual needs—creating a potent, personalized routine—will enable you to enjoy a lifetime of healthy, radiant skin.