Savvy skin care enthusiasts are calling it—it’s finally the end of the excessive beauty routine trend. For years, “skinfluencers” embraced K-beauty’s famed 10-step routines. These involve multiple cleansers, essences, toners, facial sprays, moisturizers and masks. It adds up to a lot of time — and a lot of money spent on your skin care routine.
But now, experts are advocating for the complete opposite. First, let’s all rejoice and enjoy the extra time in our days not spent at the sink!
In this post, we’ll talk about our Multi-Med Therapy approach, why a lengthy routine may not be serving your skin and a sample a.m. and p.m. routine that works — and that you’ll be more likely to stick with.
Our Multi-Med Therapy Approach
Multi-Med Therapy is at the heart of all of Rodan + Fields’ Regimens. Multi-Med Therapy combines over-the-counter drug and cosmetic ingredients as the basis of elegantly formulated products that deliver powerful results. Seeing how well a combination-therapy approach worked in acne, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields knew that their holistic Multi-Med Therapy concept would also be effective for other common skin conditions, from hyperpigmentation to skin sensitivity to skin aging.
So they created specific skincare systems, which they refer to as Regimens, to give people everything they would need to achieve the best skin of their lives. We believe in a more simple, but effective approach when it comes to skincare routines. Our multi-med therapy approach is all about delivering the exact ingredients needed for your unique skin, in the right dose, in the right order applied step by step on the face for maximum efficiency.
Why a K-Beauty Routine May Do More Harm To Your Skin Than Good
The thing about a super lengthy skin care regimen is that it may be doing damage by stripping your skin. Or worse, it can leave you with more skin issues to address than you started with. For example, over exfoliating skin and using competing acids and active ingredients can negatively affect your skin barrier.
How To Build Your Ideal Morning Skin Care Routine
Step 1: Facial Cleanser
The first step in your morning routine, cleansing helps you start anew and prepare your skin for the active ingredients you’ll apply later. At night, cleansing is all about removing makeup, dirt, oil and pollution skin accumulates from being out and about throughout the day. But overnight, your skin encounters less dirt and fewer aforementioned potential pore-clogging agents. Cleansing in the morning and cleansing at night serve different functions.
Step 2: Tone
Toners refine your skin’s surface, providing what it needs to look smoother or hydrated. If your skin is combination or oily, a toner can reduce the look of large pores and excess oil. If your skin is normal, dry, or sensitive, toners can address redness and flaking. Target your skin concern with a toner tailored for your desired results.
Step 3: Serum or Complex
Serum: If you feel your skin needs a bit more hydration, a face serum is an additional step that makes a big difference in the morning. You may find you need this step in the fall and winter and not in the warmer months. Or if your skin feels dehydrated most of the time, adding it year-round can help. A targeted complex with Vitamin C or Retinol can be applied if you’re looking to tackle specific skin concerns like dullness, fine lines or wrinkles.
Step 4: Face Moisturizer with SPF Protection
Moisturize your skin and protect it from UV rays with a moisturizer enhanced with a sunscreen of at least SPF 30. You want to make sure to use an SPF every day—whether you leave the house or not (windows!) to counteract photo damage. You want to apply your SPF last so that it can protect your skin. That’s why you smooth it on after serum, which can dilute its efficacy if applied over top.
Step 5: Eye Cream
Do you really need eye cream twice a day? If you want to see maximum benefits, you do! An eye cream nourishes and refreshes the eye area by brightening, hydrating and improving appearance of under-eye puffiness. Since only a tiny amount is needed, even a twice-daily application won’t involve much product.
How To Build Your Ideal Nighttime Skin Care Routine
Step 1: Facial Cleanser
A facial cleanser is important for you to use every evening to remove makeup, dirt and oil. Your cleanser of choice can also gently exfoliate to help you slough off dead skin cells.
Step 2: Toner
Toner helps with softening your skin and enabling penetration for the ingredients that follow in the next step. Toners also cleanse your pores.
Step 3: Eye Cream
Hydrating and moisturizing this area is important. You want to use an eye cream that is specifically designed for the under eye area so as not to cause any irritation.
Step 4: Face Serum
This step is optional if your skincare goals include either deeper hydration or a potent boost of retinoids. For hydration, try Active Hydration Serum. For a Retinal serum, try REDEFINE Intensive Renewing Serum.
Step 5: Night Cream or Lotion
Your moisturizer, whether you choose a cream or lotion, helps provide antiaging benefits, in addition to skin-restoring moisturization.
And that’s it! A simple 5 steps every morning and evening — used with consistency — is integral to your skin’s health and keeping it looking its best.
