Your Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Skin Care Routine Schedule

We bet it’s safe to say that you have a pretty jam-packed schedule, right? And to keep track of all the non-stop activities you have planned (Yoga! Important meeting with your boss! Happy hour with friends!), you probably have a calendar on-hand that you update whenever you’ve scheduled something new. Well, why not apply that same rule to your skin care routine? When it comes to a gorgeous, glowing complexion, there are quite a few steps you could take in your skin care routine—but not all of them need to be done on a daily basis or at the same time every day.

With so much to remember, we’re here to help stay organized. Consider the following your skin care routine checklist, chock full of skin care products—facial cleansers, face moisturizers, eye creams, face masks (we see you, charcoal mask!), self-tanners, and more—plus tips for using each of them.  Whether you want to brighten the appearance of your skin with a charcoal mask or reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles or dark circles with eye cream, we’ve got you covered.

YOUR twice daily SKIN CARE ROUTINE

There are some things that never change, and that includes the twice a day essential steps in your skin care routine. These are mainstays for a reason!

Wash your face. Clean skin is happy skin! So, reach for a facial cleanser when you wake up and before you go to sleep to help get rid of any excess dirt and oil that may have built up on the surface of your skin throughout the day. Try the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Cleanser, L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refine Cleanser, or L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Purify & Mattify Cleanser, which can help lift dirt and impurities from the surface of your skin without drying it out. If you have mature skin, consider using a creamy facial cleanser, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Nourishing Cream Cleanser. As you age, your skin loses moisture, nutrients, and natural oils—which can result in drier skin. This facial cleanser helps replenish oils and gently removes traces of makeup. Beautiful skin doesn’t stop there, though! Next up…

Use a toner. After cleansing, swipe on an alcohol-free toner, like the L’Oréal Paris HydraFresh Toner. This gentle and non-drying toner is formulated with beta hydroxy and Pro-Vitamin B5 to gently sweep away dull skin and protect against moisture loss. All you have to do is put some toner on a cotton pad and swipe it across your face. It’s that easy! And now onto…

Apply serum. This skin care product is very popular for a reason. Serums generally are concentrated formulas that target specific skin issues (think fine lines and wrinkles or dark spots). Serum should be applied after cleansing but before putting on moisturizer. Got fine lines and wrinkles? Try the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power™ Concentrated Serum, which is formulated with hyaluronic acid to help improve the appearance of fine lines with continued use over time. Got dark spots? Consider using the L’Oréal Paris Youth Code™ Dark Spot Correcting & Illuminating Serum Corrector. Sadly, daily UV exposure and age can result in the appearance of dark spots on skin’s surface. This serum works to help correct and fade the appearance of dark spots over time. Finally…

Moisturize. Using moisturizer twice daily is super-important—even if you have oily skin. Yes, really! Try the L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Normal/Oily Skin, L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Normal/Dry Skin, or L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Extra Dry Skin. Each of these water-based moisturizers is formulated with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera water for long-lasting hydration.

YOUR once daily SKIN CARE ROUTINE

While using facial cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturizer can be part of your twice daily skin care routine, there are certain steps in your skin care routine that only need to be done once a day—either in the A.M. or P.M.

In the morning: Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen. You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: Sun protection is a skin care routine must. In the morning, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher—after moisturizer but before applying makeup—as directed. You should reapply sunscreen at least every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating. But sun protection doesn’t end at applying sunscreen. There are other measures you should take, too. Limit your amount of time in the sun (especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., which are the sun’s peak hours), seek shade, and cover up exposed areas in long sleeves, pants, a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

At night: Remove your makeup. Sleeping in your makeup isn’t exactly the best idea. When you sleep in your makeup, it can mix with the dirt and oil on your skin, leading to clogged pores (and clogged pores can lead to breakouts and blackheads). Keep a bottle of micellar water, like the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof - All Skin Types, on your nightstand for easy makeup removal. Micellar water is powered by tiny micelle molecules that cluster together to surround and lift away impurities from skin’s surface. This micellar water removes even waterproof makeup and leaves skin with a hydrated feel. Simply saturate a cotton pad with micellar water and hold it over closed eyes for a few seconds before gently wiping to remove your mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow. You can also wipe the pad across your face.

At night: Swipe on a peel pad. Want a brighter-looking complexion? Think about adding a peel pad, such as the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Bright Reveal Brightening Daily Peel Pads, to your nightly skin care routine,. The multi-ply textured pads physically resurface dead skin cells on skin’s surface to reveal the youthful-looking skin underneath. Smooth a pad over your face after facial cleanser and follow up with face moisturizer. Freshly revealed skin may be sensitive to sunlight, so set a reminder to apply broad-spectrum sunscreen and take other sun protection measures in the morning (as you’ve just learned, this is a skin care routine step you should never skip!).

At night: Pat on an eye cream. You’ve heard the popular saying, “the eyes are the window to the soul.” But if you’ve got dark circles under the eyes, puffiness, or crow’s feet, you probably don’t want anyone staring too hard at your eye area, do you? Nope, we thought not! Enter eye cream. Look for one that’s formulated for your specific skin issues and apply it after moisturizing at night. The L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power™ Eye Treatment is formulated to reduce the appearance of dark circles and under-eye bags with continued use over time.

YOUR weekly SKIN CARE ROUTINE

While maintaining a daily skin care routine is important, there are a few steps you can add on occasionally throughout the week.

Scrub your way to smoother-looking skin. Exfoliation—gently sloughing the surface of your skin—can help to get rid of dead skin cell buildup to reveal new, youthful-looking skin underneath. Now, how often you exfoliate is an individual choice—it really depends on your skin type. Some people can handle it daily, but others may only need to do so once a week. Stick with what works for you!

Use a face mask. Let’s be honest: We love face masks not just for their ability to make our skin look absolutely ah-amazing but for how fun they are to use, too. Seriously, is there anything better than sitting back and relaxing with a face mask on? We think not! Try the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Mask Exfoliate & Refining Face Mask, L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Mask Detox & Brighten Face Mask, L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Mask Purify & Mattify Face Mask, L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Mask Clear & Comfort Face Mask, or L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Clarify & Smooth Face Mask. Apply an even layer to clean, dry skin, leave it on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water. Use your choice of face mask 2-3 times a week for best results.

YOUR MONTHLY SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Some steps in your skin care routine can be done even less than once a week. Have a special event coming up, for example? Add a self-tanner to your skin care lineup for a few days out of the month to create the appearance of a golden glow.

Achieve the appearance of bronzed skin. Even if it’s not summer, you can still rock golden color by using a self-tanner. Want to get your glow on? Try the L’Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze™ Self-Tanning Serum, L’Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze™ ProPerfect Salon Airbrush Mist Deep Natural Tan, or L’Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze™ Towelettes for Body. Use your self-tanner daily until you achieve your desired level of tan.

Examine your skin. A monthly skin care routine isn’t all fun and games. Once a month, check your skin for any spots that have changed.

And there you have it: A skin care routine you can follow daily, weekly, and monthly. Next up: Our Foolproof Skin Care Routine for All Skin Types.