Implementing a simple, natural skin care routine is easier than you think — and 5, 10, 20 or 50 years from now you’ll be so stoked you made the effort and avoided making common mistakes. It’s a minor time commitment, and even the busiest (and laziest!) among us can commit to at least minimum care for our outer layer.
With that in mind, here’s the 411 on how to create an easy skin care routine you’ll actually stick to, including what questions to ask yourself, which products are must-haves, and why the payoff will be so, so sweet.
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Everyone should use a cleanser, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen. If you have more time to dedicate to your routine or if you have specific concerns you want to target, add a toner, serum, and occasional mask.
Good to Know: Fleur & Bee’s Deluxe Set includes a simple to follow 5 step skincare routine that only takes minutes to use.
Recommended Products: Starter Set, Deluxe Set, and One Lip Wonder Lip Treatment
Why You Need a Simple Skin Care Regimen
Even in our instant gratification era, skin care still isn’t a quick fix. Most of the skin issues we all want to avoid — from uneven skin tone, to enlarged pores, to telltale signs of aging — develop over time.
The plain truth is– it’s a lot easier to prevent these than trying to turn back the clock once the damage has been done. As they say: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
A simple skin care routine will help you stop problems before they start and maintain a radiant, youthful glow as the years go by.
The Best Skin Care Routine for You
Everyone’s skin is different, and choosing the best skin care routine for you is a personal process.
To match your skin care routine to your style, here are five questions to ask yourself:
- How much time are you willing to devote to skin care? Can you spare a handful of minutes in the morning and evening? Do you enjoy using masks and other treatments occasionally, or do you want to do the bare minimum?
- How much bathroom space do you have? It’s important to be realistic about what space (and time) allows. Try to adopt a minimalist mindset, so you don’t end up with a ton of bathroom clutter and a lengthy routine you’ll never stick with.
- What obstacles get in the way of your skin care process? Be honest with yourself about what bad habits or time constraints get in the way.
- How much can you afford to spend on skin care products? Have a budget in mind that makes sense for you. Think about how much you can afford on products per month or every few months and consider how long each item lasts before you buy.
- What kind of skin care is best for your skin type? Knowing if your skin is dry , sensitive, oily, combination or otherwise is a key component for picking products that’ll work best for you.
Your Skin Care Routine Basics
These are the must-haves that every single human should have on hand to maximize skin hygiene and health:
Face Wash
No matter who you are, you absolutely need to wash your face. Our skin is what protects us from the elements, and it’s damn good at its job, soaking up all the dirt, oil, and pollutants we’re faced with on a daily basis. Cleanse your skin twice a day — once in the morning and once at night using lukewarm water and a facial cleanser. Fleur & Bee’s So Clean! facial cleanser was created to gently cleanse and purify without drying out your skin.
Eye Cream
The delicate skin around your eyes is much thinner than the skin on the rest of your face and is more prone to lines, wrinkles and puffiness. Eye cream is formulated specifically for this area; using a regular moisturizer to treat it just won’t cut it. Eyes Eyes Baby eye cream by Fleur & Bee combines the anti-aging power of caffeine and peptides, potent antioxidants green tea and dandelion, plus moisturizing squalane and aloe vera.
Moisturizer
All skin needs moisture. While our skin provides some of its own, it still needs a little extra help in order to stay hydrated, replenished, and happily plump. Moisturizer also helps to create a protective barrier that helps to keep toxins and other stuff at bay. Fleur & Bee’s H2 Oh Yeah face cream deeply hydrates dry, dull, dehydrated skin and is full of natural antioxidants for a healthy glow.
We’ve made these 3 steps super easy with our 3 piece Starter Set, which includes a cleanser, eye cream, and moisturizer.
Sunscreen
Anytime it’s daytime, your skin is subjected to harmful UV rays from the sun. Sunscreen is an absolute must for longterm skin health. We recommend using a mineral sunscreen of at least SPF 30; the alternative is a chemical sunscreen that is full of toxins that your skin absorbs.
Extra Skin Care Products That Can Make All the Difference
While the aforementioned products are absolutely essential, the following products may not be necessary for skin care minimalists. However, adding them can mean the difference between average skin and a radiant complexion!
Toner
Facial toner serves to restore balance and hydration to your skin after cleansing, prepping your skin for the remaining products in your routine. Many toners use harsh drying agents, so opt for clean botanical ingredients. Fleur & Bee’s Rose & Shine rose water toner is a simple, non-alcoholic formula that refreshes and hydrates.
Vitamin C Serum
Antioxidant vitamin C has a whole wealth of benefits for your skin, including reducing the appearance of dark spots, brightening and smoothing skin, softening the look of fine lines and keeping you looking youthful and refreshed. Fleur & Bee’s Nectar of the C is made with Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a gentle, water-soluble form of vitamin C and has a smooth, non-sticky finish.
Don’t Forget Your Lips!
Don’t Forget Your Lips!
The skin on your face probably gets most of the attention, but lips are having a major moment and you can’t forget about that pretty pout. To keep yours plump, moisturized and supple, there are lots of ways you can give them TLC.
A lip scrub can help you get rid of dead skin and make them extra smooth. You can DIY one with coconut oil and sugar. Mix two teaspoons of coconut oil with a teaspoon of sugar and gently rub in a circular motion all over your lips. Rinse clean.
Lip balms and treatments are the other obvious options to keep your lips soft and smooth. We prefer using clean, natural ingredients. Opt for coconut oil, castor seed oil, cocoa butter or aloe vera gel. Any of the above can give you that extra boost of moisture, which is why we’ve used coconut oil and castor seed oil in our vegan lip treatment, One Lip Wonder. It also features peptides and plant stem cells for anti-aging benefits.
And remember — your lips need sunscreen, too!
Best Simple Skin Care Routine
A basic skin care regimen doesn't have to be long and tedious!
Here’s the step-by-step routine we recommend on mask days, should you opt into all the products we’ve described. If you’re going minimal, simply skip the mask, toner and serum– but keep everything else!
- Wash your face with So Clean!, or your wash of choice, and lukewarm water. Rinse.
- Apply Prince Charcoal, or your mask of choice, and leave it on per package instructions. Remove and rinse.
- Spritz Rose and Shine, or your toner of choice, onto your face and neck and allow it to absorb.
- Apply 2-3 drops of Nectar of the C, or your facial serum of choice, onto fingertips. Gently smooth onto your entire face, avoiding around the eyes.
- Massage in H2 Oh Yeah, or your moisturizer of choice, to your face and neck.
- Add a small amount of Eyes Eyes Baby, or your eye cream of choice, around your eye area.
- Every morning, apply a mineral sunscreen of choice to your face and neck.
For optimal skin health, we’ve bundled our 5 step routine into our Deluxe Set, offering you a simple skincare solution and saving you some cash in the process.
Depending on what products you choose to opt into, your simple skin care regimen should only take 20 to 30 minutes per day, max. 10 to 15 minutes in the morning, 10 to 15 minutes at night — with an extra 10 minutes on the days you use a mask.
Frequently Asked Questions About Creating a Simple Skin Care Routine
Why should I have a skin care routine?
With a proper skin care routine, your skin stays clean, your pores stay unclogged, and your fine lines and wrinkles stay minimized. A daily skin care routine is what keeps healthy skin glowing, smooth, and healthy.
What is a simple skin care routine?
A simple skin care routine can consist of just six products. Here’s the short version of what a simple skin care routine should look like:
- Cleanse the skin to get rid of dirt and oils.
- Tone the skin to hydrate and balance oils.
- Use a good vitamin C serum to restore glow.
- Apply moisturizer and eye cream.
- Finally, if it’s daytime, slab on that sunscreen.
