Building an effective skincare routine can feel overwhelming with so many products and advice available. However, dermatologists agree that a well-structured routine is key to maintaining healthy skin. Whether you have acne-prone, oily, dry, sensitive, or combination skin, a science-backed approach will yield the best results. At Formial Labs we believe that absolutely amazing skincare can be achieved without putting too much strain on your bank account by using high quality ingredients with a simple routine.
Any routine needs to be built on strong foundations and hence building the right skincare foundation is vitally important. Medical grade active ingredients are extremely effective but will not work as intended if they are not supplemented with the right skincare products such as cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreens.
This guide will help you build the ideal skincare routine based on our expert dermatologist recommendations.
Table of Contents
A Good Skincare Routine
A good skincare routine consists of a morning routine and an evening routine which would vary a tiny bit.
Morning
- Cleanser
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
(Some people may want to use a Vitamin C serum in the morning - at Formial we do not recommend this when starting out on your prescription formulation)
Evening
- Cleanser
- Treatment (Use your Formial formula as directed in your treatment plan)
- Moisturizer
*In the early days of using your Formial pump you might need to apply a layer of moisturizer before your Treatment step. This is called the Sandwich method (Formula between two layers of moisturizer : just like a sandwich !)
First things first: Cleanser
Cleansing is an extremely important first step in your routine and this will need to be done both in the morning and night. Cleansing removes makeup, oil, dirt, dead skin cells, leftover actives and sunscreen etc.
A good cleanser is gentle. Glycerin is a good ingredient to look for in your cleanser. It is a humectant which means it attracts moisture from the environment while retaining moisture in the deeper layers of skin helping your skin feel hydrated. An oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm is great for dry skin, while an oil-free, foaming cleanser will benefit oily skin, and mitigate the risk of further breakouts.
When starting on Formial you might want to avoid cleansers with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, AHAs, BHAs and any other harsh ingredients as these might interact with your formulation and compound the drying effect on the skin disrupting the skin barrier.
Step two: Treat
Choosing a skincare formulation with medical grade actives is probably one of the best things that you can do for your personal skin concerns. Thankfully, Formial makes accessing these ingredients easy and removes the guesswork leaving the assessment to the professionals !
Tretinoin targets acne, skin-ageing and hyperpigmentation. It’s often paired with anti-inflammatory hero ingredients such as azelaic acid. Niacinamide keeps oil production in check and reverses signs of photoageing. Spironolactone can counter resistant hormonal acne and clindamycin which is an antibiotic helps fight acne causing bacteria.
As our dermatologist Dr Tanumay Ray Chaudhury says, ‘‘Skin conditions invariably need a multi-ingredient approach. It is always better to have all the necessary ingredients in a single well formulated product. This not only ensures that all the ingredients work well together but also ensures improved compliance and absorption’’.
Step three: Hydrate
Moisturisers help repair and replenish the skin barrier. Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerine, betaine which are humectants that attract and retain moisture in the deeper layers of skin. Ceremides and hyaluronic acid greatly improve the barrier function. Shea butter and fatty butters can be ultra nourishing especially if the skin barrier is very dry and damaged.
A good moisturiser is essential especially in the first few weeks when initiating your new skincare routine with actives. By nourishing, replenishing and improving the skincare barrier the skin stands a better chance of adapting to the active ingredients in your skincare formulation reducing the chance of dryness, peeling and irritation.
Step four: Protect
Sunscreen is the skincare staple - there is no skincare routine that is complete without a good sunscreen. As our founder Dr Jeet says, ‘‘ Skip sunscreen at your own peril. UV rays hasten signs of ageing, damage your skin and worsen hyperpigmentation.’’
At Formial, we recommend using a sunscreen of SPF 30 or greater which has broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. Sunscreens are broadly of 2 types - physical (mineral) which reflect/scatter light and chemical sunscreens contain filters that absorb light and convert it into heat.
Chemical sunscreens tend to be more popular as they have a lighter feel and tend to dry out clear on the skin whereas mineral sunscreens (contain zinc and aluminium oxide) tend to leave a white cast as they have mineral filters which sit on the skin.
When choosing a sunscreen formulation one must bear in mind the formulation that they choose e.g. if they have oily skin its better to choose an oil free sunscreen as this would reduce the chance of breakouts. Sunscreens that are present in combination with moisturizers and foundation(makeup) which contain SPF tend to be less effective than stand alone sunscreens so we recommend ensuring you layer on a dedicated sunscreen for guaranteed protection.
Closing Thoughts
A strong skincare routine is the cornerstone of happy and healthy looking skin. With the right cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen and your very own custom skincare formulation you will be on your way to - your best skin ever ! Your skin will thank you!
We realise that we haven’t given you specific product recommendations in this blog. This can be discussed during your whatsapp consultation and your Skincare assistant can give you suggestions too at varying budgets.
