Confused on what steps to do in your skincare routine? You are not alone. I get asked ALL THE TIME about what comes first in my regimen, next, and so on and so forth to make a killer skincare routine? The simple answer is that all facial product lines will have their own protocol when it comes to applying what product and in what order to apply it in.

If you hear one esthetician saying “You must do this first” and another saying, “No, you must do this first” and they are saying opposite things, they may BOTH be right depending on the product line. This is important to remember!

Ph of the skin

Different products will all have a different effect on the skin, altering your skins PH. PH is so very important to keep balanced when you want true results from your skincare line. Depending on the product’s ph it will directly affect when, how much, and how often you will apply it in a skincare routine. Because every line has different cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers with different Ph stats they will alter your skin differently, changing how and when a product will be used.

Comparing 2 Products-Why It matters

For example, let’s compare two different cleansers. Cleanser A has a certain PH and the other (Cleanser B) has a different PH. Let’s say Cleanser B is “more acidc” than Cleanser A. Cleanser B is “more acidic” because it is a different PH number on the PH scale. Because of Cleanser B’s “harshness” or “acidity,” a toner may be used afterward to RESET the skin PH to get it ready for the next steps in the protocol. The other cleanser that is “less harsh” or closer to the skins natural PH then it can be unnecessary to use the toner altogether and may be ok just to go from cleanser to the next product without needing a toner. Neither options are wrong, it is simply how the protocol works together to achieve desired results from your specific skin line.

Toner-What is it?

Most lines will have some type of toning product in them. A toner is NOT to get extra grime off of your face. I repeat, if you’re using a cotton round with toner and you have dirt on the cotton round your cleanser is not doing its job effectively or another cleanse may be necessary. A toner simply brings your skin back to a specific Ph so it does not get out of wack creating unnecessary breakouts or skin conditions.

Product Lines are Different

Product lines are designed to take your skin on an intentionally designed journey to help you achieve optimum results. It is VERY important to know that a product line can take years to develop and perfect before hitting the shelf of your estheticians room. The swing of ph through your skincare routine must be ideal in order for you to see the results you desire. This is why you can compare two product lines with two different price points and ingredients and get different results from your own skin. Or even better yet, why you can use one line, and your friend can use the same line and one of you LOVEs the line and the other hates it. Your skin ph will differ from your friend and even people in your family so it is important to find a line that works for you. This is also why I do not suggest mixing lines since they may “promise” to do something but cannot due to the pHs and ingredients not matching up. You may get less than desired results when using a jumble of things, hoping something works to get you the beautiful, youthful skin that you desire.

Trust the process

Your esthetician will learn everything there is to know about the line so trust their guidance to help you achieve your desired results. Do not go to TikTok or even your friends for their guidance, confide in the esthetician that has been fully trained in the product line that you are using. They will know the order in which to use the product and fully train you HOW to use the product.

What other topics should we cover? I would love to hear them in the comments below!