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Daily Skin Care Routine for Morning & Evening

By Jill Levy

June 26, 2024

Given all the different beauty products that are available to us — cleansers, scrubs, toners, masks, serums and moisturizers — no wonder it can be daunting to create an effective skincare routine.

If you’re confused about which products are best suited for your skin type, plus unsure of the right skincare routine order, we’re here to help. 

In addition to topical products that you can apply to your skin to fight free radical damage and support cellular renewal, we'll also discuss supplements that help to maintain healthy skin elasticity, tone and texture. (Also check out the trending skin cycling routine and summer skin care tips that many folks are finding skin success with.)

Ready to upgrade your skincare routine? Let’s dive in….

(As always, though, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning any new dietary or lifestyle regimen, including dietary supplementation.)

What Skin Type Are You?

Before you dive into your skin care routine, do you know your skin type? It's important to know in order to select the right products.

These are the most common skin types:

Normal: Your skin's level of oil and hydration are balanced, so your skin isn't considered dry or oil. You likely don't have acne or other skin blemishes, and your skin tends not be overly sensitive to products.

Oily: Your skin may appear both greasy and shiny when your pore produce excessive oil. In addition, this oil can clog pores and cause breakouts.

Dry: With your skin lacking normal, healthy hydration and moisture, it can appear rough or flakey. Your skin may also itch.

Combination: Up to 70 percent of us have so-called combination skin, when it's both oily and dry but in different parts of the face and body.

Sensitive: When the skin gets easily irritated because of skin barrier challenges, the outer environment or certain products, your skin is considered sensitive. It may become red, itchy or even burn after your apply products.

Morning Skincare Routine

If you’re a skincare enthusiast, you’re probably aware that some people spend up to one whole hour in the morning and again at night taking care of their skin! Others spend little to none. Somewhere in the middle is the right balance.

What are the seven steps of skincare? For those who are fully dedicated to maximizing their beauty routine, steps can include:

• Cleansing

• Exfoliating 

• Facial mask

• Toning

• Serum

• Moisturizer

• Sunscreen

You can still achieve beautiful, healthy skin without needing to include every one of these steps. And if time allows, you might choose to do a lengthier routine about 1–3 times per week.

Best products to use in the morning and how:

1. Cleanser

A successful skincare routine begins with a gentle cleansing of your face. When you wake up, use a cleanser that will help remove any oil and products that you applied the night before. 

Opt for one that’s a good fit for your skin type, such as a foamy cleanser if you have oily skin or a cleansing oil or soap-free cream cleanser if you’re drier. If you’re prone to breakouts look for one with clarifying ingredients such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide or sulfur.

Wash off your cleanser with warm water then use a clean towel to pat your face dry.

2. Serum(s)

While cleaning and moisturizing your skin might be enough to keep it looking great when you’re young, as you age you'll want to use more targeted products that help during that stage of life.  

This is where serums and toners come in handy, since they can help maintain healthy microbial equilibrium, balance oil production, and fight dark spots (such as dark circles under eyes) and outward signs of aging (such as crepey skin). You’ll want to choose these products carefully depending on your needs. Here are some examples of ingredients to consider using daily (or every other day at first if you have sensitive skin):

• Toner to help remove dirt and balance bacteria, such as witch hazel (try every other day). Also, try our DIY Facial Toner.

• Antioxidants serums that include vitamin C and vitamin E. These can help combat free radicals to support and maintain healthy skin. 

• Niacinamide (aka vitamin B3) which can help support a healthy skin barrier and brighten skin.

• Peptides (or amino acids) which help to build skin and contribute to healthy elasticity and tone.

3. Moisturizer

Even if you don’t necessarily have dry skin, you can still benefit from applying a moisturizer every day. The type that will provide the best results depends on your skin type, such as whether you’re concerned about plumping your skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles.

Some ingredients to look for in moisturizers include:

• Humectants, occulatives, ceramides and glycerin, which are best for dry skin.

• Hyaluronic acid, which can plump and hydrate your skin and almost all skin types, including those focused on healthy aging.

• Botanical oils, most of which provide lightweight hydration, such as almond, olive, marula or argan oils. Coconut oil is another good option for those with drier skin.

• If you’re looking for smooth skin tone, choose “non-comedogenic" or "oil-free” lotions. Those with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are usually good choices.

• If you have sensitive skin, choose those that are “hypoallergenic” and free of fragrances and alcohol.

4. Sunscreen

Unless you apply a daily moisturizer that has UVA and UVB protection added to it (aka sunblock), you’ll want to protect your skin from burns and damage by also applying sunscreen. 

Opt for a lightweight sunblock intended to be used on your face, ideally one that’s mineral-based (which sits on top of your skin) and free of irritants and fragrances. Choose one that’s SPF 30+ and apply it every morning over all of your other skincare products. Look for one made with ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Best healthy skin-supporting supplements for the morning:

Aside from taking care of the outside of your skin, you can support your overall skin health by feeding your body the nutrients it needs to naturally help build and promote healthy skin cells. We suggest the types below, which support a vibrant appearance from the inside out.

1. Multi Collagen Protein

Collagen is the most abundant type of protein in the body, so it plays a huge role in forming healthy skin (not to mention healthy hair, nails, joints and your gut lining, too). 

You can take Multi Collagen Protein daily to provide your body with amino acids that support skin elasticity, meaning those that can target crow’s feet and promote the appearance of healthy skin tone. Benefits of adding Multi Collagen Protein to your routine include improving the appearance of crow’s feet after four weeks of use and promoting healthy hair thickness and growth. 

Simply mix a scoop of Multi Collagen Protein powder into your morning coffee or smoothie, or even try baking with it. You can also take it in collagen capsule form for even more convenience. 

Additionally, we add a blend of superfoods to our Multi Collagen Protein Beauty Within formula — including pomegranate fruit extract, coffee fruit extract, Japanese sophora flower, acerola cherry, camu camu fruit, acai berry and more — to promote healthy skin elasticity.

You can also consider the new Multi Collagen Advanced Hydrate (lemon lime or mixed berry flavor) supplement. It helps you achieve rapid hydration for your skin.

2. Vitamin C

Did you know that skin health is tied to gut health and overall immune system health ?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that acts like an antioxidant, meaning it supports healthy immune system function, gut-related immunity, digestion and nutrient absorption. Consuming adequate amounts of this vitamin is a smart way to support cellular health and take care of your body in multiple ways.

Ancient Nutrition’s Vitamin C supplement is delivered in a gold-standard, lipid metabolite form, which means it’s easier for your body to absorb and use. We also add probiotics to our vitamin C for additional gut and digestive support.

Evening Skincare Routine

What is the correct skin care routine at night before bed? Most skincare experts recommend this order of steps:

1. Cleanse well (you can even consider trying “double cleansing” using an oil-based and water-based cleanser to help remove more junk from your skin).

2. Treat with serums or toners.

3. Moisturize.

Just like in the morning, you want to first cleanse your skin at night to get rid of built up oil, makeup and other debris that can negatively impact your skin.

After you’ve dried your clean skin, choose which serums and toners you want to apply. You can apply the same products listed above that you may be using in your morning routine (such as vitamin C and niacinamide) and also these:

• Alpha hydroxy acids, which are facial acids that have exfoliating effects. These can be applied over clean skin to remove any grime from your pores, allowing other products to penetrate your skin more easily.

• Retinol/vitamin A, which is one of the best products for fighting multiple outward signs of aging, such as fine lines and dark spots. Use retinol over other serums and under moisturizer. If you have sensitive skin, begin gradually by only applying retinol every other day (avoid wearing it in the sun which can trigger burns).

Best healthy skin-supporting supplements for the evening:

1. Multi Collagen Protein Beauty + Sleep Support

Have you ever noticed that when you’re lacking sleep, your skin looks dull and tired? This tells you how important sleep is for both your general health and your appearance.

Our MCP Beauty + Sleep formula contains a unique combination of clinically studied beauty-boosting ingredients including collagen protein plus magnesium, which supports restful sleep. 

Use this formula at night to provide your skin with the building blocks it needs for supporting skin elasticity, plus for help with getting quality rest that leads to healthier energy levels and a healthy immune system.

2. Multi Collagen Protein Recovery

Similar to the Beauty + Sleep formula, MCP Recovery is geared towards those who may have also spent some serious exercise time during their day. With superfood ingredients to promote recovery, like tart cherry, L-glutamine and organic beet root juice, this collagen protein powder supports post-workout recovery, reduces joint discomfort, assists muscle recovery and strength, plus it promotes restful sleep.

And like all MCP products, it supports overall skin health and improves the appearance of crow's feet.

Seasonal Changes to Your Skin Care Routine?

It's also important to consider what season it is. Summer and warm weather, especially humid weather, means less need for constant moisturizing. Winter and dry weather, however, is the opposite.

In the last spring, humidity start to enter the air in most climates. In contrast, in the late fall, the air starts to become more dry.

So what changes might you make to the above routines for your skin?

• Cleanser: Dry, cold climate calls for creamier cleansers to help out dry skin. In warmer and more humid seasons, your skin can go with a regular cleaner.

• Serum or facial oil: While facial oils work well in the wintertime for dry skin, humid summertime is when the skin is better served by a serum.

• Moisturizer: Hot or warm weather help your skin easily retain moisture, plus it can make it produce more oil. So that heavier moisturizer you may be using in the winter is no longer appropriate. Instead, go with a lightweight, water-based formula that can still contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

• Sunscreen: While sunscreen is a must all year long for your face, a 15 SPF facial moisturizer can work fine in the winter but isn't adequate in the summer when you plan to be out and about.