Guide: How to Build a Powerful Skincare Routine with our 3+1 System. 3 Essentials + 1 Optional.
There is an overwhelming amount of advice on what skincare to use and how. There are 12 step routines and 100 different type of hydrating products, correction products, exfoliators and other trends that come and go. We know that our customers and future customers come to us for direct and simple advice. We’re going to show you how to build an simplified skincare routine with our 3+1 system. 3 Essentials and 1 Optional skincare step. We’ll show you how to pick and choose your best skincare item and then how to layer it in step by step.
The 3+1 System. The 3 Essential Products that Everyone Needs + 1 Optional
Every person can benefit from using these 3+1 products. They are the basics that you will need, regardless of gender or age. For the most part, you can have a similar morning routine to your nighttime with the exception of your daily sunscreen and nightly correction product. We didn’t include a cleanser in the list but you should cleanse your face every night at a minimum. With that caveat, what are these essential products?
The Essential Serum
The Essential Moisturizer
The Essential Sunscreen
The Plus One Optional- Night time Correction
First Layer: Serums. What are they and why do we use them?
You apply a serum as your first layer on to clean, slightly damp skin. Serums are humectant based. This means they draw water to the skin’s surface. They are the equivalent to a glass of water for the skin. Everyone needs water and this specific type of hydration. It’s a common pitfall that many will skip this hydration step and just use a moisturizer. However, this can lead to dehydrated skin (i.e. parched) over time. Serums also are a great way to get dewy, plump looking skin and help provide a smooth canvas if you are applying make up during the day. You can use them on your under-eye and in combination with the next step of using a moisturizer, they are all you need for the under eye. No eye creams are necessary!
In our current line up, we have the following serums. See the visual below to help you choose the best serum for your needs.
Best Serums for the Face with Silver Ear Mushrooms and Date Extracts
The Second Layer: Moisturizer. What are they and why do we use them?
Moisturizers are a combination of oil based and water based ingredients that are combined together in an emulsion. You can picture them as your lotions and creams. Their main task is to seal in your first hydration step, i.e. serum with lipids and waxes. They soften the skin as well. They may contain actives that are designed to penetrate and provide additional benefits like antioxidant support, skin brightening and more. If your current skincare routine has a moisturizer with no serum included, it would be the equivalent of drinking a very nourishing smoothie all day and no water. They are an essential step but you need both layers for optimal skin health.
Moisturizers can be simple or complex depending on their secondary function. They are a great step to add in some important antioxidants (like a vitamin for the skin) or other skin promoting functions like barrier repair.
It’s trendy to use very occlusive ingredients like petroleum jelly (i.e. Vaseline or Aquaphor) as a final step in a hydration routine. These type of ingredients should not replace your traditional moisturizer. We would also argue that most people with healthy skin barriers do not need this level of occlusivity. If you would like to add one final layer of ‘richness’ to your hydration routine, then we would recommend using medium weight carrier oil like jojoba oil, marula oil or pure squalane oil. One drop at the end of your routine would be sufficient. We also recommend using a air humidifier at night.
In our current line up, we have the following moisturizers. See the visual below to help you choose the best moisturizer for your needs.
The Third Layer: Daily Sunscreen
As our company name would suggest, we are big fans of the daily use of a sunscreen. We advocate for the daily use of not just any type of sunscreen though, and this is the part where 99% of people make a mistake. Your sunscreen have enough protection against the damaging UVA light. Most sunscreens, especially in North America, do not have enough UVA protection. This leads to skin aging, pigmentation and the possibility of skin cancer. If we could ask anyone to understand one message, it would be the importance of UVA protection. Unfortunately, most people and even skincare experts do not know the UVA protection of their sunscreen and simply trust the label claim “broad spectrum”. Our sunscreens are up to 5x more protective in the UVA range than most conventional sunscreens. It’s why we insist on using high concentrations of zinc oxide (as close to 25% as possible) for the maximum UVA protection. It’s why we describe our sunscreens as having high UVA performance. If your sunscreen does not have High UVA performance, then all your other work with skincare and procedures loses its value due to the damaging effects of the sun.
In our current line up, we have the following sunscreens. See the visual below to help you choose the best sunscreen for your needs.
-Ava Isa Sun-è-Serum Drops SPF 35, $50 CAD for 30 ml
-Cyberderm Simply Zinc Lite SPF 50 (untinted), $57.50 CAD for 100 ml
-Cyberderm Simply Zinc Ultra SPF 50 (tinted), $57.50 CAD for 100 ml
-Ava Isa Sun Lip Sun Whips SPF 15 (lip balms), in Clear Sunshine, Watermelon Lily, Strawberry Zinnia $22.50 CAD for 10 ml
Optional Step: Correction
We all have specific areas of concern that we may like to target like the signs of skin aging, sun damage, improving skin texture, acne and pigmentation. Adding in an extra step either nightly or several times a week can help target these concerns. Most correction based skincare products help speed up cell turnover, which slows as we get older. Skin will be smoother, retain hydration, improve in tone and uniformity when cell turnover speed is maintained. Some ‘correction’ type products will also work to strengthen or repair damaged elastin or collagen fibers, improving the base layer that provides support and structure to the skin.
If you have general aging concerns, then adding in a correction product that works to refine skin will be important. We recommend:
-Natrèceutique Bakuchiol Building Blocks, $47.50 CAD for 15 ml
-Cyberderm Retin+Erase, $47.50 CAD for 15 ml (cannot be sold to Canadian addresses)
If you have pigmentation concerns, then adding in a product that provides exfoliation or skin refinement will work in tandem with a brightening product. We recommend pairing our Natrèceutique Be Light Pigment Correction (see moisturizer step) with any product below.
-Natrèceutique Bakuchiol Building Blocks, $47.50 CAD for 15 ml
-Cyberderm Retin+Erase, $47.50 CAD for 15 ml (cannot be sold to Canadian addresses)
-Cyberderm Exfoliant Reveal, $38 CAD for 50 ml
If you have acneic skin, we recommend the following product below.
-Cyberderm Exfoliant Reveal, $38 CAD for 50 ml
See the visual below for a complete comparison.