How to build a simple 3-step skincare routine

Step 1: Cleanse

Choose a gentle cleanser that leaves skin feeling clean but not tight. At night, cleanse thoroughly to remove sunscreen and makeup; in the morning, a lighter cleanse or a water rinse may be enough.

Step 2: Hydrate

This is your moisturizer — or a serum and moisturizer together. If you want to keep things to three products, a single moisturizer you like is enough. If you enjoy a little more, add a lightweight serum underneath.

• Lighter skin or a humid climate: a gel-cream often feels best.
• Skin that feels tight or a dry climate: a richer cream.
• Want both? A serum under a lighter cream.

Step 3: Protect (mornings)

Every morning, finish with a broad-spectrum sunscreen. At night, step three is simply your moisturizer, or a slightly richer one if you prefer.

Making it stick

The best routine is the one you do on a tired Tuesday. Keep products where you will see them, use the same order every time, and resist adding new steps until the basics feel automatic.

Buying a boxed routine set can make this easier — the products are chosen to layer together, so there is less guesswork.

Adding products later

Add one product at a time and give each a couple of weeks. Trying something new? Patch test it first, and stop using any product that causes irritation.