How to build a skincare routine in 2025
A skincare expert has revealed the ultimate tricks for your skincare routine to ensure you get the most out of your products.
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Whether you’re a self-proclaimed beauty professional or learning it all for the first time, the sheer volume of skincare products on the market can feel like an overwhelming mountain of confusion.
Bombarding your skin with every kind of formula in the hopes of something working is only going to damage your skin barrier, leaving you with reactive, irritated, flaky or itchy skin.
That’s where we come in.
No matter your skin type, budget or personal preference, these are the best (and most essential) products you need to build the perfect skincare routine.
HOW TO BUILD A SKINCARE ROUTINE
We spoke to Hannah Collingwood English, skincare author, to explore what skincare steps are actually required.
“Sunscreen is the most important step for maintaining skin health and longevity,” Hannah says.
“Cleansing is also really important, for removing excess oil, sweat, dead skin cells and for washing off any air pollution and city grime.
“From here, moisturising is the next step because skin needs to be hydrated to properly carry out its functions, like protecting the rest of your body from the environment, or shedding old dead skin cells in a uniform way to make way for fresh skin. Hydrated skin exfoliates and renews itself properly.”
What about a serum? Hannah advises that if you have skin concerns, including a targeted serum is a great idea or you could even swap your moisturiser for one that targets those concerns.
BEST CLEANSERS FOR YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE
“Your cleanser needs to remove the day’s grime and any makeup or sunscreen, all without leaving a tight feeling or a residue,” Hannah explains.
Personally, my skin reacts well to just a splash of water in the morning and then a double cleanse routine in the evening – so that means working a balm or oil based cleanser into the skin first, followed by either a gel, cream or foaming cleanser.”
The type you choose really just depends on your skincare routine.
“Drier or dehydrated combination skin might like a cream or milk cleanser to infuse some moisture as it cleanses, whereas an oilier combination skin type might prefer a good foam,” she says.
See our collection of the best face cleansers or check out our top picks below.
BEST CLEANSING BALM OR OIL CLEANSER
Alpha-H Melting Moment Cleansing Balm with Wild Orange Leaf Extract, $69.95 at Adore Beauty
What You Need To Know
This unique balm-to-oil cleanser is the perfect first step to get rid of makeup, SPF, dirt, grime and oil. It’s formulated with native wild orange leaf extract, grapeseed oil and bisabolol to soothe and hydrate the skin, leaving it feeling super clean without that annoying tight and dry feeling.
BEST GEL CLEANSER
Juicy Gel Cleanser, $39 at Go-To Skincare
What You Need To Know
A gentle gel cleanser is a great all-rounder, and I love this one from Go-To Skincare. It’s packed with soothing and hydrating ingredients including cucumber extract, to cleanse the skin while leaving your skin barrier feeling soft and balanced.
BEST FOAMING CLEANSER
La Roche-Posay Effaclar +M Purifying Foaming Cleanser, $31.95 at Priceline
What You Need To Know
Especially great for oily and acne prone skin, the Effaclar Cleanser from La Roche-Posay is formulated with Phylobioma – an active ingredient designed to target excess sebum and reduce imperfections.
It does all this while still feeling gentle enough for daily use.
BEST CREAM CLEANSER
Anti-bacterial Acne Cleanser, $24.95 at tbh skincare
What You Need To Know
A cream cleanser that’s also designed to control breakouts, this pick from tbh skincare is free from benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Instead it features a hero formula that hydrates the skin, while also supporting acne-prone skin types.
BEST SERUMS FOR YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE
Serums can come in many forms and can hydrate, brighten, smooth texture or provide you with anti-ageing benefits. They can be incorporated both morning and night, depending on the benefits you’re after and you can even layer a few different serums on top of each other.
Here we’ve rounded up all the best face serums for you to browse through, or see our top picks below.
BEST HYDRATING SERUM
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, $15.90 at Adore Beauty
What You Need To Know
One of The Ordinary’s most popular products, this ultra hydrating serum is formulated with five types of hyaluronic acid, pro vitamin B5 and ceramides to leave the skin looking softer, smoother and more plump.
BEST VITAMIN C SERUM
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic vitamin C Serum, $242 at Myer
What You Need To Know
This powerhouse serum is pricey but for good reason – regarded as the “gold standard” in vitamin C, it’s created with 15 per cent L-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid to provide your skin with a punch of antioxidants and skin-loving ingredients.
BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM
Niacinamide 20% Treatment, $76 at Paula’s Choice
What You Need To Know
It’s hard to find an innovative niacinamide serum like this one by Paula's Choice. It’s formulated with a 20 per cent concentration, an advanced level to help improve the look of your skin and clear the appearance of enlarged pores. It’s also packed with purslane and acetyl glucosamine to give you smoother skin.
BEST RETINOL SERUM
L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum, $59.99 at Amazon Australia
What You Need To Know
One of my favourite budget-friendly anti-ageing serums, especially because you can often find it on sale. This L’Oreal Paris serum is packed with the most pure and potent form of retinol to completely transform your skin and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
BEST MOISTURISERS FOR YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE
Moisturiser is essential both morning and night to keep your skin hydrated and your skin barrier both protected and nourished.
Although as Hannah explains, choosing the right one for you comes down to personal preference.
“Think about the texture, finish, affordability, scent … if you don’t like a heavy feeling or tend to have oily skin then look for a water gel consistency. If, conversely, you need a lot of nourishment, it’s winter, you have dry or post-menopausal skin then look for a richer cream or balm.”
There are so many amazing moisturisers on the market that you can see here, or scroll on for our top picks below.
CeraVe Moisturising Lotion, $23.99 at Adore Beauty
What You Need To Know
Budget-friendly? Tick. Easy to find? Tick. Great all-rounder? Tick. CeraVe’s Moisturising Lotion is super-hydrating, lasts all day long and absorbs quickly into the skin. Perfect to be used morning and night, it layers well with other skincare and makeup products.
Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane, $72 at Kiehl’s
What You Need To Know
This is a perfect daily moisturiser for all skin types, including those who suffer from sensitive skin. Kiehl’s daily moisturiser is formulated with squalene to repair your skin barrier, while also feeling ultra lightweight and providing 24 hours of hydration.
Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser, $72 at The Iconic
What You Need To Know
This is one of my favourite moisturiser formulations – the Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser is a melting, balm-to-gel texture that absorbs quickly into the skin. Packed with peptides, amino acids, ceramides and collagen, your skin barrier looks instantly more hydrated and more plump.
BEST SUNSCREENS FOR YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE
No doubt about it, sunscreen in the morning is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine.
“Not just because it can help prevent skin cancer but because 80 per cent (!) of changes to the way skin looks and behaves are caused by UV radiation (read: sun damage).”
Click here to see the best sunscreens for your face or check out our top picks below.
Ultra Violette Fave Fluid SPF50+ Ultralight SKINSCREEN, $52 at Adore Beauty
What You Need To Know
If you’re looking for a lightweight sunscreen that’s not going to interrupt the rest of your skincare and makeup routine, Ultra Violette’s Fave Fluid is our top pick. It delivers a soft, natural finish without leaving your skin feeling sticky.
Always read the label and read the directions for use. Avoid prolonged exposure in the sun and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when exposed to the sun. Frequent reapplication is required for effective sun protection.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF 50+, $37.95 at Priceline
What You Need To Know
Another one of our top picks for comfortable everyday sunscreens, the Anthelios Invisible Fluid from La Roche-Posay is a winner. It’s lightweight, suitable for sensitive skin and doesn’t leave you looking shiny and sticky.
Always read the label and read the directions for use. Avoid prolonged exposure in the sun and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when exposed to the sun. Frequent reapplication is required for effective sun protection.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
To help you find the best products to build your skincare routine, we asked skincare author Hannah Collingwood English for their expert advice and recommendations.
In addition, our shopping team read hundreds of customer reviews and looked at test results and ratings from product review sites to find the best products to build and layer your skincare routine.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS SKIN CYCLING?
So you’ve heard the term ‘skin cycling’ thrown around but never understood what it meant? I’ve been incorporating it into my routine for the past 3-4 years and can never go back.
Hannah explains, “Skin cycling is having set nights of the week for active ingredients that might be too spicy for daily use. It’s usually exfoliation one night, a retinoid the next night, then one to two days of hydration and recovery”.
Skincare is based on science so the way you layer your products can really influence how well they work and provide benefits to your skin.
“The idea is that retinoids can absorb better on exfoliated skin, and that the recovery nights help maintain the skin’s barrier — keeping it calm and strong. It’s not ideal if you struggle with remembering steps/sticking to a routine, though.”
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS FROM A GOOD SKINCARE ROUTINE?
According to Hannah, it can really depend on what you’re looking to achieve, but anywhere from 1-12 weeks, “When treating things like acne, dark spots or wrinkles, these things take time but you’ll see little improvements quite quickly!”.
ARE PRODUCTS LIKE A TONER, FACE OIL AND FACE MASK NECESSARY?
No but they can make your skincare routine fun.
If you’re looking for a toner, Hannah recommends a water-based or milk-style one – similar to this one from tbh skincare – or an exfoliating acid toner to help unclog those pesky pores.
Interested in a face oil?
“Face oils are essentially just extra moisture, so best used in winter or on dry skin, or especially lovely on more mature skin. That said, you can find face oils specifically to treat blemish-prone skin now too. Those have a specific balance of fatty acids that more blemish-prone skin tends to lack.”
More Coverage
And when it comes to face masks, they’re not the sort of product you need to use everyday, more so when time allows it.
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