A Basic Skincare Routine Perfect for Beginners | Liberty

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Liberty Presents: The Perfect Basic Skincare Routine

Back to basics skincare is trending. But which are the skincare steps you really shouldn’t skip?

Acids. Masks. Mists. Essences. Balms. Lotions. As indulgent as a super laborious skincare routine can feel, sometimes your skin could do with a rest and a reset. A moment to strip it back to the most basic skincare routine, providing skin with a welcome chance to repair, rebalance and recover.

In fact, many experts will warn against overly convoluted regimes. “A simple but effective skincare routine [is all you need],” says consultant dermatologist Dr Thivi Marauthappu. “You don’t need a ten step programme, you just need products that work for your particular skin concern.”

Many of us are guilty of overloading our faces every morning, using every dead-skin-nibbling acid and brightening serum our bathroom cabinets have to offer. But layering on too many separate formulas, mixing and matching the wrong ingredients and massively varying your routine day to day can wreak havoc, disrupting the skin barrier, triggering an onslaught of breakouts, inflammation and sensitised skin.

That’s not to say you want to go completely cold turkey, and cut the skincare entirely, either. Instead, you might just need a skin cleanse – a reprise from throwing everything at your face and seeing what sticks, and instead allowing yourself the chance to figure out what really works for you.

So, what is the most basic skincare routine that’ll give your skin a chance to ‘breathe’ while still meeting its very basic needs? Below, we unpack the four simple steps that make up the ideal simple skincare routine, perfect for beginners. Because sometimes, it pays to be basic.

Step-by-Step: The Perfect Basic Skincare Routine

Step One: A Revitalising Cleanser

A skincare non-negotiable, a good cleanser removes makeup and pollution as well as dirt, grime and excess oil, plus it allows for better absorption (read: increased efficacy) of the rest of your skincare steps. “Double cleanse at night with a cleanser that suits your skin type,” says Dr Thivi, who recommends Kate Sommerville's Goat Milk Cleanser for most skin types. But should you have acne prone skin? She suggests using Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel a couple of nights a week to start with, before increasing to nightly use.

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Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare

Alpha Beta AHA/BHA Daily Cleansing Gel 225ml

£45.00 £40.50

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Skin Rocks

The Cleansing Balm 100ml

£55.00

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Omorovicza

Cleansing Foam 150ml

£65.00 £58.50

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Augustinus Bader

The Cleansing Balm 90g

£64.00 £57.60

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Paula's Choice

Clear Cleanser 177ml

£23.00 £20.70

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Wildsmith

Active Repair Nourishing Cleansing Balm 100ml

£58.00 £52.20

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Step Two: Targeted Serums and Treatments

If you have a particular skin concern, fine lines, uneven skin tone or breakouts, for example, then now is the time to introduce a treatment serum that contains ingredients targeted towards your particular skin goal. You can target fine lines with Emma Lewisham Supernatural Vitale Elixir, address an uneven skin tone with Skin Rocks's The Antioxidant or if breakouts are bugging you choose something with pore-purging salicylic acid or exfoliating AHA’s such as REN's Daily Glow Tonic.

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Emma Lewisham

Supernatural Vitale Elixir 30ml

£85.00 £76.50

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Dr. Barbara Sturm

Hyaluronic Serum 30ml

£265.00 £212.00

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NEURAÉ

Harmony the Serum 50ml

£135.00 £108.00

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Trinny London

Plump Up 30ml

£72.00 £64.80

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