Building your skincare routine: day vs night, step by step

A great skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs the right steps in the right order, done consistently. Your skin has different jobs during the day and overnight, so it makes sense for your routine to change a little too.

Here’s how to build your routine, morning and night, plus the weekly extras and what to do when your skin has a bad day.

Your morning routine: protect and hydrate

During the day, your skin deals with sun, pollution, air-conditioning and makeup. Your morning routine is all about protection and hydration.

• 1. Cleanse. A gentle cleanse freshens your skin. Our Rejuvenating Foaming Cleanser ($69) is oil-free. Keep it away from your eyes.
• 2. Vitamin C. An antioxidant serum such as our Vitamin C Serum ($99) helps skin look brighter and works alongside your SPF.
• 3. Hydrate. Layer a hydrating serum like Pure Hydration Concentrate Serum ($99), then a day cream such as All Day Hydration (from $59).
• 4. SPF 50+. The step you never skip, every day, rain or shine. If you wear our mineral foundation or BB cream, the SPF15 is a nice extra, but it doesn’t replace a dedicated SPF 50+.

Your night routine: repair and renew

Night is the time for more active treatment products, since you’re not heading out into the sun.

• 1. Cleanse. Remove makeup, SPF and the day’s build-up. If you wear makeup or water-resistant sunscreen, cleanse twice.
• 2. Treatment serum. This is where targeted products go. Our Vitamin A Corrector ($99) is a popular choice for texture and renewal. Start with a couple of nights a week. Avoid vitamin A if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, and check with your doctor and therapist first if you use prescription skin medication.
• 3. Night treatment. Finish with Skin Renewal Hero ($99), our night treatment.
• 4. Eye gel. Gently pat a little Hydra-Lift Eye Gel ($59) around the eye area with your ring finger.

Do you really need a separate day and night cream?

Not everyone does, but there’s a good reason many people use both. A day cream needs to sit comfortably under SPF and makeup, so it’s usually lighter. A night product doesn’t have to do either, so it can focus on treating your skin while you sleep.

In our range, All Day Hydration is the day cream and Skin Renewal Hero is the night treatment. If you’d rather keep things minimal, ask your therapist whether one moisturiser can do both jobs for you, or whether your skin would benefit from a dedicated night step. Dry and mature skin often appreciates the extra night-time support, while oily skin may prefer to keep things light.

Weekly extras: exfoliate and mask

• Exfoliate. Use AHA Power Exfoliant ($59) as often as your therapist recommends to lift dull, dead skin cells. Keep it off your vitamin A nights so you don’t overdo it.
• Mask. The Dermal Face Lift Peptide Sheet Mask ($55) makes a lovely weekly ritual, or a treat before a big event.

For a deeper refresh, professional exfoliation such as a peel or Micro Skin Treatment goes further than you can at home. Read professional peels explained to see how they work.

Shop your routine step by step

Our skincare shop is set out in the same order you apply your products, so it’s easy to build a routine:

• Step 1: Cleanse & exfoliate, for example our cleanser and AHA Power Exfoliant.
• Step 2: Serums & treatments, for example Vitamin C Serum, Vitamin B3 Complex and Vitamin A Corrector.
• Step 3: Moisturise, eye & masks, for example All Day Hydration, Skin Renewal Hero and Hydra-Lift Eye Gel.
• Then: mineral makeup and SPF, plus body, tan and aftercare products.

With our Skincare 3+1 offer, buy any four Australian Skin Institute products online with code ASI3+1 and the lowest-priced item is free. For example, the Rejuvenating Foaming Cleanser ($69), Vitamin C Serum ($99), Vitamin A Corrector ($99) and Skin Renewal Hero ($99) total $366. With the cleanser free, you’d pay $297.

When your skin has a bad day

Woken up to a sudden breakout, or is your skin red, stinging or itchy after trying something new? Take a breath. Most flare-ups settle with calm, simple care.

• Stop any new actives. Pause recently introduced products, along with vitamin A and exfoliating acids, until things settle.
• Keep it simple. A gentle cleanse, a soothing moisturiser and SPF. That’s enough for now.
• Hands off. Picking or squeezing breakouts can make inflammation worse and may leave marks.
• Get advice. Book in with your therapist, who can assess your skin and adjust your routine. If a reaction is severe, spreading, painful or not improving, see your GP. Seek urgent medical help for any swelling of the face, lips or eyes, or difficulty breathing.

For ongoing breakouts or sensitivity, our guides to breakouts and acne and eczema and sensitive skin are a good next read.

Keep it consistent with a Skin Club

A routine works best when it’s backed by regular professional care. In a Skin Discovery Treatment ($180, or $99 for new clients), your therapist assesses your skin and builds your homecare plan. A Skin Club then keeps you on track with one professional skin treatment every month. Radiance Club is $135 a month (regular value $180) with 20% off Australian Skin Institute retail, and Renewal Club is $220 a month (regular value $275) with 25% off. Both have a 6-month minimum term and come with a Welcome Pack. Compare every option on our memberships page.

Ready to book? Let’s build a routine that suits your skin. Book online or visit one of our six Brisbane clinics.