How to Build a Skincare Routine?

Your at-home skincare routine is the foundation that makes every med spa treatment work harder and last longer. At Urban Allure Medical Spa in San Francisco Bay Area, CA, our California-licensed Registered Nurses build personalized medical-grade skincare protocols for our patients as part of every treatment plan. Whether you're maintaining the results of your Botox, protecting your skin post-peel, or simply trying to understand what your skin actually needs this guide gives you the clinical fundamentals. If you'd like a personalized skincare protocol for your specific skin type and concerns, book a complimentary skin health consultation with our RN team.

  • Person washing hands with soap under running water in a green sink, with a black tube of skincare product floating in the water.

    1. Cleanser

    Morning and night, rinse your face water and rub a small amount of gentle cleanser between clean palms.

    • Massage face wash all over your face using gentle pressure.

    • Rinse your hands and massage your face with water to rinse your face until you’ve removed the cleanser and grime.

    • Gently pat your face dry with a soft towel. If you wear makeup, you may need to cleanse twice at night.

    • First, remove your makeup with cleansing oil or micellar water.

    • Try leaving dedicated eye-makeup removers on for a couple of minutes to allow the makeup to come off more easily and avoid rubbing your eyes.

    • Follow up with a full-face gentle cleanse.

  • Woman with medium skin tone cleaning her face with a cotton pad.

    2. Toner

    If you use toner, apply after cleansing your face and before everything else.

    • Pour a few drops of toner into your palms or a cotton pad and gently swipe onto your face.

    • If your toner is exfoliating—meaning that it removes dead skin cells with ingredients like glycolic acid—use only at night.

    • Hydrating formulas can be used twice a day.

    • Do not use exfoliating toner and retinoids or other exfoliators at the same time.

  • A small glass dropper bottle with clear liquid on a large green leaf, alongside a pink skincare serum dropper bottle on a pink background.

    3. Serum

    • Morning is a great time to use a serum with antioxidants—like a brightening vitamin C serum—because they protect your skin from free radicals you’ll encounter throughout the day.

    • Nighttime is a good time to use a moisturizing serum with hyaluronic acid, which keeps your skin from drying out at night, especially if you’re using anti-aging or acne treatments that can irritate and dry out the skin.

    • Serums can also contain exfoliants such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) or lactic acid.

    • Whatever you’re using, always remember:

      • Water-based serums should go underneath moisturizer;

      • oil-based serums should be applied after moisturizer.

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Layering 101: Applying your skincare products in the proper order ensures that your skin receives the full benefits of each formula.

  • A swipe of white paint on a beige wall, with some peeling and cracking.

    4. Eye Cream

    If you decide to use a specialized eye cream, you’ll typically want to layer it underneath moisturizer, since eye creams tend to be thinner than face moisturizers.

    Try using an eye cream with a metal roller-ball applicator and storing it in the fridge to counteract puffiness in the morning.

    Using a hydrating eye cream at night can cause fluid retention that makes eyes look puffy in the morning.

  • A young woman with a towel wrapped around her head, looking at herself in a mirror while touching her lips with her hand. She is wearing earrings and a floral dress, with string lights on the wall beside her.

    5. Spot Treatment

    It’s a good idea to use acne spot treatments at night, when your body is in repair mode.

    Be wary of layering acne-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acids with retinol, which can cause irritation.

    Instead, make sure you’re doing the most to keep skin calm and hydrated.

  • A woman with a towel wrapped around her head smiling and holding a jar of moisturizer in a bathroom

    6. Moisturize

    Moisturizer both hydrates skin and locks in all the other layers of product you’ve applied.

    Look for a lightweight lotion for the morning, ideally with SPF 30 or higher.

    In the evening, you can use a thicker night cream.

    Those with dry skin may want to use a cream morning and night.

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