January 7th, 2023 • By: Sara Wafia
For every skin type, an effective skincare regimen involves multiple steps. Even those blessed with naturally radiant skin will see the impact of poor habits over time. The good news is that knowing how to layer skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the basis of Ayurvedic skincare relies on three intuitive principles: clean, eat, and drink, or translated into skincare; cleanse, nourish, and moisturize.
Every other layer outside of this three-step ritual supports specialty concerns and imbalances that may occur due to inherent Doshic imbalances or during certain stages of our lives. Specialty care is also essential as skin matures since natural vitality depletes over time. If you’re just beginning your Ayurvedic skincare journey, start with the basic three steps for your Dosha or Ayurvedic skin type, and add supporting rituals as you go.
The Three-Step Routine
If you do nothing else, stick with the cleanse, nourish, and moisturize routine every morning and night. This is the very foundation of how to layer skincare for natural, healthy skin.
1. Cleanse: Remove dirt and oil while replenishing cells with key nutrients.
2. Nourish: Feed the skin vital nutrients with a face essential oil blend customized to your Dosha’s skin type or specialty concern.
3. Moisturize: Add a breathable, hydrating barrier to restore moisture and protect the outermost layers of the skin. This step applies to both face moisturizers and eye creams.
Following this routine is the most effective and efficient self-care ritual for your face. Our Dosha Essential Starter Sets offer the perfect canvas to start your journey. You’ll find complete regiments for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha skin types. To learn more about your Dosha and customized recommendations for your three-step routine, take our Dosha Quiz.
“No matter what type of skin you have, this three-step routine for the external care of the skin is essential to counteract the daily effects of the environment, stress, and the skin’s natural process of cell degeneration. It is the very minimum you must do to maintain a normal, healthy, youthful complexion.”
- excerpt from Absolute Beauty, by Dr. Pratima Raichur
Layering in Specialty Products
Choosing the best specialty products for your skincare regimen means finding the formulas that support your particular concern. Masks and sunscreen are among the most popular additions, while serums are another vital choice to combat specific concerns like rosacea or premature aging. Depending on the products, some formulas should be applied between cleansing and nourishing, while others are most effective immediately before moisturizing. Specialty products should be layered into your ritual as follows:
1. Cleanse: Remove dirt and oil while replenishing vital nutrients.
2. Masks: After cleansing, travel further into the layers of the skin, detoxifying pores from impurities and delivering vital nutrients while addressing deep-rooted imbalances like acne, scarring, or loss of elasticity.
3. Nourish: Feed the skin with face essential oils customized to your dosha’s skin type or specialty concern.
4. Serums and treatments: Ideally applied after face essential oils provide fundamental nourishment, serums and treatments offer enhanced, sophisticated care for specific concerns that require an extra boost of nutrition.
5. Moisturize: Add a breathable, hydrating barrier to restore moisture and protect the outermost layers of the skin. This step applies to both face moisturizers and eye creams.
6. Sunscreens: A final defense against the sun and environmental depletion, sunscreen is always the last step in any skincare regimen. It’s also one of the best preventative measures against premature aging.
Following proper laying techniques for your skincare will enhance the effectiveness of each step. Remember to start with the basics of how to layer skincare and add in specialty care for unique concerns or as your skin changes. Your complexion is an evolution of health, and spending the time to understand the best Ayurvedic routine for your skin will lead you down the path of glowing, radiant skin.