The Skin You Want in 4 Steps
Cleanse, treat, hydrate, and protect.
Find the best skincare routine for your skin and concerns at Sephora. Check out step by step recommendations for each step in the routine: Cleanse, Treat, Hydrate & Protect
Step 1: Cleanse
Cleansers remove impurities and help maintain your skin barrier.
Youth To The People — Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser with Kale & Green Tea, 8.0 oz/237 ml, $39.00, product P411387 LANEIGE — Water Bank Gentle Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid, 8.45 oz / 250 ml, $29.00, product P514497 Fenty Beauty by Rihanna — Cherry Dub Pore Purify’r Gel Cleanser, 6.25 oz / 185 ml, $36.00, product P514788 fresh — Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser, 5 oz/150ml, $39.00, product P7880 SEPHORA COLLECTION — Gentle Jelly Cleanser with with Prebiotics, 4.56 fl. oz./135 ml, $14.00, product P514790 Farmacy — Green Clean Gentle Creamy Cleanser, 5 oz / 150 mL, $32.00, product P514787 Dieux — Baptism Hydrating + Pore Clarifying Gentle Foaming Gel Cleanser, Fragrance-Free, $34.00, product P513539 Tatcha — The Rice Wash Soft Skin Cleanser, 4.0 oz / 120 mL, $40.00, product P461537 Glow Recipe — Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser, 5 oz / 150 mL, $28.00, product P503634 Dermalogica — PreCleanse Cleansing Oil with Plant Based Ingredients for Double Cleansing, Waterproof Makeup & SPF Removal | Double Cleanse Step 1, 5.1oz/150mL, $49.00, product P423148 Kiehl's Since 1851 — Ultra Facial Gentle Face Cleanser with Glycerin, 5 oz / 150 mL, $26.00, product P422007
Step 2: Treat
Serums and eye creams target concerns with concentrated formulas.
innisfree — Rapid Vitamin C Korean Brightening Serum for Dark Spots + Post-Breakout Marks, 1 oz / 30 mL, $32.00, product P510334 The Ordinary — GF 15% Serum for Visible Skin Repair and Wrinkles, 1 oz / 30 mL, $15.50, product P514786 Caudalie — Premier Cru Anti-Aging Eye Cream for Fine Lines and Wrinkles, 0.5 oz / 15 mL, $85.00, product P480285 Biossance — Firm and Lift Hydrating Dual Serum with Hyaluronic Acid + Squalane, 1 fl oz / 30 mL, $69.00, product P514735 INNBEAUTY PROJECT — Calm The Red Down Redness & Color Correcting Dual Serum with Centella + Azelaic Acid, 1.5 oz / 50ml, $56.00, product P514509 The INKEY List — Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum, 1 oz / 30ml, $17.00, product P514792 Shani Darden Skin Care — Rescue Serum With 10% Azelaic Complex for Dark Spots, 1 oz / 30 ml, $68.00, product P514782 MERIT — Great Skin Instant Glow Serum with Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid, 1.69 oz / 50 ml, $42.00, product P502966 Paula's Choice — Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliating Toner for Clear Skin, 4 oz/118 ml, $37.00, product P469502 Dr. Idriss — Major Fade Hyper Serum with Alpha Arbutin and Niacinamide for Brightening and Dark Spots, 0.96 oz, $68.00, product P510575 Peter Thomas Roth — Peptide Skinjection Fill + Fix Under Eye Cream, 0.5 oz / 15 mL, $45.00, product P514683
Step 3: Hydrate
Moisturizers seal in hydration, replenishing dry skin and balancing oily skin.
Glow Recipe — Cloudberry Bright Refillable Cream Moisturizer, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $40.00, product P514506 Dieux — Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming Moisturizer, 1.7 oz, $45.00, product P510288 Summer Fridays — Jet Lag Mask + Moisturizer Deep Hydration Treatment with Ceramides, 2.25 oz / 64 g, $49.00, product P429952 Paula's Choice — Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Gel-Cream Moisturizer, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $49.00, product P514671 Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare — DermInfusions™ Blur + Repair Cream with Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $72.00, product P513503 Kiehl's Since 1851 — Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane and Pro-Ceramides, 1.7 oz / 50 mL, $39.00, product P421996 Tatcha — The Dewy Skin Cream Hydrating & Firming Refillable Moisturizer, 1.7 oz / 50 mL, $74.00, product P441101 Drunk Elephant — Lala Retro™ Nourishing Whipped Refillable Moisturizer with Ceramides, 1.69 oz/50 mL, $68.00, product P446938 LANEIGE — Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer for Moisture Barrier Repair, 1.6 oz, $38.00, product P482693 Dermalogica — Multivitamin Power Recovery Cream, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $97.00, product P514717
Step 4: Protect
Sunscreen helps protect against sun damage and visible signs of aging.
Supergoop! — Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA +++, 1.7 oz / 50 mL, $38.00, product P514631 Kiehl's Since 1851 — Better Screen™ UV Serum SPF 50+ Facial Sunscreen with Collagen Peptide, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $45.00, product P509517 Tatcha — The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 Weightless Mineral Sunscreen, 1.7 oz / 50 mL, $64.00, product P510515 Kosas — DreamBeam Silicone-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 with Ceramides and Peptides, DreamBeam Sunlit, $40.00, product P505327 Glow Recipe — Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Balm Face Sunscreen Stick- SPF 45, 0.58 oz/16.5g, $30.00, product P510971 Caudalie — Vinosun Protect Brightening Daily Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 50 with Niacinamide, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $39.00, product P511386 ISDIN — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica Ultralight Non-pore clogging water-resistant Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ with Vitamin E, 1.7 oz / 50 ml, $46.00, product P512976
Frequently Asked Questions
We have you, and your skincare routine, covered.
1. Why do I need this step?
Cleanse Happy, healthy-looking skin starts with cleansers you use daily to remove impurities like dirt, sweat, sunscreen, and makeup. Clean skin lets your other skincare products absorb quickly and work effectively. Also, makeup sits better on clean, prepped skin.
Treat These products contain concentrated ingredients to address skin concerns. This makes it the most powerful step in your routine to achieve visible, long-lasting results. Depending on the product, they can be used daily, weekly, or as needed to get the results you're looking for.
Hydrate Skin needs a balance of oil (moisture) and water (hydration) to look and feel its best. Moisturizers help create this essential balance. The right moisturizers make skin visibly softer and feel smoother. It also helps makeup look better.
Protect Sunscreen is essential for everyone at every age and every skin tone to help protect from skin-damaging UV rays. The sun is a significant cause of many skin concerns like premature wrinkles, loss of firmness, dark spots, and uneven skin tone. If you're investing in a routine to target skin concerns, sunscreen will help protect your investment and your efforts.
2. How do I choose the right one to address my concerns?
Cleanse If you’re looking to target pores and/or texture, cleansing removes build-up and surface oil. It’s the first step to visibly refined pores and smooth-looking skin. For rough texture, look for cleansers that exfoliate pore-clogging dead skin. Sensitive skin requires gentle cleansers that won’t over-strip your skin. Soothing cream formulas or nurturing ingredients, like plant oils are gentle on the skin. If you’re looking for a glow, use a cleanser with a gentle exfoliant. If you’re looking to target fine lines and wrinkles, use a cleanser with moisturizing ingredients like ceramides that visibly smooth and plump skin.
Treat Salicylic acid (commonly referred to as BHA) is an excellent ingredient for pores and texture. It works on the surface of the skin to remove built-up dead skin. It also enters pores to thin oil and help decongest pores. Sensitive skin craves products with calming ingredients like centella asiatica (aka cica) or oat for relief. Ingredients like ectoin help support the skin barrier and your skin's natural defenses. Vitamin C is renowned and well-studied for how it visibly brightens uneven skin tone. Azelaic acid, a trending ingredient, is a good alternative if you have a sensitivity to Vitamin C. Address the look of fine lines with hydrating ingredients, like hyaluronic acid that quickly plump. Ingredients like proteins and peptides support skin’s natural collagen and elastin production, for smoother, firmer-looking skin.
Hydrate Some moisturizers can support your routine by delivering the same ingredients you're using to address your skin concerns. In some cases, sensitive skin indicates a disrupted skin barrier. Moisturizers with ceramides and peptides will help support a healthy skin barrier.
Protect Over time sun damage can contribute to loss of firmness, which makes pores appear stretched out. Some sunscreens have smoothing or blurring effects in addition to helping protect your skin from future damage. Sun can make sensitive skin even more red, irritated, and uncomfortable. Mineral sunscreens are great for sensitive skin because they lay on the surface of the skin, minimizing the potential irritation. Dark spots and uneven skin tone may be caused by sun damage, so a sunscreen you will wear every day is a crucial part of your dullness-targeting skincare routine. Sun damage is also a major contributor to fine lines and wrinkles. Using sunscreen daily may help manage the look of your skin, whether you have some visible lines right now or none at all.
3. What are the different formats, and how do they work?
Cleanse Oil and balm cleansers break down build-up and dissolve oil, sunscreen, makeup (especially long-wear and waterproof formulas), leaving skin feeling soft and moisturized. Gel and foaming cleansers use gentle surfactants to wash away excess oil and daily build-up, leaving skin feeling fresh and clean. Our cleansers work with the skin's pH level, so you get clean without feeling stripped dry.
Treat Products come in various formats to deliver results while working within your unique skincare routine. Serums are often formulated with blends of ingredients to address skin concerns from multiple angles. They're usually used daily. Masks are often formulated to deliver immediate, visible results thanks to high concentrations of ingredients. They’re generally used once or twice a week. Exfoliators remove built-up skin cells leaving skin looking smoother, brighter, and more refined. They can be used daily or weekly depending on the product and your skin's needs. Eye creams are specially formulated for the thin, delicate skin around your eye and often feature ingredients aimed at specific eye concerns.
Hydrate Hydrators, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, draw hydration (water) to your skin, making it look plump and bouncy. Moisturizers like ceramides, plant oils, and squalane seal in hydration and leave your skin visibly soft and smooth. These products come in a range of textures to work with different skin types. Light lotions and gels are ideal for oilier skin, while rich creams quench dry skin.
Protect Sunscreen filters can generally be classified into two varieties: mineral and chemical. Mineral filters (titanium oxide & zinc oxide) lay on the surface of the skin creating a fine physical barrier that reflects the sun's UV rays. Sensitive and acne-prone skin may prefer these. Chemical filters (avobenzone, octinoxate) penetrate the skin and are generally lightweight and nearly invisible. Sunscreen lotions are the most common formats. New innovations in the world of sunscreen include blurring primers and easy-to-apply sticks.
4. Are there any additional benefits?
Cleanse Some cleansers can also exfoliate or remove stubborn eye and lip makeup.
Treat Consider using products on other parts of your body where you might notice concerns, like on the back of your hands to improve the look of dark spots, or on your neck and chest to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Hydrate In addition to keeping your skin in balance, the right moisturizer will help your makeup look its best. It helps makeup glide on and rest on the surface of the skin rather than getting absorbed or melting off.
Protect Sunscreen comes in a variety of finishes. Select one that works with your final makeup look, whether you need a sheer primer or a soft glow.
5. But do I really need this step?
Cleanse Everyone’s skin can benefit from a cleanser. Even if you don't wear makeup, your skin is still exposed to dirt, sweat, and pollution throughout the day.
Treat These products can help address concerns about the look and feel of the skin. If you don't have any noticeable concerns, your skin will be happy with a simple Cleanse, Hydrate, and Protect routine.
Hydrate Everyone’s skin can also benefit from a moisturizer. Even if you have oily skin or no noticeable skin concerns, moisturizers keep your skin balanced.
Protect Everyone should wear sunscreen every day, to help protect their skin as well as overall health.
6. How much do I use of each?
Cleanse Those who wear makeup will benefit from a double cleanse where the first step, usually a balm or cream, melts away makeup and sunscreen. The second step, often a gel or foam, cleanses away any remaining product leaving skin feeling clean and fresh.
Treat Products should be used as directed. It might be tempting to apply minimal amounts to make the product last longer, but then you won't see results. Also, using too much won't make results show up quicker.
Hydrate It's common to have a "wardrobe" of moisturizers. This could mean having a lighter one for the day and a richer, more nurturing one for the night.
Protect Always follow the usage instructions printed on the sunscreen package.
7. Can any of these steps give me instant results?
Certain targeted products can include color-correcting pigments that immediately neutralize redness. Some under-eye serums and creams have illuminating formulas that give the under-eye an instantly brighter look.
8. When will I start seeing visible results?
PSA: It usually takes at least one month to see results. Don't give up! When it comes to sensitive skin, start with one new product at a time and use as directed. If necessary, buffer your skin by applying moisturizer before a treatment serum. If you have sensitive skin along with other concerns, address sensitivity first. Once your skin is balanced work on other concerns.
The Skincare Fundamentals
See the 4 steps in action.
Film “The Skincare Fundamentals — The Skin You Want in 4 Steps (film)” — media library document 70, 218 s, https://cdn.callimacus.ai/raw/sephora.com/media/by-path/films/6366196655112.mp4
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