The daily routine that will make the difference to your skin

One of the questions I get most when someone comes to our centre for the first time is exactly this: "Carmen, what should I put on my skin?". And my answer always surprises a little: "less than you think, but whatever you use, make sure it's good and applied in the right order". After fifteen years looking at skins, I've seen everything. And the most common problem isn't using too few products: it's using too many, badly chosen or in the wrong order. From our salon 25 minutes from central Madrid, here's the routine that really works.

Why order matters more than the products

Before we talk about which actives to use, there's a key principle to grasp: in facial skincare, the order of application determines effectiveness. Each product has a different texture and molecular weight, and skin absorbs them in a very specific order.

The general rule is lightest to heaviest: water, serum, moisturiser, facial oil (if you use one), sunscreen (in the morning). If you do it the other way round, the moisturiser acts as a barrier and the serum you apply on top simply doesn't penetrate.

The morning routine: protect and prepare

Step 1: Gentle cleanse

In the morning, the skin doesn't need a deep cleanse: only to remove the night's sebum and any residue from your evening skincare. A gentle gel cleanser or a micellar water is enough. The big mistake I see many clients make is using the same aggressive cleanser morning and evening: this dries out the skin barrier and makes the skin produce more sebum to compensate.

Step 2: Vitamin C (if your skin tolerates it)

Stabilised Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid or derivatives such as ascorbyl glucoside) is the most powerful antioxidant that exists for the skin and the perfect morning ally. It protects against the free radicals generated by sun exposure, brightens tone, inhibits melanin and stimulates collagen.

The catch: pure Vitamin C is unstable and oxidises easily (if your Vitamin C serum has turned orange, it's no longer doing anything). Look for stabilised formulations and store them away from light.

Step 3: Moisturiser tailored to your skin type

Here comes the most common mistake: thinking that oily skin doesn't need hydration. All skins need hydration; what changes is the type of moisturiser:

• Dry skin: Rich cream moisturiser with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and vegetable butters
• Normal or combination skin: Gel-cream or light cream with hyaluronic acid
• Oily skin: Oil-free hydrating gel with niacinamide to regulate sebum
• Sensitive skin: Calming cream with azeloglycine, centella asiatica or aloe vera

Step 4: SPF (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

If there was one single tip I could give every client that would make the biggest difference, it would be this: SPF 50 every morning, rain or shine, all year round. 80% of visible facial ageing (dark spots, wrinkles, loss of collagen) is caused by UV radiation accumulated over a lifetime. There is no treatment in the world that competes with daily sun protection for anti-ageing.

Modern SPFs are light, don't leave the skin white, and come in formulas for every skin type. There's no excuse.

The evening routine: repair and regenerate

Step 1: Double cleanse

In the evening, a deeper cleanse does matter. The double cleanse (first an oil or balm cleanser, then a water-based cleanser) completely removes make-up, SPF, sebum and pollution from the day. If you go to bed with SPF residue, no matter how good your night cream is, its effectiveness drops sharply.

Step 2: Chemical exfoliation (2-3 nights a week)

Exfoliating acids (AHAs like glycolic and lactic, BHAs like salicylic) are the actives that transform skin the most when used properly. They remove dead cells, improve texture, brighten dark spots and boost the absorption of everything you apply after.

Don't use acids every night: the skin needs time to regenerate. And never combine them with retinol on the same night.

Step 3: Retinol (if you're using it)

Retinol (Vitamin A) is the active with the most scientific evidence for anti-ageing that exists. It stimulates cell renewal, reduces wrinkles, improves texture and evens tone. But you have to use it properly:

• Start with low concentrations (0.025-0.05%) and build up progressively
• Only at night, never during the day
• Introduce it gradually: one night a week to begin with
• If there's irritation, apply it over the moisturiser ("buffering" technique)
• Don't use it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

The 5 most common mistakes I see every day

• Constantly switching products: the skin needs at least 8-12 weeks to respond to a new active. If you change every month, you'll never see results.
• Using too many actives at once: Retinol + Vitamin C + acids + niacinamide in the same routine is a recipe for irritation. Simplify.
• Not using SPF daily: the most expensive mistake long-term. Without SPF, the rest of your routine is largely wasted.
• Oily skin that doesn't moisturise: the skin produces more sebum when it's dehydrated, in a vicious cycle. Always hydrate, even if you have oily skin.
• Over-exfoliating: a skin barrier damaged by excessive exfoliation is the cause of much of the sensitivity, redness and reactivity people attribute to their "skin type".