At Isomers, we maintain a simple skincare philosophy: clean, feed, correct, and protect. Each of these values involves using different skincare ingredients to cleanse the skin, nourish it with essential nutrients, address specific concerns, and protect the skin barrier from environmental stressors.
But why do these skincare steps matter? Below, we’ll discuss the importance of skincare layering and how to follow Isomers Skincare’s clean, feed, correct, and protect formula.
Why Does Layering Skincare Ingredients Matter?
Different skincare ingredients are designed to perform various functions within the skin.
For example, ingredients like vitamin C are most effective in the morning due to their antioxidant properties and protection against UV radiation. Retinol, on the other hand, promotes cell turnover and collagen synthesis, aiding the skin’s natural repair process at night.
Then there's the actual product; Creams and moisturizers are used to protect your skin and should be applied toward the end of your routine. If you apply a nourishing or corrective ingredient after moisturizer (e.g., azelaic acid for targeting acne production), it will have a harder time penetrating the skin barrier.
This will either render the ingredient ineffective or cause skin irritation as the active ingredient attempts to penetrate the skin’s outer layer.
TL;DR: Layer your skincare according to how each ingredient works in your skin and how it interacts with or reacts toother ingredients. The result is a replenished, hydrated, and revitalized complexion!
The Ultimate Isomers Skincare Routine: Step-by-Step
Each phase of your routine should follow the “clean, feed, correct, protect” order to maintain the effectiveness of your ingredients and your skin’s comfort. To understand why, let’s break down what happens to your skin during each step:
1. Clean
First, we need to properly cleanse the skin to remove impurities and make it easier for nutrients to penetrate the skin barrier. A good-quality cleanser will remove impurities and excess oil without drying out the skin.
Our Hydrating Milk Cleanser is a great choice for this step, as it is suitable for most skin types. This gentle, pH-balanced product utilizes lactic acid and urea to gently exfoliate and unclog your pores, while Gosulin Rice Starch helps maintain your skin’s hydration levels.
What happens to your skin?
Cleansing removes makeup, dirt, excess oil, and other impurities, preparing your skin for deeper nourishment.
2. Feed
Second, it’s time to treat your skin’s microbiome by applying ingredients that support its natural pH balance. Ingredients used in this step penetrate the skin’s epidermis (or surface layer) to retain moisture and begin targeting specific skin concerns, such as acne, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Copper peptides are a great ingredient for the “Feed” step. They support collagen synthesis, which helps minimize visible signs of aging and promotes firmer, more youthful-looking skin.
What happens to your skin?
Feeding nourishes your skin with concentrated actives at a cellular level. Some ingredients, like Vitamin C, continue to work in your skin for several hours after application.
3. Correct
During the night, your skin enters “repair mode” and triggers processes like increased barrier permeability, wound healing, damage repair, and cell regeneration.
Retinol is one of the most effective nighttime ingredients to add to your routine, as it helps increase cell turnover and boost collagen production, working in tandem with your skin’s natural repair cycle.
Retinol cannot be combined with other active ingredients, like vitamin C and benzoyl peroxide. These ingredients degrade each other and can cause flare-ups and irritation when combined.
A good rule of thumb: In the morning, skincare revolves around protection and prevention, while nighttime skincare focuses on repair and regeneration.
What happens to your skin?
Correcting boosts the effectiveness of your skin’s nocturnal repair cycle, promoting cell regeneration and healing.
4. Protect
The final step of your skincare routine! The “Protect” phase involves shielding your skin barrier from dehydration and environmental stressors using a concentrated hydration booster.
Face creams like our Ceramide Barrier Relief Protective Skin Cream offer deep, long-lasting hydration, balance sebum production, and help calm the skin.
What happens to your skin?
Protecting creates a defensive layer that shields your skin from external aggressors and moisture loss.
Build Your Routine with Isomers Skincare
Cleansing, feeding, correcting, and protecting your skin helps contribute to a healthier, more balanced complexion that targets your skin concerns head-on.
If you’re not sure which ingredients will be most effective for your skin type and concerns, take our Build My Routinequiz to get a personalized daily regimen from Isomers Skincare!