How Many Steps Is Ideal for Your Skincare Routine?

Tips From Master Licensed Esthetician

How Many Steps Is Ideal for Your Skincare Routine?

The right number of skincare steps in your routine is often overrated by brands and certain influencers. Between K-beauty telling us 10 steps is ideal, Kim K. selling us 8-15 steps, or even certain “experts” telling us to take time not to do anything at all, how are we to know what is best for us? Well, today is your lucky day because I’m going to tell you exactly how many steps to include in your routine to get maximum results! Let’s get into it, shall we?

What determines how many steps is best?
Your skin type, conditions, goals, time, budget and lifestyle preferences should determine the correct number of steps. This is the best place to start.

Skin type
Skin type is typically connected to how oily or dry your skin likes to be. On either side of this scale, you may need more products/steps in your routine to control or promote oil production, which keeps your skin barrier strong.

Skin conditions & goals
Skin conditions and goals go hand in hand. Goals are usually centered around alleviating, preventing and correcting conditions. For example, acne, advanced aging, sensitive skin, dermatological disorders, eczema, hyperpigmentation are all forms of skin conditions that you most likely will have goals around. And depending on the condition, you may need more or less steps in your routine.

With someone that is 24 years old and not experiencing many conditions, you might only need a few steps to help nourish the skin and prevent future issues. However, if you are dealing with advanced aging, hyperpigmentation and even adult acne, you may need to incorporate more products and treatments to meet your goals.

Time, budget and lifestyle
This is the big one! The best skincare routine is the one that fits for you in these areas. There is no perfect number of steps, but rather the perfect number of steps for YOU. There is always a way to be creative and find formulas that fit your goals and your preferences. Don’t be fooled by people that tell you, you have to have 10 steps and spend $300 on a cream to have good skin. It’s simply false.

To end? The big questions I’ve had this week … Are facials necessary for great skin?
The answer is NO (believe it or not!).
Facial treatments are relaxing and a wonderful way to treat your skin. However, if you’re in the right products and ingredients, and are consistent with your home care routine, facials are not necessary. What you do daily accounts for the majority of your results and skin health. And just like we talked about above, there are many factors that determine whether facials and certain treatments are right for you and your skin.

Treatments should always have a very specific purpose. Don’t just get a treatment to get a treatment – that’s a waste of money. My favorite type of treatments to do on my clients are customized chemical peels. This is because it is supplemental to their home care routine and provides value that they couldn’t get at home. Most facials out there are simply an overpriced version of what you do at home. The best bang for your buck is to spend your money to get in the right home care, and do more specific treatments once in awhile to boost results.

~Guest article by Emily Trampetti
Emily Trampetti is a Master Licensed Esthetician and founder of
Skin Property Virtual Esthetics based in Chicago and operates her practice globally. 
She has been featured in Well + Good, Puckermob, Medium, The Well Well, StyleCraze, 
and more!

How Many Steps Is Ideal for Your Skincare Routine?