What’s the Best Morning-to-Night Skincare Routine for Your Skin Type?
- Nina Kemppi
- Aug 25, 2025
- 4 min read
Hi, Violet Gang!
If you’ve read my previous post, you already know the correct order to apply your products. But knowing how to use them is just the start. In this post, we're going deeper: we'll explore what products and ingredients work best for your unique skin type — from morning to night. You’ll learn how to identify your skin type, tailor your routine accordingly, and even adjust it for seasonal changes, travel, or stress. Consider this your personalized skincare routine plan.
Let’s talk business! Your skin isn’t just a surface — it’s a reflection of your lifestyle, stress, age, and environment. Knowing your skin type is the golden first step in creating a routine that works for you, yields results, and gives you a glow!✨
The Five Shades of Violet: What’s Your Skin Type?
In most cases, skin falls into one of five main categories:
Dry: Feels tight, flaky, or dull. Lacks natural oils.
Oily: Shiny (especially the T-zone, which means the forehead and nose), prone to breakouts and larger pores.
Combination: Mixed characteristics in different areas. For example, oily in some spots (like your T-zone), dry in others.
Sensitive: Easily irritated, often reacts to products or environmental factors.
Normal: Smooth, balanced, and low-maintenance.
Violet tip: Your skin type can change with the seasons, hormones, age, and stress levels — so your routine should evolve with it.
How to Figure Out Your Skin Type?
Don’t guess. Test. Try one of these easy methods:
1. The Watch-and-Wait Method
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser. Don’t apply any products
Wait 30 minutes
If it feels tight = dry
Shiny all over = oily
Shiny only in the T-zone = combination
Comfortable = normal
2. The Blotting Sheet Test
Gently press blotting paper on different areas of your face
Oil everywhere = oily
Oil only in the T-zone = combination
Barely any oil = dry or normal
Why It Matters?
Knowing your skin type helps you:
Choose smarter products
Save money (no more trendy products that don’t work for you).
Prevent issues (using the wrong products can cause breakouts or irritation).
Knowledge is power
Skincare Routine Order
Cleanser
Toner
Serum
Moisturizer
SPF (in the morning only)
Violet Rule: Go from thinnest to thickest. Let each layer absorb before moving on.
🌤️Your Perfect Morning Routine
Let’s get your face ready to face the day — the right way for your skin type. The products and textures offered here are just examples. Take a moment to feel how your skin feels.
Dry Skin
Cleanser: Hydrating, non-foaming (ceramides, glycerin)
Serum: Hyaluronic acid
Moisturizer: Thick, nourishing (think shea butter)
SPF: Creamy, hydrating sunscreen
Violet Bonus: Use a face mist midday if your skin feels parched
Oily Skin
Cleanser: Gel or foam with salicylic acid
Toner: Alcohol-free with AHA/BHA
Serum: Lightweight actives like niacinamide
Moisturizer: Oil-free, non-comedogenic
SPF: Matte-finish, oil-free
Combination Skin (I Have this Skin Type)
Cleanser: Gentle gel or cream or balm cleanser
Toner: Hydrating or Brightening
Serum: Mid-Lightweight and hydrating, soothing etc.
Moisturizer: From light to medium texture cream or cream gel
SPF
Sensitive Skin
Cleanser: pH-balanced, fragrance-free
Serum: Niacinamide or Cica
Moisturizer: Hypoallergenic and gentle
SPF: Mineral-based with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide
Normal Skin
Cleanser: Gentle, non-stripping
Serum: Antioxidants like Vitamin C
Moisturizer: Lightweight and hydrating
SPF
🌜Night Routine: Where Recovery Happens
At night, your skin shifts into repair mode. This is the time for stronger products, such as retinol.
Dry Skin
Double-Cleanse: Cream or milk-based
Toner: Soothing (aloe, chamomile)
Serum: Hyaluronic acid or peptides
Moisturizer: Rich cream
Weekly Add-Ons: Overnight mask or facial oil 2–3x/week
Oily Skin
Cleanser: Double cleanse with a balm and gel
Treatment: Salicylic acid, retinoids
Moisturizer: Lightweight gel
Weekly Add-Ons: Clay mask for oil control
Combination Skin (I Have this Skin Type)
Cleanser: Double cleanse
Treatment: AHAs/BHAs 2–3x/week
Serum: Niacinamide
Moisturizer: Oil-free overall; richer on dry zones
Masks: Multi-mask different zones
Sensitive Skin
Cleanser: Creamy and calming
Toner: Alcohol-free with prebiotics
Moisturizer: With soothing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal
Skip harsh actives unless approved by a doctor
Normal Skin
Cleanser: Gentle gel or cream
Treatment: Retinol or AHA for maintenance
Serum: Hydrating and antioxidant-rich
Moisturizer: Slightly richer than daytime
Ingredient Guide by Skin Type
🟣For dry skin, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, and shea butter. Avoid alcohol, sulfates, and heavy fragrance, which can strip moisture.
🟣Oily skin benefits from salicylic acid, niacinamide, clay, and retinoids, while steering clear of pore-clogging ingredients like coconut oil, heavy creams, and mineral oil.
🟣If you have combination skin, opt for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, but avoid rich oils in your T-zone and harsh exfoliants.
🟣Sensitive skin should stick to calming, fragrance-free ingredients such as aloe, Cica, and colloidal oatmeal, and avoid essential oils, alcohol, and harsh preservatives.
🟣Finally, normal skin does well with a balanced mix of antioxidants, peptides, and Vitamin C, but should still avoid common irritants and overly complex routines.
How to Patch Test?
Apply a small amount of product to the inside of your wrist or elbow.
Watch for redness, itching, or swelling.
Note: Some actives (like retinol) might cause mild irritation at first. But if it stings or burns? Stop using it.
🍂Adjusting for Seasons and Life Changes
Winter
Use richer creams
Switch to cream cleansers
Add facial oils if needed
Use SPF 30
Summer
Go lightweight and oil-free
Exfoliate gently to combat congestion
Reapply SPF (30 or 50+++) often
Travel or Stress
Stick with fragrance-free basics
Pack simple, reliable products
Use hydrating masks after or during flights
Listen to Your Skin
If you’re suddenly breaking out, flaking, or feeling itchy — your routine needs adjusting. Skin changes. Your routine should, too.
Check in with your skin every few months. Allow new products 1-3 months to take effect. Stay consistent.
Final Violet Word
Forget trends. The perfect skincare routine is the one that works for you.
Know your skin type. Learn what ingredients it loves. Apply products in the correct order. Adjust for the seasons. And above all — stay in the routine.
Trust your skin, trust your routine — and glow on, Violet Gang.
Until next time,
Nina💜
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