heres something vry useful i found online:
Step 1 - Cleaning
Use a good quality cleansing product that will remove any remaining traces of makeup from the day/night before. Make sure that the cleanser is one designed for your skin type as using the wrong type can cause as many problems as it solves. An effective cleanse will also clean deeper into your skin than traditional soap and water, which only remove the surface grime and dries your skin out. It is the deeper grime that clogs the pores, which can lead to black heads and breakouts. Dead skin cells will also get embedded in pores and will stop any further skin products for doing their job so a good quality cleanser will work deeper to remove all these unwanted impurities.
I am a big fan of AHA based cleansing products as the AHAs reactivate the skins natural exfoliation process, eliminating deeper rooted impurities and makeup residues. This will leave the skin more permeable to any further skin conditioning products that are applied after. Be careful though not to get this type of cleanser in your eyes.
Make sure you remove your cleanser with water (not too cold or too hot) – foaming ones can be splashed away or use a cosmetics sponge (my favourite) or damp cotton pads.
Makeup Remover:
Most of the great new makeup techniques involve using long stay makeup products, which are designed to last all day without budging and therefore are also more difficult to remove when you want to. For the most stubborn waterproof makeup I recommend an oil based makeup remover. There are lots on the market and you don’t don’t need to spend a lot of money in this area to get an effective makeup remover.
Word of Caution – makeup remover wipes contain a high amount of alcohol (even the ones for the most sensitive skin) which is incredibly drying on your skin and in my professional opinion there are far better low costs makeup removers that do a far better job so I would recommend you avoid these.
Step 2 - Tone
Most toners will help to remove any last traces of makeup and cleanser and will also restore the natural PH balance to your skin. Your PH balance is important as this forms your skins natural barrier, which exists to protect your skin.
Most toners are designed to be applied onto your skin with cotton pads but some good quality toners recommend that they are sprayed onto the skin and don’t need to be wiped over. That way you use far less product and can be therefore more cost effective.
Step 3 – Exfoliate
Exfoliation is a process that removes dead skin cells from the top layer of skin, allowing new rejuvenated skin to surface and may help improve the appearance of fine lines and mild acne.. For infants, natural exfoliation occurs every few days. But for adults, this process slows down substantially. Exfoliation treatment helps to compensate for the slower natural aging process, to preserve and enhance the tone and smoother texture of your skin.
Some traditional exfoliators contain grainy-based products (like salts, sugar, nut shell, fruit pits, pumice etc) but can damage sensitive skins if done too often so only use this type once a week at the most.
There are a new breed of exfoliants on the market that contain similar products to the AHA based cleansers and are far gentler on the skin so can be used on a daily basis so has better daily control over the makeup we use every day. The AHA and now also BHA products in these exfoliants are stronger than the cleansers – they contain natural (don’t panic) acids which work on dissolving the dead skin that is deeper inside the skins pores. They are far gentler than the facial peels that care carried out by dermatologists.
Step 4 - Moisturise
This is the final step of your daily routine and getting the right moisturiser is the cornerstone of good skin care. Moisturising forms a barrier between the skin and environmental conditions. It helps to form a fine, protective layer that enables the skin to retain the moisture it requires. Moisturizing is essential for all types of skin including oily skin. As we get older lack of moisture on the skin causes skin to become dry (even oily skin can become dry) and more prone to wrinkling. Moisturisers come in different forms -liquid (in the form of gels, emulsions etc) and cream. Rich, liquid and cream moisturizers take care of dry and wrinkled skin. Water - based, oil free moisturisers works best for oily skin as they are very light and absorb better.
Unfortunately the modern lives that we all now lead and skin issues that we have means that we need some extra supplements to provide further improvement – i.e. to prevent wrinkles, provide protection from the suns rays, further anti-bacterial support, oil mattifying etc, etc, so the is why there are so many types of moisturiser available and the trick is finding the right one for your skin.
Where possible chose a moisturiser that suits your skin and also provides a SPF, but a lot of ingredients that are used to provide SPF can affect the other active ingredients so many companies put skin supplements into a Night Time Moisturiser where a SPF is not required.
How Often?
Most of these steps need to be carried out morning and night – your skin does most of its repair work at night so make sure you help your skin at this time by having a clear none clogged skin surface and if your skin does need that little extra help (which is 99% of us) put the right products on there to give your sleeping skin a helping hand. Carry out the exfoliating step according to what product you choose.
source :Makeup Geek • View topic - Basics of a Good Skin Care Routine