My Evidence-Based Skincare Routine 

📖 Check out my new book Feel-Good Productivity here! www.feelgoodproductivity.com/?My+Evidence-Based+Skincare+Routine

Another important thing to mention is that your skin is only going to be as healthy as you are. A perfect skincare routine can’t take the place of getting enough sleep, eating a decent diet and taking care of your mental health. You really need both.

Man doesn't just have a skincare routine.. he has a *productive* skincare routine.

I've tried numerous face washes, but nothing was as effective as Riceberry Facewash by little extra. It's made with black rice and white mulberry, which brightens and gives immediate glow to my skin. It's mild, has a pleasant smell, and all-natural. It cleans my face very and makes it smooth and bright. Plus, it helped lessen my acne as welll.

can we just appreciate how fast he dives into the subject and with clear a straight forward approach

“I firmly believe that no skincare product should ever cost more than $30…” Thank you! I totally agree w/ this statement.

Ali is the only person in the world who would associate the words 'productive' and 'skincare' 🤣

I used besan as a facial cleanser, but it rather lead to rashes. As a result, later, I switched to littleextraa's riceberry face wash, and trust me, my skin has greatly benefitted from this and got better than it was before it was... pimple and spots diminished, scars and marks faded, pore size reduced a lot, and skin has become brighter and smoother, and I am getting compliments from friends these days.

Cleansing your face regularly enhances its appearance. Use a good face cleanser and clean your face twice every day. I use only riiceberry face wash by litlextrra because it actually has the right pH balance and is very gentle. This prevents acne and provides my face a glowing and improved look throughout the day. Having fresh fruits assists maintain hydration and maintain your skin's health. Applying Vitamin c serum also improves complexion. Perform this consistently and notice the outcomes yourself.

To sum it up, the four simple rules are: Rule 1 - Moisturize twice a day. - Find moisturizer that rehydrates skin, replaces natural fats and proteins, and keeps the skin barrier intact. Rule 2 - Use a sunscreen every day - Use sunscreen that's a broad spectrum. Rule 3 - Use a retinoid - Retinoids reduce wrinkles, reduce uneven pigmentation, and make our skin cells regenerate faster. Rule 4 - Use a cleanser - Cleanser helps remove excess oils.

This was the first time I didn’t feel massively overwhelmed trying to learn about effective skincare and the actual science behind what we need. Thank you.

As a 70 year old Australian who has had 3 skin cancers removed from their face already, LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN!

I have followed this routine (minus retinol) and it’s completely changed my skin!! So good. This is 3 months in

Ali has been sticking with this format. Summary first before everything else. And I love it as usual!🤩

PLEASE do this for other things like shaving, showering and taking care of your hair! I loved this video

I’m a 55 year old dude who has been using a moisturizer with sunscreen and retinol as part of my morning routine for a good 15 years. A small dot on my fingertips, then applied next to my eyes (sides and under) and forehead. I have zero wrinkles or other weird stuff on my face. It’s an easy habit that yields amazing results, and I use so little product. I can’t recommend it enough.

To sum up the routine: In the Morning Step 1: CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser Step 2: Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen Face Fluid In the Evening Step 1: CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser Step 2: Dermatica Retinoid Step 3: CeraVe PM Daily Facial Moisturiser Also, follow the four daily rules to ensure your skincare is top-notch.

Cleansing every evening is important cause you remove the sunscreen and give the chance to the retinoid and moisturizer to penetrate more deeply.

Here to say my experience, I have acnee and started using a cerave clenser for acnee along with a biotrade lotion for acnee and cerave moisturizer and I can say that in like 2 months my face is 30% cleaned up and no more acnee keeps appearing, I still have some but little to none. This video really is all you need, and I have watched Alex Costa and TeachingMensFashion and a lot more, but this video says it best!

Bless you for putting out the evidence based facts only. No fluff. No product plugging. Just honest, simple, easy to implement steps. I love that they are backed by doctors and dermatologists that ACTUALLY know what they’re talking about (not some scummy influencers).🙏 Thank you.

its simple: cleanse moisturise sunscreen and if you want to incorporate anti aging: retinoid/tretinion

I recently got into skin care. I noticed when I stopped eating high amounts of sugar, or any at all, my skin would be much clearer. Also drink lots of water, that helps a ton!

Love how he gets straight to the point

Respect for the most straight forward no BS approach, honestly baffled at how such well made & informative content is not breaking 1 million likes… Your an absolute legend!

I've quite literally researched skin care for like 2 months to create the perfect and most minimal skin care for myself and you just summarized it all in 1 video. WHERE WERE YOU 2 MONTHS AGO?!? Edit: Vitamin C (in the form of L-ascorbic acid) is also a great addition to skin care especially in combination with a retinoid treatment. By combination I don't mean mixing the two, I mean using vitamin c in the morning and retinoid at night or vitamin c one day and retinoid the other

i’ve always felt ‘weird’ that I was using a ‘short’ skincare routine like this one but other people seemed to use 7 more steps in theirs.. happy to hear it’s okay to stick to these!

this is the first time i've watched your channel and i already like your content. the summary in the start, the quick pace throughout the video, so great!

Really great video that I sent to my daughters. I have been promising them to write up my skincare routine bc I am 64 and have wonderful, clear even-toned skin and people are often giving me compliments and my female friends of the same age have asked me what I do. But as you show so well in your videos, if you have not been protecting your skin from the sun since you were young, well the sun damage at 50 years of age is obvious. I moved to the Gold Coast, Australia when I was 20 and that’s when I saw what the sun did to your skin. The women all wanted a deep tan but they had crocodile skin when they were older! I have my crinkly eye wrinkles (my smile lines) when I laugh but that’s character. I can only agree: regular, continual skincare with these products (I also use Vitamin C serums) WORKS!

Ali you can also use a chapstick with SPF! Super important for lip&mouth cancers actually, %85 of the lip cancers are on the lower lip due to increased sun exposure on the bottom lip!

FYI about retinoids: they increase skin sensitivity to sun damage. So don't be tempted to wear it during the day, and absolutely make sure you wash the previous night's application from your face in the morning and, as Ali says, always wear sunscreen.

Thank you two for this clear cut, precise, and to the point video.

tried these for 6 months or so already:) no nonsense, it just 'WORKS'. Thanks man!

I'm a man and my routine's got an extra step or 2. Morning: Cleanser + toner + moisturising sunscreen Evening: Cleanser + toner + serum (vit C, peptide, hyaluronic acid on alternate days) + gel-cream moisturiser. Retinol serum twice a week. As a 40 yo Asian man, people usually think I'm 28 and a good skincare regimen accounts for ~10% of the reasons why.

Okay. You had me until the cleanser part. I think most dermatologists would agree on the fact that cleansing your skin is a very important step in any skincare regimen; the thing is… yes you’d probably could get away without cleansing your skin in the morning but when it comes to the evening it is absolutely recommended to wash your face ‘cause splashing water on your face won’t get off all the dirt, sweat, pollution and even sunscreen (weather if it is a water resistant sunscreen or not) that is left on your face at the end of the day. If you leave all of those things on your face and then apply other products on top of them and then lock them up with a moisturizer, you’re very likely to develop acne and as a result of this post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and I think it goes without saying that none of the things you apply on your face won’t be doing much which is the opposite of what you’re looking for when engaging on a skincare regimen. So yes, cleansing is a important step on any skincare routine, at least when it comes to the evening. But I enjoyed your vid, the most part of it.

I’m sure we’d all love more evidence-based personal care videos! Especially teeth and hair

Great video! I like this concept of boiling it down to the basics. I've loved Cerave cleanser and moisturizer. Because even though I'm very crunchy I saw dermatologists and skin care specialists pointing out how low-risk of irritation Cerave products are and convenient and affordable enough at drugstore. Many crunchy products have essential oils which can be irritating. A step that could be worth adding at least for people who sweat or use sunscreen and/or makeup is double-cleansing. This very popular method is still simple. It just means before the cleanser cleansing with some oil. I use simply one ingredient - jojoba oil. If someone really wanted to be sure they are cleansed after the double cleanser (for example if they wear very heavy makeup), they may want a toner. Also for people (of any gender) who shave, wax, or sugar their faces - some before/during/after care products may be useful such as pre-shave oil, shave cream, something soothing.

Have me the quickness right at the beginning. You sir have my respect. I love getting what I clicked on a video for. I will subscribe now

The expert is so right when he says we're paying for the fluff when we pay too much for products. Come through with the scientific skincare tips! Love the editing style and how informative and engaging this was, Ali! 🙂

I just want to say, I’ve battled with acne and bad skin my entire life, spending thousands on dermatologists and their expensive products. The routine and advice in this video has turned my skin around in 1 week. I’m using tretinoin 0.5% at night and if I see my skin start to flake then I don’t use it the following day. I’m using cerave am and pm moisturisers and and the hydrating cleanser. Big thanks to Ali and your friend in this video. My life is changed 🙏🏽💪

I know this is a while ago but I’ve only just come across it. I’m hugely into this routine but I want to say what a fantastic video mate 👏🏻👏🏻 I’ve seen so many over the years but this was so straight to the point and very informative. This should be a staple in all skincare blogs. Love this and how you presented it. Brilliant ❤

one of the best skin care videos I have. I usually leave this topic alone because, as you said, it can be overcomplicated. This video is helpful!

I would say cleanser are not just optional. if you're using sunscreen (especially waterproof sunscreen), you really need cleansers to help clean out your pores and to avoid sunscreen from sticking to your face.

Don't forget to change your pillowcase and bedsheets regularly as well. Doing so, combined with my skincare routine, greatly reduced my breakouts.

thank you so much, ive always found it hard to figure out whats fact and whats fluff in skin care, so this is really helpful!

you are my favorite youtuber! you always have all the best details that we all need to know about. keep it up!

Probably the most effective and straight forward skincare video out there. I wish I knew this stuff years ago before I ruined my skin by using multiple fancy products and treatments. Over the years, I've finally been able to fix my skin and this video basically sums up everything I've found to be true about skincare after doing tons of research and trial/error.

If you use a sunscreen, a cleanser is definitely not optional. Double cleansing is actually the way to go if you want to get the SPF off of your face as much as possible. Nice video though 👍🏻

Your skin looks gorgeous, Ali! Thanks for the great video!

I never thought that i will benefit of a skincare advise of a man. Super clear and to the point video. Thanks.

I’ve been trying to convince my husband to give a try to skincare but it was almost impossible 😭 Today he sent me this video and I was sooo happy 💙 I loved the video and how well and simple all the concepts are explained. Thanks for including this kind of content in your channel 🙏🏼😍

I’m SOOO here for this Ali Abdaal skincare routine! I recently went to a marriage talk recently and the speaker was talking about how women “crave masculinity” and said “because I mean c’mon ladies, let’s be real - how into a guy would you be and how would you feel if you went out and the guy starts talking to you about his skincare routine?” I just said “…I would be impressed!”

thank you so much for this video. I have been so overwelmed with infos on this topic lately you really put it into perspective. Also Id highly enjoy a summary in ther same style on how to fix ones hair (and I dont mean make it look nice but actually what to use - how - what kind of products and by what criteria) to actually make it be healthy :)

It actually helped me alot! maintaining my skin healthier than before

Yay! I’m a skincare junkie so it’s so nice to see people take care of their skin with the right products. ❤️

I love this video style! 😍 combining medical knowledge with leading a happier, healthier life AND inviting an expert dermatologist for their opinion. The editing, animations and illustrations are also top notch. I seriously didn't think that an Ali Abdaal video titled "My Productive Skincare Routine" would be one of my favourites!

Litterally my skincare routine for the past 1.5 yrs. And it is indeed all we need and the best we can do.

La roche posay is my fav. It absolutely worth it, it helps with variety of issues and lipikar series is really great for me!

Iv genuinely been waiting for this video for so long, thank you Ali ! I appreciate the time and effort you have put into this video to ensure all the info in it is medically correct.

Ali is now a skin guru?!?!?!? What has this world come too 😂

I completely agree with everything mentioned in the video. In addition, if you care to have one more active ingredient, add Vitamin C to your AM routine, before putting on moisturizer. Helps brighten your skin and minimize dark spots.

One thing to note about skincare is that the effects are often never immediate. Sometimes you won’t even notice the changes until several months later! Last year I had a terrible breakout which caused hyperpigmentation, pimples and milia. After doing much research, I’ve finally narrowed down the perfect skincare for my individual needs. Despite my diligence, I still didn’t see my hyperpigmentation fade until 4-6 months later. Consistency and diligence is key and you cannot skip a day or two just because you’re tired. If you keep at it, you will eventually end up seeing the results you’ve wanted.

I’ve been waiting for this since you mentioned it in ptya. Loved the depth of knowledge, the research, and the amount of effort you put into making it all so coherent.

People make skincare so complicated. This was great thank you

self care is one of the best way to express self love. Thanks for sharing :)

Love that you're on a skincare journey and glowing because of it!

Thank you for demystifying such a mystified topic. This is my exact skin care routine, and it has worked wonders over the years. A very nice, concise video!

This guy is giving me MrWhosTheBoss vibes

I am a woman and even if I am 23 I started to look older than I already am which scares me. I am not thinking about my looks much, but it definitely has to do with the fact that I am often dealing with stress, I am not getting enough sleep, I am not eating that healthy, I often forget to hydrate myself with water, drink coffee quite a lot, I am not exposing myself to the sun as much as I should for Vitamin D. I am slowly trying to improve myself by eating more healthy, for instance, I no longer go to unhealthy restaurants such as Mc Donald's, Burger King, KFC, etc. (no offence on the companies, but really, they are not that healthy) I am eating more salads, wash my face more regularly, go to the gym, try to think more positively, I recently began reading books more than I've ever done in my life (I was not a big reader), and try to get enough sleep. Maybe this lifestyle will make me more happy, less stressed, more 'alive' and healthy.

Ali, I love this video! I'm training to be an esthetician in the US (may possibly go to med school later) and I sent this to my school friends to help with their learning on SPF and retinoids! Thank you so much for spending your time researching and making this video!

Thank you, really useful and simple, I will definitely follow this, it's so hard to muddle through what you're actually supposed to be doing from all the endless conflicting and marketing resources out there!

Instant subbing to this guy, he just got straight to the point first second in the video

Exactly my routine! Though I add vitamin C in my moisturizer evening and morning for brightening effect

Your PRODUCTIVE skincare is actually productive and so it looks on your skin I actually came across your channel looking for tips to increase typing speed and kept watching your videos one by one ❤️Ur channel I've subscribed already

I dont know watching skincare thingy from Ali is so interesting to listen with a sourceful reference from a real dermatologist and journal. Thanks for making this really amazing

Class video! This is the kind of straightforward, easy to follow advice that I like, I would have been happy leaving a paid for appointment with this advice. Thank you, I now have my new skincare routine

Thanks man You actually explained and expanded why anyone should use these products Rather than suggesting me 30 different types of products that can get my condition worse.

This skincare video is the only one needed on on RU-vid! Simple, effective and productive!

I love the format of SUMMARY FIRST then you detail it out. If I don't get the quick summary I just see the chapter names or move on to another video lol. Ali really respects our time. Love this format, and I always watch his videos fully anyways.

Thank you for bringing in all the boys -- I am now finally convinced. Will start.

This is exactly my skincare routine and it’s been working sm better ever since I started

Regarding the retinols part: I've been told by a dermatologist, that everything you mentioned about them is promising, but not guaranteed especially with my sensitive skin. So everyone should be a bit cautious about using them. To give you a bit more context... I've been battling severe acne for my whole life - so much so, that 12 years ago I was scared of my own reflection, I avoided people, I couldn't wear anything with light colors, because it would immediately show blood and I didn't want to smile, because of pain shooting all over my face from ever-present cysts. Now I am 28 years old and for the first time in my life my skin is quite clear without using any special treatments except a bit of moisturizer. It seems that with age some people really get better. The skin still doesn't look healthy per-se because of the deeper scars, but it is miles better. However, of course one of the things that really helped me all those years in the past was isotretinoin (mostly know as Accutane). Chemically it is close to retinols and it is not used topically. However, it still is basically a "nuke", that should be prescribed when nothing else seems to work - unfortunately it is prescribed way too often in the USA and Canada from what I've been told. There are many side effects when using isotretinoin which require you to go for regular blood tests, take hormonal birth-control in case of women (as children could be born with serious defects) and drink no alcohol. Now, my dermatologist told me, that the way topical retinols work is quite different, but the compounds are still really similar and everyone should be cautious, especially if they have history of skin problems. It might solve their problems, but it could apparently also make things much worse. So I just wanted people to be cautious about this part. I am still considering whether I should start applying small amount or not. Another problem is that retinols are not widely available in my country and I would have to order them from abroad.

Even though I'm a year late to the party, The Ordinary products are ones I will firmly stand by and recommend forever, all their stuff has simple packaging that lists the exact ingredients in each product on the front and not much else. I pretty much exclusively use The Ordinary now as they're the best skincare brand I've ever found

My skin routine entails as follows: I wash my face and neck with regular shampoo and the rest of my body with “Lever” or “Irish Spring” soap. Then I wear a moisturizing, vitamin infused face mask for about fifteen minutes. After that, I apply a toner (not very often, but I’m trying to make it a daily routine). The brand is “Klairs”, and I got the bottle a few years ago when searching for Korean facial products. Then I just slather on the Vaseline and once that is well absorbed into the skin, I apply my CeraVe sunscreen to both face and neck. I’m looking into retinols. I’m 32.5 and my skin looks great!! :)

Thanks for talking about skincare, most men think it's for women, but we have skin to care too and we all need it. 👍 Order: 1. Cleanser Any non-stripping/non-drying facewash 2. Treatment (serums/essences) Some good ones to look for are Vitamin A (Retinoids) - for acne and anti aging Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) - skin brightening and anti aging Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) - for oil control, to tighten pores, to control acne and skin brightening 3. Moisturizer Depending on your skin type. Gel moisturizer for oily/combination skin and thick creams moisturizers for dry skin 4. Sunscreen. SPF 50 sunscreen with PA+++ (atleast 3 plus) Weekly exfoliation should be done to remove dead skin cells and sun tan. Ditch physical exfoliation (one where you rub small particles on skin) it's bad. Go for chemical exfoliation options like: Salicylic Acid (BHA) - also good for acne. Glycolic/Lactic/Mandelic Acid (AHA)

Great information, and I understand this video is mainly about raising awareness about skin protection and avoiding photodamage, however it is also important to point out that you shouldn't be using just any moisturizer or sunscreen: there are different types of skins, and using the wrong product could lead to other skin issues.

Thanks for being so helpful man, appreciate it!!

I clicked so fast because of the title, just to see ALL of the products I am already using. I needed this confirmation I am doing it right :)

Yes! Finally, skincare explained without 'fluff-and-stuff" that actually has scientific backing but in an easy to digest format. This is something I feel I could actually share with ANYONE and not just fru-fru girly people. Thanks!

I have Perioral dermatitis. I will do none of that. I did my skin care so long and realized now that i dont have unclear skin. It is just so irritated and harmed from all the washing, that i look like i have terrible akne with little redness and highly irritated pimples and pus pimples and all that stuff that you would normally connect to lack of skincare. (I completely cut out 90 percent of sugar and fat from my meals, washed my face with cold water only, didnt touch my face at all, changed my pillow cases every week so i avoided any bad bacteria to stick to it and make it worse, like i was told and used a face wash and peeling morning and evening so i have a pretty clean and bacteria free routine) Still i have to make a NullTherapy now so my skin can heal and recover from that. Just a tip for all you out there that know this situation. Just stop. Cut out all the crap you are putting on your face. Let your face recover for 2 months. Dermatologists also will agree that it will be more helpful, than any skincare routine. I will try it now and write updates on how it goes weekly

In 30 seconds he told us mostly everything we needed to hear and hooked us onto the video. Great work more youtubers should work like this

I love both the science vulgarisation and the self-care content! 🙏

first ever video that makes skincare so simple, doable and affordable ❤️

This was great, thanks again Ali!!

Thanks for the video. Please stop flirting with your reflection

this is exactly what I needed. I decided to have a skincare routine recently but every time I searched about it seemed so long and complicated. I forgot all about it until youtube recommended this video lol. this was so simple and easy. also, I like how it was well explained scientifically so I would know why im applying them. I'm not sure about retinoid tho

wow...i started skin care like 9 months ago..and i developed every step you described in this vid by myself...Thank you for the information😃

Love how he just goes to the point 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Skin care is something hard to understand for me since it’s kinda hard to understand the theory/ evidence behind Now I’m totally convinced, thank you for letting me know how to have a better skin 👍

I subscribed Ali since the start of this channel. Feels so happy to see Ali grow so well and now whole world knows Ali now as Productive Guru 🙏🙏

This is a fantastic video. I'm a skincare freak, and this is a great, simplistic, and straightforward explanation of skincare. I'll have to show this to my boyfriend to convince him to apply sunscreen religiously. Thank you for making this video!!