Taking control of your skincare routine doesn’t have to take a lot of time. And with Dr. Schultz’s help, it doesn’t have to take a lot of brain power either. You’re at a defining moment in your skin’s life. It’s a moment when transforming your skin to recapture its youthful luster and preventing the future appearance of skin aging work hand in hand to give you your best skin ever. And while that may sound miraculous, it’s not a miracle. It’s not a gimmick. It’s just science.

Based on decades of research and over 180,000 patient visits, Dr. Schultz has developed the most effective and successful regimen to give every skin type at every age the glowing, fresh skin you’ve always wanted. He does this by focusing on the two most vital components of healthy, youthful-looking skin: tone and texture. Dr. Schultz has studied the skin for forty years, and developed the most effective way to get the best tone and texture for your best looking skin. You don’t need to know much to follow his simple routine for glowing skin. But just in case you want to back up your new skincare routine with smart science, we’re breaking down the “what” and the “how” of Dr. Schultz’s most popular skincare routine below.

Skincare Routines

Believe it or not, your skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. In fact, there are just three products that are essential to give you the kind of skin that defies the look of aging: exfoliants, antioxidants, and sunscreen. Exfoliants will improve your tone and texture, antioxidants will brighten and reduce discoloration, and sunscreen will protect you from future skin aging caused by sun damage. This trifecta is the best place to start as you’re getting serious about taking care of your skin.

Skincare Routine Steps

While you should always be cleansing and toning, there’s only one other product you need to add to your skincare routine in the morning, and that’s your sunscreen. Make sure to apply it directly after toning and before any other products or makeup. Doing this ensures the sunscreen absorbs into your skin, and if it’s lightweight enough, it will serve as a primer for your makeup.

At night, you can add in your exfoliant and antioxidant, and we’ll show you how to do that below. But first, now that you know your best skin comes down to adding just three products to your routine, here’s a little more information about how each step will give you the beautiful skin you’ve always wanted:

Step One: Exfoliate

Exfoliants are your skin’s secret weapon. Why? Because you have gorgeous, glowing skin, and the only problem is that it’s hiding. Using the right kinds of exfoliants and using them daily will help you unearth that beautiful skin in no time at all.

Right now, dead, dulling cells are accumulating on the surface of your skin. When this happens, they cause uneven mounds and clumps, which is what causes your issues with tone and texture. Not only do these dead cells result in tired, discolored skin, but they also block your skincare products from absorbing optimally and prevent your makeup from appearing smooth. But a good exfoliant will gently remove the glue holding those dead skin cells together, causing the mounds to fall off, and revealing the smoother, brighter, younger-looking skin underneath while helping all your other products work even better.

Dr. Schultz’s own exfoliant, Tetrafoliant®, is his perfected glycolic technology—it’s combined with synergistically enabling ingredients to collectively deliver the next generation of amazingly effective yet gentle exfoliation. Because Tetrafoliant® is pH-adjusted and buffered properly, it’s gentle enough that it won’t cause redness, downtime, or even visible peeling. But while it’s gentle on your skin, it’s also incredibly effective. You’ll see your tone and texture issues improve significantly in as little as two weeks.

Step Two: Antioxidants

Antioxidants are an incredible ingredient that simultaneously help to protect and brighten your skin. Dr. Schultz says vitamin C is the best antioxidant because of its “potential efficacy, stability, and bioavailability (i.e. ability to be absorbed into skin).” But getting your daily dose of vitamin C goes beyond drinking a glass of orange juice. According to Dr. Schultz, “The purpose and role of antioxidants, especially topical antioxidants, is to absorb that bad energy before it can hit the DNA and the collagen—absorb it and protect the important parts of your skin and your body. Vitamin C is the only antioxidant that can both firm the skin and even skin tone. Everyone should be using vitamin C daily," Dr. Schultz says. He also says, “The two forms of vitamin C that I like the most are tetrahexadecyl ascorbate and methyl silanol ascorbate, both of which are fat or lipid soluble, which increases their absorption into the skin.”

However, you can only get the incredible effects from vitamin C if it can absorb into your skin cells, and unfortunately, many forms of vitamin C aren't formulated to effectively do so. That's why Dr. Schultz spent 15 years working on creating a revolutionary formula that’s stable and isn't sticky or orange, so it works from the first drop to the last. His secret is mixing the perfect balance of three of the most potent forms of vitamin C into one superhero product: Triple Vitamin C Serum. The serum absorbs three times better than other forms of Vitamin C. In a consumer study, 100 percent of participants saw softer, brighter, smoother, more youthful looking skin with immediate results after using the serum once per night for four weeks, as part of a regular BeautyRx skincare routine.

Step Three: Sunscreen

There are two types of ultraviolet rays that make the 93 million mile journey from the sun to the earth. The first, UVA rays, are the most prevalent and are now known to cause premature aging, fine lines, wrinkles, and sometimes skin cancer. UVB rays cause sunburn and also contribute to the appearance of aging in the skin. The most important thing to keep in mind is that these rays are always around, from January to December, and they can easily penetrate clouds and glass. That’s why Dr. Schultz says, “As long as it’s light enough to see your hand, you should be wearing sunscreen.”

It’s imperative that you use sunscreen every single day. But if you haven’t been adding this essential product into your routine, you might not know how easy it is to do. Choose a sunscreen that is lightweight with no fragrances and that effortlessly absorbs into your skin. Dr. Schultz has formulated his own sunscreen with SPF 50 that doesn’t just protect your skin, but it also acts like a primer for your makeup. Always apply your sunscreen right after cleansing and toning, and before your other skin care and makeup products. This ensures protection while simultaneously giving you a smooth surface to apply your makeup.

If you have any questions about which product goes on when, never fear. Dr. Schultz explains in this quick video how to make sure you’re applying your products in the right order:

Nighttime Skincare Routine

For your nighttime skincare routine, you can make a very simple adjustment to the above basic skincare routine of cleansing, toning, and applying sunscreen. After cleansing and toning, use your exfoliant and your antioxidant instead of applying sunscreen. To add more hydration to your skin, use a nighttime moisture cream. Using a moisture cream that is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Shea Butter, and Willowherb will give you luxurious hydration and is perfect for use after exfoliating to relieve stressed skin throughout the day.

Men’s Skincare Routine

For men, the same skincare routine applies. Using an exfoliant, antioxidant, and sunscreen will transform the look of their skin just as much as it will for women. However, if you’re a man, chances are that you’ve been exfoliating for most of your life. Dr. Schultz explains in this video why that is and what the differences are between men’s and women’s skin:

Best Skincare Routine

Each decade, you may face new issues with your skin. While the basics of a good skincare routine will always remain the same, each passing year will bring on more skin aging issues. So to combat those before they even start, here are the best skincare routines for every age group to keep you ahead of the curve and keep your skin looking its best, brightest, healthiest, and youngest:

Best Skincare Routine for 20s

You should always start with a cleanser and toner to completely rid your face of dirt and debris. Apply your sunscreen next if it’s the morning, and don’t forget to reapply throughout the day. At night, instead of sunscreen, use an exfoliant to remove rough, dead skin cells. Finish with a vitamin C antioxidant to wake up with refreshed, beautiful, glowing skin.

Best Skincare Routine for 30s

In your thirties, maintain the good habits you started in your twenties (or start them now!). And add on the spot treatments as needed, like the Dermstick for Pores, which will reduce the appearance of clogged pores and help even your skin tone.

Best Skincare Routine for 40s

By your forties, you should be doing all of the above and now you may be ready to add an exfoliating eye cream to combat any signs of aging around the delicate eye area. Add this cream into your nightly exfoliating routine. After using the exfoliating serum on the rest of your face, add this gentle eye cream to your eye area and finish with your vitamin C antioxidant on the rest of your face.

Best Skincare Routine for 50s

In your fifties, hopefully you’ve been maintaining a great skincare routine for years and you may not need to add too much to your regimen! As you age, your skin tends to get drier, so in addition to all of the above, add in a luxurious moisture cream at night to finish your routine. With a good moisture cream, like one formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Shea Butter, and Willowherb, you’ll get the hydration you need to bring the appearance of volume and smoothness back to your skin.

Your At-Home Regimen

If you only have three products in your medicine cabinet, they should be a high quality exfoliant, antioxidant, and sunscreen. The combination of these three products will give you everything you need to take years off the appearance of your skin. Once you’ve added those into your routine, adding a pore minimizer, exfoliating eye cream, and moisture cream will give you the most radiant, glowing skin you’ve ever had, at any age.