The experts from Obagi are here to help you learn about their medical-grade products.

Building a comprehensive skin care regimen can be a daunting task. With so many ingredients and products on the market, it is difficult to decipher which ones are actually effective in caring for your skin type and addressing your skin concerns. Thankfully, Obagi—known for their transformational products that promote skin health and build on a legacy of science and innovation of thirty plus years—has a rich portfolio of skin care products to choose from in the Obagi Medical line, which includes the Obagi Professional C Collection, Obagi ELASTIderm, Obagi NuDerm Fx and more.

Obagi offers a lineup of products that target common skin concerns such as signs of skin aging, the appearance of dark spots, hyperpigmentation and the look of fine lines and wrinkles. To help you put together the right personalized skin care regimen, we’ve broken down the fundamentals of a morning and evening Obagi Medical skin care routine to get you started on your journey to fresh, healthy-looking skin:

• Morning skin care routine: Cleanser, toner, vitamin C serum, moisturizer, sunscreen

• Evening skin care routine: Cleanser, toner, retinol, moisturizer

Your morning Obagi Medical skin care routine

1. Cleanser

Cleansing your complexion removes any oil, dirt, makeup and debris sitting on the surface of your skin while also preparing it for any active or key ingredients to follow. All Obagi cleansers are highly concentrated formulas designed to effectively wash the skin without stripping it of moisture.

When choosing a basic daily cleanser, it’s best to pick one that is compatible with your skin type and skin concerns. If you have sensitive or dry skin, we recommend Obagi Nu-Derm Gentle Cleanser. This mild cleanser features oat amino acids to help soothe and hydrate while cleansing.

If your skin type leans on the normal or oily side, give Obagi Nu-Derm Foaming Gel a go. The unique gel-to-foam formula is non-comedogenic and packed with a mix of vitamin-rich alfalfa and soothing borage extracts. It also features refreshing aloe vera to help soothe skin and leave it touchably soft. Regardless of which you choose, be sure to thoroughly rinse the cleanser off to ensure no residue is left behind.

2. Toner

Toner is often an overlooked step, but it’s actually an essential one in your skin care routine. Using a toner after cleansing helps remove excess makeup, oil and debris that your cleanser wasn’t able to wash away, all while balancing your skin’s pH. In addition to its balancing benefits, a toner can help increase the absorption of the products that follow, maximizing their efficacy. The non-drying, alcohol-free Obagi Nu-Derm Toner works for all skin types. It’s made with aloe and witch hazel to soothe while removing any excess oil and impurities.

3. Vitamin C serum

While sunscreen is certainly a must-have in any morning routine due to its ability to protect against harmful UV rays, no sunscreen can provide 100% protection. That’s where antioxidant defense, specifically provided by vitamin C, comes into play. Vitamin C is a daily antioxidant that shields skin from free radicals and environmental stressors. “For the aggressors that escaped interception by that first line of defense—sunscreen—a good antioxidant provides a second line of defense against free radicals,” says Laurence Dryer, executive vice president of research and development at Obagi Cosmeceuticals.

Obagi Professional-C Serums aren’t your average vitamin C products. These potent solutions utilize L-ascorbic acid, the gold standard of antioxidants, in a serum at a pH shown to maximize stability, permeability and efficacy. They fortify your skin’s defenses to help brighten skin and reduce signs of visible skin damage for a more youthful-looking complexion.

Available in three concentrations, there’s a percentage that works for every skin type: 10% is ideal for dry or sensitive skin, 15% is best for most skin types and 20% works best for normal to oily skin. If you’re pairing it with another serum in your routine, you’ll want to apply whichever one is thinnest first and work up in terms of thickness. Be sure to let each one dry before applying the next step.

4. Moisturizer

Whether you suffer from dry skin or veer toward the oilier side of the spectrum, moisturizer is a must. This skin care staple helps to hydrate the skin, improving dryness, flakiness and texture.

A good all-around moisturizer to try is Obagi Hydrate Facial Moisturizer. Delivering non-comedogenic 8-hour moisture, the product is made using Hydromanil, a special ingredient that increases skin moisture and locks it in. It’s clinically proven to improve the moisture content of the skin and enhance skin’s appearance and texture.

There are additional nourishing ingredients included in the formula, such as shea butter, mango butter, avocado and glycerin to tackle dryness and dehydration— both instantly and long-term.

5. Sunscreen

The last step in any morning skin care routine is sunscreen. This is non-negotiable in your regimen, even if you’re sitting inside all day long. Sunscreen protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. However, not all sunscreens are made equally, and what works for one person’s skin may not suit another.

Obagi offers a wide breadth of both physical and mineral sunscreen formulations in a mix of textures, protection levels and scents for every skin type—explore them all here. As a basic guideline, we like Obagi Sunshield Mineral SPF 50 for sensitive skin, Obagi360 HydraFactor SPF 30 for dry skin and Obagi Sun Shield Matte Broad Spectrum SPF 50 for normal skin. No matter which Obagi sunscreen suits your skin type, incorporating a broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF 30 or higher in your routine reduces the risk of premature photoaging, so never skip this step in the a.m.

Your evening Obagi Medical skin care routine

1. Cleanser

As we mentioned above, using a cleanser morning and night is imperative for skin health. You can use the same cleanser at night as you do in the morning, but you can also switch it up by incorporating a different cleanser into the mix. Try an exfoliating cleanser like Obagi360 Exfoliating Cleanser if you have oily skin or clogged pores. If you have sensitive or dry skin, we recommend Obagi Nu-Derm Gentle Cleanser. This mild cleanser features oat amino acids to help soothe and hydrate while cleansing. If your skin type leans on the normal to oily side, try Obagi Nu-Derm Foaming Gel.

2. Toner

Just like you tone your skin in the morning, you’ll need to do it in the evening as well. Since you’re likely wearing makeup and sunscreen during the day, your skin needs an extra cleansing boost to remove any makeup, oil, and debris that your cleanser didn’t catch. Plus, this step helps to balance your skin pH level and leaves it soft and smooth and ready for whatever products that follow. Pick up Obagi Nu-Derm Toner or try Obagi CLENZIderm M.D. Pore Therapy, formulated with 2% salicylic acid to reduce sebum levels and unclog pores that are typical in acne-prone skin.

3. Retinol

If you’re looking for the champion of anti-aging treatments, retinol is the one to include in your routine. Retinol is a form of vitamin A that aids with skin turnover, a biological process that prompts the shedding and regeneration of new skin for smoother skin texture, thereby minimizing the look of fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration for an overall improved complexion.

Obagi retinol creams are highly effective products formulated with an entrapment delivery system. Entrapped retinol is gradually and gently released to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for smoother-looking skin with minimal irritation. “We designed our retinol formula with one objective: to deliver the highest possible dose of retinol while inducing the smallest amount of irritation,” Dryer says. Rather than cause irritation, like many other retinoids, this emollient cream-based formula is designed for comfortable skin conditioning and resurfacing. “We have confirmed clinically that our retinol formulas are hypoallergenic and mild while delivering the powerful results one can expect from a gold standard,” Dryer says.

Obagi 360 Retinol Cream comes in two different concentrations: 1.0 and 0.5. The 1.0 is designed for most skin types, but if yours is on the sensitive or dry side, we suggest starting with the 0.5 concentration. The formula is protected by an airless pump that dispenses the product easily while ensuring that it remains fresh and efficacious.

4. Moisturizer

Just like in the morning, your skin needs ample hydration at night in order to keep dry patches, flakes and irritation at bay. While you can use the same daytime moisturizer, you may want to switch it up with a thicker formula and try Obagi Hydrate Luxe. Formulated to be used at night, this uber-conditioning, non-comedogenic cream is also made with Hydromanil to hold in moisture and prevent water loss. It has a luxurious balm-like texture and is specifically formulated with key biomimetic peptides to rejuvenate and enhance skin smoothness.

Now that you’ve got a handle on the right products to try for day and night, explore Obagi’s complete skin care lineup.