If you’re new to skincare or haircare, you’re in exactly the right place. Building a routine for the first time doesn’t need to be overwhelming, complicated, or filled with dozens of products. The truth is: a well-balanced beginner skincare or beginner hair care routine can be simple, sustainable, and incredibly effective once you understand what your skin and scalp actually need.

Start with the essentials and choose products that work with your skin, not against it. Here’s your complete skincare and haircare guide for beginners, whether you’re building your very first routine or refreshing one that isn’t quite working for you anymore.

Skincare for beginners: starting with the basics

When building a skincare routine for beginners, focus on three core steps: cleanse, treat, protect. These steps support skin health at every age and for every skin type, without overwhelming you with product choice.

1. Cleanse (AM + PM)

Cleansing lifts away daily build-up – including SPF, pollutants, sweat and makeup – without stripping the skin. A good cleanser should leave skin comfortable and balanced, not tight.

For beginners, look for:

• Gel, bar, cream, or balm textures that keep the skin barrier happy
• Naturally-derived cleansers and hydrating ingredients
• Formulas made with skin-loving ingredients to nourish your skin

2. Treat with focus

This step is where many people feel pressured to add serums upon serums, without actually knowing what they’re supposed to be doing. You don’t need to.

If you’re completely new to skincare, start by identifying one main concern. Then, choose a single targeted treatment to support it. Look for formulas with active ingredients that address the specific skin concern you identified.

Formulas with vitamin C help to brighten dull skin and uneven tones, boost radiance, and stimulate collagen production. For this, we love the Vitamin C-rich Face Oil.

If you have acne-prone skin and want to reduce breakouts, products with salicylic acid work best. It helps reduce breakouts, minimise congestion, and keep your skin feeling clear without harshness. Using a salicylic acid-infused Toner is a great option, as other ingredients stop it from being too harsh on its own.

Working to strengthen the skin barrier, niacinamide helps reduce visible redness and support overall resilience. It’s gentle, versatile, and works well alongside almost every other ingredient. It’s especially ideal for easily irritated skin. Our Peptide Serum is brimming with niacinamide, vitamin C, and antioxidants. 

To lock in hydration, use hyaluronic acid-infused moisturisers, like our Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide. Hyaluronic acid draws moisture into the skin and helps improve hydration levels, leaving your skin feeling comfortable, plump, and soft. 

3. Protect with daily SPF

The single most important step in any beginner skincare routine is SPF. No ifs, buts, or negotiations – sunscreen is a must.

Sun protection helps prevent UVA/UVB damage, supports long-term skin health, and maintains results from any targeted products you’re using.

Haircare for beginners: what your hair actually needs

Just like skin, your hair and scalp thrive when the basics are done well. A beginner hair care routine doesn’t need to follow the latest trends and change every month; it simply needs to support your scalp, nourish your lengths, and protect against daily stressors.

1. Cleanse the scalp without overstripping

Your scalp is still skin, which means it needs gentle care. Look for shampoos with mild cleansers and supportive botanical extracts. How often you need to wash your hair depends on your hair texture, oil levels, lifestyle, and product use. There’s no single ‘right’ answer, only what works for you. 

A shampoo crème is an ideal starting point for beginners because it cleanses the scalp effectively without disrupting its natural oils. Its thicker, creamier texture means you get a more controlled, gentle cleanse compared to traditional liquid shampoos, which can sometimes feel too harsh if you’re just beginning to understand your hair’s needs.

Our rosemary oil-infused Shampoo Crème lifts away product build-up, sweat and pollutants while keeping both your scalp and strands comfortable – we’re talking no squeaky, tight feeling afterwards. 

Because the formula is more concentrated, you also use less each wash, making it a naturally more sustainable choice for anyone building a simple, effective routine. It’s a balanced way to start cleansing: enough to refresh, never so much that it leaves the scalp stressed.

How to use

To start, wet your hair, wash and massage the product into your scalp. Rinse well and repeat. We recommend using only approximately a blueberry-sized amount per wash, depending on your hair length.

Bonus tip: When washing their hair, most people don’t spend enough time wetting their hair and scalp before applying the product. If you take at least one to two minutes to ensure that your hair is really wet (time for a scalp massage break), then the product will be more effective and create a better lather. 

2. Condition your strands

Sometimes, beginners misunderstand conditioner as an optional extra, but it’s actually a core step in keeping hair healthy and manageable. After cleansing, your strands need some support. While cleansing lifts impurities from the scalp, it can also leave the lengths more vulnerable to dryness and friction. Conditioner steps in to rebalance, soften and protect.

Our Conditioner Crème is a highly nourishing but still lightweight formula that helps soften, smooth, and strengthen hair without weighing it down. Formulated with upcycled orange peel wax, coconut oil, bamboo extract, and rosemary oil, it helps replenish moisture, improve elasticity and reduce breakage from the very first use. It is suitable for all hair types, including fine, curly and colour-treated hair.

How to use

After shampooing, take a small amount of product and warm it between your palms. Apply to the ends of your hair and leave on for around three to five minutes before rinsing off with warm water.

3. Add one targeted treatment

Just like skincare, beginner haircare works best when you keep treatments focused, without layering products for the sake of it.

A lightweight hair oil or serum can be a game-changer – especially when used sparingly and consistently. Find out the difference between Hair Serum and Scalp + Hair Oil on our blog to help you choose which is best for your needs. 

Top tip: Scalp + Hair Oil should be used pre-wash, whereas a Hair Serum is for post-washed hair. 

Building supportive daily habits

Tiny habits can create big changes for how healthy your hair is:

• Use a microfibre towel to reduce breakage
• Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase
• Avoid brushing when wet (unless using a wide-tooth comb)
• Limit heat and always use heat protection when styling

Start where you are

Everyone begins somewhere. Whether you're building skincare for beginners with no experience at all, exploring haircare for the first time, or refreshing old routines, the most important part is consistency. 

Small, intentional steps add up. Remember: the best routines are the ones that make you feel good, support your skin and hair, and show care for the planet.

Discover our full collection of skincare and haircare at UpCircle.