*This* is the foolproof, 3-step skin-care routine you should be using if you’re a millennial

As you enter your mid-20s and early 30s, skin-care convos with your besties run the gamut from dealing with annoyingly lingering breakouts to wondering if those microscopic lines around your eyes (that were so not there yesterday) are there to stay.

But if you’re feeling a little lost about which products to use (too grown up for anti-acne products but not quite ready to commit to retinol), Ani Hadjinian, general manager at EVER, and her women-run team of skin-care experts understand where you’re at.

“We were hearing that daughters, co-workers, and other women in our specialists’ communities where the age range is 40+ were asking about clean skin care that wasn’t necessarily focused on anti-aging,” Hadjinian says. And so EVER’s Pretty Young Trio was born to fulfill a need for clean basics (AKA high-quality cleansers, hydrators, and SPF) for the 18-to-30 set.

“Daughters, co-workers, and other women…were asking about clean skincare that wasn’t necessarily focused on anti-aging.”

The Pretty Young Trio (PYT) system stands as the first three-step skin-care routine designed specifically for millennial women to set them up to keep their skin healthy for years. “The trio addresses the three baseline habits that lead to healthy happy skin: cleanse, hydrate, and protect,” says Julie Shown, VP of product development at EVER.

You know you’re not alone in your confusion because of the resounding “same here” texts, so we tapped Shown to give us the down-low exactly how to tailor your a.m. and p.m. routine to your millennial skin.

Keep scrolling for expert tips on caring for millennial skin, and the ingredients you should be using to boost your complexion.

Why millennials need age-specific skin care

The time to start using products to retain your dewy glow is long before your first fine lines make their appearance. So before you start worrying about dry skin and sun damage, Shown recommends making two key elements a part of your daily skin-care routine.

“There are two components [to the most common skin issues women in their 20s and 30s face],” Shown explains. “One is education that cleansing, hydrating and UVA/UVB protection is necessary for the near and long term health of their skin. The second issue is quality.”

Stepping up the quality of your skin care is one of the most important steps you can take to support your skin’s health at this stage. She recommends nixing your generic micellar water (many of which contain silicone, parabens, and sulfates) in favor of a cleaner cleanser. “Replace the silicone and sulfates with ingredients that truly nourish and replenish your skin as they cleanse,” she says.

Next, stop considering sunscreen optional. “Believe it or not, it’s incredibly hard to convince people to wear SPF every day, and not just beach days,” Shown says. “The CDC has statistics that show that SPF usage rates go up after the teen years, but that 25 percent of women 24 and older never use sunscreen, so you can imagine that the number who use it everyday is much lower.” Point taken.

The clean ingredients to use instead

The solution to weeding out the products that aren’t doing your skin any favors? Go for a less-is-more approach with a system designed to deliver exactly the right nutrients to your skin—without requiring a 10-step beauty routine or any questionable additives.

Here’s the PYT sitch: In the morning, start off with your no-nonsense cleanser (the Beauty Water Make-Up Removing Cleanser), then moisturize with the Glowtion Brightening Gel. Finish with the Canvas Primer SPF 30 that primes and protects. At night, cleanse and moisturize as usual and skip the SPF. Easy.

The three-piece system relies on superfoods you’d toss in a smoothie to boost hydration and reveal more radiant skin. While you cleanse, hydrate, and brighten your complexion, the combo of turmeric, watermelon, and probiotics get to work reducing dullness and increasing moisture.

And no matter what your current skin situation is, the trio will act as a nourishing baseline. “I recommend using PYT as a core regimen,” Shown says, “but we encourage mixing and layering.” So if you have acne-prone skin, you can still use your go-to zit-zapping overnight treatments with the system, and if dry skin is your main issue, feel free to layer a hydrating night cream on top of the brightening gel.

The empowering opportunity that’s waiting for you

Since you’re constantly recommending the best clean beauty products to your friends anyway, you might as well turn that knowledge into a side hustle.  With EVER, you can make extra cash by becoming an Independent Specialist. Not only do you earn a commission on every item you sell, you also have access to an uplifting community of fellow specialists and a personal coach to help you succeed.

And you never have to be stuck in an office. You can make your own schedule as flexible as you need it to be (hey, lunchtime spin classes), spread the word about made-for-women-by-women skin care, and build a nest egg at the same time. Further proof that millennials can do it all.

In partnership with EVER

Photos: EVER