Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Step 1 · morning and nightThe default first product. Cleans without stripping, and leaves ceramides behind instead of taking them away.

Photo: Open Beauty Facts, CC BY-SA 3.0
Same job as a cream, much lighter feel. The answer if moisturiser has always made your face look greasy.
Same job as any moisturiser, thinner texture. Worth having if a cream leaves you shiny by mid morning, because that shine is usually the reason people quit moisturising altogether. Skipping it is rarely the fix: skin that is dried out tends to feel tight and can end up more irritated, and irritated skin is harder to manage than oily skin. Despite the name it works fine in the morning too, it is just light enough that it was aimed at night use.
In a cold winter or on genuinely dry skin this will not be enough alone. It is the lighter option, not the stronger one.
On damp skin, twice a day. It absorbs fast, so give it a minute before sunscreen goes on top in the morning.
Water based with ceramides and niacinamide, no added oils. The light feel comes from what has been left out.
The default first product. Cleans without stripping, and leaves ceramides behind instead of taking them away.
The same idea as the hydrating one, but it actually foams. For skin that looks shiny by midday.
A widely recommended everyday moisturiser. Boring, cheap, and the step most men skip.
The one active worth adding early if your skin is oily or you get blocked pores. Not daily. Not at the start.