A basic skincare routine that works

Most of the skin we see in clinic does not need more products. It needs fewer, used consistently, for long enough to tell. This is the routine we describe most often, with no product names in it, because the names are the least important part.

The routine

• Cleanse once in the morning, and properly at night.
• Use a moisturiser that supports the barrier.
• Use a broad-spectrum sun protection every day, including indoors and in winter.

That is the whole of it. Everything else is an addition to a routine that already has to be working before the addition can be judged.

Why sun protection is daily

Daylight through a window is enough to keep pigmentation active. That is why the advice is every day rather than sunny days, and indoors as well as out. If you are treating pigmentation and skipping protection on grey days, you are treating and undoing in the same week.

Exfoliation

Do not exfoliate daily. It is one of the more common causes of dull, irritated skin that we see. The logic that leads people there is reasonable enough, that removing the surface reveals better skin underneath, but the surface is doing a job and skin that is constantly stripped often produces more oil in response. The result is the opposite of the one intended.

Stinging

A product that stings is usually a sign that the barrier is damaged, rather than a sign that the product is strong. Stinging is a signal to act on. It generally means stopping the actives for a while and going back to cleansing, moisturiser and sun protection until the skin is comfortable again.

Adding actives

Introduce one active at a time, and give the skin a few weeks before judging it. Two new products started in the same week cannot be told apart later. If something goes wrong you will not know which one to stop, and if something goes right you will not know which one to keep.

How long to give it

Skin turns over roughly every four weeks. That is why plans are reviewed at four to six weeks rather than judged after one visit. A fortnight is not a verdict. It is usually just the point at which the skin has finished reacting to the change and started responding to it.

One thing that is not cosmetic

Any mark that is changing, bleeding or itching needs a GP's opinion before cosmetic treatment. This is not a caution written for the sake of it. It is the one item on this page that should move ahead of everything else, and it does not wait for a skincare plan.

Where a plan comes from

A consultation is where we write a plan for the next 90 days: what to use, in what order, what to stop, and when to review it. If you have a shelf of products and no order to put them in, that is the appointment to book.

General information only. What suits your skin is decided in person, at a consultation.