The four anchors
- A gentle cleanser matched to your skin type.
- A moisturizer with ceramides or comparable barrier lipids.
- Broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF 30+, used every morning.
- A retinoid at the strength you can tolerate, used at night.
That is 80% of what skincare can do for most adults. Everything else is fine-tuning.
The order of operations
- Week 1–2: cleanser + moisturizer + SPF only. Pay attention to how your skin feels.
- Week 3: add a niacinamide serum or vitamin C in the morning.
- Week 5: introduce a retinoid 2 nights/week. Build to every other night by week 12.
- Month 4: add one more targeted active (azelaic, salicylic, peptide), based on what's left to solve.
How to layer
- Thinnest to thickest.
- Water-based → oil-based → occlusive.
- Wait 30–60 seconds between layers if you have time; not essential.
- Sunscreen is always last, before makeup.
What not to do
- Start three actives in the same week.
- Switch brands every six weeks. Routines need months to show results.
- Buy a $200 cream while skipping SPF.
- Trust the influencer's "everything routine." They got paid to use 14 products. You don't.
Knowing when to stop
- Six products is a complete routine for most adults.
- If you can't tell what each product is doing, you have too many.
- If your skin stings after applying anything, simplify until it doesn't.