What it is
A facial routine has three non-negotiable parts — cleanse, moisturise and protect from the sun in the morning — and, at most, one or two actives chosen for that skin's specific problem. Everything else is optional, and every product added is one more chance to irritate.
At the counter the job is not to sell a six-step routine: it is to find out what skin the person has and what bothers them, suggest the minimum that solves it, and recognise when what they bring is not a cosmetic problem but something a doctor needs to see.
Three questions before suggesting a routine
In this order:
- WHAT REALLY BOTHERS THEM? Shine, tightness, redness, spots or pigmentation. A routine that does not tackle what bothers them will not be kept up.
- WHAT DO THEY ALREADY USE? Many "sensitive" skins are skins irritated by too many products or by actives that add up (acids plus retinol plus scrub).
- IS THERE ANYTHING TO REFER? Acne with nodules or scarring, persistent redness with bumps, a changing mark, a lesion that does not heal. A cream does not treat that.
At the counter
When to recommend it
- Suggest a short, explained routine, with the reason for each step
- Match the texture to the skin type: gel or fluid for oily skin, cream for dry skin
- Introduce actives one at a time, building up how often they are used
- Remind them about daily sun protection, in winter and on cloudy days too
When not to
- Treating moderate or severe acne, or rosacea, with cosmetics without a doctor seeing it
- Combining retinol and exfoliating acids on the same night when starting out
- Recommending retinoids during pregnancy or when trying to conceive
- Handling at the counter a mark that changes shape, size or colour, or a lesion that does not heal
Warnings
- Important A mark that changes shape, size or colour, bleeds or does not heal does not belong at the counter: refer to a doctor.
- Important Topical retinoids (retinol included): avoid in pregnancy and when trying to conceive, as a precaution.
- Caution Stacking irritating actives (retinol, exfoliating acids, benzoyl peroxide) is the most common cause of "sensitive skin" at the counter.
- Caution Chemical exfoliants and retinol increase sun sensitivity: daily sun protection is not optional while using them.
- Worth knowing More steps is not better: a three-step routine that is followed beats an eight-step one that is abandoned.
The basic structure
- Morning: a gentle cleanser, a moisturiser suited to the skin type and a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
- Evening: remove sunscreen and make-up properly, then apply the chosen active, if any.
- Introduce one new active at a time, starting two or three nights a week, so that if something irritates you know what it was.
- Allow time: most actives need four to twelve weeks before you can judge whether they work.
Minimal routine vs many-step routine
| Aspect | Minimal routine | Many-step routine |
|---|---|---|
| Adherence | High | Low: it gets dropped |
| Risk of irritation | Low | Higher, from stacked actives |
| Knowing what works | Easy: few products | Hard: no way to tell which |
| Cost | Contained | High |
| When it makes sense | To start, almost always | Skin already used to actives, with a clear goal |
Start with the minimum and add one thing at a time. A long routine is a destination, not a starting point.
Self-assessment
Three questions. When you check your answers you will see the explanation for each one.
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They are the base. Actives are added afterwards, depending on the specific problem.
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That way the skin adjusts and, if something irritates, you know what caused it.
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A changing mark is a referral criterion, not a cosmetic problem.
Training content. It does not replace the summary of product characteristics or clinical judgement.