A skincare routine that fits into five minutes
You do not need ten steps. Three products used consistently do more than a full shelf used now and then.
The best routine is not the most complete one, it is the one you actually do every day. Three steps are enough for most people, and consistency does more than any miracle ingredient.
In the morning
Cleanse gently, moisturise, protect from the sun. Sun protection is the one item on this list that dermatologists repeat regardless of age, skin type or season. It matters in winter and on cloudy days too.
In the evening
Remove make-up and whatever the day left behind, then moisturise. If you use an active product, the evening is the right moment, because the skin is not exposed to sunlight straight afterwards.
How long before anything shows
Hydration is noticeable within days. Texture and evenness change over four to eight weeks, because that is how long a full cell renewal cycle takes. Change products faster than that and you never find out whether they were working.
Add one new product at a time, a few weeks apart. Otherwise, when a reaction appears, you have no way of knowing which product caused it.