#Ask The Team: How Many Products Makes The Perfect Skincare Routine?

When it comes to building a skincare routine, one question seems to reign supreme: how many products do you really need? Is a 10-step process really the secret to glowing skin? Or, can you get away with a few well-chosen essentials? If so, which ones should you be prioritising?

Here’s what a dermatologist had to say about getting your perfect skincare routine sorted. Plus, we reveal the regimes that work for the TTG team (from minimalist to supercharged) to give you some all-important inspiration.

What makes up a skincare routine?

Your skincare routine can be influenced by many things – not least, your budget, skin type, concerns and general preferences such as how long you want to spend applying it! A minimalist routine can range from simply washing your face (with water or soap) to up to about three products, with a cleanser to remove dirt, a moisturiser to hydrate your skin and an SPF for daytime protection. Then, you have your more comprehensive regimes that can extend anywhere from five to 10 products. For example, you may be familiar with the Korean 10-step skincare routine, where multiple cleansers, essences, serums and moisturisers are used to achieve a ‘glass skin’ finish.

Often people find themselves somewhere in the middle.

How many products are recommended?

Despite what social media might suggest, (the online world does tend to promote routines that seem miles long), most dermatologists recommend a three to four product-based routine.

‘A basic skincare routine should include a cleanser, a moisturiser, an SPF and ideally just a single treatment that helps you meet your skincare goals,’ says the consultant dermatologist and KLIRA medical director Dr Cristina Psomadakis. ‘Sometimes people overdo it, using a variety of different things to achieve results… but minimal routines do work for most people; it is just about finding the right products.’

Most importantly though, you need a structured routine, designed to be used consistently for the best results, rather than a constant chopping and changing of products. ‘I would say that if you are not achieving results, don’t just throw more and more ingredients at your skin,’ says Dr Psomadakis. ‘Chances are it’s not that you aren’t using enough things; you just aren’t using the rights things, and sometimes you need some professional advice to help guide you.’ (You can find some other great dermatologists on our practitioner finder).

How many products do the TTG team use?

Needing some more inspiration for building your own skincare routine? Here’s the regimes that the TTG team use, covering your minimalist, moderate and full-whack options.

The minimalist: Georgia Milligan, team assistant

Our team assistant has stripped her routine way back recently, so it’s really manageable and simple to do morning and night. If you always feel a little bit overwhelmed when it comes to skincare, this is the place to start.

AM:

• Cleanser
• Moisturiser
• SPF

• Double cleanse to remove makeup: oil-based cleanser and then foam cleanser
• Moisturiser
• Retinol (occasionally)
• Eye cream