The Skincare Routines I Tried so You Do Not Have To
Eight years as a beauty editor. The honest list of what is worth your money.
I have tested probably three thousand skincare products over the last decade. Most of them do not matter. A few of them really do. Here is the short list, with no affiliate links, of the products I have personally repurchased at least three times.
Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. Boring, cheap, available everywhere. The fancy cleansers I have tried have not outperformed it. Cleanser is the part of the routine where spending more is the worst-value decision in skincare.
Serum
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. Six dollars, works as advertised. If you can only buy one serum, buy this one.
Moisturizer
This is the place where individual skin types diverge sharply, so I can only tell you what works for me (combination, slightly dehydrated, mid-30s). Cetaphil Daily Moisturizing Lotion in summer, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair in winter. Both under thirty dollars.
Sunscreen
The single most important step in the entire routine. Find one you actually like the feel of and will reapply. Anessa Perfect UV (Japanese) is the best I have used. La Roche-Posay Anthelios is the best widely available in the West.
What I Do Not Bother With Anymore
Toners. Essences. Eye creams. Sheet masks (occasionally fun, never load-bearing). Anything sold on Instagram.
Skincare is not magic. It is sun protection plus a couple of well-formulated workhorses. The rest is theater.
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