The 3 skin care products you actually need.
And the 3 you don’t.

A quick disclaimer: I work in the skincare industry. I’m lucky enough to get to play and develop products, and a lot of what I do revolves around researching the skin, and trends in skincare. Fact vs Fiction, if you will. Below, I’m going to lay out the facts, as I’ve come to understand them. I’m no expert, but I’m slowly getting there.
I know I’m not the only one who’s been trapped by a pushy sales person to purchase a product that promised to change my skin forever and ever (amen). How many products do you have, gathering dust in the back of your bathroom cabinet, squeezed to the relegation zone next to the charcoal mask and salt lip scrub? I’d say I’ve hoarded at least 20. Well, I used to.
Now it’s simpler. I buy what I need, and occasionally will splurge on a less essential item. I’ve found that reminding myself about what the skin needs cuts me short when I’m about to splurge on a skincare gimmick and I can hear my credit card start hyperventilate. Let me share these essentials with you. Feel free to share them with your partner and your friends.
What your skin needs:
- A good facial cleanser.
Why do I need a cleanser? A good cleanser won’t strip the skin, leaving it feeling tight, but will balance out what we refer to as the ‘acid mantle’. We’re really just talking about respecting the barrier that your skin forms to protect you, and cleansing it clear off pollutants, toxins, excessive sweat and sebum.
What’s good? Look out for a cleanser that mentions that it’s sitting at around pH 5.5. Some products could refer to this as ‘pH balanced’, but look out for ‘pH neutral’ — for any non-scientists out there, neutral pH is 1.5 units above the pH of the skin. Don’t go above pH 5.5 if you can help it. For that reason, it’s best to steer clear of bar soaps (no matter how lovely they smell!) because their pH value sits way above that of your skin, and by exposing it to higher pH values, you’re really just putting your skin under stress.
What should my cleanser contain? Some kind of acid would be ideal, as it would gently exfoliate the skin. Look for glycolic or salicylic acid, and possibly lactic acid if your skin is more sensitive.
What should my cleanser not contain? Avoid cleansers that contain sodium chloride (aka table salt) as it could dry the skin out. The biggest culprit in skin irritation is sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate (SLES or SLS), so don’t buy a cleanser containing either of these. A preservative called methylisothiazolinone (MIT) should also be avoided. Lastly, as tempting as it is, your cleanser shouldn’t contain fragrance/parfum. It’s likely that if you think your skin is sensitive, this could be significantly reduced by cutting out products that contain essential oils and fragrances, as these are known to irritate the skin. Lastly, any cleanser that claims to be antibacterial or antiseptic should be treated with utter disdain and walked-on by. [Please. Your facial skin is not performing open-heart surgery on anyone. Respect the balance of your skin.]
2. Sunscreen with a SPF 20 and broad spectrum protection.
There’s not much here to explain: sunscreen protects your skin from harmful UV radiation which causes a certain panic in the skin, causing serious damage. Sunscreen slows down your skin’s aging mechanisms and it brightens and evens-out your complexion. An SPF value of 20 is recommended simply because then you need to reapply less frequently. High-energy visible light (HEV) and infrared (IR) protection are great features, but the basics of UVB/UVA (‘broad spectrum’) should be the minimum.
“But sunscreen feels gross!” Well no, it doesn’t have to. That’s like tasting a strong blue cheese and declaring over all the cheese-lands: ‘You all taste like a horse’s hoof!’ Product developers have created all sorts of lightweight, fluid sunscreens that mattify the skin. You even get gels and powders on the market. It’s worth it to spend some time, and possibly a little extra money, find a sunscreen you enjoy wearing, because sun protection is the best way to ensure your skin looks healthier for longer. You’re going to have your skin forever, be kind to it!

3. A lotion/serum/moisturizer that contains antioxidants.
You could wear this product at night, after you’ve had your shower and you see no need to wear sunscreen (no, moon burn is not a thing). The point of this product is to replenish and repair the skin from all the extremes you’ve put it through: air conditioners, that smoker at lunch and the sweaty gym session and sauna. Antioxidants really are hero-ingredients that soothe the skin and stop all the free-radical-bad-guys from causing permanent cell damage.
Which antioxidants should I look out for? Try buy a product that contains a combination: vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol (aka Vitamin A), resveratrol, pomegranate extract, green tea extract — there are quite a few. Give some thought to the packaging: as cute as dripper bottles are, the contents in that serum/oil were oxidized by air before you even bought the product. Stick with products that have closed pump systems; where no air or light can get in. That way, you know the antioxidants are protected and are still ‘active’ when you apply them. I’m a big fan of Vitamin C because it’s known to have multiple benefits, I’m a minimalist like that.
Should I get a cream? Serum? Oil? It really doesn’t matter. Decide what texture you like, and suss out how your skin responds. If your skin is dry, you’ll be better off with a richer cream to ‘feed’ the skin. If you’re a fan of lightweight textures, try a serum. Then make a habit out of using it.
What your skin doesn’t need:
- Toner.
That’s so 80’s of you. If you follow Point 1 above, you won’t need a toner because you would have cleansed sufficiently and restored the pH balance of your skin in one step.
2. Neck Cream.
Ahem... Any therapist will tell you that your neck is part of your face (when she’s not making a product pitch). That’s why your ‘facial’ at your beauty salon goes down to your décolleté. The same rule applies with your products at home: apply your facial serum or moisturizer to your neck and chest too.
3. Anything that says it contains collagen.
Collagen is terribly trendy in skin care at the moment. The truth is though, that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that applying collagen ON to your skin will increase the amount of collagen IN the skin. The reason is because collagen doesn’t have the right chemical characteristics to penetrate into the skin. Don’t let anyone try to convince you about ‘fractionated’ or any kind of other ‘insert fancy sounding sciencey word here’-collagen. I call BS. It’s not going to happen.

So by all means, buy your holiday season Lush bath-bomb, and your 18k gold eye slices from an online Korean retailer. Play around with LED lights, and charcoal masks.
But keep the basics in place. By keeping a simple routine, that supports the skin’s basic needs, you’re going to end up building a trust relationship with your largest organ. Hell hath no fury like a skin scorned.

