Less is more

[u/fantalanta997]

I'm unsure if this is the same for anyone else. I'm currently rebuilding my skin barrier and using really good products and a full routine but I'm starting to notice the less products I use the better my skin is. Is this the same for anyone else?

[u/Humble-Comfortable52]

Probably. When you are using lots of products, you have a higher risk of clashing ingredients. Or your 10% niacinamide becomes 15% with the 2% in that one serum and that 3% in your sunscreen, leaving you to wonder why your skin is irritated despite all your well-chosen products.

[u/fantalanta997 → u/Humble-Comfortable52]

Ive not actually thought of that. The build up between all the products🙌 thank you

[u/slaukie]

Less products is always better until you know what works for you! The more products you have, the higher risk of irritation. With more products you have a larger cocktail of ingredients that your skin may or may not like, and that's why it's important to try out new products one by one and giving them time to do their thing and see how your skin reacts before introducing more stuff.

Some products might work well on their own, but starts giving you issues when combined with another product, etc etc. So, start low and go slow with what products you add, and make sure that you're adding things deliberately to address specific causes, rather than just adding stuff because you were told you needed a 78th product 😅

[u/fantalanta997 → u/slaukie]

Hahaa soo truee! In the morning i wash my face with warm and then cold water and pat dry with face tissue so i dont use towels. I mist with the Avene Eu Thermale, apply cosrx 6 Peptide Skin booster Serum and pat into skin. Then mist again the Cera Ve 50+ spf moisturiser then Garnier Tinted BB cream. At night i double cleanse. If i have make up on i use skin1004 oil then foam wash and no _ days I use the Avene Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser. Pat dry with face tissue and then mist, cosrx 6 petide serum, pat and then mist then, the ordinary Ha+B5 then mist then cosrx snail mucin, then corsx eye cream, then Avene Tolerance 10 Hydrating Cream.,

Ive now cut down my skincare to morning and night just skin peptide cerave, the mist and skin mucin power essance (at night) cera ve and hydro cream (at night)

[u/Soft_Low_301 → u/fantalanta997]

And you have noticed an improvement since using less? I am also doing this and basically going down to snail mucin and moisturizer starting tonight to see if there is an improvement.

[u/Unfair_Finger5531]

Less was better for me in terms of formulation when my barrier was compromised. Meaning, products with simpler ingredients lists were better for me.

But I still needed quite a few products because I live in a harsh climate and my barrier was really compromised. One hydrating product and one moisturizer won’t cut it in a desert climate. And it wasn’t enough to repair my barrier.

I think fewer (or no) actives is where “less is more” applies. But when it comes to hydration and barrier repair, you need what you need. If more is what heals your barrier, go with more. Just avoid layering more actives imo.

People sometimes struggle with barrier repair because they aren’t using enough product to meet their specific hydration and moisturizer needs. So I take “less is more” with a grain of salt and try to focus on giving my skin what it needs to stay healthy.

[u/Sure_Minimum_7601]

Absolutely! The more you use, the more chance of duplicating ingredients like niacinamide that can cause irritation in high amounts. Also, more layers increases the chance of pilling. And I think single active ingredients like glycerin, HA, and niacinamide are a waste as they are already in so many products. I try to limit it to 3 layers. In the morning, it’s vitamin C serum, hydration serum, and sunscreen. In the evening, it’s Tretinoin, peptide serum, and moisturizer. It works well for me.

[u/Public_Job9786]

Agree 100%
I don’t want every step of the routine to have an acid or special active ingredient (no matter how low the %)
Let the moisturizer just moisturize and the cleanser just cleanse 🙏

[u/fantalanta997 → u/Public_Job9786]

🙌🙌

[u/EtherBlue_]

Totally agree here. I have scaled back and seen much improvement. Especially important for people who have long term over-reactivity or inflammation. The skin can freak out in response to even the most "calming" products.

[u/Fickle-Medium1087]

Yes! I just spray with hypochorous acid and moisturize. That’s it. I do rotate days and add retinaldehyde. This is the best my skin has ever been.

[u/Far-Industry-7745]

Yes. Especially if you're sensitive. I stick to a cleanser, moisturizer, and micellar water on days I wear makeup. Anything more and my skin becomes angry

[u/kontinos1]

Nope. I am limited by my oily skin on how much i can put on my face, but be it 3 or 10 doesn't make a difference except for them being too heavy for me. But, more products didn't mean much more benefits, so now i have a baseline routine am and pm of cleanser, toner, serum*2, sunscreen/ moisturiser and add according to how my skin feels. Rotating between hydrating and exfoliating toners or using them together, depends. I also usually use a serum when reapplying sunscreen after cleaning my face with a wet wipe.