I don’t start a skincare routine by asking what products you want. 

And I definitely don’t start by asking: “what’s trending right now?” 

I start with the skin. 

What is it doing? 

What isn’t it doing well? 

What is already working? 

What can this skin realistically tolerate? 

And probably one of the most overlooked questions… 

What does this person actually have the capacity to do consistently? 

Because I can build the most clinically beautiful 12-step routine in the world. 

If you hate doing it? It’s a bad routine. 

I can also build an incredibly gentle routine that protects the barrier beautifully. But if we’re trying to treat significant acne and never actually address the biology creating the acne? 

That’s also a bad routine. 

Good skincare exists somewhere between those extremes. 

My goal isn’t to put as many “good ingredients” onto your face as possible. 

And it isn't to make your routine so gentle that we’re afraid to create change. 

It’s to understand the skin well enough to know: 

What should we support? 

What should we change? 

And how much can we ask the skin to do at one time? 

That’s how I build routines. 

Let’s get into it. 

First things first: I don’t treat a “skin type.” 

This is probably the biggest place my routine strategy differs from the way skincare is commonly sold. 

You take a quiz. 

Dry. 

Oily. 

Combination. 

Sensitive. 

Acne-prone. 

Then you’re handed a routine. 

But those labels tell me very little on their own. 

Someone can have oily skin and be dehydrated. 

Someone can have acne and an impaired barrier. 

Someone can have dry skin that’s incredibly resilient. 

Someone can be oily, sensitive, acne-prone, pigmented, and concerned about aging simultaneously. 

And skin changes. 

Season. 

Climate. 

Hormones. 

Medications. 

Stress. 

Procedures. 

Age. 

Routine. 

Environment. 

All of these can change what I’m seeing. 

So instead of asking: 

“What skin type are you?” 

I’m much more interested in: 

“What is your skin doing right now?” 

Step one: understand the skin in front of me. 

Before I decide what someone needs, I want information. 

A lot of it. 

I’m looking at things like: 

• Oil production 

• Hydration 

• Barrier function 

• Sensitivity and reactivity 

• Acne and congestion 

• Inflammation 

• Pigmentation 

• Texture 

• Signs of photodamage 

• Current medications 

• Current skincare 

• Previous reactions 

• Professional treatments 

• Environment and climate 

• Lifestyle factors 

• Hormonal patterns when relevant 

• Primary concerns 

• Long-term goals 

And sometimes the most useful information comes from something the person doesn’t even realize matters. 

“My face gets incredibly oily, so I cleanse three times a day.” 

Okay. 

Now we’re having a different conversion. 

Or: 

“My skin is sensitive to everything.” 

Then I look at the routine and they’re using tretinoin, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and an exfoliating toner. 

Maybe your skin isn’t inherently incapable of tolerating skincare. Maybe we’re asking too much of it. 

This is why context comes before products. 

Step two: define what we’re actually trying to accomplish. 

This sounds obvious. It isn’t. 

People will tell me: 

“I want better skin.” 

Okay… 

What does better mean? 

Fewer acne lesions? 

Less congestion? 

Improved hydration? 

More even pigmentation? 

Reduced sensitivity? 

Improved texture? 

Healthy aging? 

Better tolerance before a laser series? 

Because different goals require different strategies. 

And if someone has six concerns, I’m not necessarily going after all six with equal aggression on day one. 

I prioritize. 

Sometimes treating acne also improves pigmentation because we’re preventing the inflammation creating new pigment. 

Sometimes improving barrier function makes the skin more tolerant of the treatment we actually need later. 

Sometimes sunscreen is one of the most important pigmentation interventions in the entire routine. 

Good routine building involves understanding which domino should fall first. 

Step three: protect normal skin function. 

This is where my barrier philosophy enters the conversation. 

But I want to make something very clear. 

I am not afraid of active ingredients. 

I’m not trying to keep skin in a permanent bubble where nothing stimulating ever touches it. 

We use retinoids. 

Acids. 

Bexoyl peroxide. 

Azelaic acid. 

Pigment-modulating ingredients. 

Professional treatments. 

Lasers. 

Controlled injury is literally part of aesthetics. 

But I want to create change while preserving as much healthy skin function as reasonably possible. 

Your stratum corneum matters. 

Your intercellular lipids matter. 

Hydration matters. 

Natural Moisturizing Factor matters. 

Your acid mantle matters. 

Your microbiome matters. 

So if the routine designed to treat  one problem causes three new ones? 

I don’t consider that a good strategy. 

Barrier-first doesn't always mean barrier-only. 

This distinction is incredibly important to me. 

The internet has moved from ignoring the skin barrier… to blaming absolutely everything on it. 

Acne? Barrier. 

Redness? Barrier. 

Texture? Barrier. 

Pigmentation? Barrier. 

Sometimes that’s appropriate. 

Sometimes it isn’t. 

If someone has significant barrier impairment, yes—we may need to stabilize the skin before introducing more aggressive treatment. 

But if someone has a healthy barrier and persistent acne? I’m going to treat the acne. 

Supporting skin function and correcting pathology can happen simultaneously. 

The barrier is the foundation. It isn’t the entire house. 

Then I build the foundation of the routine. 

Before we get into exciting treatments, I want to get the basics handled. 

For most people, that means thinking about some version of: 

Cleansing. 

Hydration and/or moisturization. 

Protection. 

And then we build treatment around those. 

Notice I didn’t say everyone needs the exact same cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and SPF. 

The foundation itself is individualized. 

Someone wearing heavy makeup and water-resistant sunscreen maye benefit from a thoughtful double cleanse. 

Someone with extremely dry, reactive skin may not need an aggressive morning cleanse. 

Someone living in a very dry environment may need more support against water loss. 

Someone with significant sebaceous activity may prefer entirely different vehicles. 

The category can stay the same. 

The formulation changes. 

Cleansing should accomplish something - not prove how clean you are. 

The purpose of cleansing is to remove what we want removed. 

Excess sebum. 

Makeup. 

Sunscreen. 

Environmental debris. 

Product residue. 

But I’m not trying to strip every lipid off of the surface of your skin. 

That tight, squeaky feeling after cleansing? 

I don’t use that as evidence that your face is finally clean enough. 

The cleanser should match the skin and what needs to be removed. 

And yes, sometimes I like double cleansing—particulalry when someone wears makeup or substantial sunscreen. 

The first cleanse removes the day, the second actually does the cleansing. 

But even that isn’t an excuse to attack the skin twice, both steps need purpose. 

Hydration and moisturization are not interchangeable. 

This is something I pay a lot of attention to. 

Hydration is largely about water content. 

Moisturization is broader and may involve humectants, emollients, lipids, and occlusion to support hydration and reduce water loss. 

Someone can be oily and dehydrated. 

Someone can be dry and dehydrated. 

Someone may need a lightweight humectant-rich formulation. 

Someone else may need substantially lipid and occlusive support. 

This is why: 

“Use this moisturizer. It’s amazing.” 

Doesn't tell me much. 

Amazing for whom? 

In what climate? 

Alongside what treatments? 

On what skin? 

And then: sunscreen. 

This is probably the least glamorous answer and one of if not the MOST important. 

There is zero point in investing into your skin, skincare, products, treatments if you are not wearing sunscreen every single day. 

If we're treating: 

Pigmentation. 

Photoaging. 

Inflammation. 

Post-acne marks. 

Collagen degradation. 

Or simply trying to maintain long-term skin health… 

UV exposure MATTERS. 

So I can build you an incredible nighttime routine. 

But if we’re aggressively correcting photodamage while accumulating significant unprotected UV exposure every day? We’re working against ourselves. 

Sunscreen isn’t the fun extra at the end. 

It’s part of the treatment strategy. 

Now we earn the right to add actives.

This is where routines become interesting. 

I don’t add an ingredient because it’s “good.” 

I add it because it has a job. 

Retinoid? 

Why? 

Acne? 

Photoaging? 

Keratinization? 

Texture? 

Azelaic acid? 

Why? 

Acne? 

Inflammation? 

Pigmentation? 

Vitamin C? 

Why? 

Antioxidant support? 

Photodamage? 

Pigmentation strategy? 

Salicylic acid? 

Why? 

Follicular congestion? 

Sebaceous skin? 

Every active should answer: 

What problem am I solving with you?

If I can’t answer that clearly, I’m questioning why it’s in the routine. 

I don’t collect actives. 

This is one of the biggest problems I see with modern skincare. 

Someone hears: 

Retinol is good. 

Vitamin C is good. 

Niacinamide is good. 

Glycolic acid is good. 

Peptides are good. 

Azelaic acid is good. 

So naturally… They buy all of them. 

And now their skincare routine looks like a chemistry final. 

Individual ingredients can have fantastic evidence behind them. That doesn't mean putting all of them on the same face simultaneously creates a better outcome. 

Sometimes ingredients overlap. 

Sometimes formulations already contain multiple actives. 

Sometimes we’re increasing efficiency. 

A routine is a system. 

Not a collection. 

Stronger is not automatically smarter. 

I talk about this constantly because skincare marketing loves numbers. 

20%.

10%.

0.1%. 

Maximum strength. 

Clinical strength. 

Extra strength. 

People start treating skincare like they’re leveling up. 

“I’ve been on 0.025 tretinoin, so now I need 0.05.” 

Why? 

Is your current concentration no longer accomplishing the goal? 

Are we trying to treat something different? 

Can your skin tolerate an increase? 

Or are we increasing it because a larger number feels more effective? 

I want the lowest effective intensity that accomplishes our goal appropriately. 

Sometimes that’s strong. 

Sometimes it isn’t. 

Results matter more than bragging rights. 

Formulation can matter as much as the hero ingredient. 

This is probably one of the biggest lessons Ingredient Notes has taught us. 

Two products can both say: Vitamin C. 

Completely different formulations. 

Two products can contain a retinoid. 

Completely different delivery. 

Two moisturizers can contain ceramides. 

Completely different skin experience. 

I care about: 

Vehicle. 

Stability. 

pH where relevant. 

Delivery. 

Supporting ingredients. 

Packaging. 

Concentration.

Tolerability. 

And how the finished product interacts with everything else in the routine. 

The front of the bottle gives me marketing. 

The formulation tells me much more. 

Morning and nighttime routines have different jobs. 

I don’t necessarily want identical routines morning and night. 

During the day, I’m thinking heavily about: 

Protection. 

UV exposure. 

Environmental oxidative stress. 

Hydration. 

Maintaining comfort through the day. 

Sunscreen. 

Potentially antioxidants. 

At night, we have more freedom to focus on: 

Treatment and recovery. 

This may be where retinoids or certain corrective ingredients live. 

And depending on the skin, we may alternate treatment nights with recovery-focused nights. 

Which brings me to something I think is incredibly important. 

Recovery is an active part of the routine. 

A recovery night isn’t: 

“Tonight we’re doing nothing.” 

We’re allowing the skin to maintain and restore normal function after we’ve intentionally challenged it. 

Maybe Monday is retinoid. 

Tuesday is recovery. 

Wednesday is another treatment. 

Maybe someone tolerates their retinoid nightly. 

Fantastic. 

Maybe someone needs it twice weekly. 

Also fantastic if that’s what allows them to use it consistently. 

I don’t build frequency around what looks impressive on paper. I build it around response. 

I don’t introduce everything at once. 

Imagine I give you: 

A new cleanser. 

Vitamin C. 

Retinoid. 

Exfoliant. 

Moisturizer. 

And sunscreen. 

You start everything Monday. 

By Thursday your face is burning. 

Now tell me what caused it. Exactly… we have no idea. 

When appropriate, I prefer introducing meaningful changes strategically. 

That lets us observe: 

Tolerance. 

Breakouts. 

Irritation. 

Allergic reactions. 

Texture changes. 

And whether the product is actually helping. 

Your routine is basically a small ongoing experiment. 

If we change every variable simultaneously, we learn very little. 

Consistency beats the theoretically perfect routine. 

I could hand someone the most evidence-based regimen imaginable. 

But if it’s: 

Too expensive. 

Too complicated. 

Too irritating. 

Too time-consuming. 

Or completely incompatible with their lifestyle… It isn't a good regimen. 

Someone who consistently follows a thoughtfully designed five-step routine may accomplish much more than someone who sporadically performs a fourteen-step masterpiece. 

Your skincare needs to fit into your actual life.

Not the imaginary version of your life where you wake up at 5:30 every morning and lovingly wait fifteen minutes between seven different serums. 

I build for the person who actually exists. 

Budget matters too. 

This is another form of context. 

There are products I love at many price points. 

Expensive does not automatically mean better. 

Affordable does not automatically mean inferior. 

And I don’t want someone spending $300 on a serum if it means they can’t consistently purchase the sunscreen or prescription that’s actually doing the heavy lifting in their routine. 

Sometimes we splurge. 

Sometimes we save. 

I care where the money creates meaningful value. 

I don’t replace products just because they’re boring. 

This happens constantly. 

Someone has a cleanser that works beautifully. 

“But should I switch to something better?” 

Why? 

Does your cleanser need a promotion? 

If something is appropriate, well tolerated, and accomplishing its job, I’m not going to replace it simply because you’ve used it for six months and TikTok found something shinier. 

Not every product needs to transform your skin. Some products exist to quietly do their job every single day. 

Those products are often the backbone of a good routine. 

I also don’t change a routine every time the skin has a bad day. 

Skin fluctuates. 

One breakout doesn’t automatically mean the entire regimen stopped working. 

A dry morning doesn't necessarily mean we need six new products. 

A hormonal flare doesn't mean the cleanser failed. 

We look for patterns. 

What changed? 

How long has it been happening? 

Is this expected? 

Is it progressing? 

Did we introduce something? 

Is the environment different? 

Did medication change? 

Are we seeing irritation? 

Routine strategy requires patience. 

Otherwise we’re constantly reacting instead of actually observing. 

Professional treatments change the routine too. 

This is particularly important in aesthetics. 

The routine I want someone using during normal life may not be the routine I want immediately before or after. 

Microneedling. 

Laser resurfacing. 

Chemical peels. 

Other procedures. 

We may temporarily adjust retinoids. 

Exfoliating acids. 

Benzoyl peroxide. 

Certain pigment treatments. 

Or other potentially irritating products. 

And post-procedure skincare needs to respect the fact that we’ve intentionally altered the skin. 

The treatment room and homecare routine should be communicating with each other. 

Not fighting each other. 

So what does a routine actually look like? 

There isn’t one answer. 

But conceptually, I think about it like this: 

Morning

• Cleanse appropriately 

• Support/hydrate  

• Targeted treatment if appropriate

• Moisturize as needed 

• Protect 

Evening 

• Remove the day 

• Cleanse 

• Targeted treatment according to schedule 

• Support recovery 

• Moisturize appropriately 

And then throughout the week? Treatment intensity can change. 

Retinoid nights. 

Exfoliation nights if needed. 

Recovery nights. 

Maybe no exfoliation at all. 

Maybe daily retinoid use. 

Maybe two nights. 

The structure exists. 

The details belong to the person. 

How I know when a routine is working

I’m not only looking for: 

“Did the acne disappear?” 

I’m looking at the whole picture. 

Are we developing fewer lesions? 

Are existing lesions healing faster? 

Is inflammation decreasing? 

Is pigmentation improving? 

Does the skin feel comfortable? 

Is hydration better? 

Is the person tolerating treatment 

Are we seeing unnecessary irritation? 

Is the routine realistic enough that they’re actually following it? 

Are we moving toward the goal without creating new problems?

Sometimes progress is dramatic. Sometimes it’s subtle. 

But I want measurable direction, not constant chaos. 

And sometimes I refer out. 

Routine strategy also means knowing when skincare isn’t enough and what is no longer within my scope of practice. 

Severe inflammatory acne. 

Rapidly changing pigment. 

Suspicious lesions. 

Significant dermatitis. 

Possible infection. 

Conditions requiring prescription management. 

Medical or hormonal concerns outside my scope. 

I’m not interested in proving I can treat everything with products. 

Sometimes the best skincare recommendation I can make is: 

You need a dermatologist. 

Knowing when not to add another product is part of being a good practitioner. 

Why this matters as a provider 

When I build a routine, I’m not asking: 

“What products can I sell this person?” 

I’m essentially building a strategy. 

What are we protecting? 

What are we correcting? 

What are we preventing? 

What are we monitoring? 

What needs professional treatment? 

What can the person realistically maintain? 

And how do all of those pieces interact? 

That’s why two clients with acne may leave with completely different routines. 

Different skin. 

Different tolerance. 

Different environment. 

Different medications. 

Different budgets. 

Different goals. 

Different lives. 

Personalization isn’t choosing between the oily-skin kit and the dry-skin kit. 

It’s understanding why each step belongs there. 

Final Thoughts

If you take one thing from the way I build skincare routines, let it be this: 

Every product needs a reason. 

Not a trend. 

Not a viral review. 

Not an arbitrary rule that everyone over 25 needs it. 

A reason. 

I want to understand the biology first, then establish the goal. 

Protect the functions we want to preserve. 

Correct what actually needs correction. 

Choose formulations intelligently. 

Introduce change strategically. 

Give the skin enough recovery to tolerate treatment. 

And watch how it responds. 

Sometimes that creates a three-product routine. 

Sometimes it creates ten. 

I’m not interested in the number, I’m interested in whether the routine makes sense. 

Because good skincare isn’t about doing the most you can possibly do to your skin. 

And it isn’t about doing nothing because you’re afraid of disrupting it. 

It’s about knowing when to support, when to treat, and when to leave the skin alone. 

That’s routine strategy. 

Journal Note 

Building routines is probably where everything I believe about skincare finally comes together. 

Skin biology matters. 

The barrier matters. 

Ingredients matter. 

Formulation matters. 

Lifestyle matters. 

Medical history matters. 

 And the person using the routine matters. 

But none of those things exist independently. 

A fantastic ingredient can be wrong for the person. 

A fantastic product can be placed incorrectly in a routine. 

An aggressive treatment can be exactly what one person’s skin needs and completely inappropriate for someone else’s. 

That’s why I don’t want people leaving EPIARA simply knowing what to buy. 

I want them to learn about how to think about their skin. 

Ask why something is in your routine. 

Ask what it’s supposed to accomplish. 

Ask whether it’s still serving that purpose. 

And stop assuming that more products, stronger percentages, or wherever happens to be trending this month automatically means better skincare. 

Understand the skin first. 

Then build around what it actually needs. 

That’s the philosophy behind every routine I create.