Has anyone improved their skin by keeping their routine simple

[HIBATIM]

I keep seeing 10-step routines everywhere but honestly my skin sometimes looks worse the more products I use. Has anyone actually improved their skin by doing less?

I have been militant on looking after my skin since I was a teenager, and I do have very good skin.

But a complicated 10+ step routine? Not a bloody chance. For most of my life it was cleanse and moisturise, with an SPF and that was it.

As I've got older, I've added some specific things to help specific issues. eg I sometimes use a hylaronic acid serum because my skin can be very dry (actually, this has been true for years - although I have no idea if it was hylaronic acid that the nice lady at Clariins gave me 20 years ago! ). I started using vitamin C in the morning years ago and it's been a game changer. And I use retinol at night. I also use different cleansers on different days because I find sometimes I want something more exfoliating and sometimes I want something that just does a basic cleanse but it's still just a one step cleansing process (dont' even get me started on the trend for double cleansing - why on earth would I not just use a cleanser that actualyl cleans my skin first time?)

My optional extra is the Clarins Double Serum which I use in the mornings sometimes as I do feel somehow it makes all my other things work better.

I'm in my late 60s and enjoy seeing people's shock when I tell them my age, as I tend to look early 50s. A few wrinkles starting to show now but I'm not all that bothered by them. I often get asked what I use on my face and the answer is nothing. I don't even wash it. It gets wet, in the shower or if caught in the rain, but I just don't put anything on it and it seems to have worked OK for me.

@SourdoughSally do you find that the Simple soap alone removes the spf50 sunscreen in the summer? I keep reading about double cleansing when using SPF but the less I do to my skin the better. Also please can I ask which sunscreen you use on your face?

Op as I mentioned above the less I do to my skin the better, usually clean, moisturizer then SPF when needed. I do think a lot of multiple step routines are unnecessary but I appreciate some people like and enjoy spending the time on skincare.🙂