Walk into any beauty aisle or scroll social media and you’ll be told the same thing:
you need more.

More steps.
More serums.
More actives.
More products layered, morning and night.

And if your skin still isn’t “perfect”? You’re led to believe you’re doing it wrong — or not buying enough.

This isn’t skincare education. It’s marketing. And it’s quietly taking advantage of women.

The Business of Skin Insecurity

Big corporate skincare companies don’t profit from simplicity. They profit from complexity.

By convincing women they need a 7–10 step routine, brands create dependency and confusion — a classic form of gaslighting. If your skin reacts, flakes, breaks out or feels sore, the message is rarely “your skin is overwhelmed”. Instead, you’re told to add another product to “fix” the problem the last one caused.

Sensitive? Add a calming serum.
Breaking out? Add an exfoliating acid.
Dry? Add a hyaluronic layer.
Still not right? Try a retinol — slowly, of course.

At no point does anyone suggest stepping back.

When ‘Advanced’ Skincare Backfires

The truth is this:
most skin doesn’t want constant stimulation.

Layering multiple actives — acids, retinoids, vitamin C, peptides — can compromise the skin barrier, especially if your skin is:

• hormonally sensitive
• perimenopausal or menopausal
• stressed or inflamed
• prone to rosacea, eczema or breakouts

Overuse of actives can lead to redness, sensitivity, tightness, congestion and reactive skin. Many women think their skin is “problematic” when it’s actually overworked.

Skin isn’t a project. It’s a living organ.

Skincare Didn’t Used to Be This Complicated

We’ve been sold the idea that more steps equal better results — but skin health doesn’t work that way.

Your skin needs three core things:

1. Cleanse – to remove dirt, make-up and pollution
2. Tone – to support and rebalance
3. Nourish – to protect, soften and strengthen the barrier

That’s it.

Everything else is optional — not essential.

Why Fewer Products Often Work Better

Using fewer products allows the skin to do what it’s designed to do: regulate itself.

When you simplify, you reduce the risk of irritation, overload and ingredient clashes. You also begin to notice what actually suits your skin, rather than masking problems with layers.

Techniques matter too.
Massage, for example, improves circulation, supports lymphatic drainage, relaxes facial tension and helps products work more effectively — without adding another bottle to the shelf.

Touch is powerful. Skin responds to it.

Simplicity Is Not Lazy — It’s Intelligent

The most radical thing you can do in skincare today is less.

Less stripping.
Less forcing change.
Less chasing trends.

A simple routine, used consistently and with intention, supports skin far better than a cupboard full of half-used products promising miracles.

You don’t need fixing.
Your skin doesn’t need managing.
And you certainly don’t need a 10-step routine to be worthy of good skin.

Sometimes the kindest, most effective approach is to step back — and let your skin breathe.